Page 45 - Psychoceramics and the Test of Fire

Cabalocracy and the Hall of Mirrors

would be necessary if we weren’t convinced that the truth is
intentionally concealed and can only be found by piecing together the
informational detritus, errors in execution and uncontrollable leaks
from that putative conspiracy. Who can separate the noise from the
signal, the light from the heat? Frankly, Mr. Capra, if you are able to
do this then you yourself should not be hiding.”
Quite an impassioned speech, ending with a nice little hook into
his need for funds. But flattery wasn’t enough to get this bird to drop
his grape of wrath. Nor would he show me his left hand. He must
have been holding something. I forced myself not to think about it.
“Very good, Mr. Dawes. What you say is correct, of course, but
you haven’t considered all the implications. In fact you have just
entered the hall of mirrors. Let’s see if you can find your way out.
Consider the analogy to revealed religion—similarly a mystery solved
by a privileged individual who already has a respected status or whose
rank is conferred owing to his revelation. As most of the modern
metaphysical prophets are ultimately debunked—as con artists,
madmen or self-hypnotists—because their personal affairs become
public or their predictions fail, so too should we expect conspiracy
theorists to be found wanting. But who discredits the false theorists?
Are they objective analysts? Should we apply different standards to
them than we do, for example, to stage magicians who expose fake
mediums?”
Fifty percent chance of getting this right—a real binary distinction!
I frowned and shook my head. Lucky guess! Capra nodded in
agreement and plowed ahead.
“I maintain that it is to our detriment when we do not, but that it
is inevitable given the irrational nature of belief in omnipotent
masters. We accept an empirical demystification of a spiritualist once
we can see the hidden machinery producing his unearthly effects. But
epiphanies related by a man who comes down from the mountain
with divine revelations? Who is to say they did not occur? It boils
down to taking one prophet’s word against another’s—or none at all,
if one adheres to a purely naturalistic methodology of truth-gauging.
Nevertheless, we can still observe or deduce ulterior motives in either
the proponent or opponent, all the way from sheer jealousy to a
totally bogus campaign created to generate public support—the so-
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