No Better Time to Wake Up

A specter of renewal haunts modernity

I

The Hopi tribe of North America speak of an ancient prophecy they call Powateoni. This foretelling phase is a process of intense purification. Powateoni unfolds as a tumultuous epoch, accompanied by both societal and ecological upheavals, all foreseen as precursors for enduring global peace. Yet, prior to any prospect of redemption, the prophecy posits that, due to pervasive spiritual disconnection—from our individual Selves, each other, and the very soul of Mother Earth—and due to the magnitude of the profound changes on the horizon, a significant number of people will, quite literally, undergo a descent into madness.

Imagine an influencer fervently convinced the Earth is mechanical and flat, blaming a shadowy cabal of lizard rulers for concealing the “truth” from their audience of millions. Or, in an even more tragic turn, your next-door neighbor purchases an AR-15 and storms the capital, all because they believe such influencer.

The Eastern side of the planet honors a similar cycle, divided into four Yugas according to Hindu philosophy. Each Yuga is characterized by different levels of virtue, morality, and spiritual development, all within a larger rotation known as the Yuga Cycle. The Kali Yuga, thought by many to be our current era (that lasts for 432,000 years!) is seen as the final and darkest phase in an epoch marked by spiritual decay, moral collapse, heightened suffering, and… madness. Named after the fierce demon Kali, this Yuga represents destruction and transformation; once he burns away the negativity, we’ll return to the moral goodness and spiritual enlightenment of the Satya Yuga.

Down South, among the ancient Andean and Amazonian tribes, we find yet another lens for examining this process. The prophecy of the Eagle and the Condor foretells two paths for human societies: the Eagle’s path, symbolizing the masculine culture of the mind and the industrial (now associated with technology and materialism), and the Condor’s path, representing the feminine heart of wisdom, spirituality, and limitless connection to Mother Earth. The prophecy foresaw a 500-year dominance of the Eagle People commencing in the 1490s, nearly driving the Condor People to extinction. In the subsequent 500-year span, however, starting from about 1990, a new potential arises for the Eagle and Condor to unite, to soar together in the same sky, and thereby usher in a heightened consciousness for humanity: one capable of mending the madness of the Eagle epoch while providing the Condor People with the fortifications necessary for mutual and lasting peace.

Across continents, despite notable differences in time scales, prophecies thunder with predictions of chaotic darkness and collective madness preceding a resurgent dawn. Surely you heard the whispers of the Mayan calendar, calling for the world to end in 2012? (Note that the apocalyptic notion of the ‘world ending’ was, in fact, a misinterpretation of the original Mayan prophecy, which actually foresaw a renewal event, marking the commencement of a new spiritual cycle.) Alongside this, there’s the White Buffalo Calf Woman prophecy of the Lakota Sioux, Mali’s Dogon prophecy, Bunjil’s Wings prophecy from aboriginal Australia, and the Kundalini yogi’s prediction—as discussed in my recent podcast with

Holly Whitaker

—that precisely one-third of the modern world will go insane during the Age of Aquarius.

I could go on, detailing countless more prophecies across the globe—but you already see the trend. 

II

It’s all too easy to brush aside these indigenous prophecies as antiquated, primitive beliefs from cultures seemingly unaware of the laws of physics. Personally, I find myself wary of neo-mythic reductionism wherein there’s an inclination to portray indigenous rituals as the only path forward in a digitized world dominated by global supply chains. I cannot endorse any singular track backwards as a means of singularly moving forward…

And yet, perhaps more problematic than the mere existence of these prophecies is our modern arrogance, which so swiftly dismisses them. Such disregard only serves to reinforce the self-serving structures of our economy and culture, depriving these insights of their immaterial power. As with all myths, the above prophecies find their truth not in an absolute sense but in one more spiritual, and thus harder to pin down. Prophecies enduring through time tap into a reservoir of collective intelligence, finely tuned to the rhythms of civilization and culture. I, for one, find it impossible not to notice the eerie precision of certain predictions—particularly around spiritual sickness and collective insanity.

No surprise, then, that many of us are now leaning on the mystic and mythic as essential. Such people feel the ancient traditions are the sole means to unravel, and then re-ravel, the 21^st-century quagmire. I do agree that as far as explaining the changes we’re undergoing and offering a way out of the chaos, the paradigm of the materialist Eagle, so to speak, falls woefully short.

As the prophecies foresaw, what now appears clear: 

Despite our technological and medical advancements, we find ourselves in the midst of a severe spiritual crisis (of existential magnitude). This inner turmoil is often out-shouted by the global information war, a conflict that, in its most profound form, could be likened to a third World War. In fact, the journalist Thomas Friedman has already framed our ever-connected geopolitical environment as embroiled in a genuine “world war.”

Indeed, we have not experienced such a chasmic and catastrophic blow to our collective sense of meaning and morality since uncovering the horrors of WWII in its wake—and, before that, the generational experience of trench warfare and its mustard gas, machine guns, and untold miles of barbed wire. It took two world wars to effectively kill, or displace, the foundational role of Religion in the West. Today’s information war has systematically obliterated the wisping remnants of such former codes and methods of meaning, prompting cognitive scientists like Professor John Vervaeke to label this era a “meaning crisis.”

Unlike its predecessors, this global information war isn’t fought with merely traditional kinetic weapons but is a battle of narratives, a contest for dominance over information and minds. The contemporary geopolitical landscape, marked by conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East (essentially a proxy war between the US and Iran, and therefore Russia), coupled with the ascent of addictive social media, has disrupted our capacity to make sense of the world, engage with diverse perspectives, and see ourselves in the “other.” It has as one of its chief targets the ability to empathize. All sides target this capacity, in their own population even more than the “other.” Our digital lives, if left unattended, become distorted mirrors, offering only illusions of community and pseudo-connection within a self-serving loop.

Moreover, as I’ve explained, I hold the belief that despite its potential advantages, AI poses a substantial epistemic (and then, inevitably, ontological) threat to humanity. This threat lies in its capacity to further erode our understanding of truth and reality, potentially steering us towards a collective descent into confusion, echoing the warnings of those indigenous prophecies about the risk of insanity. And not just the insanity of some, but the insanity of many, of an epoch, of all.

Consider this: a significant portion of humanity’s view of reality is already shaped by the unreal. If 500,000 people like and 50,000 share an AI-generated image of two babies starting at a crab, what will transpire when this video-enabled technology delves into weightier matters, like politics?

Returning home again to the United States, there’s the terrible—Please, This Cannot Be Happening Again—issue we can’t ignore—the 2024 election. As someone supposedly seen as having his finger on the pulse, I get bombarded with questions about what I think will happen. Frankly, I have no idea.

What I can discern is that the countless factors fueling our spiritual malaise remain largely unaltered. We are just as online as we were in 2016—especially those with fewer economic means, who will always be the most susceptible to algorithmic hijacking, as they lack the privilege of being able to “unplug” or go to Bali for a manifesting retreat. Policy still seems stuck in a time warp rooted in binary politics: the Far Left still reduces everything to identity and past-oppression; the Far Right still reduces everything to individualism and neo-oppression; the New Age zealots still believe they have cracked the code by abandoning code; the entrepreneur Eagle bros still have their blinders on to social realities as they ever-seek a few more clicks per second, now aided by Dr. Andrew Huberman’s protocols; the silent majority—I hope it’s the majority—of Reasonable Moderates are still overwhelmed by the discourse; and I still have mild eczema.

So, my prognosis? I got to have one.

Brace yourself for madness—because it’s already here. The media’s toxicity certainly makes things feel far worse than they are. But these distorted emotions continue to sculpt our 3D reality. People have already stormed the capital once, and you wouldn’t believe how many thousands of people now think Antarctica is fake, hidden by the government to prevent us commoners from learning the truth of Flat Earth. Powateoni, it seems, is already in the throes of its purifying frenzy.

Do not be surprised. Be ready.

III

Fortunately, even as we find ourselves mired in contemporary chaos, there’s more to unpack—especially if we turn to the old prophecies. They remind us that only by facing our spiritual crisis can we pave the way toward collective awakening and a more peaceful future.

But what do I mean when I say: “collective awakening?”

Rest assured, it absolutely does not imply waking up to a covert group of influential Jewish figures, including magnate George Soros, plotting global domination. Please, let’s avoid reducing these prophecies to such a simplistic understanding, as is regrettably already taking root in certain New Age quarters. Also, I find it immensely unlikely that Taylor Swift is a Pentagon psy-op. Just saying. As the antiquated foundations of hyper-capitalism and rigid cultural norms give way, individuals are searching for scapegoats. Like Taylor Swift. Who, again, is almost certainly not a Pentagon psy-op. Finding an enemy is always the laziest way to make meaning in life.

The spiritual enlightenment prescribed by these prophecies delves far deeper than combating an imagined external foe. An absolutist or Biblical interpretation risks exacerbating the crisis by perpetuating the same outdated thinking that only fosters division.

To truly comprehend the awakening these prophecies herald, we must embrace a process that is far more internal and contemplative than our consumer culture allows for. This awakening does not entail succumbing to binary authoritarianism or collapsing into a conspiracy narrative, which would only lead to further decline. Instead, it invites us to lean into the ambiguity of the unknown, compelling us to open ourselves to another spiritual dimension that disrupts our perception of identity.

While it may seem counterintuitive at first, questioning who we are can set us free. We start to see ourselves as dynamic beings, always changing and evolving, instead of feeling stuck in how we think we should be based on societal norms. Taking it a step further, it involves peeling back the layers of our everyday reality to grasp that everything—be it space, time, self, or thought—is a product of the mind. Strangely, when grounded, this realization offers an incredible sense of freedom and could do wonders to calm our many identity-based conflicts.

This process is also about recognizing the limits of our knowledge and understanding that we’re mostly observers of experience rather than people, or “epistemic agents,” who can know and control everything. This recognition, in which the ego gives way to humility, will inevitably lead to a profound acknowledgment of our interconnectedness. Perhaps Steve Jobs suggests this irony best in the letter he wrote to himself one year before he died. It reflects the sort of wisdom too often found only near death, as was surely the case for a harsh genius like him.

The philosopher

Charles Eisenstein

aptly labels this collective transition as the shift from the story of “separation” to a story of “interbeing,” where we understand that the well-being and existence of one entity are intertwined with the well-being of all other entities. It signifies a seismic perspective switch away from the “self” as the singular focus of creation. In this understanding, we come to realize that, like the Condor hippies have always claimed, “It’s all one, brah!” and the mind was never separate from the heart—or the mud. 

Now, again, it’s undeniably easy to reject the prophecies of spiritual awakening as rosy-eyed animist folly.

But this collective awakening is already coming. We know—because it’s already (a little bit) here.

IV

Thanks to the many positive aspects of technology, people across the globe are stirring from their slumber, seeking a deeper truth than the default postmodern path of chasing status and achieving anxiety. There’s obviously the rise of psychedelics, which, for many Westerners, is the first and best chance at waking up. There’s the continued growth of an entire field called “consciousness studies,” which accounts for hardcore cognitive science, meditation, psychedelics, and philosophy of mind, as

Oshan Jarow

and I discussed at length in our recent podcast.

This endeavor is poised to democratize awakening, making it accessible not only to monks but to all humans. Recent advancements in neuroscience have brought us closer to understanding and potentially replicating the well-being promised by expanded states of consciousness. These advancements suggest a future where the quest for enlightenment isn’t limited to a chosen few in laboratories or on luxurious yoga mats, but a fundamental human right that can reach everyone regardless of their developmental stage.

In other words, the Eagle and the Condor people are already starting to work together. Funny enough, the field of “consciousness studies” really got going at the end of the twentieth century—right on time, as per the Eagle-weds-Condor prophecy.

Perhaps even more remarkable is the sincere and direct interest shown by individuals in their own spiritual awakening. Go on YouTube and type in “non-duality”—which is the recognition that there is no distinction between self and other (or emptiness and form)—and see how many people are sharing their awakenings and making them viral. Sure, a lot of people are trying to sell you something, or watering down something sacred with online manipulative tactics, but there’s also a ton of serious, consequential work and change happening.

Exemplary of this point: almost half the folks who took Sam Harris’s Waking Up meditation course and learned how to experience “non-dual awareness” said it was the most important skill they’d ever learned. In their entire lives.

People are increasingly turning to meditation, not solely for stress relief or productivity as advocated by the McMindful Corporation, but rather, with the venerable aim of attaining liberation—ultimately extending this transformative freedom to benefit not only themselves but also the collective well-being of others. Moving beyond the idea of meditation as a perfunctory 10-minute chore to a practice of noticing expansive awareness throughout your day can reveal new dimensions within yourself and others. And you can taste this freedom as easily as you can bounce your awareness between your five faculties of perception. As I’ve written, instead of thinking, merely sense:

Feel the tips of your toes against the ground, experience how your ears hear without any effort, realize that your entire visual field is already within your awareness. You didn’t have to “try” for any of it! And then, maybe, you can be aware of your sense of space: in your body, in the room, and, yes, the universe.

But perhaps the evidence of collective awakening is only apparent if you know what to look for. If for no other reason, maybe you can trust me when I say that, in my various work roles as a facilitator, I am personally witnessing people waking up at faster and deeper levels than ever before. Evolution was always bound to progress in this direction, but the surge might also be linked to the heightened spiritual potency of this era. As Pawoteoni foresaw, this is an extremely potent time for spiritual or contemplative practice—because it’s a dangerous time: crisis and catastrophe ever-looming. Awakening is in the air, it’s in the water, and you know what, it’s also on TikTok.

I am consistently gobsmacked by the sheer brilliance unfolding, which is people from all walks of life waking up to the essence of their existence and initiating radical changes in their lives. Consider the transformation of Frank Yang, once a bodybuilder and now an awakened creative, Roger Thisdell, who achieved enlightenment at the ripe age of 26, Rosa Lewis, described as a young “modern-day Buddha” in the UK, and

Sasha Chapin

, a former journalist whose writing on non-duality and practical awakening, though I may be biased as his friend, stands as some of the most accessible I’ve encountered. This collective awakening is creeping into the corporate world, too, and is quite evident in how the millennials and Gen Zers are entirely re-organizing their understanding of Work (thanks, at least in part, to the writing of

Paul Millerd

). As the prophecies suggest, it’s not the majority of people awakening, but I can assure you that it’s happening nonetheless.

Once more, I will be the first to acknowledge—quite sincerely—that this might all sound like New Age jibber-jabber to you, as if I’ve spent too much time in the “woo-woo” section of the bookstore. It’s not the first time a dude screamed from the page: Wake Up!

But if you really think about the challenges we are facing, wouldn’t you agree that something major needs to change if we want any hope of transcending the current tribalistic content and context?

A collective people can’t wake up—don’t wake up—until persons can wake up—and do wake up. You can’t Connect Four and make it to the next Yuga Cycle without each piece finding its place, thereby forming the line.

What if, as the prophecies suggest, aiming for individual and collective awakening is literally the only viable path forward?

V

It would be a mistake, however, to pretend that Team Interbeing is currently winning World War III. For those aspiring towards a peaceful future, it’s crucial that we honestly assess our progress if we’re to have any chance of reshaping the discourse. Likewise, it would be equally misguided to anticipate that some future prophetic event will suddenly trigger widespread, collective change. And, thankfully, “winning” here doesn’t come close to encapsulating the intricate nature of spiritual development, which defies the confines of dualistic success and failure. The path ahead can only be lit by the ever-shifting glow of our evolving minds, keeping the heart alive in its penetrating inquiry.

Before Covid, I spent several years studying existential risk, with a focus on polymath thinkers far more intelligent than I am. Their task involves rationally assessing the risks facing our planet and determining the most effective strategies for averting them. Sadly, the consensus among these risk theorists is rather grim: unless there’s a substantial collective shift, we’re hurtling towards a planetary catastrophe due to any one of the numerous crises from climate to AGI to terrorism.

While I believe that it is important to honor grief from this perspective, it’s equally vital to avoid falling into despair or adopting a victim mindset—and instead, maintain a clear-eyed view of action.  

One of the greatest fallacies of the Hippie Era was believing that LSD and mantras alone would lead to collective awakening. Rather than progress, we received decades of prohibition and escalating hyper-individualism, almost like a cruel joke pushing us closer to the edge of a global meltdown.

Regrettably, the current Psychedelic Renaissance is somewhat poised to repeat history’s errors as it becomes a tool for profit-driven interests, primarily exploited by Eagle people solely focused on market gains. While personal enlightenment through practices such as meditation and psychedelics is undeniably transformative, its true impact remains castrated without comprehensive reforms across various societal pillars—ranging from economic structures and healthcare systems to environmental infrastructure. (Here again, I’ll recommend listening to my conversation with Vox journalist Oshan Jarrow about the intersection of consciousness studies and economics). Even as the hour grows late, the call for systemic change is more urgent than ever. 

In writing this, my modest hope is that we can better prepare ourselves for the possible trials ahead, both in spite of—and in light of—our broken political system. These challenges will not only compel us to confront human darkness but also trust that we have the resources available to us when we turn inward and devote ourselves to the practice of awareness and interconnection. Whether you label this era the metacrisis, polycrisis, Pawteoni, or the Kali Yuga, one thing remains clear: to navigate it successfully, we must harness our utmost creativity and become active agents of evolution rather than passive consumers of ideas that no longer serve us. Embodying interbeing means that even the smallest acts of personal kindness and connection can create ripples in the broader community.

Because even the most astute risk theorists concur that, while difficult, course correction is feasible! The boundless potential of humanity does not exist somewhere outside of our grasp, and the path forward, though complex, is also relatively clear. That’s precisely why I find these prophecies intriguing—they tap into a collective intelligence deeper within us, urging us to accomplish the seemingly insurmountable.

Thanks to studying existential risk, the onset of Covid and its ensuing chaos in sensemaking didn’t catch me off guard in the way it did for others. Don’t get me wrong, I was dismayed, but I also recall thinking, “Ah, this aligns exactly with what the risk theorists have been warning me about.” This awareness left me feeling well-equipped—mentally, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually—to navigate the pandemic. It was also during this period that my writing on sensemaking and social healing began to garner wider, albeit still small, recognition.

Not to go all Karl Marx on you, but to paraphrase the man in my own words, I do believe that a specter is haunting modernity—the specter of renewal. Civilization, as history tells us, moves through stages and cycles. The process of evolution continually extends beyond its previous boundaries, first struggling to set new limits, and then ultimately surpassing them. Without tooting my own horn too much, if you find yourself reading to this point, you likely belong to the group of individuals who are best poised to navigate the transition of Pawateoni or whatever the hell’s ahead of us—a transformative phase that extends far beyond mere discussions about the future of work (although the nature of our work undeniably plays a role in this journey). 

We don’t have to wait for the advent of a supposed external “higher consciousness” to rescue us from our missteps, which might only lead to more of the same spiritual bypassing that bolsters the story of separation. Consciousness, the sustaining force of existence, simply exists as it is—neither inherently good nor bad, elevated nor diminished. You don’t need a “higher vibration,” despite what some Instagram influencers may suggest. In fact, I’d argue the opposite: that this notion often only goes as far as the artificial vibration of our devices—the incessant buzz of notifications urging us to link consumerism with spiritual growth—distracting us from the expansiveness of who we are, which transcends external markers of value, understanding, or purpose.

The very consciousness enabling you to read this essay is what we have to work with. Our duty now is not to wait for the full unification of the Eagle and Condor people but to actively use it, accessing the wisdom woven into the fabric of our cells, our marrow, our brains, our hearts.

No one is coming to save us. 

We cannot rely on anyone but ourselves.

There has never been a better moment to wake up than right now.