My Interview with a Cyborg Werewolf, part 1

A while back, I read this manifesto introducing the Cyborg Werewolf. I was immediately intrigued by the idea of a human operating on all these different levels. This is part 1, tune in for part 2 here.

What does it mean to be a cyborg werewolf? (What is it that makes you animal? What is it that makes you human? What is it that makes you cyborg?)

My body and my base instincts make me animal. The peculiar expression of consciousness inhabiting this body makes me human. The ability to connect with other peculiar expressions of consciousness inhabiting other human-animal bodies all over the globe at near-telepathic speed makes me a "cyborg."

I've been thinking of myself as a werewolf since last spring in recognition of my true significance in the world. I am part of nature, not above it. I have no inherent rights over it. And if you back up and look at the big picture that means no one has inherent rights over me either. That's what Unbridled Existence is about: taking off the false constraints society puts on us to harness our energy for their own purposes. We need to harness our energy for our own purposes and especially for the purpose of making sure every person on earth has the ability to do the same. The Internet is making that possible, and we need to use it for all it's worth. So obviously, that's a pretty big task. A lot for a mere mortal man. Times like these call for mythological figures. Enter the cybernetic werewolf.

What exactly are the powers of a werewolf?

Traditionally, eating people. Most of our modern werewolf lore has its roots in France and Germany where serial killers started popping up and committing these bizarre, often cannibalistic crimes. People couldn't wrap their heads around that. So they assumed these people must be possessed by some demonic animal spirit. Wolves were the main predator in those areas so they got the blame. Thousands of real wolves were pointlessly slaughtered in actual werewolf hunts. The Roman Catholic Church actually had laws on the books about how to punish werewolves and participated in many bizarre rituals meant to expose the wolf hiding inside the suspected killers.

I'm really out to reverse that imagery. It's not the human in touch with his animal nature that's a beast. It's the human out of touch that you have to be wary of. That's basically the theme of the novel I'm working on, and now it's becoming my life philosophy. Show me a person screwing up the world, and I'll show you a person in denial of his true roots. The worst people tend to be the ones who put humanity on a pedestal. They think everything is here for us. They have no sense of the delicate balance of life on this earth. They're just in complete denial about it. In extreme cases, these people get so lost in this fantasy that they start thinking of different types of people as being less human too!

So I'm working from the idea that being a werewolf would make you behave better not worse. Being aware of your animal nature gives you a sense of oneness with everything, not just your species or race or religion. Our animalness is what we all have in common. I guess I would say that the powers of the werewolf are awareness and humility because these are what we need most to combat the uniquely human weapons of ignorance and pride.

How can domesticated, tame humans get back in touch with their wild nature? What if you've forgotten how to run in the grass?

Just do it! You don't have to hit the ground running. You can start just lying there. Find a soft patch of green grass. Take off your shoes. Lie on your back. Feel the sun caressing your skin. Feel the dirt crumble between your toes. Tangle your fingers in the grass like a lover's hair. This is what I call Cat Pose. Next is Dog Pose. Roll around. Seriously. Remember when you were a kid and you loved to roll down hills? Do it now. Okay, get up, shake it off just like Fido. Don't those grass stains feel good? Now you're ready for Horse Pose. Just run! This isn't exercise. This is play. Run in circles. Zig zags. Figure eights. Jump over things just because you can. You might feel crazy at first, but you'll soon realize that's justs the feeling of being alive. Wolf Pose happens when you can do this under the moon. Howling is mandatory.

Seriously, the best way to get in touch with your animal nature is just to start acting like one. I was notorious for this well into my teenage years. Even in college, I would beg my friends to go frolic in the park. I meant this literally. I just wanted to run around in circles and roll down hills. That was how I wanted to handle the stress of my increasingly human duties. It's really the best way, in my opinion. You can think about what it means to be an animal all day, but animals don't really think about being animals, do they? They just are. So just go be one.

(Note: If you're really afraid of looking stupid running around in circles by yourself, you could always adopt a dog. But remember to skip the breeders and go to the shelter!)

The second part of the interview is here. Follow us on Twitter to get notified when we post more cool stuff like this. If you like this interview, please Tweet it!