Novelty theory attempts to calculate the ebb
and flow of novelty in the universe as an inherent
quality of time. It is an idea conceived of
and discussed at length by Terence McKenna
from the early 1970s until his death in the
year 2000. Novelty theory involves ontology,
morphogenesis, and eschatology. Novelty, in
this context, can be thought of as newness,
density of complexification, and dynamic change
as opposed to static habituation. According
to McKenna, when "novelty" is graphed
over time, a fractal waveform known as timewave
zero or simply the timewave results. The graph
shows at what times, but never at what locations,
novelty is increasing or decreasing. According
to the timewave graph, great periods of novelty
occurred about 4 billion years ago when Earth
was formed, 65 million years ago when dinosaurs
were extinct and mammals expanded, about 10,000
years ago after the end of the ice age, around
late 18th century when social and scientific
revolutions progressed, during the sixties,
around the time of 9/11, and with coming novelty
periods in November 2008, October 2010, with
the novelty progressing towards the infinity
on 21st December 2012.
The timewave itself is a combination of numerology
and mathematics. It is formed out of McKenna's
interpretation and analysis of numerical patterns
in the King Wen sequence of the I Ching (the
ancient Chinese Book of Changes). This concept
first took root in his entheogenic experiences
shared by him and his brother Dennis McKenna
as documented in the book The Invisible Landscape:
Mind, Hallucinogens, and the I Ching. The theory
is clearly based in numerology and takes
shape out of McKenna's belief that the sequence
is artificially arranged as such purposefully.
Mathematically, the sequence is graphed according
to a set of mathematical ratios, and displays
a fractal nature as well as resonances although
it was not captured in a true formula until
criticism from mathematician Matthew Watkins
. McKenna interpreted the fractal
nature and resonances of the wave, as well
as his theory of the I Ching's artificial arrangement,
to show that the events of any given time are
recursively related to the events of other
times.
As the theory was never published in a peer-reviewed
journal and McKenna's sources and reasoning
were primarily what would be considered numerological
rather than mathematical by professional mathematicians
and scientists, the theory has failed to gain
any (scientific) credibility or much recognition.
However, McKenna was highly critical of such
fields for adhering to what he saw as a flawed
Occidental paradigm, and did not seek to create
a theory acceptable to the mathematical community.
The theory was, however, revised by nuclear
physicist John Sheliak after a flaw was discovered
by Matthew Watkins. The new revision is often
referred to as Timewave One, but is also included
in the set of alternate waves in the Timewave
Zero software. It is claimed that this new
version is more closely matched to history.
Precepts of novelty theory
Novelty theory has a few basic tenets:
That the universe is a living system with
a teleological attractor at the end of time
that drives the increase and conservation
of complexity in material forms.
That novelty and complexity increase over
time, despite repeated set-backs.
That the human brain represents the pinnacle
of complex organization in the known universe
to date.
That fluctuations in novelty over time are
self-similar at different scales. Thus the
rise and fall of the Roman Empire might be
resonant with the life of a family within
a single generation, or with an individual's
day at work.
That as the complexity and sophistication
of human thought and culture increase, universal
novelty approaches a Koch curve of infinite
exponential growth.
That in the time immediately prior to, and
during this omega point of infinite novelty,
anything and everything conceivable to the
human imagination will occur simultaneously.
That the date of this historical endpoint
is December 21, 2012, the end of the long
count of the Mayan calendar.
This End of History was to be the final
manifestation of The Eschaton, which McKenna
characterized as a sort of strange attractor
towards which the evolution of the universe
developed.
Novelty theory attempts to calculate the ebb
and flow of novelty in the universe as an inherent
quality of time. It is an idea conceived of
and discussed at length by Terence McKenna
from the early 1970s until his death in the
year 2000. Novelty theory involves ontology,
morphogenesis, and eschatology. Novelty, in
this context, can be thought of as newness,
density of complexification, and dynamic change
as opposed to static habituation. According
to McKenna, when "novelty" is graphed
over time, a fractal waveform known as timewave
zero or simply the timewave results. The graph
shows at what times, but never at what locations,
novelty is increasing or decreasing. According
to the timewave graph, great periods of novelty
occurred about 4 billion years ago when Earth
was formed, 65 million years ago when dinosaurs
were extinct and mammals expanded, about 10,000
years ago after the end of the ice age, around
late 18th century when social and scientific
revolutions progressed, during the sixties,
around the time of 9/11, and with coming novelty
periods in November 2008, October 2010, with
the novelty progressing towards the infinity
on 21st December 2012.