Well, events of the last several days have derailed me from posting until now. I've been on "vacation" this week from work (the thing I consider the greatest barrier to my work...) but my position and the current crisis at the company demanded my presence yesterday, I became so angry and resentful that I drank a 6 pack of imported beer and went to bed. I do think however, that it's a good thing that I'm so needed as it keeps what little I earn flowing. Now that I've bored you...

As I awoke last night, at about midnight, I sat down at my computer to watch TV (Ati "All-in-Wonder" card) and tuned into a PBS segment from the "Nova" program (I believe) on the manufacturer of money and counterfeiting. It caught my attention and as I watched the FBI counterfeiting expert mentioned that in the last 10 years or so the incidence of "casual" counterfeiting has increased dramatically due to the existence of advanced photo-copier technology. People running off a few hundred in $10.00's or $20.00's on the Xerox. That struck me with the quiet force of an internal realization. Its truly a moral statement by anybody's standards that thousands of "average" Americans feel that they can, (or should) cheat the system a little for a small profit. While one could argue that a little pilfering has always existed and that (for example) teenagers often shop lift, cheat on tests, lie or steal from parents in the process of growing up and that this behaviour is reasonably comprehensible, I believe that there is something far deeper to be considered. During the program it was mentioned that the recent changes in U.S. Currency where motivated, at least partially, by the need to prevent this type of counterfeiting and that at least one of the new features, the "security strip" (the numbered thread that is visible running vertically through the note) was designed to foil photo-copying. This tells me that it had become a significant enough problem to warrant the justification of the costs and work involved in the changing of the currency of the United States of America. (There where other more pressing reasons, admittedly).

The reason that I mention this is that it speaks directly to one of the keystones of my work, that being the theory of group mind or "collective consciousness". There are several existing sciences that speak to this perception while not supporting, or detracting from, the central idea. Obviously, psychology is one. Several theories (both accepted and controversial) deal with the apparent non-individuality of human consciousness. First, is the Jungian theory of the "Collective Unconscious". This is a theory, first proposed by Dr. Carl Jung, based upon his (Dr. Jung's) research into the concept of archtypal symbols, ideas and images that are common to all humans regardless of whether they've been communicated previously. (Offering an interesting view to Immanuel Kant's arguments regarding A Priori knowledge). Essentially, as I understand, Jung proposed that certain thoughts and ideas are basic to the human makeup in the same way as our physical form. I agree whole heartedly with this and in fact believe that it is only the beginning of what underlie's the nature of consciousness and information. Jung's theory may provide that basis, or underling strata of a shared Consciousness Space. (The idea of an actual "Spatiality" being ascribed to the nature of consciousness is not mine see The Geometrical Approach to Consciousness by Dr A. Green ). Jung's work could be seen as the mapping of the outstanding features of this "mindscape", like a map created from a very high altitude. Memetics, (Dr. R. Dawkins, 1976, The Selfish Gene) The idea of independent behaviour of transmitted thought forms (idea's, concepts, feelings and words) would represent the dynamic's of the mindscape, its ecology if you will. (Interestingly enough, an investigation of the basic's of Memetic's reveals an Artificial Life aspect to the dynamics of the behaviour of "Memes") The effect is the re-enforcement of the image of an existent, dynamic, and common landscape ("mindscape") that is shared in real time. The external evidence of this phenomenon (if true) is found in ideas such as group psychology, sociology, political science, history, the arts and so on. It is our common behaviour, or that strata of behaviour that is perceived through time and is the result of collective action. Information forms the "Periodic Table of Elements" of the "Infoverse", its building blocks, if you will. Knowledge is the resulting assembly of information into "Molecules". Consciousness is Organic Chemistry. The Theory of Group-Mind follows as the result of the existence of an Infoverse analog to the universe and our presence in it.

This brings me back to the original inspiration for this article, the marked increase in casual counterfeiting. Could it be that we as a people are beginning to show signs of collective "Juvenilization" a retreat to immaturity and irresponsibility driven by the rapid development of technology and the possibility of realization of forgotten dreams and fantasies of childhood?