Toward the end of June, 2014, I decided to undertake an “Abramelin“-style working using Tyler Durden from Fight Club as my concept of the Holy Guardian Angel. Luckily, a lot of it played out on social media and I have a record to share here now.
…and so it began.
From July 2, 2014
(A Magic(k)al Operation for Metamorphosis and Illumination)
I. Paradigmal Considerations Luckily, Fight Club basically happens in the world most of us occupy most of the time, so one need not accept much in the way of bizarre ideas for this. However, the book/movie does have some themes one should familiarize themselves with and think about. (most of this came from a website)
Isolation
Jack’s insomnia and lack of satisfaction in his life stem largely from his isolation. Never does he mention any friends in his voice-over, nor do we meet any. Jack has to attend support group meetings just to experience a human connection. He longs for a place where his feelings can be expressed openly, even if they are dark or sad in nature. He seeks a truth that he is not finding in his job or his day-to-day life.
Like Jack, Marla Singer suffers the same isolation. She doesn’t appear to have anybody in her life who is concerned for her. She demonstrates that this isolation doesn’t pertain simply to men in society, but to all. Unlike Jack, Marla embraces this reality for what it is. She is poor, living in poverty. She can’t turn to a life of consumption to escape her reality because she cannot afford it. Her openness makes Jack uncomfortable. It’s like looking into a mirror.
Emasculation Fight Club presents the argument that men in today’s society have been reduced to a generation that does nothing itself, but has become anesthetized with watching others do something instead. Masculinity becomes a brand, a means to sell products to men. “Being a man” then becomes owning the right watch or car instead of knowing who you are and what your values really are.
As a result Jack, Tyler, and the other members of Fight Club reject this spoon-fed approach to living and try to find themselves. By putting themselves through the experience of fighting and facing fear and pain, they hope to strip away the unnecessary and discover their true selves.
Consumer Culture The film repeatedly critiques the values espoused by advertising: youth, beauty, power, and wealth. Tyler’s philosophy contends that people work jobs that they don’t enjoy to keep up the appearance of a life that “has it all.” In reality these people are deeply unhappy, not simply because this lifestyle does not sustain them in a spiritual sense, but because they don’t feel like they can talk to anyone about these problems. Instead, they continue to buy cleverly marketed goods to make themselves feel better.
Coming of Age/Identity Although this theme traditionally reflects a character’s passage through an ordeal in their late teens or early twenties, in the film Jack/the Narrator’s ordeal takes place at the age of thirty, making it something of a pre-midlife crisis. Jack has to come to terms with who he is and must take responsibility for his own lot in life. He instead subconsciously creates Tyler Durden, a charismatic but unhinged id that is free to do whatever he wants. Tyler allows Jack to reject society’s expectations but also allows him to reject all responsibility as well.
Instead of coming to terms with his place and learning about himself, Jack retreats into a false character, someone he’d rather be. When Tyler goes too far, Jack snaps back to reality and sees that he is losing himself to Tyler. He then must choose to both save Marla and himself from Tyler.
Violence The fighting in the film is not presented as a solution to the character’s problems, but is a means to reaching a spiritual reawakening. The fighting itself reminds the men that they are alive. As part of Tyler’s philosophy, it also reminds them that they will die. As part of that philosophy, the men are seeking something of true value, instead of the value system handed down to them by advertising and society as a whole. Fighting is used as a path to reach the core of who they are. As Tyler says to Jack/the Narrator before their first fight, “How can you say you know yourself if you’ve never been in a fight?” While the fighting can be seen as an attempt by the men to reassert their masculinity, it is more of a rejection of what they have been told masculinity is by prior generations, their jobs, and mass media.
Lack of a Father Figure In a key scene in the film, Tyler and Jack/the Narrator both bond over their recollections about their fathers. Both men state that their fathers were not a major part of their lives. Jack says that his father left when he was young. Tyler describes his father as a distant figure with whom he would speak on the phone roughly once a year, adding that they are members of a generation of men raised by women. With no distinct male role-models in their lives Jack and Tyler have largely accepted the role of men in society as it has been presented to them by advertising. The aim is to secure a good job with a good salary, get married, and have children. The men of fight club have seen an emptiness in this model and reject it.
Zen Buddhism Some have seen Zen concepts in the film, particularly regarding breaking the cycle of suffering and the rejection of material possessions. In Buddhist teachings, the attachment to material possessions is what keeps a person attached to this world and prevents liberation. Without this, inner peace cannot be attained. In Buddhism there are generally three characteristics of existence: change, suffering, and a belief that there is no permanent self.
Jack is miserable in his life but is either unsure of how to change or afraid to try. Instead he buries sadness in what he calls the “Ikea nesting instinct,” the need to continuously buy products as a means to demonstrate his “strength.” Tyler shows Jack that suffering is simply a part of life, but is largely based on attachment to material objects. Jack demonstrates the absence of a permanent self when it is revealed that he and Tyler are actually the same person. Tyler is the persona that Jack wishes to have. _____________________________________________________________ The question I’ve been asked since I started thinking about doing this….Why would anyone want to invoke Tyler Durden? Tyler tells us the answer to this question himself in Fight Club:
“I look like you wanna look, I fuck like you wanna fuck, I am smart, capable, and most importantly, I’m free in all the ways that you are not.”
So I have to ask myself:
How do I want to look?
How do I want to fuck?
What will make me smart and capable?
What will make me FREE!
Maybe I don’t even know the answers to these questions yet. Tyler will help me. In Tyler We Trust!
In short, for me Tyler Durden represents the ASAR UN-NEFER (“Myself made Perfect”) of Crowley’s Liber Samekh; Abramelin’s Holy Gaurdian Angel. He symbolizes everything we wish we were…Ourselves made perfect.
I didn’t write the following, but I like it:
“Tyler Durden attacks falsehood, stupidity, and slave-mentality. Tyler Durden makes decisions based on evidence, and rejects the idea of going along with what everybody wants, because “everybody” is one stupid motherfucker. Tyler Durden is not afraid to take one on the chin. Tyler Durden went back in time, shoved his hand up Ben Franklin’s bunghole and used him like a gouty muppet to say “those who would sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither”. Tyler Durden does not pretend to be something he is not. Tyler Durden thinks it’s very funny to fuck with people who do. Tyler Durden is not fucking around, except when he is.”
So, what IS Tyler Durden?
•Tyler Durden is the epitome of counter-culture, anti-consumerism individuality
Every morning, look in the mirror, while visualizing Tyler in the mirror, and say: “You are not your job. You’re not how much money you have in the bank. You’re not the car you drive. You’re not the contents of your wallet. You’re not your fucking khakis. You’re the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world.”
Practice Two: NLP-style modeling invocation method:
0. Watch the movie as often as possible. (I just threw the dvd in my disc drive and decided to have it playing whenever I’m home. I have dual screens on my computer.)
1. Memorize every line of Tyler’s in “Fight Club”. This will help with ingraining his manner of speech. Memorize how he moves in the movie as well.
2. Use one “aphorism” of Tyler’s as a personal mantra. Pick a line that speaks to you. Be sure to pick a line that encapsulates what Tyler Durden best stands for to you. Use this line as a mantra and do 1000 recitations a day of it while visualizing yourself looking exactly like Tyler Durden. ( I picked First you’ve gotta know – not fear, know – that someday you’re gonna die.)
You can also add an anchor to go along with your recitation and self-visualization. For example, while doing the mantra recitation and visualization, you could bring your thumb to your ring finger. This can assist you so that while you are going about your day, you can re-invoke Tyler Durden with this anchor without verbally saying your mantra.
3. Go about your day as Tyler Durden to fully integrate this archetype into every aspect of your life. Whether you are about to wake up, about to go to sleep, go to the bathroom, go to work, or eat….you mentally say to yourself “I am Tyler Durden”.
(July 3, 2014 facebook post)
Today I donated most of my clothing to Goodwill. I now own two t-shirts, two long sleeve button downs, two short sleeve button downs, two pairs of jeans, a hoodie, a leather jacket, a pair of sneakers, a pair of boots, a pair of shorts, five pairs of socks, and five pairs of boxers
On July 5 I stopped watching TV. I dont remember how long I went…it was a while. (I was running a dvd of Fight Club constantly, however.)
Goals and Ideals
Tyler Durden set forth to dissolve societal programming, attack consumerism, and upset the established social order.
His ideals seem to combine elements of Neo-Luddism, Anarcho-Primitivism, Buddhism, and esoteric spirituality (such as G.I. Gurdjieff’s Fourth Way), with a strong anti-consumerism theme throughout.
He frequently spoke of his opposition to popular culture, materialism, capitalism, most technology, and modern society in general.
Tyler described his ideal world as an Arcadian paradise, humans living freely amongst post-apocalyptic urban ruins.
Tyler Durden’s 8 Rules of Innovation
We all want to do remarkable things, and lead remarkable lives.
No one wants to spend the day engaged in mundaneproductivity in pursuit of a meaningless consumer existence. Certainly not you,right? So why do we find it so hard to break out of our rut and dotruly innovative things?
Because it’s hard. Because it often requires us tosignificantly alter our perspectives and step outside our comfort zones. It’s almost like becoming another person.
I Know This Because Tyler Knows This…
If you haven’t seen the movie Fight Club (or read ChuckPalahniuk’s excellent novel), I won’t spoil the fantastic plot twist where wecome to understand who Tyler Durden really is. The story isn’t for everyone,but if you think it’s about fighting, you’re on the wrong track.
At its core, Fight Club is about living the life you trulywant to live, and the hard path to getting there. Tyler helps the story’snameless hero (usually referred to as Jack) down that path to enlightenment, somaybe what Tyler says can help the rest of us as well.
Luckily, Tyler says a lot of things that apply directly toinnovative action. Here are his 8 rules for creative people to live by.
Tyler’s First Rule of Innovation:
“No fear. No distractions. The ability to let that whichdoes not matter truly slide.”
This is the most important lesson, and it’s the one peoplestruggle with and resist. Tim Ferriss advocates the 80/20 rule of productivity,where you focus relentlessly on the 20% of the actions that lead to 80% of thereturn. People see this as nice in theory, but not practical.
But believe it or not, this is how I’ve been running mybusinesses for the last 10 years. I used to actually feel guilty because Iwasn’t constantly “getting things done” at a maniacal pace, even though I wasenjoying increasingly significant success each year. It’s only been in the lastfew years I’ve realized that this approach is essential for entrepreneurs andcreative professionals of all stripes.
The 80/20 rule of productivity requires radical elimination,or letting that which does not matter to creative moves truly slide. Use thatnewfound time for creative thinking that leads to innovative action, and youwill succeed, guaranteed.
Tyler’s Second Rule of Innovation:
“No fear! No distractions! The ability to let that whichdoes not matter truly slide!”
Seriously. Don’t break the first two rules.
Tyler’s Third Rule of Innovation:
“I say never be complete, I say stop being perfect, I saylet’s evolve, let the chips fall where they may.”
Let’s face it, when we break Tyler’s first two rules ofinnovation and distract ourselves with foolish productivity, it’s often becausewe’re afraid (which also violates Tyler’s first two rules). We’re afraid offailure, ridicule, risk, mediocrity, and perhaps even success itself.
If you’re going to evolve and grow as a creative person,you’re going to make mistakes. In fact, you should start making twice as manymistakes as soon as possible if you want to have an innovative breakthrough.
Make mistakes and let the chips fall where they may. Youmight like the landing.
Tyler’s Fourth Rule of Innovation:
“It’s only after we’ve lost everything that we’re free to doanything.”
Oh, yeah… don’t be afraid to make big mistakes. Moreimportantly, don’t worry about everything going according to plan. In fact, ifeverything’s going according to plan, there’s a good chance nothing remarkableis getting done.
They say life is what happens while you’re making otherplans. Innovation is what happens when you recognize when to change the planand perhaps the entire game. Maybe your initial plan falls apart, or maybe yousimply need to throw the current plan away.
Don’t let the plan restrict the freedom to have agame-changing idea, and act on it, at any time. Losing everything may be thebest thing that ever happens to you.
Tyler’s Fifth Rule of Innovation:
“You’re not your job. You’re not how much money you have inthe bank. You’re not the car you drive. You’re not the contents of your wallet.You’re not your fucking khakis.”
When we talk about fear, risk, mistakes, and losing it all,what are we really afraid of? Are we defined by the stuff we own, or would weprefer to be defined by what we accomplish and create for the world?
I’m not saying give all your stuff away or take foolishrisks that harm your family or yourself. I’m saying don’t let the stuff you ownstart to own you to the point that you can’t live the life you want to live anddo the things you want to do.
Tyler’s Sixth Rule of Innovation:
“People do it everyday, they talk to themselves… they seethemselves as they’d like to be, they don’t have the courage you have, to justrun with it.”
I bet you’ve got a great idea right now, bouncing around inyour head. What are you going to do with it?
Be what you’d like to be, and do what you’d like to do… itreally is that simple. Having the courage to just run with it is the differencebetween a fulfilling life and a life full of regret.
Tyler’s Seventh Rule of Innovation:
“Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you achicken.”
On the other hand, wearing black hipster clothing andhanging in cafes smoking Gaulloises cigarettes does not make you creative. Buyinga MacBook Pro and an iPhone doesn’t get it done either.
Creativity and innovation are mainly about hard work. It’sabout constantly coming up with ideas and thinking through problems instead ofvegging out. And it’s about taking action, plain and simple.
Tyler’s Eighth Rule of Innovation:
“This is your life, and it’s ending one minute at a time.”
First, you have to know, not fear, know that someday you aregoing to die. Until you know that, you have no sense of urgency. You think you have all the time in the world to do amazing things, but you may not live to see that particular someday.
One of the most innovative and intense magical workings I have ever had the pleasure to read about.
