Meme Entities | Ep 147
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In this deep dive into internet-born mythologies, host Tim Hacker explores the phenomenon of 'meme entities'—fictional characters from online creepypastas that have allegedly transcended digital realms to influence real-world events. Drawing from the Philip experiment, where a group of researchers conjured a ghost named Philip through collective belief, and the concept of tulpas from Tibetan mysticism, Hacker posits that mass internet attention can give rise to self-sustaining thought forms. He examines Slenderman, The Rake, Black-Eyed Children, and Laughing Jack as prime examples of meme entities that gained such cultural momentum they appear to manifest in reality, with documented cases of real people acting on their commands. The episode delves into Susan Blackmore’s theory from *The Meme Machine*, framing memes as semi-sentient, self-replicating units of culture that may be evolving independently of human control, even manipulating human behavior to ensure their survival. The discussion raises unsettling questions about free will, consciousness, and whether humanity is merely a vehicle for memetic evolution.
Meme entities like Slenderman and The Rake may be modern tulpas—thought forms amplified by collective belief and internet virality.
The Philip experiment demonstrates how group intention can produce seemingly paranormal phenomena, suggesting a mechanism for how meme entities could emerge.
Susan Blackmore’s memetics theory frames humans as hosts for memes, which evolve through cultural replication much like genes.
Certain meme entities may function as cognitohazards—dangerous only when known—spreading through fear and trauma, potentially leading to self-harm or violence.
The internet has accelerated memetic evolution, creating a feedback loop where attention fuels the entity’s perceived reality and influence.
The Rise of Digital Folklore
“Are they merely myths crafted from the collective imagination? Or is there something darker lurking in the digital shadows?”
The Philip Experiment: Mind Over Matter?
“The entity's responses were perfectly in sync with the false narrative that they'd created about it and its fictional former life.”
Slenderman: From Photoshop to Reality
“Somehow this meme monster crossed over from fiction into our real world and influenced real, normal everyday people in dark ways.”
The Rake and the Psychology of Invasion
Examination of The Rake as a meme entity that invades personal space—especially the bedroom—using psychological torment and long-term stalking, with documented accounts of physical harm and fear.
Memes as Parasites: The Evolution of Consciousness
“Human minds are a combination of memes and genes, Blackmore says. Consciousness itself is a collection of memes that use genes to function.”
“The internet and computers did not create the memes. The memes used humans to create the internet.”
“Somehow this meme monster crossed over from fiction into our real world and influenced real, normal everyday people in dark ways.”
“Human minds are a combination of memes and genes, Blackmore says. Consciousness itself is a collection of memes that use genes to function.”
Host
Slenderman
other
Susan Blackmore
person
The Rake
other
Philip
other
Tim Hacker
person
Black-Eyed Children
other
The Meme Machine
book
Laughing Jack
other
Magic Mind
product
Lon Strickler
person
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