virus: Memes and Spirits

Reed Konsler (konsler@ascat.harvard.edu)
Sat, 29 Mar 1997 18:22:12 -0500 (EST)


>Reed:
>Spirits are percieved as having "intentionallity". A spirit can "want"
>something, can plan cognitively, etc. A spirit is a whole point-of-view
>without a current body. A spirit is as complicated as the person it is
> said to "possess".

Stephen:
>This is very interesting. I agree with much of what Reed says, however
>there are a couple examples of pop-angel lore that put a spin on the
>idea of "spirits with purpose".
>
>I am thinking specifically of Angels in America, where the angel is
>portrayed as being powerful in the extreme but having no ability to
>think creatively. "They're like omnipotent celestial bureaucrats" as the
>main character describes them.
>
>Also there was a movie called The Prophecy w/ Christopher Walkin as
>Gabriel in which a second war in heaven is initiated by angels who want
>to destroy manking because God gave them the one thing he denied
>angels-- a soul
>
>I have no idea where this is going, but it is a counterpoint none the
>less.
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Cataloge of the differences between Spirits and Memes:
(not to be confused with "Why a cucumber is better than a man")

1) Spirits have "intentionality".
2) Memes can evolve via some kind of selection.
3) People can create, edit, and destroy memes.
4) Everyone can be possessed by the same meme at the same time.

Reed

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Reed Konsler konsler@ascat.harvard.edu
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