Tuesday, February 24, 2026

Self-exorcism

This seems to be a joke, some trolls who are making fun of Peter Dimond, a sedevacantist content-creator on YouTube.

The Seventh Day Adventist-related channel Scriptures Illustrator really goes out on a limb here, relating a strange miracle story about an Inuit prophet in Alaska during the 19th century, a certain Maniilaq, who became a "Christian" after a divine prophecy given to him by a bird?!

The Adventists seem interested in him since he supposedly kept the Saturday Sabbath. According to ChatGPT, Maniilaq was a real person - probably a syncretistic visionary and healer. Even the Adventist video linked above describe practices which sound magical or shamanistic. ChatGPT also claims that the Sabbatarian claims are very late (20th century).

The idea that various Native tribes heard about the Bible or Jesus already before the arrival of Christian missionaries does exist among some...Christian missionaries themselves. Which is actually pretty strange. This is evidently another example.

Is the Inuit prophet Maniilaq a real person? Supposedly a Inuit 200 years ago who knew about Christianity and predicted the future without knowing the Bible, etc.

Yes — Maniilaq is regarded as a real historical person in Iñupiat (Inuit) oral tradition.

However, the more dramatic claims about him (detailed Christian-style prophecy, specific predictions of modern technology, etc.) are debated and often come from later retellings rather than early documentation.

Here’s a careful breakdown.

1. Was Maniilaq a real person?

Most scholars and Alaska Native historians accept that:

Maniilaq was an Iñupiat spiritual figure.
He likely lived in the early–mid 19th century (often dated roughly 1800–1850).
He was known as a healer and prophet among the Iñupiat of northwest Alaska.

He appears in missionary-era reports and Indigenous oral histories.

So: Yes, probably historical.

2. The Christianity Question

The more controversial claim is that:

He predicted the arrival of Christianity before missionaries arrived.
He knew about a single creator God.
He anticipated moral teachings similar to the Bible.

However:

Russian Orthodox missionaries were active in Alaska from the late 1700s onward.
Trade networks spread ideas long before permanent missionary presence.
Cultural contact may have preceded written records.

So it is entirely possible he had indirect exposure to Christian ideas, even if no missionary was stationed directly in his village.

There is no strong historical evidence that he developed detailed Christian theology independently and in isolation.

3. The Prophecy Claims

Modern retellings sometimes claim that Maniilaq predicted:

The coming of white people.
The coming of Christianity.
The collapse of traditional ways.
Modern technologies.
A final moral reckoning.

However, these claims mostly come from:

Later oral traditions recorded in the 20th century.
Christian missionary interpretations.
Modern Indigenous reinterpretations.

We do not have contemporary 19th-century written records documenting detailed prophecies in real time.

4. The “Prophet Without the Bible” Narrative

The idea that he:

Predicted Christianity without ever encountering it,
Or anticipated biblical teachings in detail,

is usually framed in apologetic or spiritual narratives rather than academic historical work.

From a scholarly perspective:

It’s more plausible that he integrated new religious ideas into existing spiritual frameworks.
Indigenous prophets frequently reinterpret outside influences in culturally meaningful ways.

That pattern is common globally.

5. Indigenous Prophetic Movements

Similar prophetic figures emerged in many Indigenous societies under colonial pressure.

They often:

Combined traditional spirituality with incoming religious elements.
Foretold social upheaval.
Called for moral reform.

Maniilaq fits that broader anthropological pattern.

6. Scholarly Position

Most historians would say:

He was likely a real spiritual leader.
The details of his prophecies are difficult to verify.
Some elements may have been shaped by later Christian influence.
Oral traditions evolve over time.

This does not mean the tradition is false — only that it cannot be verified in the way modern historiography requires.

7. Bottom Line

Is Maniilaq real?
→ Probably yes.

Did he independently predict Christianity without exposure?
→ Historically uncertain and unlikely in the strong form sometimes claimed.

Are the dramatic prophecy narratives historically documented from his own time?
→ No, they appear in later accounts.

If you’d like, I can also compare Maniilaq to other Indigenous prophetic movements (like the Ghost Dance or cargo cults) to show the broader pattern.

Monday, February 23, 2026

Code Red

A new book, promoted by the pro-Trump site Breitbart News, argues that a cabal of globalist billionaires are trying to weaponize the public´s fear of AI job less for various nefarious ends, one of which is (surprise) to push a certain Donald J Trump out of effective office.

Sure, that may be possible. So who´s behind this book, then? Let me guess. The *other* oligarchic tech faction, the one backing the Donald?

The author acknowledges that new data centers are pushing up water and electricity prices for the US working class and hopes/wants Trump to address this problem. Which may indeed be a clever strategy if you want the GOP to carry the midterms, since the Democrats will otherwise hijack this "populist" issue. However, since Trump´s crown prince Vance is bought by Peter Thiel, I can´t say I´m holding my breath...

"Code Red": How the left tries to weaponize fears of AI

Shameless

Funny how Breitbart News can´t get their propaganda straight. Or perhaps their readers don´t care? Isn´t the US far right opposed to birthright citizenship? Or does Eileen Gu count as a real Amerikan since her father was a White boy? And since when do these people care about Muslims being genocided?

LOL. The entire article just comes across as a low IQ rant by somebody who is angry that he couldn´t fuck the cheer leader...

But sure, he´s Aussie, so maybe they have other agendas down under.

Eileen Gu proudly sings Chinese Communist anthem

Election interference

The Church of England actually voted to terminate same-sex blessings?! An unexpected setback for the liberal Anglicans, obviously.

Redeemed Zoomer (RZ) believes that the Woke will stage a comeback soon and push for same-sex marriage, and therefore calls on all conservative members of the Church to participate in the upcoming elections to the General Synod, its supreme decision-making body. RZ believes that of all liberal Churches, the Church of England is the one most likely to revert back to conservatism. Most practicing members are conservative. The conservatives are also relatively well organized.

Apparently, the "GAFCON" split from the global Anglican communion last year was fake news. Most conservative Anglican Churches in the Global South have no plans to break communion with Canterbury. At least that´s what RZ believes. So the factional conflicts within both the CofE and its international network will continue for another decade or so...

I admit that I have no particular horse in this race, and will probably watch it mostly from the sidelines.

Monday

Sunday, February 22, 2026

Logos and telos

A propos nothing in particular...

Can you tell me something about Maximus the Confessor and his idea about Logos and logoi?

Certainly. Maximus the Confessor (c. 580–662) is one of the most profound metaphysical theologians in Christian history. His teaching on the Logos and the logoi is central to his vision of reality — and it is remarkably sophisticated.

Given your interest in metaphysics and contemplative traditions, I think you’ll find this especially rich.

1. The Basic Idea

Maximus distinguishes between:

The Logos (singular)
The logoi (plural)

The Logos

The Logos is:

The divine Word
The Second Person of the Trinity
Identified with Jesus Christ
The eternal divine principle through which all things were made (John 1:1–3)

The logoi

The logoi are:

The divine “reasons”
The intelligible principles
The inner meanings or purposes of created things

Every created being has its own logos.

2. What Are the logoi?

For Maximus:

Each creature has:

A divine idea
A purpose in God
A unique participation in the Logos

The logoi are:

The eternal divine intentions according to which creatures exist.

They are not separate entities floating in heaven.
They exist within the Logos.

So:

Logos = Divine unity
logoi = Divine plurality of meanings

3. Relationship Between Logos and logoi

This is the key metaphysical move:

The many logoi are unified in the one Logos.

All created diversity is grounded in one divine source.

Creation is not random.
It is structured, meaningful, intelligible.

Each being:

Expresses a unique aspect of the divine wisdom
Participates in the Logos
Moves toward fulfillment in the Logos

4. Cosmic Christology

Maximus goes further.

The incarnation of Christ is not just about human salvation.

It is:

The gathering of all logoi into unity in the Logos made flesh.

Christ is the center and fulfillment of the entire cosmos.

The universe is Christologically structured.

This is why Maximus speaks of:

Cosmic recapitulation
The unification of divisions
The healing of fragmentation

5. The Five Divisions

Maximus describes five great divisions in reality:

Uncreated / Created
Intelligible / Sensible
Heaven / Earth
Paradise / World
Male / Female

Christ unites these divisions.

This is not metaphorical poetry — it is ontological healing.

6. Human Vocation

Humans are unique because we can:

Contemplate the logoi in creation
Recognize their unity in the Logos
Freely align ourselves with divine intention

For Maximus, sin is:

Failure to live according to one’s logos.

Salvation is:

Conformity of one’s personal will to the divine Logos.

This is why he was central to the defense of dyothelitism (two wills in Christ) — because proper willing is essential to cosmic restoration.

7. Contemplative Dimension

Maximus is deeply contemplative.

To perceive the logoi is a spiritual act.

It requires purification of:

passions
ego
disordered desire

Then creation becomes transparent.

You begin to see:

The inner rationality of things
Their divine grounding
Their movement toward unity

8. Why This Is Philosophically Powerful

Maximus avoids two extremes:

He avoids Platonic dualism (creation is not inferior illusion).
He avoids materialist randomness.

Instead:

Creation is real, good, meaningful, and divinely intentional.

Multiplicity is not chaos.

It is structured expression of divine wisdom.

9. If I May Draw a Bridge

You’ve previously explored:

Śiva as silent ground (unity)
Ganesha as structured multiplicity
Bala Tripura Sundari as manifesting consciousness

Maximus’ Logos/logoi framework performs a somewhat analogous move:

Logos = divine unity
logoi = differentiated expressions

But in his case, the unity is personal and incarnate in Christ.

10. Final Summary

For Maximus:

The Logos is the eternal Word of God.
The logoi are the divine principles of each created thing.
All multiplicity is unified in Christ.
Salvation is cosmic integration.
Human freedom participates in this unification.

If you’d like, I can also explore how Maximus compares to Neoplatonism — or to non-dual metaphysical systems you’ve shown interest in.

Neoplatonism, please.

Excellent — this is one of the most illuminating comparisons in late antique thought.

To understand Maximus the Confessor, we have to place him in dialogue with Plotinus and the broader Neoplatonic tradition.

Maximus is deeply influenced by Neoplatonism — but he decisively transforms it.

1. The Basic Neoplatonic Structure

In classical Neoplatonism (Plotinus):

Reality unfolds in three primary levels:

The One (absolute unity beyond being)
Nous (Divine Intellect, containing the Forms)
Soul (mediating principle)
The material world

Multiplicity arises by emanation from the One.

The Forms (intelligible archetypes of things) exist in the Divine Intellect (Nous).

2. Parallel with Maximus

Maximus’ structure looks superficially similar:

Logos (divine unity)
logoi (intelligible principles)
created world
return to unity

This is not accidental.

But the differences are crucial.

3. Unity: The One vs. The Logos

Plotinus:

The One is:

Beyond being
Beyond intellect
Impersonal
Ineffable

Maximus:

The Logos is:

Personal
Identified with Jesus Christ
Trinitarian
Actively loving

In Neoplatonism, unity is metaphysical abstraction.

In Maximus, unity is personal communion.

That changes everything.

4. The logoi vs. the Forms

In Neoplatonism:

The Forms exist in the Divine Intellect.
They are archetypes of things.
Multiplicity is structured but static.

In Maximus:

The logoi are dynamic divine intentions.
They are not separate ideas but personal wills within the Logos.
They are teleological (purpose-oriented).

This is a major shift.

Neoplatonic Forms are ontological patterns.
Maximian logoi are purposeful divine intentions.

5. Emanation vs. Creation

Neoplatonism:
Reality flows necessarily from the One.

Maximus:
Creation is free.

God did not have to create.

This preserves:

Divine freedom
Real contingency
Love as motive

Emanation implies metaphysical necessity.
Creation implies personal generosity.

6. The Problem of Matter

Plotinus:
Matter is the lowest level of reality — almost non-being.

Maximus:
Matter is good.
It participates in divine logoi.
It is destined for transfiguration.

Because of the Incarnation, materiality is elevated.

7. Return (Epistrophe) vs. Recapitulation

Neoplatonism:
All things return to the One through contemplative ascent.

Maximus:
All things are recapitulated in Christ.

This return is:

Historical
Incarnational
Eschatological

It is not just philosophical contemplation — it is cosmic salvation.

8. The Role of Will

This is one of the deepest divergences.

Plotinus:
The return to the One is contemplative union.

Maximus:
The key issue is will.

Human beings must align their will with the divine Logos.

That’s why Maximus fought against monothelitism (the idea that Christ had only one will).
For him:

If Christ does not have a human will,
human will cannot be healed.

Neoplatonism focuses on intellect.
Maximus integrates will and love.

9. Mystical Experience

Plotinus describes union with the One as:

Ecstatic
Beyond thought
Non-dual

Maximus also speaks of deification (theosis).

But for him:

Union never abolishes personhood.

The human person does not dissolve into divine simplicity.

Instead:

Communion without confusion.

This is a fundamentally relational metaphysics.

10. Where Maximus Radicalizes Neoplatonism

You could say:

Maximus Christianizes Neoplatonism by:

Personalizing unity
Historicizing return
Affirming matter
Centering love and will
Anchoring everything in Christ

He takes the vertical metaphysical ladder of Plotinus and bends it around the Incarnation.

11. A Deeper Structural Comparison (Given Your Interests)

You’ve explored non-dual frameworks before.

Neoplatonism:
Unity → Intellect → Multiplicity → Return

Maximus:
Personal Logos → logoi → Creation → Incarnation → Deification

The difference lies in:

Personhood
Freedom
Love
History

Neoplatonic unity is metaphysical necessity.
Maximian unity is personal communion.

Final Summary

Maximus stands at the meeting point of:

Greek metaphysics
Christian revelation
Mystical theology

He preserves Neoplatonic structure but transforms its center:

The One becomes the Logos.
The Forms become logoi.
Return becomes Incarnation and theosis.
Emanation becomes love.

If you'd like, we could go one level deeper and compare this with Dōgen’s view of multiplicity and unity — there are fascinating resonances and differences there.

Correlation and causation

Overheard on X (the xweet is ironic):

"Europe never had a dark age, it just had a period in which population declined, currency was in limited supply, emissions fell, building and inventing became rarer, records were limited, long-distance trade networks were severed, and institutional presence was constrained."

Zero point

Saturn and Neptune conjoined at zero degrees Aries. The planet of illusion meets the planet of hard limits in the sign of martial action...

Welcome to 2026. But we don´t believe in this superstitious astrological crap, right?

Cringe pop

"America, America, you´re a fever in my veins. Spinning like a satellite, calling out my name." LOL. If this is the best AI can do as lyrics are concerned, I don´t think song writers need to worry about future gigs. But sure, maybe AI could still destroy the cringe pop scene?