Previous version here.
The octagon represents an insight from Blindsight, on the subjectivity of our time-sense. It is a mental command to “stop time”. The effort to stop time results in a lengthening of the Now, a greater immersion in the moment. It increases focus.
Inside the octagon is something that very much resembles a man hanging from a cross with the crossbeam affixed at the top of the pole – Jesus crucified. In a major change from v1, I discarded the koan “Gratitude for right action in the moment.” This is replaced by well-being due to justification via Jesus Christ.
The perpendicular segments form the letter “T”, which also stands for tongues. I practice glossalalia when beneficial.
One can also see the letter “Y”, which stands for Yahweh. The heart of every man should be Yahweh.
I frequently envision this symbol inscribed over my heart, leveraging bioenergetics. The visualization is not particularly small. The exact size is fuzzy, but roughly corresponds to .5-1.5x the size of the ribcage. It produces a salutory tendency to keep one’s spine straight and heart brave.
The octagon is also an ouroboros. (Crudely illustrated above.) This signifies that the only life purpose is the meditation; self sufficiency and self-reflexivity. Outcome independence. Rather than channeling will to external action, external action proceeds naturally from internal state.
The Lacadaemonian lambda beneath the octagon is the ultimate symbol of pagan masculine virtue, and the coloration which my conduct should take. Particularly, effacement and brevity.
Beneath the lambda, I put a capital B rotated clockwise 90 degrees. The most obvious meaning is balls, but the more important one is biology, meaning I better entrain my hormones and optimize my health, else I’ll have no balls.
A small circle above the octagon symbolizes the void head/mind. Now my diagram looks like a little man. (Albeit with his balls dangling hugely beneath his legs.) Body energetics FTW.
DESIGN NOTES
I ran into problems with procrastination and sleep discipline. I traced these back to 1. wellbeing deficit and 2. willpower deficit.
The “hole” in wellbeing caused happiness-seeking behaviors such as unproductive communication, reading, entertainment and sleep avoidance. As I am harshly self-critical, it is easy to develop well-being deficit even while performing optimally. I solved by making well-being intrinsic, via Jesus Christ.
Willpower exhaustion occurred due to straightforward biological weakness and unsustainable continuous willpower exercise. I solve by exerting willpower only in the easy and self-refreshing loop of the ouroborotic well-being wellspring.
I needed a strong willpower + well-being solution to permit adherence to light discipline: lights off, screens off at sundown. I believe I can sustain this meditation through 8 hours of insomniac darkness. The key is to recognize no transition between daylight and darkness modes. Environment changes; inner action does not.
As an unexpected bonus, well-being + void mind = charisma.