John Cunningham Lilly. Major metaprograms.

Program: a set of internally consistent instructions for the computation of signals, the formation of information, the storage of both, the preparation of messages, the logical processes to be used, the selection processes, and the storage addresses all occurring within a biocomputer, a brain.
Metaprogram a set of instructions, descriptions, and means of control of sets of programs.
Selfmetaprogram: a special metaprogram which involves the selfprogramming aspects of the computer, which creates new programs, revises old programs, and reorganizes programs and metaprograms. This entity works only directly on the metaprograms, not the programs themselves; metaprograms work on each program and the detailed instructions therein. Alternative names are set of selfmetaprograms, “selfmetaprogramming entity,” or the selfmetaprogrammer.

1. External Reality Metaprogram
This metaprogram operates programs with interlock with the outsidebodysystems. These systems include all of external reality; human beings are a defined part of the external reality.
This metaprogram seems to be absent only in special states and even then possibly is only relatively attenuated, not completely absent. The states in which it is attenuated include sleep, coma, trance, anaesthesia, etc.The above states cause centrally conditioned reductions of the stimulation arriving from the external reality. It is also possible to attenuate the external reality stimuli themselves.
In the profound physical isolation, external reality excitation of the CNS is attenuated to minimum possible levels in all modes. If in profound physical isolation, one adds a metaprogrammatically active substance to the brain, further attenuation of the external reality stimuli can be achieved and the ego (selfmetaprogram) is more fully activated. If in profound physical isolation one adds sleep, trance, or anaesthesia (light levels), these give external reality cutoff and cessation of e.r. (external reality) excitation of the central nervous system (and of the “mind”).
The external reality metaprogram is increased in its intensity in high excitation states; interlock with the external reality can be increased by these means.
2. Selfmetaprograms
These metaprograms include all of those entities which are usually defined as ego, consciousness, self, and so forth.
The interlock of the selfmetaprograms with the external reality metaprograms can be attenuated by special techniques including sleep, isolation, anaesthesia, etc.
The apparent strength of these metaprograms can be enhanced in certain cased by LSD 25 plus dextroamphetamine, psychic energizers, etc.
3. Storage Metaprograms
These metaprograms have two aspects: there is the active storage process in which the inputs from e.r. and from self are connected to storage: there is the active output process in which the self is connected directly to storage. To achieve these connections there are the search metaprograms. The nature of these programs varies depending upon special conditions. It varies in free association states, hypnogogic states, dreaming states, etc. Some psychoactive substances allow a special state in which the selfmetaprograms can directly consciously explore much of the storage itself. In this particular state the selfmetaprograms and the searchmetaprograms operate coextensively in such a way as to reveal the innermost files of the storage directly to self.
4. Autonomic (Nervous System) Programs
The autonomic nervous system has builtin properties which are definitely programmatic rather than metaprogrammatic. The relationships between these and the selfmetaprogram are second order. These autonomic programs do not exist directly in selfmetaprograms. These programs include the programs for the gastrointestinal tract, for sex, for anger, for fright, etc. These programs can be modified by the selfmetaprogram; once started their detailed carryingout is automatic.
5. Body Maintenance Programs
These are programs which cut across the lines of the previous ones and include such consciousunconscious programs as the needs and the carrying out of sleep, exercise, correct food, environmental temperature regulations, clothing, etc. The realities of the body maintenance in the external reality are included in these programs.
6. FamilyLoveReproductionChildren Program
This is also an aspect of the external reality metaprogram and here is separated out as one of the basic programs within that one. Depending upon the individual computer there can be many more programs; some may be devised as above, others cut across the above boundaries. Such divisions, in the last analysis, are artificial and reflect the tendency of a human to think and act disintegrated into categories rather than as an integrated smoothly operating holistic computer.
7. Survival Metaprograms
Survival Priorities are used in case of threat to structural and/or functional integrity of the entities named the order is that of relative importance in the sense that the one below in the list will be sacrificed, abandoned, penalized, or changed in order to save, maintain, integrate, or educate the one above in the series.
A threat is defined as internal (mental) information (which when above threshold) anticipates and predicts immediate or delayed destruction, mutilation, confinement, abandonment, damnation, ostracism, solution (lysis) of continuity, compromised integrity, moral encroachment, severe ethical insult, voluntary seduction, unconscious entrancement, slavery, etc.
In nonthreatening educative processes the listing is more flexible any entity may, for a time, be placed at the head of the new list. This survival priorities list may remain intact in this order in the depths below awareness. It is evoked in states of fatigue which begin to generate information above the threat threshold .
0. The Soulspirit this concept includes life after mortal death, reincarnation, the immortal entity, that which is Godgiven, none of which is in current Science. This is currently considered by some persons as the most valuable of all the available entities. Depending on the needs of the definer, this entity may be educable, may have higher ethical strivings than current ones, may store information of certain kinds, may develop skills in certain areas, may carry these capabilities within it to the next state after the current mortal physical reality is left, etc.
1. Egomind Entity: one’s mind and mental self are valued above the body (and in those with the above religious belief, below the soul).
2. Body it is obvious that one values one’s body less than one’s mental self; however, at times one can be forced to act as if the list did not have this order but the opposite. Sometimes the mind shuts down, leaving the body to its survival battle alone.
3. Lover starting with the prototypic father and mother models and moving to wife or husband models.
4. Child: one’s own child.
5. Siblings.
6. Parents.
7. Valued friends.
8. Humans in general.
9. Biodiversity.
10. Planet Earth.
11. Solar system.

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