The Kaoss Machine

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Originally uploaded by The Stranger.

Perhaps the most striking feature of chaos magic is the concept of the magical paradigm shift. the technique of arbitrarily changing one's model (or paradigm) of magic a major concept of chaos magic.

The idea is that belief is a tool that can be applied at will rather than unconsciously. Some chaos magicians think that trying unusual, and often bizarre beliefs is in itself an experience worth having and consider flexibility of belief a form of power or freedom in a cybernetic sense of the word.

The gnostic state is achieved when a person's mind is focused on only one point, thought, or goal and all other thoughts are thrust out. Users of chaos magic each develop their own ways of reaching this state. Some of the most prominent techniques are prolonged meditation, the use of mind-altering drugs, self-inflicted pain and orgasm. All such methods hinge on the belief that a simple thought or direction experienced during the gnostic state and then forgotten quickly afterwards is sent to the subconscious rather than the conscious mind where it can be enacted through means unknown to the conscious mind.