IdEAL ORDER was founded in 1982 as an outlet for anarchic/artistic activism by Elsie Russell and Jeffrey Harrington. The intent was twofold: to create collaborative and issue-oriented art which was designed to provoke a chaotic zen consciousness in the viewer and to create an awareness of the telepathic activism of Jeffrey Harrington. Disappointed with the usual formats of political art (the poster, the tabloidal text-based format, i.e.) they began experimenting with new techniques employing subliminal messages; loading images with beautifully chaotic texts and setting them in unusual public situations/contexts.
The initial works of IdEAL ORDER were displayed in the subways and streets of NY City in 1982 and 1983. First there were a series of heads of the Greek gods pasted on the streets of NY. The intent was to take graceful beauty out of the museum and back to the streets, hoping to provoke sudden bursts of deep aesthetic appreciation in the unsuspecting public. The second project was called "The Seven Seals." It was designed as a series of pseudo-religious confrontational rubber stamp image/text formations stamped on the street and in the white spaces of subway placards. Their largest installation to date was at the infamous School Book Depository in the lower west side docks of Manhattan. (Closed by a police action in July 1983).
During the same period while Jeffrey was employed at Liberty Audio/Video he had begun experimenting with a capability developed as an offshoot to his Zen meditative practices. He discovered that he could cause broadcasting television camera lenses to glow. He began using this luminescent effect as a tool to harass media and politicians. The process is called IdEAL ORDER Psychic TV. Unfortunately, instead of achieving an artistic notoriety and provoking discussion, a frenzy of celebrity/saint hysteria was created. This attracted the attention of right-wing Islamic fundamentalists which quickly became life-threatening. Because of Jeffrey's ability to produce luminescent effects and because of the imagery employed by IdEAL ORDER (they had begun using a stamp of an angel with a Saracen sword) they had come to see Jeffrey and Elsie as demons; as agents against Khomeini whom they considered "The Light of the World." After fleeing NY in 1983 because of death threats IdEAL ORDER regrouped in Montana and later New Orleans and continued the telepathic activism on a continual basis. In 1984 IdEAL ORDER Psychic TV began a nightly zapping of the CBS Evening News and the McNeil/Lehrer News Hour and constant telepathic harassment of the Reagan administration during televised news conferences and news show appearances. IdEAL ORDER also began networking their works through the European, American, and Japanese mail art network. Since 1989 IdEAL ORDER has operated primarily through the computer networks. Images are digitized, processed and then distributed over the InterNet computer networks, GEnie, CompuServe, and local BBS's. In November 1991 IdEAL ORDER Psychic TV began focussing on a once a week disruption of the CBS Evening News so that skeptical viewers might be able to compare the illuminated with the non-illuminated broadcasts. The project continues every Thursday night.
(Since Connie Chung joined Dan Rather on CBS, I've moved the bulk of the zapping back to CBS and am doing the Thursday zap on ABC).
In 1992, IdEAL ORDER Psychic TV successfully disrupted all three presidential debates, intending to prevent the re-election of George Bush.
In 1982 I was employed as a salesman at an audio/video store in New York City and I would sit and stare at a bank of television sets. I have been involved with Zen meditation for over 20 years and while in a state of no- mind (at work) I discovered that the people on television were responding to fluctuations in my mental state. I was later to learn that I was producing a spot of bright light in the lens of the broadcasting television camera.
Since 1983 I've been using this luminescent effect to wreak havoc in the incipient mind of the media/state. I have learned to control the effect so that I can induce more eye blinking, more stammering, etc. by changing the brightness and location of the spot of light which I cause to appear in the broadcasting TV camera.
In 1991 I decided to create an experiment which would be verifiable to the public at large, so that I might prove the existence of the phenomenon to the skeptical community. So, I came up with the Thursday test. Every Thursday I illuminate the cameras of the ABC Evening News. Watchers of the show can do various things to prove the veracity of my claims. They can count the number of times Peter Jennings blinks on Thursday as compared with Friday or Wednesday. They can measure the reflected luminosity of the spot of light on Peter's eyeballs or they can count the number of mis-speaks.
I've been zapping all presidential tv appearances since late 1983. If you watch the first 1984 Reagan debate you will notice my efforts. I zapped the presidential and vice-presidential debates in 1992 - in an attempt to prevent the re-election of Bush/Quayle.
Millions of people know about this phenomenon and harbor knowledge of it through a "cult of secrecy." There is no real conspiracy in the public, it is just that people do not tell others of this story unless provoked. There have been quite a few pop songs written in homage; these usually use innuendo to refer to the phenomenon.
My intent on Internet is to inform the public of this process. My intent is infinite and immaculate in its beautifully chaotic illuminative interventions; wreaking havoc with light. Photonic agents of bliss infiltrating the minds of commerce and conspiracy.
Jeff Harrington
idealord@dorsai.dorsai.org
People have asked me why the media (in particular the network news programs) have censored news coverage of the IdEAL ORDER Psychic TV phenomenon. Not only have they neglected mention of the ongoing Thursday Night ABC Evening News zap - they have censored stories regarding the zapping of Saddam Hussein, Reagan, Bush and other infamous public figures.
All this in the light of numerous pop songs and movies with innuendos regarding the phenomenon. (Interestingly, a friend of mine at MTV says that there's a new story about what the REM song - "Losing My Religion" really means. ;-). The process is in actuality a much discussed one in private and in public, leading the TV viewer to ponder why the media (even the tabloids!) have neglected to report on this worldwide phenomenon. (The Skeptical Enquirer has censored this story, too - leading one to believe that they have _no_ interest in anything but debunking - but we knew that already didn't we?)
In truth - I don't know. I have been told by various people at CBS and ABC that, "We don't discuss the stories we are presently working on." My theory is that the last thing the news wants is a story about the news. Regarding the tabloids and they're neglect of the story - hmmmm... this is a bit harder to explain. I have heard stories of people in the media losing their jobs from pushing too hard about this story (in New Orleans). And - I have had several print reporters interview me and prepare a story - only to have it dropped before it goes to press.
Concsiously or unconsciously (if there's a difference in the news world) there is the perception that by covering the story a "genie" would be let out of the bottle. What is this "genie?"
The genie is Zen. Fear of Zen. Fear and loathing of anarchic Zen consciousness spreading to the masses. Ho hum. And ultimately there is the fear of Jeff. Fear that he will become a cult leader. Yawn...
The media should prepare itself. The story is getting out and now - they will have to justify their coverage and lack thereof.
Whatever...
If you'd like a text file about IdEAL ORDER Psychic TV drop me a line! *****************************************************
> > Here are some starter questions:
> --------------------------------
> * Are Khomeni's followers still after you, or do they have their hands full
> tracking down Salman Rushdie at the present time?
>
Interestingly, we have received no mail or other contacts from the New York Islamic community since we left NYC in 1983. My impression is that the "apocalyptosis" which I became notorious for in the early 80's dissipated with the decline of the Soviet Union. The interest which the Islamic community showered on us back then was most likely fueled by the general messianic interpretation of events. Most of this messianic fervor was actually mis-interpreted rumor mongering by elements in the art community of New York - most of it jokes. The New York art community really went to town against us - Charles Ludlam (Ridiculous Theatre Company) even wrote a play - The Avant-Garde Bourgeoise - which presented me and my spouse as maniacal art activists. Never got to see it - but it seemed pretty funny. Much of this fervor against us was because we were campaigning to destroy the world art market through our street and subway art.
One of the gentleman who was part of the Islamic group at the hotel did (coincidentally I assume) come into my workplace in 1991. I think it was probably just to see if I really was back in town if it was personal at all.
> * Given your bold interference with presidential debates and press conferences, > I'd be surprised if the secret service hasn't taken an interest in your > activities. How have you managed to stay out of trouble so far? >We haven't actually stayed out of trouble. Our general interpretation of the minor bits of harrassments has been that it was not in their interest to produce a "martyr." Our phones were definitely tapped between 84-92. Mail was mis-handled. We were quite active in the mail art circles between 84-89 and much of the European mail was opened and tampered. Suspicious characters hanging around your apartment before significant news conferences, SS types making themselves known; these are all possibly mis-interpreted and anecdotal. In 1984 a black unmarked helicopter hovered over our apartment house for several minutes. The neighbors (who knew about us) were very freaked out. Black helicopters also suspiciously hovered over the house we stayed in when we left NYC. This is not good evidence, obviously of Secret Service activity but is suspicious.
Family friends and supporters of Ronald Reagan contacted us in 1986 and attempted to befriend us (even though they knew of our leftist tendencies). Both of them told us they wanted to be spies; all they wanted to do was talk politics. The woman was an office assistant of mine. When we moved back to NY they called us to check in and when I refused to talk to her the phone went dead. The phone remained inoperative for 3 weeks. The phone company told us that someone at the main office had "mis-programmed" our account to be turned off. More anecdote, but that's all we have.
After the Panamanian invasion I called CBS news to demand they do a story on the civilian casualty mis-count. Within hours our phone went dead. Again, the problem was at the office and phone repairmen were hard pressed to explain their inability to fix our problem.
> * You mention Richard Gere as being against your work. To what extent does > the American Buddhist community support or oppose IdEAL ORDER? >I don't think Mr. Gere has focussed any attention on my work at all. I would guess that he's very skeptical about my "purposes." The few times that I've zapped him he's shown little humor at the process - this is my only information. My impression is that the American Buddhist community looks at me as a self-appointed prophet - the worse kind - egomaniacal and destined for hell.
> * Do you have any insight into the "What's the frequency, Kenneth?" incident? > I relate it completely to my psychic TV project. I have no other information. > * Once the word gets out about the success of the Psychic TV phenomenon, what > is the next step? >Ultimately, I would like the knowledge of this phenomenon to spur debate about "scientific" interpretations of reality. Although I am extremely interested in scientific discovery I feel that mystery must have a large place in any modelling of our universe. Science, as Feyerabend has demonstrated, is a mythology.I would like this knowledge to encourage other people to meditate. People can learn to harness their minds and unleash their natural telepathic capabilities.
This phenomenon is in fact the first scientific proof of the spiritual. My displays are not just "jamming" but are illuminative and demonstrate the infinite capacity of our minds.
> > * How do you distinguish changes in the behavior of a news anchor that are > caused by the Psychic TV phenomena from those just caused by chance? Is > it a statistical distinction, or is there a qualitative difference?Probably the most striking distinction between a zapped and non-zapped broadcast is the number of blinks blinked by the news reader. This is a byproduct of the camera's luminescence, not an action induced by me. By focussing my spot of light on alternating eyes I produce a distraction to the news reader which can make them blink more. By counting the blinks on the ABC Evening News Thursday broadcast and comparing those numbers to the number of blinks on the other days a statistical anomaly can be produced. The most striking artifact of the process besides blinking is the extra bit of shininess on the news reader's eyes. This is the light itself reflecting off of the moisture of the eyes. The most striking proof of all though is when the people on camera began mis-speaking and stammering from the distraction. The CBS coverage of the Presidential Conventions was striking in this regard. Mr. Rather and his cohorts were practically unable to complete sentences.> > * Have the networks taken any steps to reduce the influence you have on t > their broadcasts? >Probably the most interesting effort the networks took to limit my impact was in the case of PrimeTime Live. When the show started there was a live audience. People were staring in the camera practically the whole show instead of looking at the guests. The audience could see the luminescence. The studio audience was eliminated after a few of those events.
> * Have you trained others in your meditative/telepathic technique, and if so > what are they doing with their abilities today? > No. > > I don't think Mr. Gere has focussed any attention on my work at all. I would > > guess that he's very skeptical about my "purposes." The few times that I've > > zapped him he's shown little humor at the process - this is my only > > information. > > How do you interpret his comments at the Academy Awards? > Was this just the stammering of someone who was surprised at > what he saw, or was there some deeper significance? Was he > trying to say something /to/ you or /about/ you? >One of the reasons I zap awards ceremonies is to get this live response to the phenomenon. Many people during presentations have said relevant things. It's just so annoying to be up there and getting distracted in front of your peers that people often will say things as an excuse for their lack of professionalism. Richard Gere's comments were a comment on the phenomenon.> > I would like this knowledge to encourage other people to meditate. People > > can learn to harness their minds and unleash their natural telepathic > > capabilities. > > Most of the zen and ch'an meditation that I'm familiar with > does not train the meditator to do any sort of telepathic > activity. Is telepathy a well-known skill in the zen community > that is being hidden from the uninitiated, or is it more of > a repressed heresy that is unwelcome outside of the more esoteric > Buddhist traditions? > >This phenomenon is in fact the first scientific proof of the spiritual. The Buddhist tradition of meditation is futile if there is any intention to achieve. Meditation itself must be the intention. The side-effects which can be achieved by accomplished practitioners are usually regarded as dangerous and a distraction to the perfection of the practice but they happen nonetheless. I'm concerned that people intentionally begin meditation to achieve this power and searching for power inside of one's minds can only lead to madness. Meditation is dangerous.My attainment of psychic powers is a side effect to my achievement of no-mind. I've always had extraordinary psychic abilities and the meditation has allowed me to focus these capabilities. When I attempt to "zap" someone, that is, actually sit down in front of my TV set and focus my attention - the effects are very weak. It is only when I focus my mind on itself and lose my ego that the luminescence becomes striking.
The esoteric Buddhist traditions are filled with information on magical capabilities attainable by those who have harnessed their minds. Stories of flying monks, of being able to "swim" through matter, read other's thoughts, cause the appearance of luminescent phenomenon in the sky, and summoning celestial beings are rife in the Tibetan literature. In the Zen tradition these stories are looked at as evidence of heresy. There are many stories of monks using their powers and of the priests mocking them. The meaningless of activity itself is something realized through Zen meditation. Why would someone want to attain extra-physical attainment. What would this accomplish?
As I've taken no vows and am not interested in teaching Zen I consider my efforts to be in the realm of the Zen troublemaker or "crazy cloud." My actions are meant to disturb and enlighten in an absurd ego-less context.
> > My displays are not just "jamming" but are illuminative and demonstrate > > the infinite capacity of our minds. > > The displays are certainly far outside of what most people > in the scientific-paradigm world can accept as being part > of their reality. So there is liable to be some resistance > to believing that they even exist. Since I don't watch > television, I haven't had an opportunity to see these displays > first-hand, and have had to rely on your accounts. This > presents some problems of course, since on the surface there > is little that separates your accounts of the Psychic TV > phenomenon from commonly discredited paranoid or schizophrenic > hallucinations. What is being done to enhance the visibility > and/or credibility of the phenomena among those in majority > consensus reality?The only way in which this story is being spread before the recent articles about it has been by word of mouth. I established the Thursday zap of ABC Evening News in order to establish a control - so that people who did not have friends in the broadcast television world could prove to themselves that the process was operative. The recent Mondo 2000 article happened only after I zapped rusirius on the Donahue show and then bragged about it on the alt.cyberpunk InterNet news group. Before this, the print and broadcast media have been ignoring the phenomenon. There have been a few articles which gave "hommage" to it. These are loosely disguised as commentaries on the "weird." but without a verifiable connection to my phenomenon, My sense is that the story now has become so widely known - that is, a critical mass of people now know about it and it is so interesting that the media is being forced to cover the story. Especially in the segments of society interested in extra-mundane phenomenon, their media are being forced to do stories or admit a less than exhaustive approach or even "censorship" in the face of widespread, although underground knowledge.The possibility that I suffer from paranoia or schizophrenia and that the story is a personal delusion is discounted by the liveliness of the rumor mill which has evolved around this phenomenon. Without continuous and active verification of the story it would have never grown to current proportions and would have remained another story of delusion.
Paranoid and schizophrenic delusions have always been something I've been very interested in because they evidence the structure of the mind. I find it extremely fascinating that this feeling of connectedness to the people on TV is a common drug user delusion. I believe that all people, all beings are telepathic and that it is possible that feelings of these psychic connections may be enhanced under artificial or real schizophrenic states.
Jeff Harrington idealord@dorsai.dorsai.org