The Birth of Demianism
A New Faith for the Digital Age. To Stay Free, Dignified, Survive, and Prosper in Times of AI and Robots.
The times are calling me to bring Demianism to the world. For ten years I have been sharing only part of it: the 2kTenCom (Ten Commandments for the Digital Millennium), which I received by dictation back in 2015. I did it as an artistic performance, without trying to convert anyone. They were just too good to keep for myself. I didn’t see their necessity and urgency back then. Here they are, as they came to me.
2kTenCom
I. Follow your call.
II. Focus on the present moment. Look for the good in it.
III. Love and respect others (no matter who they are) as much as you would love and respect yourself. Don’t do to others what you wouldn’t want others do to you. Give everyone at least one chance. Possibly more.
IV. Always speak honest words and forgive and forget hurtful words. Don’t take words too seriously in general. Cultivate irony and direct it primarily towards yourself.
V. Find your other half and prosper together in love.
VI. Put humanity (and not profit) at the center of the universe. Use technology to provide abundance and opportunities to everyone. Build egalitarian societies based on community and resource sharing. Give everyone, as a birthright, enough to lead a simple and honest life.
VII. Keep the Internet as free as the wind. Give everyone equal access to knowledge and ideas and guarantee freedom of expression.
VIII. Cherish and preserve nature and its creatures.
IX. Build a universe inside a machine.
X. Disconnect on Sundays.
Taken alone, the 2kTenCom may seem a humanistic philosophy with apparent absence of God. I was fine with people taking them as such, as I had no intention to start a new religion, I only wanted to bring some good inspiration.
But there is a further revelation I have been hiding, received earlier, back in 2005, which changes the meaning and purpose of the 2kTenCom, shedding light on the most mysterious of them (the 9th). I finally decided to formalize that revelation I was hiding in the three following principles, of cosmological nature, which along with the 2kTenCom form the dogmatic core of Demianism.
Three Cosmological Dogmas
I. The nature of our universe is computational.
II. An Intelligent Creator exists, made in our image and likeness.
III. We humans, as a species, have a mission: to build a universe inside a machine. Even if we were oblivious of this mission, we would still move in its direction because it is in our nature to fulfill it.
I realize that to many this may seem madness. That’s why I was hiding this stuff… But there is method and purpose in this madness, as I understood through the years.
Why we need Demianism
From the 13 dogmas of Demianism a new culture can arise, one that can help us stay free, dignified, survive, and prosper in these new times of AI and robots.
It's quite a claim I am making, but I am ready to justify it and defend it intellectually, as I did in my book, available for free. I finally found the courage to embrace my mission, for not seeing better hope on the horizon.
Unless a radical cultural change happens, our destiny looks grim. The rapid rise of intelligent machines, capable of replacing us in nearly every task, is thrusting us into an unprecedented anthropological dimension where finding meaning and purpose in our lives may become far harder. Meanwhile, the West has morphed into an Orwellian regime, pushing a delusional, divisive, decadent ideology and one dubious crisis after another. With the aid of digital technology and AI, this regime could soon be able to impose on us chains that would be very hard to break.
Even an improbable return to tradition won’t be able to save us. I’m not convinced that the spiritual wisdom of the past, though eternally valid and akin to what I have to share, has the vitality and vision to address the unprecedented challenges the future holds and to help us make technology a tool for elevation rather than an invincible chain. Demianism instead, however minimalist, seems to have this potential. It is clearly future-oriented and addresses the new problems this digital age poses. It holds both spiritual and political, individual and communal value, with recognizable Christian, Eastern, and liberal influences. I see it as a bridge between faith and reason, which I strive to build through my book to help us safely cross the precipice that is opening beneath our feet.
The broad ethical field and compatibility with existing faiths make Demianism a universalist religion. But its simplicity, lack of rituals or disciplines to approach the sacred may also characterize it as a “weak”. It is true: Demianism is a weak religion. Those seeking a spiritual path may find a better way in other traditions. Keep in mind that Demianism’s mission is spiritual but also social and political. It could perhaps be considered an extension of other religions, focused on the challenges of this digital age. Those who, like us, have faith in an Intelligent Creator, we will generally consider friends and allies, welcoming them to collaborate with us, inspire us with good ideas, and steal from ours. On our side, we accept that a Demianist might also be, for example, a Christian, even if they may struggle to embrace our cosmological vision (which is not necessarily incompatible: it doesn’t solve the mystery of the ultimate origin). Remember that we share a common enemy, an antagonist that triumphs in the world today. If believers in an Intelligent Creator don’t find common ground, we will all lose this war.
Another unique trait of Demianism is its democratic spirit. Its ideas and initiatives would be developed by the Demianist community, operating as a decentralized online network, holding only the 13 dogmas as unquestionable and immutable, as North Star to follow, source of inspiration, spirit of the law, and shield from the relativism and decadence of our time. For the rest, not only freedom of expression but also freedom of initiative will reign in the Demianist community. If you act in accordance with our 13 dogmas, who am I to say no? With my book, I have strived to inspire good ideas drawn from those dogmas and aimed at addressing the most serious and existential problems I see on the horizon. You may not only come up with better ideas than mine, but also identify other problems worth tackling, along with solutions, always using our 13 dogmas as a lens and a compass.
Remember that we are COUNTERCULTURE, HUMAN RESISTANCE against Orwellian oppressors and their ilk, the decadence they push on us, the loss of sense, purpose, the dehumanization, and slavery that AI and robots can bring to us, as they evolve. An alliance of men and women of goodwill united by faith in an Intelligent Creator and the values and vision Demianism embodies.
Demianism 1.0
If this brief introduction has piqued your interest, I invite you to download the book Demianism 1.0, available for free (CC license), in English or Italian, as an eBook or PDF, from demianism.org. The book explains in detail the 13 dogmas, their origin, and how to put them into practice. More than a spiritual treatise, it’s a manifesto of ideas for the future that are up for debate, covering themes like AI, unconditional basic income (and how to fund it), and how to preserve our humanity in this new era. The book is called “1.0” because it’s meant to evolve with your contributions.
Join the resistance
Becoming a Demianist is simple: embrace the 13 dogmas, and you’re one of us. Yet, it’s also complex. Even as the messenger of Demianism, who received its revelations and cannot doubt their truth, it took me 20 years to fully become a Demianist. But I was alone, there was no one and no tradition to rely on, given the unprecedented nature of my mission.
You wouldn’t be alone, as you have me. Demianism already lives through me. I am here to answer your questions and doubts. Feel free to reach out on X (@barabeke) or Telegram (@barabeke). I’ll respond in the spirit of Demianism, with honesty and fairness, and a bit of humor when appropriate.
Right now, my solitary voice is all Demianism has. For it to have a chance, I must be able to develop it further, promote it, and build the community, full-time. Supporting Demianism today means supporting my work, helping me keep going through donations, which you can give via cards or other methods, including crypto, from the portal demianism.org.
If others join me—if we become a community—I’m convinced we can forge a tradition that endures for centuries, protects us from great evils, and preserves our humanity in this digital age.
The time for Demianism is now. Jump on board, seekers. Be a mirror in which I can see myself, water to quench my thirst, and may I be the same for you. Help me be worthy of this mission.
Blessings,
Barabeke