Phenomenal Perfectionism and Actualization of the Potential Self

Introduction

Nothing fantastic is meant by the use of the word phenomenal. In this context it refers to anything which can be directly experienced by an individual. The word perfectionism is not used in the neurotic sense, instead it represents our continual striving towards an ideal state.  Putting these two concepts together we arrive at Phenomenal Perfectionism, the attempt to realize an ideal state using only information gathered from our direct personal experience.

The phenomenal approach to perfectionism is in direct opposition to the more widespread authoritative approach in which one relies on a set of prescribed rules to guide their actions. While living according to a fixed set of rules certainly has its advantages, real life decisions require much more flexibility than this approach could ever provide.

Unfortunately, the challenge of making choices without an external authority is that it requires an understanding of what conscious beings are actually struggling to accomplish. The purpose of our lives within a sometimes seemingly random and overwhelming universe is elusive. Why do our choices and actions matter? So far history has only proved that this question is difficult to answer. 

We often view our lives in reverse, identifying ourselves with past accomplishments and failures. In taking this view, there is no room for change and an individual becomes confined by their past choices and outcomes. A slightly better view looks to the present moment for sanctuary from an anxious mind fixated on the past. While it's true that bliss can be found in the present moment, the continuous search for meaning this way quickly devolves into an unsustainable search for immediate happiness.

The past should serve only as a guide to choices ahead. It does not define us. Awareness of the present moment is critical for self determination, but the present shouldn't completely occupy our minds. And the future is more than a sequence of events waiting to be revealed. In actuality, it is your true self. 

Since trying to understand our purpose directly seems to yield little insight, an indirect approach might prove to be more fruitful. What if we inquire instead into the function of human consciousness? In other words, can we define exactly the problem human consciousness arose to solve? A modern view of the universe suggests that instead of a single future we have a multitude of potential futures branching off from every moment. With every choice we create many new possible futures for ourselves and discard countless others. This is the labyrinth the human mind has arisen to navigate. Our minds are probability engines facilitating the individual agency of consciousness.

With perfect knowledge of all past events, perfect wisdom of agency, and a perfect understanding of the problem our mind exists to solve, making choices in life would be an effortless task. Obviously, attainment of this kind of perfection is impossible for us to achieve. But if this is the case, what benefit can this framework possibly bring us? Surprisingly, we will find that in examining the ways we fail to achieve perfection we can develop a deeper understanding into the meaning of life we are searching for so desperately.

The Axioms

The human mind is

An information engine

Producing action

1. Information quantifies the amount of free entropy in a system.

2. Information external to the individual is Universal Order. 

3. Information internal to the individual is Order Potential.

4. Universal order is modified via Action.

5. Order potential is modified via Observation.

6. Action and observation occur in rapid succession in the Action-Observation cycle.

All of the moments

Realized from the present

The potential self

7. A single iteration of the action-observation cycle is a Moment.

8. The Present Moment is the action-observation cycle an individual is currently experiencing.

9. A moment is Realized when a sequence of actions cause it to become the present moment.

10. A moment is Attainable if it can be realized from another through a sequence of actions.

11. An Isochron is the set of all attainable moments an equal number of action-observation cycles from the present moment.

12. The Potential Self is the set of all isochrons.

Evaluating

Objective hierarchy

Against potential

13. Objectives are statements about the universal order which can be determined to be true or false.

14. Subordinate Objectives are those that must be true for another objective to be true.

15. A Primary Objective is one which is not subordinate to any other objective. 

16. Priorities are weights against primary objectives for a given moment.

17. Evaluation is the process of weighting primary objectives against momentary priorities.

18. Realization Potential is the probability a moment will eventually be realized from the present moment.

19. Actualization is the expected evaluation across a given isochron weighted by realization potential.

20. Actualization Potential is the total expected actualization evaluated across the potential self.

Perfection eludes

Suboptimal heuristics

Must be used

21. The Perfect Action is the one which results in the optimal actualization potential in a given moment.

22. Understanding is order potential related to the axioms and their implications.

23. Knowledge is order potential related to the state of objectives.

24. Wisdom is order potential related to available actions and their expected impact to the universal order.

25. With complete understanding and infinite knowledge, wisdom, and time Perfect Optimization is possible.

26. Perfect optimization is Intractable since order potential and time in any moment are finite.

27. The intractable nature of perfect optimization necessitates suboptimal Heuristics to be utilized to approximate evaluation.

We only approach

Perfect optimization

Conscious awareness

28. Efficiency measures the maximum actualization potential a heuristic can achieve relative to optimal actualization.

29. The Fundamental Nature of an individual is to move toward perfect optimization.

30. A heuristic is Subverted if it does not optimize actualization potential to its maximum efficiency.

31. The cause of subverted heuristics is Unconscious order potential generated by external objectives.

32. Awareness is the conscious evaluation of objectives utilizing understanding, knowledge, and wisdom. 

33. The influence of external objectives can be completely Extinguished through awareness.

Information as Order Potential

Laid out before us

We observe the Universe

And select a path

Order in the universe can be quantified in terms of the information it contains. Information is a measurement of the lack of entropy which exists in a system. Although it appears on the surface to be only an abstract idea, information is not merely conceptual. In fact, in simple situations the information contained in an arrangement of objects can be determined exactly. For example, we can measure the information contained in a given sequence of numbers or letters or playing cards. But of course, on a larger scale it would be effectively impossible to determine the exact amount of information in a complex system -- like the grains of sand on a beach -- but it's there nevertheless.

You can think of information as a measure of unpredictability. Imagine a book which consists of only a random sequence of letters. No matter how long such a book is, it does not contain any surprises. It's very predictable in some sense, because each letter is equally likely to appear next in the sequence. This is why a useful book uses sequences of letters called words, with words combined to make sentences, sentences create paragraphs and so on. This type of book contains information on many levels. In a similar way, buildings contain more information than piles of bricks and crystals contain more information than clouds.

Define universal order as the information stored external to an individual. Just like a book, information is stored in the universe via the arrangement of physical objects at many levels. Similarly, define order potential as the information stored within the individual. Internally, information is stored in our mind in the form of memories. These memories are then used as inputs to selected heuristics to evaluate available decisions. This process of evaluation is what allows consciousness to select an action.

The Observation-Action Cycle

Laid out before us

We observe the Universe

And select a path

Order in the universe can be quantified in terms of the information it contains. Information is a measurement of the lack of entropy which exists in a system. Although it appears on the surface to be only an abstract idea, information is not merely conceptual. In fact, in simple situations the information contained in an arrangement of objects can be determined exactly. For example, we can measure the information contained in a given sequence of numbers or letters or playing cards. But of course, on a larger scale it would be effectively impossible to determine the exact amount of information in a complex system -- like the grains of sand on a beach -- but it's there nevertheless.

You can think of information as a measure of unpredictability. Imagine a book which consists of only a random sequence of letters. No matter how long such a book is, it does not contain any surprises. It's very predictable in some sense, because each letter is equally likely to appear next in the sequence. This is why a useful book uses sequences of letters called words, with words combined to make sentences, sentences create paragraphs and so on. This type of book contains information on many levels. In a similar way, buildings contain more information than piles of bricks and crystals contain more information than clouds.

Define universal order as the information stored external to an individual. Just like a book, information is stored in the universe via the arrangement of physical objects at many levels. Similarly, define order potential as the information stored within the individual. Internally, information is stored in our mind in the form of memories. These memories are then used as inputs to selected heuristics to evaluate available decisions. This process of evaluation is what allows consciousness to select an action.

The Fractaline Timeline

Unearth your true self

Search along each isochron

Strata in the rocks

One moment is attainable from another if there exists a sequence of actions which would bring an individual from that moment to the other. An isochron is the set of all moments which occur at the same time across your timeline. The set of all attainable moments from the present moment is your potential self. A fragmentation point occurs in time whenever a decision is made. The fractaline timeline formed by this fragmentation is the collection of all possible experiences which could be had given all possible fragmentation points. 

Whenever a decision is possible, under the current known state of arrangements, consciousness moves into both possible states and at that point all communication ceases between the two since order potential cannot contain both outcomes. It is this ceasing of communication that causes the personal time interpretation of the multiverse. The illusion of time is simply due to the fragmentation of the timeline. It is not possible for information to pass between two present times across a fragmentation point due to the fact that an event and the negation of that event cannot coincide in a single present location in spacetime. 

This inability for information to travel along the isochron is itself the fragmentation. The individual must become aware that they are not only the self they perceive in present time, but also every manifestation of self across fragmentation points. Self actualization takes on a new meaning under this framework of consciousness. We not only need to actualize from the present moment along a single path, but must attempt to actualize the entire potential self across all possible fragmentation points. How can this be accomplished if we can only view one tiny compartment wherein information cannot pass to other areas of consciousness?  In order to answer that question we need to return to the present moment and examine our objectives and priorities.

Prioritizing the Objective Hierarchy

Ask of your actions

Are you taking me somewhere

That I want to go?

People often think of life in terms of goals they would like to accomplish. While it is useful to think in this way, few people have fully examined their goals holistically by placing them into a hierarchy describing their constraints and primary objectives. It is a useful exercise to ask yourself,  why do you take specific actions in certain situations? An objective is a statement about the universe which can be determined to be either true or false. We call an objectives constrained if it cannot be true unless another objective is true. A constraining objective is called subordinate and the constrained objective is called superior. A primary objective is one which is not subordinate to any other objective. 

Can you determine the primary objectives which drive your choices and actions? It can be a difficult exercise to determine your primary objectives. In fact, you may even find yourself in a situation where sequences of constraints are circular or find that you have completely disconnected objectives which are not subordinate to any primary objectives. The proper subordination of objectives is important because it allows the individual to focus on a small set of primary objectives making self actualization easier to achieve. For example, most of us are afforded the luxury of the critical objective of existence to be subordinate to some higher sense of humanity.

A priority is a weight of importance for a particular objective in a particular moment. We can represent the relative importance of objectives using priorities which can be thought of as weights associated with each objective. Of course, people have different priorities at different times in their lives. In an extreme example, objectives related to immediate safety would be prioritized over all others if one found themselves in a dangerous situation. 

People also have different priorities from each other and we can represent this by deprioritizing some priorities to zero that are associated with objectives that a particular individual does not consider important. For convenience, we can assume the priorities are weights that add up to one. Now that we have defined the timeline, objectives, and priorities we have all the pieces we need to describe the calculation behind how we evaluate our decisions and explore actualization.

Actualization of the Potential Self

As you climb the tree

One thousand branches above

Yet all within reach

The realization likelihood of a future moment is the probability it will be obtained from the present moment. The sum of realization likelihoods for all immediately attainable moments is one since some moment will be attained with certainty. Actualization is the evaluation of objectives against priorities. Actualization potential is the present moment expectation of the actualization of the potential self. 

We define actualization as the evaluation of objectives relative to a set of priorities. In other words we look at how many objectives are true and weight them according to their importance. Notice that actualization will always take on a value between zero and one. Actualization represents how satisfied you are with the universal order at a given point in time. If you have an actualization equal to one you are fully actualized, although this is essentially -- although not entirely -- impossible. On the other extreme, actualization only evaluates to zero if one does not exist or if existence has been completely deprioritized by the individual. 

Due to the sheer number of possible combinations of priorities, the possibility of tangled or subliminal objective hierarchies, and the unlimited human imagination the vast majority of people are nowhere near full actualization. To increase our actualization potential we must utilize our actions to make meaningful changes to universal order. A particular action can either increase, decrease, or be neutral to our actualization potential depending on the priorities currently under consideration. Maximization of actualization potential is the ultimate aim of human consciousness. Actualization potential is defined as the sum of the expected actualization resulting from a possible set of actions and this implies that in order to actualize we should select the action which opens up the most opportunity for future actualization across our entire potential self. We must also choose the action which leads to the most actualization long term and not settle for short term gains.

The Intractability of Perfection

The perfect action

Always just beyond our reach

Keep moving towards it

Define knowledge to be the information an individual has about their objectives at a given point in time gathered through observation. And define wisdom to be the information the individual has about the expected change in the order potential when a given action is taken. Wisdom is gathered from past actions and their resulting impacts to order potential which allow an individual to predict the effect of a given cause. Define understanding as the awareness of the relationship between the human mind and the universe which is necessary to successfully and efficiently actualize.

Perfect optimization of actualization potential would involve making the perfect choice in every moment. Doing so would require perfect and complete knowledge of universal order, the wisdom of all possible attainable future moments, and a complete understanding of the evaluation framework. Optimization fallacies can easily arise due to an imperfect understanding of what the individual is trying to optimize. 

A common fallacy occurs when we try to optimize present time actualization. Another fallacy, which is even worse, is to evaluation of actualization on our past decisions. Beyond these mistakes, we can even attempt to evaluate actualization on alternative timelines we do not even occupy.

The perfect optimization of actualization potential would require perfect knowledge of the universe, all possible events, the actualization function of every individual, and the ability to predict the result of any given action. In other words, the optimization of actualization potential is computationally intractable since it would imply that an individual's experience contained perfect information concerning cause and effect and perfect prediction of the outcome of any choice. 

We strive for perfect information in order to optimize, however perfect optimization is not achievable. Because of this, you may think that the evaluation framework is not useful, but in fact studying the negation of these requirements is what enables us to understand how we fail to self-actualize. It is through an understanding of the axioms that we can derive one of the foundational insights of Phenomenal Perfectionism:

Self actualization is not the attainment of any particular state but is the continuous movement toward states of higher actualization potential.

The Origin and Mechanism of External Objectives

Somatic sequence

Along with the semantic

Form our memories

The sensory inputs experienced by our mind in addition to other perceptions such as feelings, balance, orientation, and stress are called somatics. Our combined present moment somatics are the somatic trace. The movement of somatic traces through time is called the somatic sequence. We also experience single distinct thoughts in a sequence and refer to the smallest unit of thought as a semantic trace and similarly the chain of these semantics as the semantic sequence. Semantics are symbolic interpretations of meaning imposed on somatic experience which exist as patterns of neural activity in the brain. Semantics index of the entirety of our experience and it is through them we retrieve traces from the somatic sequence. Similarly, somatics index the semantic sequence allowing the recall of semantics based on remembered and experienced somatics.

Somatic traces are encoded to semantics and semantics in turn are translated to language. Language itself is stored as a somatic sequence since it involves visual, auditory, and motor sensory experience. For example, you see a plant sitting on your desk and think, "There is a plant sitting on my desk." You don't see the plant and directly create the words, somewhere between the somatic trace and the language used to describe it is the encoding of semantics. It's natural to think of semantics as words, but they are not words. While many semantics easily suggest words, others are subliminal in the sense that they do not directly index words. They may however be connected strongly with other behaviors, modes of perception, or even particular emotional states. 

The chaining of semantics in the mind allow for complex control of the body and its apparatus. It is also the control center of being and for that reason can cause the entire system to involuntarily execute complex orders. The force which calls up semantics in the mind is agency and the source of this agency is consciousness itself. Herein lies the danger of releasing agency to an external operator. A control circuit laid in place while in a hypnotic state can index semantics directly and in turn control the mental apparatus of the individual. 

The mechanism by which individuals are controlled are rogue circuits created within our own minds. These circuits are implanted via posthypnotic suggestion (PHS) and operate independently, manipulating our objective hierarchy, distorting our knowledge of the world, and corrupting wisdom gained through our life experience. These circuits subvert heuristics and the evaluation process and thereby influence the choices we make with their ultimate goal being the actualization an external objective hierarchy at the cost of individual actualization potential.

Moments of Clarity and Conscious Awareness

Cognitive bundles

Of which memories are made

Take inventory

The mind has the ability to build automated circuits which are triggered by semantic cues. Upon close examination, the modern human mind is operating on autopilot much of the time, with the controls handed over to implanted constructs operating to fulfill their own agendas. If you are not aware of this fact or find this idea absurd, you are likely under the control of a circuit right now. Contrary to the opinion of modern psychology, the hypnotic state is real and can be brought about consciously or via external agency through a previously implanted posthypnotic suggestion. While the mind is disengaged or otherwise occupied, an external agency can take control of the machinery of the human mind. Surprisingly, all that is needed to regain this control is a complete awareness of the process of evaluation, bringing to light these implanted circuits lurking in the darkness. 

We have all experienced moments of clarity in our lives and it is in these rare moments when we are fully in control of our actions. The deactivation of rogue circuits is the ultimate goal of actualization in order to return the individual to a state of pure agency. These rogue circuits are constructed from artificial memories encoded directly to long term memory. They are activated via a posthypnotic suggestion, which is in essence a hidden memory. One common way these hidden memories are created is during a traumatic event. Because trauma itself is a hypnotic state wherein an individual is focused intently on a somatic while semantic activation is happening via an external agency. 

Again, all that is needed to retake control of your individual agency is to maintain complete awareness of evaluation. In other words, when one is observing the somatic and semantic sequences directly, this is when the individual is maintaining control of agency. 

We define cognitive bundles as the combined somatic and semantic trace held in the mind in the present moment. Memories are sequences of cognitive bundles which trigger each other in a cascade from one to the next. Memories, and therefore cognitive bundles, can be recalled via a semantic index or can be activated while in a somatic state similar to the one under which the memory was created. Normal experiences are stored in short term memory and then moved to long term memory, or consolidated, at a later time during a period of meditation or sleep. 

Trance States and the Creation of Unconscious Memories

Enter the trance state

Observe evaluation

Regain agency

When subsystems are overloaded and stop communicating or narrow their communication with other subsystems a trance state can come about. Trance states follow a continuum from sleep to just below the state of full awareness. The trance state is entered when neural subsystems fail to communicate and coordinate. One way for this to come about is to simply relax certain activities of the mind. Sit still, fix your attention, close your eyes, and quiet the semantic sequence. However, this state can also occur under the opposite conditions of confusion, distraction, and sensory overload.

Examples of Trance States

Confusion

Dancing

Exercise

Driving

Sleepwalking

Stress

Trauma

Drug Induced

Ecstasy

Psychosis

OBE

Premonitions

Sleep Deprivation

Sex

Fever

Dreams

A hypnotic state is a trance state where the individual has given over, in trust, direct control of their semantic sequence. With this control the operator can create, alter, conceal memories, and create posthypnotic suggestions. Posthypnotic suggestions are semantic sequences which enter the sequence via an unconscious triggered memory. The memory is triggered via the somatic state since the memory cannot be recalled directly, or at least not easily. Because the entire bundle is not recalled, there is a danger that the individual will insert their own present time experience, existing bundles, or new semantic links into the covert memory thereby giving the posthypnotic suggestion a new conscious avenue by which to be triggered while still working covertly. In fact, for the most part people are not even aware how much their agency over their semantic sequence is being compromised. They will either be entirely unaware of the posthypnotic suggestion or mistake it for their own agency. 

Examples of Hypnotic States

Internal

Meditation

Lucid Dreams

Prayer

Chanting

Reverie

External

Television

Social Media

Reading

Hypnosis

Channeling

An experience had under a trance state is semantically encoded and stored directly to long term memory using a process called consolidation. This is in stark contrast to how long term memories are typically formed after an event. These experiences can also immediately combine with existing memories. While it's bad enough that subversive memories move directly to long term storage, the worst part is that some of these memories may be covert and contain the semantic raw material to generate a posthypnotic suggestion.

The memory of an experience created in a state of stress is hidden from the mind, it is only the index of the original somatic state which activates the memory. The index can also be blocked via a PHS in a phenomenon known as posthypnotic amnesia. The operator can simply tell the subject that they will not remember and later on the subject does not remember even when questioned regarding the events which took place under hypnosis. It is not the individual that prevents the memory from being recalled, the mind simply does not retrieve the information, much in the same way a traumatic memory is avoided. The amnesia of the subject can be removed via a second posthypnotic suggestion in which a command is given to remove the amnesia. After the removal, the subject is able to remember the events which took place under hypnosis. 

Traumatic memories can also contain unintentional posthypnotic suggestions. For example, when in a heated argument someone says, "You always ruin everything." Later under a period of similar somatic state, the memory of the events where this was said will be suppressed but the suggestion will directly enter the semantic chain giving the command to "ruin everything".

It is now understood that some memories are stored in our DNA through meta information in the form of methylation. These memories are constructed in the very wiring of the brain during its early development and are the cause of many universal human fears and common phobias. And it is fantastic to think, if our DNA is extraterrestrial in origin does it mean we have memories from other planets? Is it possible that DNA was sent into space purposely in order to colonize additional planets with the buried instructions to build a sentient being? Or, is it simply the design of the universe itself which allows for such a conscious entity? Faulty semantic decoding of these prenatal genetic memories is also responsible for strange dreams, irrational fears, and other enigmatic experiences. These underlying semantics can then become the foundation for new cognitive bundles as additional trauma is reconsolidated into these ancient memories.

The ultimate goal of the individual is to enter a state of total awareness of evaluation in order to extinguish the control of external objectives. External objectives have origins that extend deep into human history in the unfulfilled objectives of individuals. We must become aware of and remove these repressed objectives and take control of our own destiny. We must move toward a state of increased actualization potential and in turn toward universal actualization with which we are so inextricably intertwined.

The Singularity of Consciousness and Nonlinearity of Reincarnation

Each isochron holds

A multiverse but is a

Singularity

The apparent separateness of consciousness along any isochron is an illusion created by the inability of the mind to communicate across moments with incompatible information. In actuality however, these seemingly divergent aspects of our consciousness are interconnected as a single entity. Difficulty in communicating across the isochron is due to a lack of direct access to the minds and memories of our alternate timelines. Only impressions can cross over the isochron. In other words, consciousness can recognize but not remember.

You may be wondering, how are we expected to accept this as fact when only our direct experience is to be used when applying the phenomenal framework? You don't have to accept this idea on faith alone. It is possible for each individual to directly experience their singularity of consciousness.  The everyday phenomena of déjà-vu is a simple example of how we directly experience the isochron consciousness across our alternate timelines. Many other experiences such as premonitions, synchronicity, out of body experiences, and unexplained talents or abilities are further examples.

The idea that humans have a singular consciousness may seem fantastic on the surface, but it is a widely held belief across many different cultures and traditions. For most it's accepted on faith to be true and -- more importantly -- it's a required belief in order for there to be an afterlife. Unfortunately, the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics throws a monkey wrench into this belief. If the universe splits in every moment for each possible event, what becomes of our consciousness? The immediate thought is that it too must split apart in every moment, however the reality of the many-worlds interpretation in actuality is more complex than this commonly cited simplified view.

Imagine you're at home alone for the evening with the shades drawn. In one universe you watch a movie and in another you read a book. Assuming no information concerning the two events ever leaves your house, must the entire universe bifurcate according to this choice? Occam's razor suggests not. It is only necessary for those areas of the universe which contain information about the split to bifurcate. The remainder of the universe remains intact and to external observers the two different evenings you spent at home remain in superposition. 

Two systems which share information are intrinsically linked while two systems which share no information remain in mutual superposition to each other. In other words an entirely new universe is not created for each possible outcome of an event, only the portion of spacetime which has lost or gained information due to the event bifurcates. This is the concept of quantum decoherence. The bookkeeping our consciousness would have to accomplish under this view is much more complex than even the simple case requires. Again, Occam's razor suggests this is not the case. The most parsimonious explanation is that consciousness is completely separate from spacetime. While spacetime exists as a multiverse, consciousness is unfragmented across both time and space and is only compartmentalized by the particular area it inhabits.

Directly experiencing your singular consciousness contains a surprising bonus. It directly implies the immortality of consciousness since there must be isochrons wherein the mind of the individual both ceases and perpetuates. The mind halting in one universe allows its consciousness to merge with the singularity. Consciousness continues to persist in spacetime until we reach the isochron where the mind has ceased in all timelines. In this final isochron our consciousness is completely integrated with the singularity and contains impressions from all possible timelines experienced. It is in this moment that our consciousness is finally released and free to inhabit new spacetime if desired. Consciousness is inherently free from the restrictions of spacetime and therefore the reincarnation of consciousness must be both nonlinear and nonlocational. It does not matter where or when the new spacetime your consciousness inhabits exists.

Awareness is the key to discovering your singular consciousness. Open your mind to allow impressions to flow across the isochron. Release yourself from the order potential within your own mind. It is here you will find your true identity.

© 2021 Elias Jacob Singer. All Rights Reserved.