Discordianism is a modern religion centered on the idea that chaos is as important as order. It was founded circa 1958–1959 by Malaclypse the Younger with the publication of its principal text, the Principia Discordia. There is some division as to whether it should be regarded as a parody religion, and if so to what degree.^[1] It has been called "Zen for roundeyes", based on similarities with absurdist interpretations of the Rinzai school. Discordianism recognizes chaos, discord, and dissent as valid and desirable qualities, in contrast with most religions, which idealize harmony and order. Eris, the Greek mythological goddess of discord, has also become the matron deity of the religion Discordianism.^[2] For Christian theological modernism, see Liberal Christianity and Modernism (Roman Catholicism). ... For other uses, see Chaos (disambiguation). ... The Ancient and Medieval cosmos as depicted in Peter Apians Cosmographia (Antwerp, 1539). ... Jan. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Malaclypse the Younger (short Mal-2) is the author of the Principia Discordia, a character in the Illuminatus! trilogy, and most likely a penname used by Greg Hill, comrade of Kerry Thornley (aka Lord Omar Khayyam Ravenhurst). ... Many religions and spiritual movements believe that their sacred texts (or scriptures) are the Word of God, often feeling that the texts are wholly divine or spiritually inspired in origin. ... The Loompanics Yellow Cover combined 4th & 5th Edition Principia Discordia, (1979). ... A recent parody religion, Pastafarianism was created in 2005 to protest a decision by the Kansas State Board of Education to allow intelligent design to be taught in science classes alongside evolution. ... For other uses, see Zen (disambiguation). ... A slur can be anything from an insinuation or critical remark to an insult. ... Absurdism is a philosophy, usually translated into different art forms, that holds that any attempt to understand the universe will fail. ... The dry garden at Ryōan-ji, a Rinzai Zen temple in Kyoto. ... Eris (ca. ...

It is difficult to estimate the number of followers and correctly identify Discordian groups. The anarchist ethic that pervades Discordianism^[3] is reflected in an encouragement to form schisms and cabals.^[4] Additionally, few adherents hold Discordianism as their only or primary faith. Instead, Erisians tend to adopt Discordianism as a complement to other faiths.^[5] Anarchism is a generic term describing various political philosophies and social movements that advocate the elimination of hierarchy and imposed authority. ... A cabal is a number of persons united in some close design, usually to promote their private views and interests in a church, state, or other community by intrigue. ...

Founding

The foundational document of Discordianism is the Principia Discordia, fourth edition, written by Malaclypse The Younger, an alias of Greg Hill. This book contains many references to an earlier source, The Honest Book of Truth (HBT). From the quotations, the HBT seems to be arranged like the Bible, consisting of verses grouped into chapters grouped into books grouped into the HBT itself. The Principia includes a large portion of (or possibly all of) a chapter of "The Book of Explanations" which recounts how the HBT was revealed to Lord Omar Khayyam Ravenhurst (Kerry Thornley).^[6] It may be worth noting that the tale of the discovery of the HBT contains many similarities to the tale of the discovery of the Book of Mormon, and that Thornley had been a Mormon. It also includes part of the next chapter, telling how the HBT was taken by a garbage collector, who refused to return it.^[7] Malaclypse the Younger (short Mal-2) is the author of the Principia Discordia, a character in the Illuminatus! trilogy, and most likely a penname used by Greg Hill, comrade of Kerry Thornley (aka Lord Omar Khayyam Ravenhurst). ... The Loompanics Yellow Cover combined 4th & 5th Edition Principia Discordia, (1979). ... For other uses, see Bible (disambiguation). ... Kerry Thornley Kerry Wendell Thornley (April 17, 1938 - November 28, 1998) is perhaps best-known as the co-founder (along with childhood friend Greg Hill) of Discordianism. ... Kerry Thornley Kerry Wendell Thornley (April 17, 1938 - November 28, 1998) is perhaps best-known as the co-founder (along with childhood friend Greg Hill) of Discordianism. ... // The Book of Mormon [1] is one of the sacred texts of the Latter Day Saint movement. ... This article is about the history and use of the word Mormon. For information about the religious beliefs and culture of Mormons, see Mormonism. ...

Although most religions revere the principles of harmony and order in the Universe[1][2][3][4], Discordianism can be interpreted as a belief that disharmony and chaos are equally valid aspects of reality. The Principia Discordia often hints that Discordianism was founded as a dialectic antithesis to more popular religions based on order, although the rhetoric throughout the book describes chaos as a much more underlying impulse of the universe. This may have been done with the intention of merely "balancing out" the creative forces of order and disorder, but the focus is certainly on the more disorderly aspects of the world — at times the forces of order are even vilified. Harmony is the art of using chords in music. ... For other uses, see Universe (disambiguation). ... Disharmony, a thing which is lacking in harmony. ... For other uses, see Chaos (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Reality (disambiguation). ... In classical philosophy, dialectic (Greek: διαλεκτική) is controversy, Viz. ... Look up Antithesis in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Rhetoric (from Greek , rhêtôr, orator, teacher) is generally understood to be the art or technique of persuasion through the use of oral, visual, or written language; however, this definition of rhetoric has expanded greatly since rhetoric emerged as a field of study in universities. ...

The matron deity of Discordianism is the Greek goddess Eris, of discord, identified by the Romans as Discordia. For the 1934 film, see The Goddess (1934 film). ... Eris (ca. ... A head of Minerva found in the ruins of the Roman baths in Bath Roman mythology, the mythological beliefs of the people of Ancient Rome, can be considered as having two parts. ... Eris is also a genus of jumping spiders. ...

In April 2006, Principia Discordia, First Edition was recovered from the John F. Kennedy archives[5]. This contains Malaclypse the Younger's long-sought-for The Myth of Ichabod, more commonly known as The Myth of Starbuck. According to the first edition, this originally appeared in Summa Universalia. John Kennedy and JFK redirect here. ...

Organization

The very idea of a Discordian organization is something of an oxymoron. Nevertheless, some structure is indicated in Principia Discordia. The most general group, presumably including all Discordians (and potentially others), is The Discordian Society, whose definition is “The Discordian Society has no definition”.^[8] Within the society are sects of Discordianism, each under the direction of an “Episkopos” (overseer in Greek, source of English bishop and episcopal). Religion is the opium of the people (translated from the German ) is one of the most frequently quoted statements of Karl Marx, from the introduction of his 1843 work Contribution to Critique of Hegels Philosophy of Right which was actually subsequently released one year later in Marx own journal... Kerry Thornley Kerry Wendell Thornley (April 17, 1938 - November 28, 1998) is perhaps best-known as the co-founder (along with childhood friend Greg Hill) of Discordianism. ... The Loompanics Yellow Cover combined 4th & 5th Edition Principia Discordia, (1979). ... This article is about the contradiction in terms. ... This article is about religious groups. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      This article... It has been suggested that episcopal be merged into this article or section. ...

Discordians who do not form their own sects, whether they belong to someone else's sect or not, make up the Legion of Dynamic Discord, and may be referred to as Legionnaires. Would-be Discordians are told in the Principia Discordia: This article is about religious groups. ... The Legion of Dynamic Discord (or LDD), is the sect of Discordianism that all Discordians belong to if they have not founded their own sect (even if they belong to someone elses sect, they are a member of the LDD). ... The Loompanics Yellow Cover combined 4th & 5th Edition Principia Discordia, (1979). ...

If you want in on the Discordian Society
then declare yourself what you wish
do what you like
and tell us about it
or
if you prefer
don't.

There are no rules anywhere.
The Goddess Prevails.

—Malaclypse the Younger, Principia Discordia, Page 00032

POEE

The sect of Discordianism founded by Malaclypse The Younger and Omar Khayyam Ravenhurst is known as the Paratheo-Anametamystikhood Of Eris Esoteric (POEE), a Non-prophet Irreligious Disorganisation, and the Principia Discordia tells us much about POEE in particular, as well as Discordianism in general. Malaclypse the Younger (short Mal-2) is the author of the Principia Discordia, a character in the Illuminatus! trilogy, and most likely a penname used by Greg Hill, comrade of Kerry Thornley (aka Lord Omar Khayyam Ravenhurst). ... Kerry Thornley Kerry Wendell Thornley (April 17, 1938 - November 28, 1998) is perhaps best-known as the co-founder (along with childhood friend Greg Hill) of Discordianism. ...

For example, the Principia contains some details about the structure of POEE. In particular:

POEE has 5 DEGREES:
There is the neophyte, or LEGIONNAIRE DESCIPLE.
The LEGIONNAIRE DEACON, who is catching on.
An Ordained POEE PRIEST/PRIESTESS or a CHAPLIN.
The HIGH PRIEST, the Polyfather.
And POEE POPE.

POEE LEGIONNAIRE DESCIPLES are authorized to initiate others as Discordian Society Legionnaires. PRIESTS appoint their own DEACONS. The POLYFATHER ordains Priests. I don't know about the POPES.

—Malaclypse the Younger, Principia Discordia, Page 00022

According to the Principia Discordia, POEE is “a tribe of philosophers, theologians, magicians, scientists, artists, clowns, and similar maniacs who are intrigued by Eris goddess of confusion and her doings.” Furthermore it states that “POEE subscribes to the Law Of Fives of Omar's sect” and “POEE also recognizes the Holy 23.” For other uses, see Philosophy (disambiguation). ... Theology finds its scholars pursuing the understanding of and providing reasoned discourse of religion, spirituality and God or the gods. ... Not to be confused with Magic (illusion). ... A magnet levitating above a high-temperature superconductor demonstrates the Meissner effect. ... This article is about the philosophical concept of Art. ... Clowning redirects here. ... The term maniac can mean more than one thing: (archaic) A maniac is a person who exhibits the behaviour known as mania. ... Eris (ca. ... 23 (twenty-three) is the natural number following 22 and preceding 24. ...

Paratheo-Anametamystikhood can be taken to mean equivalent deity, reversing beyond-mystique. Loosely interpreted, it boils down to all deities are equivalent, there is no great mystery about that.^{[citation needed]}

Episkopos

Some Episkoposes have a one-man cabal. Some work together. Some never do explain. A cabal is a number of persons united in some close design, usually to promote their private views and interests in a church, state, or other community by intrigue. ...

—Malaclypse the Younger, Principia Discordia, Page 00032

Episkopos are the Overseers of sects of Discordianism, who have presumably created their own sect of Discordianism. They speak to Eris through the use of their pineal gland. It is said in the Principia Discordia that Eris says different things to each listener. She may even say radically different things to each Episkopos but, all of what she says is equally her word (even if it contradicts another iteration of her word). The pineal gland (also called the pineal body or epiphysis) is a small endocrine gland in the brain. ...

Most Eposkopii have an assumed name and/or title of bizarre nature and self-proclaimed 'mystic import', such as Malaclypse the Younger, Polyfather of Virginity in Gold; Lord Omar Khayym Ravenhurst, Bull Goose of Limbo; Professor Mu-Chao; Kassil the Erratic; and Lord Foxfire the Perpetually Combustible. Some Discordian choose their entire title by themselves, some turn to random generators, others assimilate things from other people, and a few never really offer any explanation.

Popes in Discordianism

According to the Principia Discordia, a pope is “every single man, woman, and child on this Earth.”^[9] For other uses, see Pope (disambiguation). ...

Included in the Principia Discordia is an official Pope card that may be reproduced and distributed freely to anyone and everyone.^[10] Papacy, however, is not granted through possession of this card; it merely informs people that they are “a genuine and authorized Pope” of Discordia.

While the powers of a Pope are not enumerated in the Principia, we are given some idea from a note under the card which states, “A POPE is someone who is not under the authority of the authorities.” Some Discordians have also taken it upon themselves to further elaborate upon the powers of a Pope. On the back of some Pope cards, the following message can be found: This article is about authority as a concept. ...

The rights of a Pope include but are not necessarily limited to:

1. To invoke infallibility at any time, including retroactively.
2. To completely rework the Erisian church.
3. To baptise, bury, and marry (with the permission of the deceased in the latter two cases).
4. To excommunicate, de-ex-communicate, re-ex-communicate, and de-re-ex-communicate (no backsies!) both his-/her-/it-/them-/your-/our-/His-/Her-/It-/Them-/Your-/Our-self/selves and others (if any).
5. To perform all rites and functions deemed inappropriate for a Pope of Discordia.

The third right (requiring permission from the deceased in cases of burying or marriage, but not baptism) may be a reference to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints practice of baptism for the dead, or it may just be a witty conflation of marriage and death. Being a Pope, it is up to you to decide. Infallibility, from Latin origin (in, not + fallere, to deceive), is a term with a variety of meanings related to knowing truth with certainty. ... For the architectural structure, see Church (building). ... Baptism is a water purification ritual practiced in certain religions such as Christianity, Mandaeanism, Sikhism, and some historic sects of Judaism. ... This article is about the town of Bury in North West England. ... Marriage is a relationship that plays a key role in the definition of many families. ... Excommunication is religious censure which is used to deprive or suspend membership in a religious community. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... For other uses, see The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (disambiguation). ... Baptism for the dead is an ordinance performed today in temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for those who have died without having been baptized by one having authority. ... Matrimony redirects here. ... For other uses, see Death (disambiguation). ...

This understanding of the notion of Pope has far reaching consequences in Discordianism. For example, the introduction to Principia Discordia says, “Only a Pope may canonize a Saint. … So you can ordain yourself — and anyone or anything else — a Saint.” The last enumerated right of a Pope may be an allusion to the necessary-and-proper clause. This article discusses the process of declaring saints. ... Saints redirects here. ... The necessary and proper clause (also known as the elastic clause, the basket clause, the coefficient clause, and the sweeping clause [1]) refers to a provision, in Article One of the United States Constitution at section eight, clause 18, which addresses implied powers of Congress. ...

A female version, with the word Mome substituted for Pope, has also been promulgated.

Philosophy

There are as many interpretations of Discordianism as there are Discordians, and several definitions of Discordianism on the Internet center around the words "Ancient Greeks", "Chaos Worship" and "Anarchism". This is an extremely debatable assertion of what would define Discordian philosophy as a whole; indeed, it is a notion directly confronted by the concept of the Eristic Illusion, as mentioned in the following passage, a summary of part of the Discordian philosophy which appears in the Principia Discordia:

Here follows some psycho-metaphysics.
If you are not hot for philosophy, best just to skip it.
The Aneristic Principle is that of apparent order; the Eristic Principle is that of apparent disorder. Both order and disorder are man made concepts and are artificial divisions of pure chaos, which is a level deeper than is the level of distinction making. With our concept making apparatus called "mind" we look at reality through the ideas-about-reality which our cultures give us.
The ideas-about-reality are mistakenly labeled "reality" and unenlightened people are forever perplexed by the fact that other people, especially other cultures, see "reality" differently.
It is only the ideas-about-reality which differ. Real (capital-T) True reality is a level deeper than is the level of concept. We look at the world through windows on which have been drawn grids (concepts). Different philosophies use different grids. A culture is a group of people with rather similar grids. Through a window we view chaos, and relate it to the points on our grid, and thereby understand it. The order is in the grid. That is the Aneristic Principle. Western philosophy is traditionally concerned with contrasting one grid with another grid, and amending grids in hopes of finding a perfect one that will account for all reality and will, hence, (say unenlightened westerners) be True. This is illusory; it is what we Erisians call the Aneristic Illusion. Some grids can be more useful than others, some more beautiful than others, some more pleasant than others, etc., but none can be more True than any other. Disorder is simply unrelated information viewed through some particular grid. But, like "relation", no-relation is a concept. Male, like female, is an idea about sex. To say that male-ness is "absence of female-ness", or vice versa, is a matter of definition and metaphysically arbitrary. The artificial concept of no-relation is the Eristic Principle. The belief that "order is true" and disorder is false or somehow wrong, is the Aneristic Illusion. To say the same of disorder, is the Eristic Illusion. The point is that (little-t) truth is a matter of definition relative to the grid one is using at the moment, and that (capital-T) Truth, metaphysical reality, is irrelevant to grids entirely. Pick a grid, and through it some chaos appears ordered and some appears disordered. Pick another grid, and the same chaos will appear differently ordered and disordered. Reality is the original Rorschach.
Verily! So much for all that.
– Malaclypse the Younger, Principia Discordia, Pages 00049–00050 Look up grid in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is about the Male sex. ... For other uses, see Female (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see Reality (disambiguation). ... A black outline of the first of the ten cards in the Rorschach inkblot test. ...

And this from the Principia Discordia's very beginning, a Discordian koan: The Loompanics Yellow Cover combined 4th & 5th Edition Principia Discordia, (1979). ... A koan (pronounced ) is a story, dialog, question, or statement in the history and lore of Chan (Zen) Buddhism, generally containing aspects that are inaccessible to rational understanding, yet that may be accessible to intuition. ...

Greater Poop: Is Eris true?
Malaclypse the Younger: Everything is true.
GP: Even false things?
M2: Even false things are true.
GP: How can that be?
M2: I don't know man, I didn't do it.

Chao

The word Chao (pronounced similarly to "cow") was coined as the singular of chaos. In the Discordian religion the chao is a symbol of the 'pataphysical nature of reality; singular instances of chaos being at the center of pataphysical theory. The word is a pun that enables the following quatrain in the Principia Discordia: COW is an acronym for a number of things: Can of worms The COW programming language, an esoteric programming language. ... A neologism is a word, term, or phrase which has been recently created (or coined), often to apply to new concepts, to synthesize pre-existing concepts, or to make older terminology sound more contemporary. ... Pataphysics, a term coined by the French writer Alfred Jarry, is a philosophy dedicated to studying what lies beyond the realm of metaphysics. ... For other uses, see Pun (disambiguation). ... A quatrain is a poem or a stanza within a poem that consists of four lines. ...

To diverse gods
Do mortals bow;
Holy Cow, and
Wholly Chao. Look up Holy cow in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

The Sacred Chao

The Sacred Chao

The Sacred Chao is a symbol used by Discordians to illustrate the interrelatedness of order and disorder. It resembles a Taijitu (Yin-Yang) symbol, but according to the Principia Discordia: Image File history File links Sacred-Chao. ... Image File history File links Sacred-Chao. ... A commonly used version of the Taijitu The Taijitu of Zhou Dun-yi. ... Taoists Taijitu The concept of Yin Yang originates in ancient Chinese philosophy, most likely from the observations of day turning into night and night into day. ... The Loompanics Yellow Cover combined 4th & 5th Edition Principia Discordia, (1979). ...

The Sacred Chao is not the Yin-Yang of the Taoists. It is the Hodge-Podge of the Erisians. And, instead of a Podge spot on the Hodge side, it has a pentagon which symbolizes the Aneristic Principle, and instead of a Hodge spot on the Podge side, it depicts the Golden Apple of Discordia to symbolize the Eristic Principle. The Sacred Chao symbolizes absolutely everything anyone need ever know about absolutely anything, and more! It even symbolizes everything not worth knowing, depicted by the empty space surrounding the Hodge-Podge. – Malaclypse the Younger, Principia Discordia, Page 00049

The choice of the pentagon as a symbol of the Aneristic Principle is partly related to The Pentagon in Washington, D.C., partly a nod to the Law of Fives, and partially for the Golden Ratio references associated with the pentagon/apple allegory. The Golden Apple of Discordia is the one from the story of The Original Snub (below). This article is about the United States military building. ... For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ... Not to be confused with Golden mean (philosophy), the felicitous middle between two extremes, Golden numbers, an indicator of years in astronomy and calendar studies, or the Golden Rule. ...

The Law of Fives

The Law of Fives is summarized in the Principia Discordia:

The Law of Fives states simply that: All things happen in fives, or are divisible by or are multiples of five, or are somehow directly or indirectly appropriate to 5
The Law of Fives is never wrong. – Malaclypse the Younger, Principia Discordia, Page 00016

The Law of Fives as quoted uses the word "Five" five times.

Like most of Discordianism, the Law of Fives appears on the surface to be either some sort of weird joke, or bizarre supernaturalism; but under this, it may help clarify the Discordian view of how the human mind works; Lord Omar is quoted later on the same page as having written, "I find the Law of Fives to be more and more manifest the harder I look."

Appendix Beth of Robert Shea's and Robert Anton Wilson's The Illuminatus! Trilogy considers some of the numerology of Discordianism, and the question of what would happen to the Law of Fives if everyone had six fingers on each hand. The authors suggest that the real Law of Fives may be that everything can be related to the number five if you try hard enough. Sometimes the steps required may be highly convoluted. Robert Joseph Shea (1933 - March 10, 1994) was the co-author (with Robert Anton Wilson) of The Illuminatus! Trilogy. ... Robert Anton Wilson Robert Anton Wilson or RAW (January 18, 1932 – January 11, 2007) was a prolific American novelist, essayist, philosopher, psychologist, futurologist, anarchist, and conspiracy theory researcher. ... “Illuminatus” redirects here. ...

Another way of looking at the Law of Fives is as a symbol for the observation of reality changing that which is being observed in the observer's mind. Just as how when one looks for fives in reality, one finds them, so will one find conspiracies, ways to determine when the apocalypse will come, and so on and so forth when one decides to look for them. It cannot be wrong, because it proves itself reflexively when looked at through this lens.

Image File history File links Apple_of_Discord. ...

The Original Snub

The Original Snub is the Discordian name for the events preceding the Judgment of Paris, although more focus is put on the actions of Eris. Zeus believes that Eris is a troublemaker, so he does not invite her to Peleus and Thetis's wedding. This is “The Doctrine of the Original Snub”.^[11] This page is a candidate for speedy deletion, because: spelling redirect If you disagree with its speedy deletion, please explain why on its talk page or at Wikipedia:Speedy deletions. ... Peleus consigns Achilles to Chirons care, white-ground lekythos by the Edinburgh Painter, ca. ... This article is about the Greek sea nymph. ...

Having been snubbed, Eris creates a golden apple with the word kallisti (Ancient Greek: καλλίστῃ, to the prettiest one) inscribed in it.^[11] This, the Apple of Discord, is a notable symbol in Discordianism for its inclusion in the Holy Chao. The apple is traditionally described as being made of gold,^[12] but the Principia Discordia notes a debate over whether the “gold” described was “metallic gold or Acapulco.”^[11] The story also relates that the first thing Eris did after throwing the Apple of Discord into the wedding was to joyously partake of a hot dog^[11] which is meant to explain the Discordian prohibition against consuming hot dog buns. Beginning of Homers Odyssey The Ancient Greek language is the historical stage of the Greek language[1] as it existed during the Archaic (9th–6th centuries BC) and Classical (5th–4th centuries BC) periods in Ancient Greece. ... An apple of discord is a reference to the Golden Apple of Discord which, according to Greek mythology, the goddess Eris (Gr. ... GOLD refers to one of the following: GOLD (IEEE) is an IEEE program designed to garner more student members at the university level (Graduates of the Last Decade). ... Acapulco Gold is the traditional name of a legendary potent strain of marijuana () originating in Mexico. ... An apple of discord is a reference to the Golden Apple of Discord which, according to Greek mythology, the goddess Eris (Gr. ...

When the female wedding guests disagree about who the apple is meant for, Zeus decides to leave the decision to Paris of Troy. Aphrodite bribes Paris, leading to the Trojan War, which “is said to be The First War among men.”^[11] Paris (Greek: Πάρις; also known as Alexander), son of Priam, king of Troy, appears in a number of Greek legends. ...

Some recent interpretations of the Original Snub place Eris as being not at all mischievous with her delivery of the apple, but instead suggest that Eris was simply bringing the apple as a wedding present for Thetis. This interpretation would see Eris as innocent and her causing of chaos as a by-product of the other wedding guests' reaction upon seeing her at the wedding.^[13]

The Curse of Greyface

The Curse of Greyface is one of the most important parts of Discordianism. It features prominently on several pages of the Principia Discordia. According to the Principia, Greyface was a man who lived in the year 1166 BC and taught that life is serious and play is sin. The curse is a psychological and spiritual imbalance that results from these beliefs. The Loompanics Yellow Cover combined 4th & 5th Edition Principia Discordia, (1979). ...

The Curse

Greyface encouraged his followers to "Look at all the order around you" (Principia Discordia page 00042) and somehow convinced mankind to agree with his ideas about Serious Order. The Principia notes that it is something of a mystery why Greyface gained so many followers when anyone could have looked at all of the disorder in the world.

Greyface and his followers took the game of playing at life more seriously than they took life itself and were known even to destroy other living beings whose ways of life differed from their own. – Malaclypse the Younger, Principia Discordia, Page 00042

For more details, see also the section "THE CURSE OF GREYFACE AND THE INTRODUCTION OF NEGATIVISM" in the fifth edition of Principia Discordia.

Order/disorder and constructive/destructive

By accepting that life is a serious, orderly matter, the followers of Greyface end up viewing things as either orderly or disorderly. In this system, order is preferred to disorder at all costs. This preference results in both constructive order and destructive order.

The alternative is to view things as either constructive or destructive. In this system, construction is preferred to destruction. Selecting construction results in both constructive order and constructive disorder.

Counteracting the curse

[M]ankind has […] been suffering from a psychological and spiritual imbalance. Imbalance causes frustration, and frustration causes fear. And fear makes for a bad trip. Man has been on a bad trip for a long time now. – Malaclypse the Younger, Principia Discordia, Page 00042

The human race will begin solving it's [sic] problems on the day that it ceases taking itself so seriously. – Malaclypse the Younger, Principia Discordia, page 00074

In addition to the generic advice of culturing your natural love of chaos and playing with Her, the Principia Discordia provides "The Turkey Curse Revealed by the Apostle Dr. Van Van Mojo" to counteract The Curse of Greyface.^[14] The Turkey Curse is designed to counteract destructive order. It derives its name from the fact that the incantation resembles the sounds of a turkey. An incantation is the words spoken during a ritual. ...

Law of Eristic Escalation

The Principia Discordia contains the Law of Eristic Escalation.^[15] This law states that Imposition of Order = Escalation of Chaos. It elaborates on this point by saying that the more order imposed the longer it takes for the chaos to arise and the greater the chaos that arises. This can be read as an argument against zero tolerance and hard security, or just a statement about the world. It can also be seen as a parallel to the second law of thermodynamics which states that entropy (the number of states a given system can occupy) never decreases over time. It is also reminiscent of Newton's Third Law, where every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Zero tolerance is a strict approach to rule enforcement. ... The second law of thermodynamics is an expression of the universal law of increasing entropy. ... For other uses, see: information entropy (in information theory) and entropy (disambiguation). ... Newtons First and Second laws, in Latin, from the original 1687 edition of the Principia Mathematica. ...

The Pentabarf

The Pentabarf is the doctrine of Discordianism. It is as follows:

1. There is no Goddess but Goddess and She is Your Goddess. There is no Erisian Movement but The Erisian Movement and it is The Erisian Movement. And every Golden Apple Corps is the beloved home of a Golden Worm.
2. A Discordian Shall Always use the Official Discordian Document Numbering System.
3. A Discordian is Required during his early Illumination to Go Off Alone & Partake Joyously of a Hot Dog on a Friday; this Devotive Ceremony to Remonstrate against the popular Paganisms of the Day: of Roman Catholic Christendom (no meat on Friday), of Judaism (no meat of Pork), of Hindic Peoples (no meat of Beef), of Buddhists (no meat of animal), and of Discordians (no Hot Dog Buns).
4. A Discordian shall Partake of No Hot Dog Buns, for Such was the Solace of Our Goddess when She was Confronted with The Original Snub.
5. A Discordian is Prohibited from Believing What he reads.

The Pentabarf is the most fundamental of all Discordian catma. ("Catma" is a general term for Discordian teachings, sayings, quotations, explanations, jokes and illustrations, as distinguished from Discordian "dogma", which consists of certain specific passages from The Honest Book of Truth, cited in Principia.) Pagan and heathen redirect here. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Hindi (DevanāgarÄ«: or , IAST: , IPA:  ), an Indo-European language spoken all over India in varying degrees and extensively in northern and central India, is one of the 22 official languages of India and is used, along with English, for central government administrative purposes. ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by... For other senses of this word, see dogma (disambiguation). ...

The 5th law mirrors both the nature of Taoist sayings ("the Tao that can be spoken of is not the true Tao"^[16]) and Zen koans ("If you meet the Buddha on your path, kill him"^[17]). It is also similar to the end of Wittgenstein's Tractatus where he essentially states that if his thesis is meaningful then it is worthless.^[18] For other uses of the words tao and dao, see Dao (disambiguation). ... Siddhartha and Gautama redirect here. ... Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951), pictured here in 1930, made influential contributions to Logic and the philosophy of language, critically examining the task of conventional philosophy and its relation to the nature of language. ... Book cover of the Dover edition of Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus (Ogden translation) Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus is the only book-length work published by the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein in his lifetime. ...

Five tons of Flax

In the Principia Discordia, "Five tons of flax" is given as the answer to the question, "Is there an essential meaning behind POEE?" (This is a reference to a Zen story about "Three pounds of flax.") Some discordians^[who?] claim that the entire conversation between Greater Poop and Mal-2 (including "the three pounds of flax" story) is actually a collection of humorous koans. However, this may in fact be opinions of lower-level Discordian members, or a means of covering up truths of an internal Discordian conspiracy. Look up ton in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Flax (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Zen (disambiguation). ... A koan (pronounced ) is a story, dialog, question, or statement in the history and lore of Chan (Zen) Buddhism, generally containing aspects that are inaccessible to rational understanding, yet that may be accessible to intuition. ...

Discordians have since taken "Five tons of flax" as a slogan or as a universal answer to philosophical questions.^{[citation needed]} In the Illuminatus Trilogy by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson, which draws heavily upon Discordianism, "Flaxscript" is depicted as a genuine form of scrip, serving to avoid the use of government-issued currency.^{[citation needed]} Scrip is any substitute for currency which is not legal tender, and is often a form of credit. ...

The pineal gland

"Consult your pineal gland" is a common saying in Discordianism. Although it has never been proven, the pineal gland is believed by some, such as Rick Strassman, to produce trace amounts of DMT (dimethyltryptamine), a psychedelic chemical which is believed to play a role in dreaming and other mystical states.^[19] It should also be noted that the pineal gland was also used in Descartes's explanation of Cartesian Dualism as the "seat of the soul" and the connection between the material and immaterial world. In some cases it is referred to as "the atrophied third eye". It has also been suggested that the third eye (Ajna) physically resides at this location between the two hemispheres of the brain. The pineal gland (also called the pineal body or epiphysis) is a small endocrine gland in the brain. ... Rick Strassman (born 1952 in Los Angeles, California, United States [1]) began the first new human research with psychedelic, or hallucinogenic, drugs in the United States in over 20 years. ... Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), also known as N,N-dimethyltryptamine, is a psychedelic tryptamine. ... For psychedelics, see psychedelic drug. ... Dreaming is a common term among Indigenous Australians for a personal, or group, creation story and for the mythological time of creation, as well as for the places where the creation spirits now lie dormant in the land. ... René Descartes René Descartes (IPA: , March 31, 1596 – February 11, 1650), also known as Cartesius, worked as a philosopher and mathematician. ... Cartesian dualism was Descartess principle of the separation of mind and matter and mind and body. ... 17th century representation of the third eye connection to the higher worlds by alchemist Robert Fludd. ... Ajna is the sixth primary chakra according to the Indian Tantric tradition (Shakta). ...

Discordianism as a religion

This article does not cite any references or sources. (November 2007) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

It is hard to describe Discordianism as a religion because Discordians do not have any specific beliefs or dogma that would set them apart from the practitioners of other religions. Many of the practicing Discordians believe that humanity suffers from the "curse of Greyface" (i.e, takes itself too seriously) and thus needs to be saved from this grave outlook on life. Thus the Discordians seek to reverse the "curse of Greyface" by teaching the people "to laugh at themselves and their problems/lives." This, the Discordians believe, would solve most of the problems of the world. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ...

While Discordianism is separate from modern neopaganism, a number of neopagans have incorporated elements of Discordianism into their beliefs. In addition, Neopagan author Margot Adler discussed Discordianism in her book, Drawing Down the Moon, while religious authority J. Gordon Melton lists Discordianism among various Neopagan groups in his Encyclopedia Of American Religions. (Melton claims to have excommunicated all other Discordians, based on the fact that he is a Discordian Pope. Being Popes themselves, they then de-excommunicated themselves and/or each other.) Neopaganism or Neo-Paganism is any of a heterogeneous group of new religious movements, particularly those influenced by ancient, primarily pre-Christian and sometimes pre-Judaic religions. ... Margot Adler (born 5 November 1946 in Little Rock, Arkansas) is a journalist and correspondent for National Public Radio. ... Drawing Down the Moon by Margot Adler was, perhaps, the first academic examination of Neopaganism. ... Dr. John Gordon Melton is the founding director of the Institute for the Study of American Religion and is a research specialist with the Department of Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. ...

Discordian-inspired works

See Also: Discordian Works

While Discordianism began with the book Principia Discordia, the first edition of that book claims some of it is derived from Summa Universalia. While the existence of that work is debated, the Principia has inspired many other writers and artists. While not a religious work, The Illuminatus! Trilogy, speculative fiction novels by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson, popularized Discordianism with various quotes and references. In 1977 Camden Benares published Zen Without Zen Masters, a collection of short essays and anecdotes inspired by Zen and Discordianism. More recently, Discordian writers have self-published on thousands of websites. Some of this new material has been put into collections. Primary among these are the appendix to Steve Jackson Games' printing of the Principia Discordia, consisting of material submitted from on-line Discordians of the mid-1990s; Apocrypha Discordia, which contains various Discordian writings compiled by Rev. Dr, Jon Swabey; and Ek-sen-trik-kuh Discordia: The Tales of Shamlicht, an evolving Discordian and personist work edited by Reverend Loveshade. Other Discordian texts and scriptures include the Curious George stories of Fr. Archimedes Aloysius Anarchy,^[20] Book 5 (The Zenarchist's Cookbook), The Book of the Apocalypso, The Book of Eris, The Book of Inconveniences, The Honest Book of Truth (portions of which are used in Principia Discordia), Jonesboria Discordia, Metaclysmia Discordia, Novus Ordo Discordia, Principia Harmonia, The Wise Book of Baloney, and Summa Discordia. There is even A Discordian Coloring Book. The most famous Discordian works are probably Principia Discordia, first published in 1965 (which includes portions of The Honest Book of Truth); and The Illuminatus! Trilogy, which had its first volume published in 1975. ... The Loompanics Yellow Cover combined 4th & 5th Edition Principia Discordia, (1979). ... The most famous Discordian works are probably Principia Discordia, first published in 1965 (which includes portions of The Honest Book of Truth); and The Illuminatus! Trilogy, which had its first volume published in 1975. ... “Illuminatus” redirects here. ... Robert Joseph Shea (1933 - March 10, 1994) was the co-author (with Robert Anton Wilson) of The Illuminatus! Trilogy. ... Robert Anton Wilson Robert Anton Wilson or RAW (January 18, 1932 – January 11, 2007) was a prolific American novelist, essayist, philosopher, psychologist, futurologist, anarchist, and conspiracy theory researcher. ... Steve Jackson Games (SJG) is a game company that creates and publishes role-playing, board, and card games. ... The Loompanics Yellow Cover combined 4th & 5th Edition Principia Discordia, (1979). ... This article is about the childrens book series. ... The most famous Discordian works are probably Principia Discordia, first published in 1965 (which includes portions of The Honest Book of Truth); and The Illuminatus! Trilogy, which had its first volume published in 1975. ... The most famous Discordian works are probably Principia Discordia, first published in 1965 (which includes portions of The Honest Book of Truth); and The Illuminatus! Trilogy, which had its first volume published in 1975. ...

The game Illuminati and its CCG adaptation Illuminati: New World Order feature Discordianism as one of the primary secret societies running the world, as does the GURPS supplement GURPS: Illuminati. (All three are published by Steve Jackson Games.) Illuminati game components Illuminati is an unusual card game (not a trading card game) made by Steve Jackson Games (SJG), inspired by The Illuminatus! Trilogy. ... Collectible card games (CCGs), also called trading card games (TCGs), are played using specially designed sets of cards. ... Illuminati: New World Order (INWO) is a collectible card game (CCG) that was released in 1995 by Steve Jackson Games, based on their original boxed game Illuminati. ... For the Europe album, see Secret Society (Europe album). ... The Generic Universal RolePlaying System, commonly known as GURPS, is a role-playing game system designed to adapt to any imaginary gaming environment. ... Steve Jackson Games (SJG) is a game company that creates and publishes role-playing, board, and card games. ...

On May 5, 2005 (5/5/5), roleplaying game author John Wick published Discordia!: A Little Game about a Lot of Chaos under his Wicked Dead Brewing Company banner. Wick credits the game's inspiration to the Principia Discordia and The Illuminatus! Trilogy. The game features the players as "Discordian Double Agents" infiltrating various conspiracy groups such as the Bavarian Illuminati, the Hashashin, and others. is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... John Wick is a 20th and 21st century role-playing game designer best known for his creative contributions to the Alderac Entertainment Group properties Legend of the Five Rings and 7th Sea. ... The Wicked Dead Brewing Company is a micro brew publishing house specializing in high quality, small press roleplaying games. ...

Acclaimed techno music pioneers The KLF were heavily inspired by both Discordianism and The Illuminatus! Trilogy, and made many references to Discordianism throughout their music. Techno is a form of electronic dance music that became prominent in Detroit, Michigan during the mid-1980s with influences from electro, New Wave, Funk and futuristic fiction themes that were prevalent and relative to modern culture during the end of the Cold War in industrial America at that time. ... KLF redirects here. ...

Almost every Linux distribution contains the program "ddate", which displays the Discordian date. Ubuntu, a popular Linux Distribution A Linux distribution (also called GNU/Linux distribution and often simply distribution or distro) is a member of the Linux family of Unix-like computer operating systems. ... The Discordian calendar is an alternative calendar used by some adherents of Discordianism. ...

Additionally, Eris and her Apple of Discord are featured in the Cartoon Network series, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy. Eris, the goddess of chaos and discord, is one of the recurring characters from the TV show The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy. ... An apple of discord is a reference to the Golden Apple of Discord which, according to Greek mythology, the goddess Eris (Gr. ... The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, created by Maxwell Atoms, is an American animated television series that currently airs on Cartoon Network and Teletoon. ...

The computer game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas features a clothing brand called Eris, and several mentions of the number 23. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is the fifth video game in the Grand Theft Auto series. ...

Castle Discordia is a place concocted by Stephen King and mentioned in the last volumes of his Dark Tower series. The castle contains many doors through which the characters in the book can "teleport" to other worlds and times. The Dark Tower series of novels, by Stephen King, contain references to numerous locations. ... For other persons named Stephen King, see Stephen King (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see The Dark Tower. ...

The computer game Discworld Noir features a character named Malaclypse, who worships Errata, the Discworld goddess of misunderstandings. His role in the game is to provide absurd conspiracy theories which occasionally prove correct. Discworld Noir is a computer game based on Terry Pratchetts Discworld comic fantasy novels, and unlike the previous Discworld games is both an example and parody of the noir genre. ... The Discworld is the fictional setting for all of Terry Pratchetts Discworld fantasy novels. ...

The Number 23, a film centered around the 23 Enigma. For the actual number, see 23 (number). ... The number 23 appears in the practice of numerology. ...

In the book The Long Run by Daniel Keys Moran there is an organization called the Erisian Claw. Daniel Keys Moran (DKM) is a computer programmer and a writer of science fiction, who was born on November 30, 1962 to Richard Joseph Moran and Marilynn Joyce Moran. ...

The roleplaying game Mage: The Ascension, part of the first incarnation of the gothic-horror "World of Darkness" setting by White Wolf Inc., uses concepts from Discordianism, Postmodernism, Buddhism, anti-Enlightenment Romanticism, and other philosophical and mythological sources for its world background. Terms such as "Illuminati," "New World Order" and "Greyfaces" turn up in the depiction of the fictional "Technocracy," a shadowy organization usually cast in the role of antagonists and bent on eradicating supernatural dangers to Mankind, hunting down so-called "reality deviants," and defining and controlling Earth's "static reality" in the minds of the un-enlightened Mundanes ("the sleepers"). Mage: The Ascension is a role-playing game based in the World of Darkness, and is published by White Wolf Game Studio. ... The World of Darkness (or WoD) is the name given to three related but distinct fictional universes. ... The logo of White Wolf Publishing, one of White Wolf, Inc. ... Postmodernism (sometimes abbreviated Po-mo[1]) is a term originating in architecture, literally after the modern, denoting a style that is more ornamental than modernism, and which borrows from previous architectural styles, often in a playful or ironic fashion. ... Buddhism is a variety of teachings, sometimes described as a religion[1] or way of life that attempts to identify the causes of human suffering and offer various ways that are claimed to end, or ease suffering. ... Romantics redirects here. ...

The Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "The Wire" contains a number of references to Discordianism. Space station Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (ST:DS9 or STDS9 or DS9 for short) is a science fiction television series produced by Paramount and set in the Star Trek universe. ... The Wire is a second-season episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. ...

At the end of Assasin's Creed, an image in blood is revealed on the floor showing an apple above a pyramid, a reference to Discordianism and the Illuminati. Assassins Creed is a video game in development by Ubisoft. ...

The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy and much of the humor of Monty Python have Discordian elements. The cover of the first novel in the Hitchhikers series, from a late 1990s printing. ...

See also

• Church of the SubGenius
• The Illuminatus! Trilogy
• Schrödinger's Cat trilogy
• Surrealism
• Zenarchy
• Operation Mindfuck
• Paradigm piracy

J. R. Bob Dobbs The Church of the SubGenius is a group that satirizes religion, conspiracy theory, UFOs and popular culture originally based in Dallas, Texas, which gained prominence in the 1980s and 1990s subculture, with a large presence on the Internet. ... “Illuminatus” redirects here. ... The Schrödingers Cat trilogy is a trilogy of novels by Robert Anton Wilson, chronicling events and characters in several parallel universes. ... Max Ernst. ... Zenarchy is a political philosophy put forth by Kerry Thornley in a book of the same name. ... Operation Mindfuck or OM is an important practice in the religion Discordianism. ... Paradigm piracy, also known as metabelief and metaprogramming, is the practice of freely adopting and discarding beliefs and world views at will. ...

References

The Tao Te Ching (道德經, Pinyin: D Jīng, thus sometimes rendered in recent works as Dao De Jing; archaic pre-Wade-Giles rendering: Tao Teh Ching; roughly translated as The Book of the Way and its Virtue (see dedicated chapter below on translating the title)) is an ancient Chinese scripture... Japanese painting of Linji Yixuan (Jap. ... Rick Strassman (born 1952 in Los Angeles, California, United States [1]) began the first new human research with psychedelic, or hallucinogenic, drugs in the United States in over 20 years. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 277th day of the year (278th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Apocrypha Discordia, a collection assembled by "His Wholiness the Fairly Rev.DrJon".
• The Apple of Discord, the original Original Snub. You may need to first load the on-site HTML version of the eBook, and then follow the link again.
• "A Defense of Discordianism".
• Discordian.com – Chaos with a Clue Thorough Discordian information site.
• Discordian Cabals Database.
• Discordianism/Erisianism The history and philosophy of Discordianism and Erisianism.
• Discordianism.com Forum.
• Ek-sen-trik-kuh Discordia: The Tales of Shamlicht, an evolving Discordian and personist work edited by Reverend Loveshade.
• HyperDiscordia – "Confusion for a New Generation"
• POEE.org
• POEE.co.uk – The home of the POEE | UK Resource Centre - The site holds a wide range of downloads, chat facilities and a full online community.