still sensitive to this symbolism, you see. The ‘rats’ are those
in whom it’s been most deeply repressed and has almost atrophied. But actually
it never can. Atrophy, I mean. Not entirely.”
“That
is how we ‘read’ the broadcasts,” Wu agreed. “They trigger psychic patterns in
our minds. So, I will accept that. But what are they really saying ? That superstition is true. That
prayer can bring power. Now that we have the chance of perfection and
greatness in our hands, through human practice ,
this is loosed upon us. It is rank sabotage. It has a material origin, and is
being used as a weapon of control—as priests have always used religion against
the people. Only, these priests are alien ones.”
Peter
shook his head. “With respect, you’re confusing two things. One is a psychic
symbolism inherent in man, which gives rise to religions. The other is the use
of this strong symbolic language to make contact with us. I’m mainly interested
in the old belief that direct contact with the ‘sky’ was once both possible and
practical. It was a numinous thing, but it was also quite pragmatic too.
Something in the mentality of early man must have given rise to this tradition.
Alas, it degenerated considerably.”
“
As we grew wiser.”
“
If it was a capacity of ours, it evolved out of necessity! By now it’s been
severely repressed. But it’s still a capacity of theirs. And latently of ours. Very powerful psychic structures must
be involved, and to have evolved in the first place they must have survival value,
right? They must correspond to something in the real universe. You can’t deny
that. Now this channel is being used. We aren’t fully understanding the message
because we don’t know what it should be. So the shapes appear to us and we translate them into images of Christ and
Mohammed—whatever our cultural context is.” He paused. “It may even be that we need to have this triggered in us.”
Time
for me to speak up. “We’ve reached a psychic threshold,” I agreed. “The ‘Other’
has practically vanished from our lives. But now direct communication with the
Beyond, in Peter Muir’s terms, can resume. How do we adapt ourselves to it?”
“With
a new theocracy, perhaps?” asked Wu, sarcastically. “How is it that they know
us so well? Our weakest points.”
Peter
frowned. “I think the answer is that they don’t. It is we who do not know ourselves. Thus the message is at once
comprehensive—millennially so—and incoherent. Don’t you see how dominated the
world is today by abstract images and symbols? Art, music, have reached a nadir
where the symbols only state that they are symbols. They don’t refer to
anything else.
“Take
the dove as a symbol of peace.” He smiled at me. (And perhaps his love for me
began there.) “Merely because it’s white. Which,” he smiled apologetically to
Zoe, “is another piece of partisan symbolism. Are doves peaceful? If you put
two strange doves in a run together, the weaker one will be pecked to death.
Sorry, but it’s true. Just suppose that there are symbols which really have got intrinsic meaning: symbols that
correspond to forces in the real universe in which we have evolved in common
with other alien life forms? Suppose that this symbol language can be a means
of communicating about the really important things which seems more natural to some alien beings! So we
can contact them on that level. But we have to relearn the language. Rediscover
it.”
Wu
stared ahead. “Symbolism only functions within an economy of thought, and if we
aren’t careful this is the Wall Street Crash of our economy of thought!”
“These
messages enter a totemic void,” went on Peter. “We’ve lost touch with
Christopher Balzano, Tim Weisberg