Cyclical Civilization Theory

(This is an essay on Cyclical Civilization Theory, intended to accompany my Introduction to the Third Civilization which is posted here: Thread: Introduction to the Third Civilization )

Cyclical Civilization Theory

Historians divide the history of Homo sapiens and Homo novus into four generally cyclical periods, referred to as the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Civilizations. Civilizations are primarily associated with the achievement of a specific Kardashev level, the attainment of a certain order of consciousness by the majority of the population, and with a particular astrological age. Each civilization period is punctuated by a collapse event and an ensuing dark age period. This conceptual framework is known as the Cyclical Civilization Theory.

The Extended Kardashev Scale

Scholars measure the level of advancement of a civilization in terms of the amount of energy it is able to harness, which also corresponds roughly to the size of the territorial holdings of its government. For convenience, energy usages are divided into discrete levels on a scale known as the Extended Kardashev Scale, an improvement on the 20th century system developed by Kardashev. The Extended Kardashev Scale assigns to each civilization a Kardashev level between -3 and IV, with the possibility of further extension to the system. At each successive Kardashev level, a civilization will have harnessed approximately 10 billion times as much energy as a civilization on the previous Kardashev level.

A Kardashev level of -3 corresponds to an energy usage of 10-26 W, which is roughly equivalent to the binding energy of a single atom. Kardashev -2 corresponds to an energy usage of 10-16 W, roughly equal to the metabolism of a single cell. Kardashev -1 corresponds to an energy consumption of 10-6 W, approximately equal to the caloric intake requirement of an average humanoid organism. These first Kardashev levels do not technically correspond to any real civilizations, since civilization requires the organized interaction of multiple individuals, which would correspond to a Kardashev level greater than -1.

A Kardashev 0 civilization is one that utilizes approximately 104 W of energy, which is roughly the amount of energy available in a fertile river valley or seacoast. A Kardashev I civilization, controlling about 1014 W of energy, normally requires unified control over a single planet, while a Kardashev II civilization, which controls approximately 1024 W of energy, will generally encompass an entire planetary system. Kardashev III civilizations would likely span entire galaxies, utilizing about 1034 W of energy. The highest Kardashev level yet imagined is Kardashev IV, which would involve the use of at least 1044 W of energy, and probably entails control of the entire visible universe.

Orders of Consciousness

Noologists hold that there are at least nine different levels or orders of consciousness. As each successive level is attained, the ability of the individual to perceive, visualize, understand, and reason, is augmented. All lower orders remain intact, but the highest order the individual has attained will usually be the dominant one. In some cases, a lower order may continue to dominate, or a higher order may exert an unbalanced control over the lower orders; both conditions often result in mental illness.

The first order of consciousness is present in human babies, and in all organisms with brains. It is associated with a single dimension—the linear dichotomy of forward and backward motion, corresponding respectively with beneficial stimuli to approach and harmful stimuli to escape from. Consequently, the first order of consciousness is the source of the “fight or flight” response. This order of consciousness responds to opioids. Phobias and anxiety disorders can be caused by an improperly dominant first order of consciousness.

The second order of consciousness is present in children who have learned to walk and speak, and in all territorial animals. It introduces a second dimension—upward and downward motion, corresponding with superiority and dominance, inferiority and submission, within a given social structure. The second order of consciousness is stimulated by alcohols and other depressants. A person who is abnormally aggressive, overprotective, dependent, or paranoid may have a disproportionately dominant second order.

The third order of consciousness appears in children in primary school, and in some of the higher primates. This order introduces a third dimension—left and right—completing the three dimensions of space and giving the individual the ability to manipulate the environment and create tools, as well as the ability to reason and visualize abstractly. The third order of consciousness responds to stimulants such as caffeine and cocaine. Recklessness may be a sign of an abnormal dominance of the third order.

The fourth order of consciousness may appear during adolescence or as late as adulthood in Homo sapiens. It introduces the fourth dimension—time—making it possible for the individual to transmit culture and knowledge to future generations of individuals. Civilization and morality arise from this order of consciousness. The fourth order of consciousness is stimulated by certain amphetamines. The majority of Homo sapiens in the 21st century are on this order of consciousness.

The fifth order of consciousness enables the mind to conceptualize intuitively in an arbitrary number of dimensions; essentially, the previous four-dimensional intelligence is replaced by an n-dimensional intelligence. Full experience of this order of consciousness also allows the conscious control of physical sensations such as pain. Buddhists associate the fifth order of consciousness with the meditation object of infinite space; appropriately, widespread space travel was a natural consequence of the transition to the fifth order in Homo sapiens. The fifth order of consciousness responds to tetrahydrocannabinol; it may also be triggered by sudden emotional shock. Improper transition to the fifth order may result in hallucinatory disorders.

The sixth order of consciousness allows the mind to become aware of its own psychonic processes, as well as the psychonic processes of other minds, and the psychon medium which permeates the universe. It is this order that makes interaction with psychon fields and the psychon medium possible; the natural result is consistent telepathy, telekinesis, premonition, astral projection, and other psychic abilities. The sixth order of consciousness is stimulated by mescaline and psilocybin. An improper transition to the sixth order can produce schizophrenic disorders. The majority of Homo novus in the 109th century on are this order of consciousness.

The seventh order of consciousness permits the recall of a person’s psychonic history, a phenomenon resembling the concept of “past lives,” originating from a “psychon memory” property that is not yet understood by physicists. Consciousness may continue indefinitely on this order; a mind that has reached this order of consciousness is capable of intuitively recalling thoughts, emotions, perceptions, and events that its component psychons were involved in before the person was born. The seventh order of consciousness responds to lysergic acid diethylamide.

The eighth order of consciousness allows the mind to engage in simultaneous interaction with the interconnected totality of all psychons in the universe; it may be related to some undiscovered carrier particle even more basic than the psychon. This phenomenon resembles the concept of the “collective unconscious” or “oversoul,” and Buddhists associate it with the meditation object of infinite consciousness. The eighth order of consciousness responds to ketamine, dimethyltryptamine, and phenylcyclidine.

The ninth order of consciousness is the highest known order; thus far it has proven nearly impossible to explain or even describe. Buddhists associate it with the meditation object of infinite nothingness, and some have claimed that this order transcends physics itself, or even the very notion of existence. The ninth order of consciousness is stimulated by very high doses of dextromethorphan.

Scientific Astrology

Although astrology began as an unscientific discipline, it has since been examined using the methodologies of science, which resulted in the discovery of an underlying basis of fact.

While the impossibility of the notion that celestial bodies themselves influence events in history is accepted almost universally, it is now acknowledged that the ancient astrologers had indeed discovered real cycles of natural and human phenomena. To formalize their descriptions of these cycles, the ancients relied on the stars and planets, not as the assumed source of the phenomena, but as a convenient timekeeping device for indicating the duration and frequency of these cyclical occurrences. Thus the stars and planets do not influence history, but through astrology their motions can be used to identify and predict various cyclical phenomena in history.

The astrological concept relevant to Cyclical Civilization Theory is that of the astrological ages, which are suggested to correspond roughly to the civilizational periods posited by the theory. Interestingly, though the major characteristics of society during each astrological age seem to correlate with the appropriate civilizational period, their durations do not agree. The reason for this difficulty in an otherwise effective theory is unknown. Some have hypothesized that the full cycle of the precession of the equinoxes once took much longer to complete; this would mean that Earth’s precessional movements were slower at some time in the human past. Others suggest, with less probability, that human life, or terrestrial life in general, did not originate on Earth, but rather in some other location in or near the Sol system; they suppose that the civilizational periods would correspond much more faithfully with the precession of the equinoxes at this unknown point of origin.

Civilizational Periods in History

These three criteria of the Cyclical Civilization Theory have been used to identify four civilizational periods in the history of Homo sapiens and Homo novus.

The period known as the First Civilization was characterized by the rise of human sentience and the dominance of the third order of consciousness. However, third-order consciousness is not considered to be capable of producing civilization; consequently, the true civilization of this period actually consisted of isolated enclaves of fourth-order consciousness, the most prominent of which was the Atlantean culture. Homo sapiens in the First Civilization had achieved a Kardashev level of -1, though in the actual centers of civilization, cultures approached the Kardashev 0 level. Astrologers associate the First Civilization with the astrological Age of Aries. The First Civilization ended with an eruption of the Thera volcano around 20,000 BC, which obliterated the Atlantean culture.

The Second Civilization, which emerged after the first dark age, was marked by the dominance of the fourth order of consciousness and a more widespread appearance of true civilization, the defining achievement of which was the development of nation-states at the Kardashev 0 level. This period of civilization is regarded as having begun with the unification of the Nile River valley under Pharaonic Egypt, and it ended with the conclusion of World War V in 2101. Astrologers associate the Second Civilization with the astrological Age of Pisces.

The beginning of the Third Civilization is usually dated to the founding of the American Theocracy in 2278. The majority of this period was characterized by multiple attempts at uniting the entire planet Earth by force under a single government, an ancient ambition which was finally achieved by the Congolese Dominion in the early Seventh millennium. The Third Civilization saw the attainment of the Kardashev I level, the rapid colonization of the Sol system, human expansion into interstellar space, and the widespread appearance of the fifth order of consciousness in Homo sapiens. The Third Civilization is associated with the astrological Age of Aquarius. This period of civilization was ended in 6556 by a series of severe coronal mass ejections.

The Fourth Civilization began in 6733 as Martian forces landed on Earth for the first time in nearly two centuries. During the Fourth Civilization, the entire Sol system was unified under a single government, the Kardashev II level was reached, interstellar migration became common, time travel was invented, the sixth order of consciousness became dominant, and Homo sapiens developed into Homo novus. The primary challenge to civilization during this period is the time travel war between Homo novus and the Grey collective. The Fourth Civilization is typically supposed to coincide with the astrological Age of Capricorn. This civilization continues to the present day.

It is generally assumed that the Fourth Civilization will eventually collapse, making way for a “Fifth Civilization” period, which may be expected to involve the unification of the entire Milky Way galaxy under one government, the achievement of the Kardashev III level, the beginning of intergalactic colonization, and the dominance of the seventh order of consciousness. Still more civilizational periods would eventually follow.