Erik Davis Libros

An exploration of the emergence of a new psychedelic spirituality in the work of Philip K. Dick, Terence McKenna, and Robert Anton Wilson.

The book presents a comprehensive look at Mark McCloud's LSD blotter art collection, enriched with contextual essays and interviews. It delves into the intricate connections between drug culture and pop appropriation, highlighting how these artistic expressions reflect broader social themes. Through visual and written narratives, it examines the significance of this unique art form within contemporary culture.

How does our fascination with technology intersect with the religious imagination? In TechGnosis - a cult classic now updated and reissued with a new afterword - Erik Davis argues that while the realms of the digital and the spiritual may seem worlds apart, esoteric and religious impulses have in fact always permeated (and sometimes inspired) technological communication. Davis uncovers startling connections between such seemingly disparate topics as electricity and alchemy; online role-playing games and religious and occult practices; virtual reality and gnostic mythology; programming languages and Kabbalah. The final chapters address the apocalyptic dreams that haunt technology, providing vital historical context as well as new ways to think about a future defined by the mutant intermingling of mind and machine, nightmare and fantasy.

"Flame Wars" explores the verbal battles occurring on electronic bulletin boards, highlighting our growing reliance on technology for communication. As we engage more with machines, we become cyborgian hybrids, reflecting a shift towards a future where virtual communities are commonplace. The essays in this expanded edition reveal the complexities of fringe computer culture, showcasing a diverse array of figures, from flame warriors to technopagans who view computers as tools of the occult. Readers will encounter unique narratives, such as a short story by William Gibson featuring software that self-destructs after a single reading, and the story of Lady El, an African American cleaning woman transformed into a powerful cyborg. The anthology also delves into online swinging, mechanical performance art, and includes an interview with Samuel Delany. The contributors, inspired by Fredric Jameson’s vision of cognitive cartography, aim to map the intricacies of our increasingly wired world. With essays from notable voices like Anne Balsamo, Pat Cadigan, and Erik Davis, this collection offers a thought-provoking glimpse into the intersection of technology, culture, and identity.

Katalog přináší přehled textů a fotografií z výstavy Rhizomatic Spell. Moderní člověk uvažuje o světě, ve​ ​kterém žije, jako o odkouzleném. Tuto​ ​myšlenku jsme zdědili od Maxe Webera,​ ​který ji převzal z argumentace Friedricha Schillera o odlišnosti života ve starověkémŘecku a moderní době. Stejně​ ​jako Schiller i Weber viděl moderní svět​ ​jako vysoce racionalizovaný, zbavený​ ​záhad a symbolů, a to vše díky technologickému vývoji, který akceleroval během​ ​průmyslové revoluce. Racionalizace​ ​pronikla skrze náboženství, vědu, ekonomii i státní správu. Všem těmto oblastem dnes vévodí technologie, dokonce​ ​i náboženství, k němuž Walter Benjamin​ ​přirovnával kapitalismus. Odkouzlení také znamená odcizení člověka. Karl​ ​Marx společně s Friedrichem Engelsem​ ​popsali, jak se v kapitalistické společnosti​ ​práce stala odcizenou, když dělníci již nevlastní výrobní prostředky. Člověk se​ ​odcizil světu, o němž si myslel, že jej zná.​ ​Technologie vytvářejí nová pouta, jejichž​ ​povaha je v lecčems magičtější a mytolo-gičtejší, než tomu bylo dříve. RHIZOMATIC SPELL: ♈️ O XENO-MAGII Eva Skopalová ♋️ RHIZOMATIC SPELL: ON XENO-MAGIC Eva Skopalová ♎️ ASTROLOGICKÝ ROZBOR / THE ORACLE CORPORATION ♐️ DEFINICE MAGIE Henri Hubert & Marcel Mauss ♒️ MAGIE: METAFYZIKA POUTA Laurent de Sutter ♉️ MÝTUS, MAGIE A MYSTICISMUS V INFORMAČNÍM VĚKU Erik Davis UMĚLCI / ARTISTS