Course: Empire of the mind: A grey Robes symposium (with Max Borders)
Begins Sunday, November 10 2024
Confront. Cultivate. Create.
This five-session symposium explores themes of growth, myth, evil, death, and solidarity as combined elements in a powerful memeplex.
What you will learn
Growth. Story. Evil. Death. Solidarity.
These are not themes plucked from the sky but timeless universals we must either repress or confront. Without confrontation, we will not be prepared to reckon with the chaos—much less the chaos actors. So, when we say “Confront. Cultivate. Create.” the process begins with confrontation.
This can be jarring, as such themes operate in our Shadow.
Yet, we can no longer afford to stumble through life as zombies or automata herded along by powerful authorities in a fog of digital ennui. We must become embodied again and learn better to discern the malevolent forces around us without lapsing into crude Manicheaeism. We must confront death without inviting inescapable sadness or anxiety—until death confronts us.
Mental and spiritual readiness is as important as physical training and preparedness. Fundamentally, this course will invite you to steel your resolve and anneal your spirit to face troubled times. If we do not, our children and grandchildren could become milk cows hustled by pellets and prods.
This transformative five-part course is designed for those ready to confront existential realities, embrace counterpower, and join with others to construct an Empire of the Mind.
Our Schedule
5 Zoom Classes/ Digital Campfires
Begins Sunday November 10 2024
Times: Sunday 11am ET (New York), Saturday 5pm CET (Paris)
Session 1: November 10• Metamorphosis
Session 2: November 17• Mythos
Session 3: November 24 • Malevolence
Session 4 • December 1 • Mortality
Session 5 • December 8 • Mutualism
Price: €260/200€/100€ Tiers
COURSE CONTENT
Session I – Metamorphosis
Sunday, November 10th , 11am EST (New York), Saturday 5pm CET (Paris)
We embrace continual change and growth.
The path of the Grey Robe is one of constant change—shedding some old habits to emerge renewed. Stagnation is the enemy; we must evolve continually or risk becoming indistinguishable from the bleating herds. Growth, though sometimes painful, allows us to evolve into higher versions of ourselves. In this session, we point to the trailheads of self-discovery and psychospiritual transformation.
Sunday, November 17th , 11am EST (New York), Saturday 5pm CET (Paris)
Session II – Mythos
We write an eternal story together.
Sometimes, greater truths live in stories. Through works and words, we write the texts and tell the tales that will set future imaginations alight. Animated by our myth and narrative, The Grey Robes’ story can go on after we’re dust. Our children will bear the flame and retell the tales. In this session, we’ll learn the art and science of mythmaking and manipulating the symbolic order.
Session III – Malevolence
Sunday, November 24th , 11am EST (New York), Saturday 5pm CET (Paris)
We stand vigilant against those who would manipulate or control us.
Malevolent forces have plans for us. Familiarise yourself with those arrayed against us. Become alert to the tactics of manipulators, deceivers, and dominators and prepare to confront them. Such is not meant to dehumanize anyone, but to identify points of incommensurability with our particular moral order. The Grey Robes will steel our defenses and sharpen our discernment against an adversary with a thousand faces.
Session IV – Mortality
Sunday, December 1st , 11am EST (New York), Saturday 5pm CET (Paris)
We number our days to make them count.
Life is a candle in a windstorm, so complacency is vice. Even if we could survive death, what use would it be to haunt our children as ghosts rattling chains? Instead, we must leave traces. Each breath is life’s currency to be spent with care. Our eventual demise is not a morbid obsession but a call to purpose. In this session, we’ll explore ways of living and leaving gifts to posterity.
Session V – Mutualism
Sunday, December 8th , 11am EST (New York), Saturday 5pm CET (Paris)
You must stand strong, but we will lift you when you fall.
Imagine having two families. One connects you to others by blood and marriage. The other connects you to others by vision, values, and strength in virtue. Those who have outsourced their sense of community to distant capitals have forgotten how to live in a community. We must learn to be interdependent again—to find and look out for one another. In this session, we’ll explore the vital elements of solidarity and mutual aid.
About your facilitator
Max Borders is the founding hierophant of The Grey Robes, a siblinghood committed to psychosocial development, virtuous practice, and human self-organization. Borders is author of The Social Singularity: A Decentralist Manifesto (2018) and The Decentralist: Mission, Morality and Meaning in the Age of Crypto (2022). His most recent book is Underthrow: How Jefferson’s Dangerous Idea Will Spark a New Revolution (2023). He also writes for the Underthrow Substack. Borders is also founder and Executive Director of Social Evolution, a non-profit organization dedicated to liberating humanity and solving social problems through innovation.