Nov 20, 17 / Sag 16, 01 20:11 UTC
Ryan: Unconventional ideas, (game) programmer in-training, agnostic & hermetic student of metaphysics/magic(k). ¶
Unconventional ideas may be an under-statement. My name is Ryan McGill, and I am a paradox. I state this because I am full of contradictions, some of them intentional and most of them sprouting from the failure of the English language(or possibly all language, though I only know English). It is necessary to mention the flaws of language, because the simultaneous detail and vagueness of my speaking, ideas, and conversation is complex enough without adding preventable misinterpretation into the mix. Understand that I am very stubborn in my views, including some(many?) whose claims can't be backed up, and that I certainly can and have often changed my views when proven wrong. The act of "proving" is not very acceptable to me, however, and although I have an extreme love of science, I most definitely have conspiracy-theory-levels of mistrust in certain areas, even from the most unanimously-deemed legitimate scientific articles and people. I am not interested in winning an argument, I am interested in playing with the idea - therefore, keep this in mind if we begin communicating and it becomes controversial. A common one is that I cherry-pick the "monetary obstacles" out of the equation in ideas, because I "do" believe that humans can band together to create things without a form of monetary system even existing. This bypass should be viewed as a good thing, because the financial systems, the bureaucracy, the monetary system and work/job/career system adds a disturbing level of complicated elements that may as well hinder every possible project that isn't about "being a business". It's not just that I mean "skip it", I mean truly design the ideas in a possible future scenario where the monetary system has become obsolete for logical reasons. Sometimes this is a far-future, and I say: so what? Don't limit yourself to ideas only doable in your lifetime. The ideas can last far longer than you, and some ideas when applied can extend the human life. Cryogenics + successful awakening + future technology can equal: you actually being alive at that point anyway.
I am going down many paths in this text now. I am very much TL;DR-worthy, and often. I hope that I can find a way to summarize and format my ideas in a more enjoyable manner, but sometimes the quantity of information is more important than the poetic brevity other can dissolve-down, because some ideas are just that specific(truly though, I have a brevity problem. Perhaps I can refine that while here). I don't expect to have my ideas read fully, but that hopefully someone who finds value in them will be affected positively. Perhaps simply as a spark of inspiration either from feeling it is an idea worth pursuing, or even simply hearing that someone else is thinking along the same track(It is invigorating to see when someone has similar ideas as mine, such as the existence of Asgardia itself).
As for the programmer in-training portion of the title, you will hear much of this from me. I have armchair-researched programming for years, but in practice I am still quite fresh, and C++ is my choice of first-mastery. I can relate programming to nearly anything, you will notice, and in some ways you may find it some of the most "realistic" form of discussion I have to offer. However, there are so many possibilities that even ideas in the virtual world will seem far too ridiculous, especially if you imagine such ideas crafted the traditional way(monetary thinking strikes yet again). When in space, we may be very confined, and programming may be one of the most powerful and immersive skills to do in your spare time. The advancements to autonomous drones, for example, can allow very small groups of people do so much on a single craft with such drones such as mining and construction - I can barely even imagine some projects being worthwhile "without" these drones. The hardware, mechanics, and robotics are definitely important, but the software potential is nearly infinite. One can even simulate entire new drones within a 3D virtual space and heavily tested without being physically created. If simulation technology is not reliable enough to simulate it, then that technology is software-heavy and itself can be improved.
Programming is infinite. I support it heavily, and we especially need some good Real-Time Operating Systems for space technology, open-source preferably.
As for the final mentioning of being both agnostic and a student of metaphysics, it's definitely an interesting one. Religion-wise, I am agnostic - but I need to clarify: I believe "I don't know", not that "we can't know" or "I haven't chosen". I originally used to think I was "atheist" until I realized it was still an "I know" belief... still, they have my respect for many things. I now study metaphysics and magic quite a lot, still with a heavy "don't know" attitude.
Qi, the idea of a life-force that can be directed seems quite plausible to me. Certain medical textbooks put the concept into a much more realistic light, and honestly simply being able to use Qi at all, to build it up, to filter it, to emit it and such, quite simply fits the idea of "magic" to me. However, certain studies out there that surely can get very esoteric and cryptic such as in the realm of Alchemy, Hermeticism, and much more, they have gone in quite a few directions. If anything, though, the imagination-potential we have seems to fit alongside Qi quite well. Eventually I found a book that puts "magic" in one of the most realistic light I've found, which is Franz Bardon's "Initiation Into Hermetics". If anything, I would see it as "mental training" at the minimum, even if you couldn't handle any more of it. It makes far too much sense that training your mind and emotions at a minimum would be required for any kind of magic or even Qi-movement. The book is a step-by-step practical guide, which seems a rarity, and is the opposite of many cryptic and strange books with no mentioning of "how" at all(back then, many of it had to be purposely confusing to avoid deadly, religious punishment). You will hear me mention metaphysics quite a lot as well, but usually the self-training portion of it is my favorite as it is useful in any context. The honing of the mind and emotions in general is beyond useful, even if it is never used in any "strange" ways, other than the strangeness of being a human who decides to keep themselves in check where the practice is uncommon.
Ah, so much. It is an honor to be here!
