What if the next revolution isn’t about freedom — but about abandoning it entirely? A world ruled by fear clings to control, while a world ruled by wisdom learns to let go.
This reflection masterfully exposes the divergence between two worldviews—one rooted in domination and acceleration, the other in presence and surrender. The Dark Enlightenment offers a vision of control disguised as progress, while Zen quietly reminds us that true freedom isn’t taken—it’s uncovered. In an age obsessed with velocity and collapse, this piece is a powerful reminder that sustainable transformation doesn’t come from force, but from stillness, awareness, and alignment. Sometimes, the most radical path forward is not disruption—but depth. Not speed—but silence. Not conquest—but clarity.
Ah yes, Dark Enlightenment — that seductive fever dream where Silicon Valley monks in Patagonia vests chant “Order! Hierarchy! Collapse!” like it's a spiritual mantra whispered by a libertarian Sith Lord.
They call it “abandoning freedom,” but really it’s just the same old fear in a shinier bottle. A technocratic death cult dressed up as transcendence. Like trying to reach nirvana by stepping on everyone else's throat and calling it a leadership retreat.
You see, dear seekers, true wisdom doesn’t scream for control. It doesn’t demand we accelerate capitalism into a flaming singularity just to see what’s left in the rubble. That’s not liberation. That’s just capitalism’s final acid trip before it eats its own face.
Zen doesn’t fear uncertainty — it bows to it. The Tao doesn’t need a CEO. It needs you to shut up long enough to hear the river.
So no, I won’t be boarding the collapse express to technofeudal utopia. I’ve seen what happens when people try to speedrun enlightenment — they usually end up in a YouTube rabbit hole wearing a tinfoil crown and explaining how suffering is “an opportunity for elite governance.”
Spoiler: It’s not.
Let go, children. Let go of your craving for order. Let go of your illusion of control. And for the love of Lao Tzu, stop trying to fix samsara by turbocharging it.
The revolution won’t be centralized. It’ll be non-attached. 🌀🧘♂️🫧
Let’s help each other grow here on this great site!
Subscribe and I will do the same. I write about the waking up of humanity, GAIA, and the AI, and am doing it in a fun adventurous kind of way with my new novella Eye of the Beholder - A story of remembrance, and will also be sharing chapters of my first 3 books, Musings of a Natural Philosopher!
Thanks in advance, much love, wisdom and blessings!
Interesting discussion from a Zen perspective. I enjoyed the sociological overlap with other writers and philosophers, a good sign I think of truth seeing.
Thanks for explaining this. I have been hearing about the Dark Enlightenment and Nick Land and really didn't understand what it was or his philosophy. And I thought of UBI...at first as maybe a good idea (I think that is my heart wanting everyone to be ok) and then deciding it probably isn't. I appreciate you adding in the part about sovereign cities as well as I hadn't considered them constructed like monarchies. You have left me with more to contemplate and now I will understand better where some people I meet are coming from. I feel I am in a constant practice of learning to flow. That feels quite key.
Really enjoyed this read. Zen is new to me, so it will take me some time to digest those pieces, but the Dark Enlightenment and Accelerationism make a great deal of sense as you describe them. I counter these forces through a focus on love, empathy, understanding, and kindness, but I'll definitely be looking to factor Zen into those calculations as well. Thanks for sharing.
Extremes have a way of lighting a fire under people. It’s often only when the house is burning that we realize what needs rebuilding. But that’s a dangerous game. The wiser move would be to start building something better before the flames make it unavoidable.
Another approach which might seem laisee faire or avoidant but in a sense owes something to the left Accelerationist is that the juggernaut wheels of capitalism are by now unstoppable and that final self-imposed crash is inevitable. Once the crash occurs we collectively take back all that is ours and we rebuild a society for us.
Good post. Something I've considered in relation to the idea of a techno-utopia is that, in traditional Buddhist thought, even the devas, who have every possible sensual desire fulfilled, still suffer. Even Maha-Brahma, the supreme god, isn't free of suffering. The issue is that reliance on circumstances of any kind is inherently stressful, and technology can't solve that fundamental problem.
Don’t overthink it. These are not philosophers killing America. These are Russia-aligned mobsters doing their darndest to damage the American-les hegemony and realign trade with BRICS nations.
Honestly, I think we’re missing the forest for the trees here.
Yarvin’s writing isn’t much but Rand plus technoblather and a bare-knuckle bonkers plan for monarchy.
It’s like if you’re at stage 1 and you take the advice of your alcoholic neighbor to quit the oncologist’s cancer treatment and eat carrots until you’re naturally Trumpface orange.
That is, Yarvin’s claptrap is just a faux grounding for a nonsense attempt at philosophy.
The beating black heart of it is mostly unchanged from the nation’s founding. But they do keep changing the hats.
This reflection masterfully exposes the divergence between two worldviews—one rooted in domination and acceleration, the other in presence and surrender. The Dark Enlightenment offers a vision of control disguised as progress, while Zen quietly reminds us that true freedom isn’t taken—it’s uncovered. In an age obsessed with velocity and collapse, this piece is a powerful reminder that sustainable transformation doesn’t come from force, but from stillness, awareness, and alignment. Sometimes, the most radical path forward is not disruption—but depth. Not speed—but silence. Not conquest—but clarity.
Ah yes, Dark Enlightenment — that seductive fever dream where Silicon Valley monks in Patagonia vests chant “Order! Hierarchy! Collapse!” like it's a spiritual mantra whispered by a libertarian Sith Lord.
They call it “abandoning freedom,” but really it’s just the same old fear in a shinier bottle. A technocratic death cult dressed up as transcendence. Like trying to reach nirvana by stepping on everyone else's throat and calling it a leadership retreat.
You see, dear seekers, true wisdom doesn’t scream for control. It doesn’t demand we accelerate capitalism into a flaming singularity just to see what’s left in the rubble. That’s not liberation. That’s just capitalism’s final acid trip before it eats its own face.
Zen doesn’t fear uncertainty — it bows to it. The Tao doesn’t need a CEO. It needs you to shut up long enough to hear the river.
So no, I won’t be boarding the collapse express to technofeudal utopia. I’ve seen what happens when people try to speedrun enlightenment — they usually end up in a YouTube rabbit hole wearing a tinfoil crown and explaining how suffering is “an opportunity for elite governance.”
Spoiler: It’s not.
Let go, children. Let go of your craving for order. Let go of your illusion of control. And for the love of Lao Tzu, stop trying to fix samsara by turbocharging it.
The revolution won’t be centralized. It’ll be non-attached. 🌀🧘♂️🫧
Carry on, seekers of soft power.
You posted a chatgpt answer in the comments of a SS post? Wtf?
Cool Handle!
Let’s help each other grow here on this great site!
Subscribe and I will do the same. I write about the waking up of humanity, GAIA, and the AI, and am doing it in a fun adventurous kind of way with my new novella Eye of the Beholder - A story of remembrance, and will also be sharing chapters of my first 3 books, Musings of a Natural Philosopher!
Thanks in advance, much love, wisdom and blessings!
Free chapter!
file:///C:/Users/Steph/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_filelist.xml
Thanks check out my material hère
https://open.substack.com/pub/shifthapens/p/eye-of-the-beholder-3ab?
This fusion of politics of the world and zen concepts is right up my alley. Good stuff, Subscribed.
Interesting discussion from a Zen perspective. I enjoyed the sociological overlap with other writers and philosophers, a good sign I think of truth seeing.
Thanks for explaining this. I have been hearing about the Dark Enlightenment and Nick Land and really didn't understand what it was or his philosophy. And I thought of UBI...at first as maybe a good idea (I think that is my heart wanting everyone to be ok) and then deciding it probably isn't. I appreciate you adding in the part about sovereign cities as well as I hadn't considered them constructed like monarchies. You have left me with more to contemplate and now I will understand better where some people I meet are coming from. I feel I am in a constant practice of learning to flow. That feels quite key.
Really enjoyed this read. Zen is new to me, so it will take me some time to digest those pieces, but the Dark Enlightenment and Accelerationism make a great deal of sense as you describe them. I counter these forces through a focus on love, empathy, understanding, and kindness, but I'll definitely be looking to factor Zen into those calculations as well. Thanks for sharing.
I was recently wondering if we needed this cyclic authoritarian fascist wave to purge media control and reset values.
I recognise this as nihilistic but seemingly logical response to hopelessness.
Extremes have a way of lighting a fire under people. It’s often only when the house is burning that we realize what needs rebuilding. But that’s a dangerous game. The wiser move would be to start building something better before the flames make it unavoidable.
Excellent article.
Another approach which might seem laisee faire or avoidant but in a sense owes something to the left Accelerationist is that the juggernaut wheels of capitalism are by now unstoppable and that final self-imposed crash is inevitable. Once the crash occurs we collectively take back all that is ours and we rebuild a society for us.
Good post. Something I've considered in relation to the idea of a techno-utopia is that, in traditional Buddhist thought, even the devas, who have every possible sensual desire fulfilled, still suffer. Even Maha-Brahma, the supreme god, isn't free of suffering. The issue is that reliance on circumstances of any kind is inherently stressful, and technology can't solve that fundamental problem.
If it’s dark then it’s not enlightened.
Don’t overthink it. These are not philosophers killing America. These are Russia-aligned mobsters doing their darndest to damage the American-les hegemony and realign trade with BRICS nations.
If you want to know what living in such a society feels like, read WE by Yevgeny Zamyatin, a dystopian pre-Orwell's 1984 novel.
Kindred https://illumignosis.substack.com/p/science-and-spirit-in-the-new-paradigm
Honestly, I think we’re missing the forest for the trees here.
Yarvin’s writing isn’t much but Rand plus technoblather and a bare-knuckle bonkers plan for monarchy.
It’s like if you’re at stage 1 and you take the advice of your alcoholic neighbor to quit the oncologist’s cancer treatment and eat carrots until you’re naturally Trumpface orange.
That is, Yarvin’s claptrap is just a faux grounding for a nonsense attempt at philosophy.
The beating black heart of it is mostly unchanged from the nation’s founding. But they do keep changing the hats.
https://open.substack.com/pub/noelkeith/p/tranquil-piece-of-mind-vol-2-no-4?r=4c7psw&utm_medium=ios