Topics:
–Colin Wilson’s study of consciousness
-Robert’s art, Substack writings, and novels
-Mark Fisher’s Capitalist Realism
–Robert’s case for Theosophy
-Robert’s mystical experience at June Lake
-contrasting Neoplatonism and Gnosticism, in their approach to theurgy, aesthetics and the natural world
-can ugly things be beautiful or divine?
-channeling the fire of youth
-revisiting Robert’s first podcast with Matt from 2018
-rediscovering the song, 9pm (Till I Come)
-occultist, genetic, political, and social dynamics to oral acts
-A critique of the moral authoritarianism and lack of pluralism of Abrahamic faiths
-how we should approach occultism
-prediction that America will have another religious revival
–California’s pan-enclavism
-thoughts on neo-reactionary critiques of democracy, the case for proportional inequality, and how to select elites
-the Art Fascist vs the Warrior Fascist
Robert Stark and Matt Pegas speak with Constantin von Hoffmeister about his book Esoteric Trumpism. This is a simulcast with Matt’s New Write podcast. Originally from Germany, Constantin von Hoffmeister studied English Literature and Political Science in New Orleans. Constantin has worked as an author, journalist, translator, editor, and business trainer in the United States, India, Uzbekistan, and Russia, and is the editor in chief of Arktos publishing. Follow Constantin on Twitter and subscribe to his Substack.
Topics:
Literary references, including William S. Burroughs, HP Lovecraft, and Edgar Alan Poe
Misconceptions about the Beatniks as leftwing (eg Jack Kerouac’s admiration of Oswald Spengler)
How the Beats’ disillusionment shows problems with fetishizing 1950s America
Philistinism on the Right and the rise of a new creative culture-focused Right
How America has an underappreciated rich cultural heritage
America as an extension of European civilization
Rightwing Postmodernism
Trump as the great revealer of hidden Lovecraftian horrors
Why Trump’s political significance is primarily symbolic
Addressing criticisms and disappointments with Trump
Meme magic
Why Constantin rejects accelerationism Why Rightwing multiculturalism or ethnopluralism is the future
Constantin’s recent meet up with Robert and Matt in LA, and observation that LA is a model for ethnopluralism
Why Constantin is more optimistic about America’s future than Europe’s
Upcoming Arktos projects, including a new translation of Dominque Venner on Ernst Junger, a rightwing critique of Nietzsche, and an art history book
Robert Stark speaks with James O’Meara about his book, Mysticism After Modernism: Crowley, Evola, Neville, Watts, Colin Wilson, & Other Populist Gurus. Mysticism After Modernism is published by Manticore Press, where it is available for purchase. You can also find it at Counter-Currents and on Amazon.
“Our spirituality has gotten too tame today. James J. O’Meara has a solution [in Mysticism After Modernism]
–Mitch Horowitz, PEN Award-winning author of Occult America and The Miracle Club
-The intersection of mysticism with politics and culture, and how mysticism is available to any political persuasion
-Countering the Hippie-dippy liberal stereotype about New Age gurus
-Critiquing the reactionary who passively accepts cycles of decay, and the need to embrace infinite possibilities
-A practical take on magic/mysticism, in regards to enacting real world change
-Aleister Crowley’s definition of magic as transforming the World in accordance with one’s will
-Examples of opinions and attributes of Alan Watts and William Burroughs that come across as anti-liberal
-Greg Johnson’s article, “The Spiritual Materialism of Alan Watts: A Review of Does It Matter?”
-Watts’ ties to quasi-fascist Serbian mystic, Dimitrije Mitrinović
–New Thought, and an explanation for how Neville Goddard’s Law of Assumption works
-New Thought as a vehicle for political change, by removing all mental constraints
-Why Theosophy is the theology best adapted to hereditarianism (eg. illiberal pluralism)
-William Burroughs’ obsession with rejecting control in a metaphysical sense
–The Greek Qabalah, hidden esoteric traditions in Abrahamic faiths
-Colin Wilson’s practical mysticism, focused on expanding consciousness
-Parapsychology and Spiritual Science
-The need for spiritual elitism and Aristocratic Radicalism
-Robert’s novel, Vaporfornia, which has themes relating to New Thought
-James’ book, Passing the Buck: Coleman Francis and Other Cinematic Metaphysicians
Robert Stark and Matt Pegas speak with filmmaker, Montgomery Markland, about his film Malibu Road, which he both directed and starred in. Malibu Road is available to watch for free on Tubi, and for purchase on Apple TV and Amazon. While the pandemic delayed Malibu Road’s theatrical release, Montgomery has further plans for multipicture deals.
“Fast living Los Angelenos are targeted by the Central Intelligence Agency during Operation Midnight Climax, part of MKUltra. The experience takes a turn for the deadly during New Year’s Eve 1960 and now a professor, a starlet and the workers at a hotel with a questionable reputation must rediscover reality or be trapped in an endless cycle of sex, drugs and murder in ‘paradise.'”
Montgomery Markland has an idiosyncratic resume. Originally from Dallas, Montgomery was a state and local reporter in Austin, worked in the Texas state legislature on policy, was then a producer, president, and CCO at a number of video game companies, before working in Hollywood. Follow Montgomery on Twitter.
Topics:
Applying videogame design principles to Cinema
The Meisner acting technique
MKUltra connections to university professors and Hollywood (eg. Irvin Keshner)
Timothy Leary’s prediction that video games had the potential to recreate psychedelic trips
The History of the Albatross Hotel in Malibu and connections to Old Hollywood
Cinemaphotographic techniques used to capture the psychedelic aesthetic
Distorting reality in stories as representations of dreams (eg. traumnovelle), and influences from David Lynch
Influence from soap operas, telenovelas, and 90s Cinemax
The set design, recreating the aesthetics of the 60s and 70s
Influences from Jungian archetypes, as well as Ancient Greek, Hindu, and Buddhist mythology (eg. Timothy Leary on the Tibetan Book of the Dead)
Hunter S. Thompson
Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo
Malibu Road’s filming locations, including Malibu State Park and Will Rogers State Historic Park
The politicization of entertainment, and why overtly political conservative media fails
Reasons to be optimistic about opportunities in entertainment via niche markets
The Banking crisis, Economic Death Spiral, and narratives of collapse
Various responses to the article
Putting forth an accurate portrayal of California, in contrast with the media hype
A critique of various rightwing narratives about conflict and collapse
Causes of White flight and demographic change in California
Whether race relations will remain affable in California with extreme woke politics
Contrasting different future scenarios for California, including pan-enclavism
How White Californians are uniquely individualistic and rootless, and whether they will develop a stronger identity in the future
Why Whites should take part in multiculturalism to adapt to the end of Americanism
Examples of gaslighting on the economy, Redefining the definition of recession and declaration of a “Vibecession”
How the economic bullishness and bear rallies in stocks show the degree of disconnect between Wall Street and Main Street
The “Baking” of the Jobs numbers report and inflation data
The beginning of mass Tech layoffs
The super bubble to end all bubbles
Kevin’s article If You Thought the NIMBYs Were Bad – Meet the YIMBYs
Revisiting the pandemic stimulus and how only a fraction of stimulus went directly to the people
Federal Reserve policy, Biden’s “Inflation Reduction” Act,” and vulnerabilities of the dollar
Speculating worst case economic scenarios (deflationary depression, long-term stagflation, real estate crash, and debt crisis)
Geopolitics crisis, supply chains issues, global conflicts and civil unrest
The Fourth Turning theory and Peter Turchin’s method of measuring cycles of crisis
The political implications of the FBI raid on Trump’s Mar a Lago
Kevin’s observations from attending the recent CPAC conference in Texas on the political currents
