The quest for Cosmic Fire

How do people come up with new ideas?
How is great innovation born?
Are the groundbreaking ideas generated in our minds, or do they come from somewhere else—captured by our brains like butterflies in a net?

Is there some invisible realm where the true creators dwell, and we are merely the recipients, occasionally tuning into their frequencies and catching whispers of inspiration?

Part of my job as Product Manager is to collaborate with talented teams to spark innovation and develop out-of-the-box solutions to complex problems.

While I haven’t worked on cutting-edge rocket-fueling technology or mind-altering devices (maybe not just yet?), I’ve had to solve quite a few exciting puzzles with teams of top-tier professionals in the tech world.

The quest for ideas has also been my experience as a science fiction writer—often a tormenting one. I’ve spent hours, days, even weeks, unraveling particularly convoluted themes in my stories. And I’ve often been amazed by how the best ideas arise at the most unexpected times.

Innovation and creativity have always been my pursuits, and I feel a certain familiarity with those who have pushed boundaries to tap into the source of inspiration. In this ongoing quest, I’ve explored various methods and frameworks to shift the mind toward higher focus and creativity. A few times, I’ve even experienced the immersive state of flow—especially rewarding during brainstorming sessions with talented teams.

“Stealing Fire” & “American Cosmic” – what does a book on corporate pursuit of state of flow and a book that includes testimonies of UFO sightings have in common?

In this pursuit, I also turned to books. This is where I stumbled upon two seemingly unrelated works.

The first is Stealing Fire by Steven Kotler and Jamie Wheal, experts on innovation, leadership, and peak performance. The book explores stories from Silicon Valley, the Navy SEALs, and the corporate world. The other is American Cosmic by Professor Diana Pasulka of Columbia University, which examines the intersection of religion, belief systems, technology, and UFOs.

How are these books connected?

Both books explore how creativity can emerge when the human mind interacts with the metaphysical. They take a scientific approach to examining stories at the crossroads of science, business, and religion, sharing true accounts of how individuals have accessed altered states of consciousness to excel in their fields.

Stealing Fire focuses more on the practical aspects—specifically how corporations, particularly in Silicon Valley, tap into the “sacred fire of innovation” to enhance team performance and creativity.

Pasulka’s American Cosmic delves deeper into the spiritual roots of ideas and creativity, exploring how humanity’s attempts to connect with the invisible realm may have influenced society as a whole.

The common thread in both books is the idea that through various practices, our minds can reach an elevated state of consciousness. In this state, we either perceive more or become more receptive to ideas that are not just innovative but potentially groundbreaking.

The big question is: as we access these altered states of mind, what is the origin of the ideas that emerge? Hidden layers of our own consciousness? Alternate universes? Entities from another dimension? Aliens? God?

All these speculations appear in these books.
And it is a fascinating and thought-provoking read.

A Scientist Who Visited the Matrix Before It Was Cool and a Nuke-Carrying Donkey

Research into mind-altering procedures has a long history, and Stealing Fire highlights some of the most intriguing aspects. One such story is that of John Lilly.

He was a neuroscientist who became involved with the military in the 1960s, developing brain stimulation devices intended to either combat or induce… mind control. Lilly’s research might seem like pure science fiction if it weren’t for the fact that his work attracted the interest of several U.S. government agencies, including the CIA, NSA, and FBI.

Lilly’s experiments helped map primate brain regions responsible for pleasure and provided insights into how to induce states of ecstasy through electrical triggers.

One of the offshoots of Lilly’s research involved a mule—or another large animal capable of carrying a heavy load. This animal would be equipped with electrode implants, a solar compass, and… a suitcase nuke. The creature would then be guided by pleasure/pain impulses controlled by a mind-altering device, ensuring it reached its destination. The potential application of such a project is easy to imagine, given it was developed during the height of the Cold War.

What’s particularly interesting is that Lilly devised a special protocol to access altered states of consciousness. One of the core elements of this protocol was sessions in a float tank—a device that Lilly himself invented.

“After abandoning his experiments at the National Institute of Mental Health, Lilly delved deeper into his psychedelically-fueled float tank research. By precisely balancing the effects of ketamine and sensory deprivation, he was able to blast off into the farthest reaches of inner space. To maintain contact with the Matrix-like reality he encountered, Lilly began injecting himself with ketamine on an hourly basis, often for weeks at a time.”

Lilly admitted that the primary source of his addiction wasn’t the experience itself, but rather the “utterly novel information it provided.”

He never conclusively determined whether the experience was a dive into the depths of his own psyche or an entry into something—or somewhere—beyond that, perhaps an invisible realm that exists beyond our perception of reality.

It’s noted that Lilly nearly killed himself through his experimentation. Yet, surprisingly or not, his ideas and somewhat modified methods not only survived but also became a focus of investment for some of the most well-known organizations in the world.

How Navy SEALs and Google Try to Crack the State of Flow Equation

In Stealing Fire, the pursuit of the “state of flow” is explored as a multi-billion-dollar race across industries—from technology to pharmacology, sports to the military.

The ability to access elevated states of consciousness on demand is potentially revolutionary, enabling organizations to outperform the competition in the business world or overcome adversaries in the military.

Two organizations that understand these possibilities well are the Navy SEALs and Google. Both are renowned for their focus on peak performance and for consistently staying at the top of their fields.

The Navy SEALs are exploring techniques to enter “the zone” or the state of flow to achieve team dynamics and coordination that allow for flawless execution of military operations. As the authors of Stealing Fire join the SEALs in their exercises, they discover that part of the SEALs’ training facilities is dedicated not only to studying altered states of mind but also to making them more accessible to their teams.

This so-called “Mind Gym” is filled with EEG brain monitors, sensors, and scanners—all designed for one purpose: teaching SEALs how to flip the switch and enter the state of flow.

Most interestingly, they use a method developed by John Lilly—sensory deprivation tanks. Unlike Lilly, however, they don’t rely on LSD (which, as you might guess, could pose problems in a government facility). Instead, they use hotwired neural and cardiac feedback loops, digital displays, and sounds to trigger the desired mental state.

Before calling it sci-fi, the key question must be asked: Does it work?

Apparently, it does. According to research, thanks to these newly developed methods, Navy SEALs can, for example, learn a foreign language in six weeks—whereas the typical learning time used to be six months.

Google is also following suit.

At their corporate headquarters in California, they’ve opened a section as part of their mindfulness training program, with environments designed for meditation and devices (including sensor suits) to help employees harness “communal vocational ecstasy” (to quote the exact phrase from “Stealing Fire”).

It seems fitting that a company recognized worldwide for innovation would employ extraordinary methods to stay ahead of the game.

But if that seems unconventional, you haven’t seen anything yet.

Humans as Walking Antennae, Capturing Messages from Beyond

What do UFOs, religion, psychedelics, altered states of consciousness, and technological innovation have in common?

According to Pasulka, quite a lot.

In American Cosmic, Pasulka follows the journey of a scientist and entrepreneur, Tyler Durden, whose unconventional ideas have allowed him to revolutionize science, earn multiple patents, and make millions. What’s fascinating is that Tyler, like John Lilly (whose story was recounted in Stealing Fire), claims to use a special protocol to access an elevated state of mind.

The puzzling thing is that, according to Tyler himself, the ideas that emerge during these states are not his own. He claims they come from another realm, and the only thing he attributes to himself is the ability to tap into that realm.

Here’s how he explains it:

“ From a Christian religious perspective, humans interface with God through the practice of worship and prayer with a mechanism called the Holy Spirit. My view and philosophy starts with that framewoek. It is further developed than this, though, in that I believe that the human body and mind act like a computer. A computer is the best model for how it all works. It’s hard not to see that as a viable model if you study the human anatomy and the processes of life” 

Tyler than makes a connection to how that framework can lay groundwork for the human antenna theory:

“DNA stores biophotonic particles as data where it is transferred through our body very much like optical data in fiber-optic wiring. (…) If we assume this model of human physiology, then its reasonable to think the human body, given its computerlike functions, could act as a transmitter and receiver not much different than our home computers and WiFi systems where the internet source enters our houses either through hard-wired fiber network or a satellite signal wherein the data is then processed and used within our homes though our routers and radio-frequency signals (..) In this model the human body and DNA become a biological internet and the data is likely stored with light photons, which in recent studies indicates an ability for photon to share an exact twin state without restrictions of time and space.”

In short, there is evidence suggesting that the way our bodies receive and process information is very similar to how computers receive and process information from the internet. If we “tune” our software (mind) and hardware (body), we can open ourselves to new data sources.

Tyler has a specific protocol he follows to “tune in” to the frequency where he can “catch” these ideas. Pasulka’s book includes stories and interviews with several other individuals—scientists and even astronauts—who recall a similar paradigm. A state of flow, often initially triggered by an extraordinary event (such as seeing Earth from a space shuttle cockpit or even a UFO sighting), can radically change one’s perspective, not only transforming their life but also providing ideas that can transform industries.

One such example is an anecdote where Tyler D. helps design a long-lasting battery for a pacemaker just after one of his flow sessions.

Some might argue that the accounts of a mysterious, anonymous protagonist seem far-fetched, and they may have a point. However, it’s important to remember that Pasulka, putting her academic reputation on the line, ensures that all the accounts meet the highest academic and journalistic standards. Moreover, she cites other examples of scientists, engineers, and even astronauts whose testimonies align with those of Tyler D.

One notable story is that of astronaut Edgar Mitchell, whose first experience traveling to Earth’s orbit had a profound and lasting impact, driving him to seek metaphysical experiences.

Most intriguingly, there is the example of Jack Parsons, the father of American aeronautics. Pasulka recounts how Parsons not only engaged in enigmatic practices alongside Aleister Crowley (the infamous occultist) and L. Ron Hubbard (the sci-fi writer and founder of Scientology) but also claimed to be in contact with extraterrestrial intelligences. These weren’t just random thoughts, but a clearly defined worldview that influenced Parsons to the extent that he timed his experiments according to dates significant in the occult, such as Halloween.

Interestingly enough, Parsons’ counterpart behind the Iron Curtain expressed similar views on the true nature of the innovation process. Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, a founder of the Russian space program, believed in an unseen realm inhabited by entities with whom humans could communicate if certain procedures or rituals were followed. The following quote is not from a cheap New Age booklet, but from Tsiolkovsky himself:

I’ll leave you with that to conclude this essay.

Make your own thoughts on this…

“These higher beings are in communication with us, reading our thoughts and sending us messages through celestial symbols which most of us do not even perceive, much less understand. A genius is one who comprehends and channels these messages from higher beings into technologies, products and even art”

Final thoughts

In my line of work (software product management), having an open mind is just as important as having a critical one. Connecting the two might seem like a stretch, but I believe it’s not only desirable—it’s essential to success.

This is why, although I’m not sure what to make of some of the claims in both Stealing Fire and American Cosmic, I feel a certain connection with their protagonists.

The pursuit of higher states of mind was a domain of elites for centuries. But only recently has the perception shifted from fringe to mainstream, making it easier for many of us to join that quest.

The question is—should we? Are we truly ready?

I don’t know the answer to that. At this stage, all I can do is recommend both books. They will take you on a wild ride and expand your horizons.

And only God knows what awaits beyond.