Do things repeat themselves? Does the world feel like an ever-turning merry- go-round that seems to be going in circles? Most people in the modern world believe in linear time. They think there is a past they can look back at and remember, as well as a future they can look forward to and try to predict but never fully know until it finally arrives. We are often told that we are evolving, that things are changing, and indeed there does seem to be increasing change and modernization, at least from a technological point of view.
However, if you look around with a critical eye and have had the possibility of studying the past in some manner, you will notice that in some fundamental ways, the world has not changed very much at all. Interestingly, there seems to be a cyclical nature to everything, including human endeavors across time.
In a previous article The Cycles of Time, I explored the differences between modern society and past civilizations, particularly those from the medieval period. I mentioned the fact that every era finds itself within its own present moment point, and that moment point creates a new cognitive position that is unique. In that article, I also challenged the notion of linear time and evolution but did concede that there was a type of slow transmutation in people. I did not dive deeply into the reason why human evolution is so slow and so full of ups and downs. I did not want to go to deep into that because this would inevitably lead us to the cyclical looping nature of human reality, which is a very large rabbit hole indeed.
In this article, I aim to extend the concepts of the cyclical nature of human reality (Historic Recurrence) further, by arguing that despite changes in cognitive positions across time at certain levels, there are inherent building blocks of the human psyche that remain relatively consistent even across vast expanses of history. This homogeneity in people can be referred to as a recording, a cognitive crown of thorns, or a stamp that has been imprinted upon the collective psyche of humanity.
What this means is that even though cognitive positions of humanity may change across time, there is this underlying recording, or ARCHETYPE, that stays the same. Therefore, a large aspect of the psyche stays the same and is forever present in people, but the expression of those archetypes changes in accordance with different cognitive positions. As such, we have different types of civilizations throughout the ages, meaning that at a certain point in time a new cognitive position in people might have them express those underlying architypes in a certain way, while in a different era these same architypes might be expressed differently. At one point in time, in accordance with a certain cognitive position, a civilization might evolve technologically and express those architypes within them in a certain way, while at another time a more emotionally driven cognitive position might be present and a completely different expression of those same architypes might be expressed. But being that those architypes are deeply imbedded in the psyche, all motion by any one group at any point in time, will eventually lead to the same place, which is in essence an ever- repeating loop. So, there is no significant human evolution or change, just an ever-winding loop, a cage, that does not permit easy escape.
The Study of Cyclical Patterns
For centuries, scholars have been captivated by the cyclical patterns evident in human civilizations and history. These interests date back to ancient times, where philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle contemplated the recurring nature of societal progress and decay. More recently, thinkers like Giambattista Vico and Oswald Spengler have built upon these ideas, drawing correlations between the rise and fall of multiple civilizations across time. Many have noticed striking resemblances between modern Western civilization and ancient empires including Rome and Greece, observing comparable patterns of growth, prosperity, decadence, and eventual decline. This cyclical perspective of history contradicts linear notions of advancement, suggesting that societies may undergo foreseeable phases of development, peak, and regression.
Archetypes and Cyclic Patterns
To study this cyclical trap that seems to forever take us to a kind of crescendo only to have us crash back down into barbarism, as Robert E. Howard would put it, we could start by understanding the nature of archetypes as they were defined by Carl Jung. Archetypes are universal, archaic symbols and images that derive from the collective unconscious, as proposed by Jung. They exist in both the individual and the collective and go about creating the reality that a person manifests as a single being and as a member of a society.
These embedded patterns have been placed within the conscious and, at a certain level, within the unconscious. We seem to be driven to repeat endlessly old patterns that create a very limited range of positive and negative outcomes. These outcomes then go about creating a seemingly cyclical human reality, where as individuals and as a collective civilization, we seem to go from periods of great prowess and evolution to periods of deep darkness and utter barbarism.
Inner Alchemy and Breaking the Cycle
An inner alchemist is someone who can see that archetypical recording that seems to have been placed in the human psyche. By understanding it and perceiving it directly through their ability to see and use their inner senses, they find that they are able to predict individual and civilizational action. Most importantly, they are able to stand in awe as they see the endless merry-go-round of existence.
Having seen this endless merry-go-round created by this archetypical recording embedded within the psyche, they then conceive the myriad of cages that are the true nature of human existence. And having seen the many cages, they engage in the act of trying to break out of all of them.
Historical Recurrence and Eternal Recurrence
The concept of Eternal Recurrence, as eloquently described by Nietzsche, can be seen as a recurring pattern throughout history. This idea suggests that humanity is trapped in a cycle of creation and destruction, perpetually repeating itself. To escape these psychological traps, one must first acknowledge and accept this eternal recurrence.
As Nietzsche noted, acknowledging the eternal recurrence allows individuals to develop the resilience necessary to live without resentment or wasted energy, even in an infinite series of lifetimes where this pattern is repeated.
However, this is merely the initial step. There are methods and strategies to transcend this cycle. One such method is ‘energetic containment’, another is ‘energetic absorption and reabsorption’, and a myriad of other techniques that have been refined by inner alchemists over centuries. I delved into these techniques in my Magnum Opus Trilogy, and I wholeheartedly recommend reading it if you seek to free yourself from the endless cycle of historical recurrence.
Conclusion
The concept of historical recurrence challenges the notion of linear progress and suggests that human societies are bound by cyclical patterns. In this article, I propose that the general public will begin to understand this concept of historical or eternal recurrence when they start to recognize the nature of certain aspects of the human psyche and how these embedded patterns shape human reality. These patterns were perhaps best described by Carl Jung when he defined archetypes.
Archetypes, as Jung conceptualized them, are universal, archaic symbols and images that derive from the collective unconscious. They shape human reality by creating a kind of scaffolding or belief structure blueprint that influences the entire human mind. This mind, guided by these embedded belief structures through the archetypes, then goes about creating both individual reality and the reality of the human collective.
By studying these patterns, humanity can gain a deeper understanding of not only its past and present but also its future. Recognizing these patterns makes it possible to predict certain future outcomes because patterns of action are likely to be repeated, as these archetypes are deeply ingrained in the mind. Indeed, removing or transcending these archetypes becomes one of the major tasks for anyone trying to break out of the cages created by an endlessly repeating pattern of action that persists throughout a lifetime.
There are techniques and different practices that have been studied not only by inner alchemists but also by those who have searched for freedom and true spiritual evolution. For example, the concept of Samsara, which can be loosely translated as “wandering” or “cyclic existence,” suggests that by breaking free from attachments and ignorance, we can begin to escape the endless cycles of birth, death, and rebirth.
In my opinion, the most effective methods I’ve found for overcoming the constraints imposed by archetypes in the mind are those rooted in inner alchemy, which I explore in-depth in my Magnum Opus Trilogy. This trilogy provides practical strategies for transcending these archetypal patterns and attaining liberation from a purely physical existence. I strongly recommend it to anyone seeking alternative ways to break free from the cycle of eternal recurrence.
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