Internet Sacred Text Archive
An online archive of religious, mythological, and esoteric texts prompts both praise for its long-running preservation work and critiques of its dated, page-by-page HTML format and limited bulk download options. Commenters compare it to resources like Project Gutenberg and the Internet Archive, brainstorm ways to standardize or torrent the collection, and debate how accurately certain summaries (for example of Gnostic texts) reflect current scholarship. The conversation widens into reflections on how ancient traditions relate to modern science and mysticism, touching on quantum “woo,” process philosophy, Advaita Vedanta, and the role of altered states of consciousness in the origins of religion.
Archive Value and Related Resources
- Many commenters praise the Internet Sacred Text Archive as a long-running, unique, and entertaining collection of religious, mythological, esoteric, and historical texts.
- It’s compared to Project Gutenberg and Internet Archive, with mentions of other niche archives (e.g., sheet music, piano, ancient Near Eastern texts).
- Some use it to explore lesser-known traditions (e.g., Shinto’s Kojiki) or esoteric compilations, though accuracy and scholarship levels are questioned.
Site Design, Access, and Funding
- Complaints: texts are split into many short HTML files, no easy “download whole book” option, and some works lack plain-text versions.
- The maintainers’ explanation: short files reduce hosting costs; newer books sometimes have single-file text versions.
- Suggestions: make a torrent of all texts; convert everything into a consistent ebook format (e.g., as a university humanities project).
- Debate over paid compilations: some want to support the effort but find the price high for public-domain aggregation; others argue it’s already free to read and the price is the compiler’s choice.
Religion, Science, and Modern Myth-Making
- A major subthread asks whether any religion or mythology reflects modern physics (quantum phenomena, cosmology, black holes).
- Responses point to:
- “Quantum” and “energy/vibration” language in New Age movements.
- Philosophical traditions and process-oriented worldviews that integrate change, evolution, and cosmology more than classical doctrines.
- Speculative ideas treated quasi-religiously (multiverse, simulation, quantum immortality, AI “gods,” Roko’s basilisk).
- There’s extensive debate over whether science functions as a kind of modern religion, or should remain strictly predictive and non-normative, versus religion as moral/psychological guidance.
Interpretation and Historicity of Sacred Texts
- Some argue major scriptures mostly address psychology, ethics, and community, not physics; others stress that many people still hold highly literal beliefs (angels, creation stories, mythic explanations of lightning, etc.).
- Disputes arise over claims about historical relationships between traditions (e.g., Buddhism vs. ancient heresies), with others countering using different textual evidence.
- The Big Bang is debated: some see it as a robust, evidence-backed cosmological model; others treat it as an overextended extrapolation, analogous in status to mythic origins.
Mystical Experience and Perennial Themes
- Several comments treat mystical or “kundalini” experiences as a possible common root of religions, later rationalized in different cultures.
- “Perennial philosophy” and comparative mysticism are invoked to show convergences across traditions (e.g., unity, divinity in all things), but also note historical risks of heresy accusations.
- There’s mention of emerging scientific interest in spiritual awakenings and altered states, alongside ongoing cultural stigma.
Other Meta-Ideas and Humor
- Proposals include: training an LLM solely on sacred texts to see what kind of “religion” it generates; defining “Internet sacred texts” (e.g., IETF RFCs, “WTF” documents); joking about missing modern ideological “scriptures.”