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I’ve been thoroughly reading through the Tension book & I’ve gotten up to page 51 so far. As I was going through the Chronology section I took the liberty of writing down all the OSDM members that popped up. I’m going to write them all here so we can have a documented record of names on this forum in case any of them pop up again in the future. If you know of any new OSDM members not listed please add them to this list. (This information is taken from the book pgs. 40-51)
Known OSDM members:
– OSDM first gets introduced in a dead drop letter (picked up by @mumumusings) June 24th, 2016. The letter is addressed to clockmaker 9 “Hello sir…” from Sam Bickerson who tried to introduce Tension 2.0 on July 2nd before mysteriously dissappearing shortly after.
– Aug. 12th Matthew Bayer emails the clockmakers “Dear Sirs…” “In service…” about Addison.
– Sept. 7th OSDM members are the ones that pull out Addison from The One event after @russell gives her the stuffed animal.
– Sept. 8th a note thanking us for the return of Addison is signed Tim OSDM.
– Nov. 5th Periscope shows Samson and another OSDM member taking Tom Barrow* out of the trunk of a car.
*Tom who originally was thought to be Addison’s dad turns out to actually be a part of OSDM during a scene in Ascension and during The End event. Correct? Someone please correct me if I’m wrong here.
– Nov. 11th OSDM member Michelle is introduced.
– and we all know Noah who was seen to be part of the OSDM crew during Ascension…
OSDM = The Oracles: Security and Data Management
Notes:
What do we know about the oracles and the clockmakers? Those were points that I never really understood. Can someone fill me in because in the letters and emails from OSDM members to clockmakers they are writing “in service” to them as if they are higher in ranks than OSDM.
Fin.
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There’s also that pic @julierei posted in another thread from the Tension book that named the Omega Council…Not sure if they’re part of the group but if they’re being mentioned, I’d wager that’s because they’re still around.
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Excellent work, @pandace88! This is a very useful list, and it’s a good idea to try and make sense of the organization. I think it was mentioned before, but there is an email exchange that didn’t make it into the book: https://pastebin.com/vys7BBpx
Signed by “Horace” (High Councilor and Seventh Maker of the Clock), Michelle was ordered to stand down and abandon her current assignment with Samson after it was discovered that “she” (presumably Addison) was using her “real name” (presumably Sabrina).
In retrospect, it now seems clear that they were forecasting the imminent slaughter and their subsequent emergence as the controlling hand behind the strings.
As far as the structure of OSDM and how they intersect with the OOA, the only clue we have is the leaked chart that’s in the book (p. 48). Of course, how reliable that is, considering that the OOA has been revealed to be a fabrication of the OSDM, is certainly debatable. In it, though, it would appear the the Clockmakers were directly tied to the Gatekeepers, and the only link between them and the OOA. As such, they would be prime targets for information manipulation on the part of OSDM, one might imagine.
Now, of course, things are in such a chaotic state that it would seem any attempt to organize a line of logic throughout these things would result in some sort of spiral… it’s really quite strange, this situation.
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Now, of course, things are in such a chaotic state that it would seem any attempt to organize a line of logic throughout these things would result in some sort of spiral… it’s really quite strange, this situation.
This reminds me of what Darren? said in the panel recording about how they would be able to take the story in a spiral! Oh man I need to go back and listen again for the exact quote. My memory is terrible.
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@prufrock5150 correction it’s Clint at 43:50 into the recording that says this about LUST as the next chapter to Tension, “The story will swirl and our world may not look as cohesive as it initially seems”
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@pandace88 since you were inquiring on the Clockmakers, I thought of this Org Chart that was revealed to @coryphella during one very exciting dead drop event. The OOA was revealed to be not as it seemed, but this org chart might still provide some context:
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Here’s another piece of evidence that addresses oracles and clockmakers, from Michelle’s speech during The End:
“Actual faith, you see, that is the one thing we couldn’t program out of you [Addison Barrow] no matter how hard we tried. But you’re not alone. My superiors [Clockmakers] watching us, right now, in the shadows, they believed in this book [The Book of Anoch] too. They hid their beliefs for centuries and now they’re going to be a punchline! …We evolved. Now I don’t know if a God damned word in this book is true or fantasy, and you know what? I don’t care. I care that it is a bait, just like you [Addison Barrow]. You see it’s all part of a narrative that pulls them [audience] here, that makes them care. The mysterious cult! You see The Clockmakers thought the words in that book were power. A mysterious God that speaks only through Oracles. A God that no one has heard from for centuries. No. No no no. The real power lies in the faithful themselves.”
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Thank you for putting this together, @pandace88! I’m sure this will come in very handy in the coming months. @electrichippo, I was wondering if you had an opinion on a question I’ve had about Michelle for a while. It seems with every appearance she shows a disregard for the OSDM, the Clockmakers, and just about anyone we assumed was in authority over her. She seemed to make Horace very upset in the leaked email thread and he said she would be reassigned. She openly mocked their belief in the BOA and killed Samson. After all this, are we operating under the assumption that she still works with the OSDM as it “proudly presents Lust”? I’m just having trouble connecting all that she did to a continued partnership with the Clockmakers.
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@macbethinabathtub said:
After all this, are we operating under the assumption that she [Michelle] still works with the OSDM as it “proudly presents Lust”?
I can’t say for certain, but since the day Michelle appeared she has been the rogue of the OSDM, it seems she does what she wants, and for some reason the other OSDM let her get away with it.
Rather than theorizing further, I’ll bring a bit of hard evidence from the Tension forum, over here to the Lust forum. It’s another example of the confusion that is Michelle. I posted this 11/15/16:
On Saturday, November 12th, five members of BOS arrived at the OOA parking lot in time to have a brief face to face meeting with the woman we are supposing is named Michelle.
This is an exact transcript of what “Michelle” said as soon as the periscope went dark:
“Now, this isn’t as bad as it looks. This isn’t a trap, but before we begin 3 things: 1) Keep your phones in your pockets, 2) You are now in radio silence. You will not speak about this moment, you will not tweet about this moment, you will not write about this moment until after tomorrow night. Are we understood? And, you will not speak unless I ask you to. You will not breathe unless I ask you to, ok? Now…
We have ourselves a little bad news, good news situation.
Bad news, remember the last time you believed in Santa Claus, it’s kind of like that. So why are you guys BOS? What is it to you?
(One by one we listed our reasons for joining BOS. Michelle was pleased with our responses.)
All of you are completely correct and nothing changes for you, but the bad news is, the original BOS was an invention, created by an organization that I work for, to help us track detractors and test a new variable. Yes, it was a giant rabbit hole that you all fell into beautifully. But the good news, the GREAT news, is that you, every single one of you blew that rabbit hole right the fuck up, and you crawled out through the rubble, yes? and you made the B.O.S. 100% real. An actual free thinking, no bullshit taking resistance. Be Proud! I have never seen them as terrified as they are right now. You call yourselves B.O.S., yes? Own it. Keep doing it. Keep doing your work. It’s yours now. No one else’s.
So now you might ask. What do we do? We scratch each others’ backs and send a message. (mocking voice) … Be present. Technology is a distraction. Isn’t it? A coincidence that their very belief system is intended to isolate their followers from the outside world. So tomorrow, for those of you who were invited, I want you to walk through those doors and you will document every god damned thing you see. You will tweet it, you will snapchat, you will stream it, fuck, you can myspace it, share it with the entire world. Get it out live and bring them the fuck down.”
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It often seems the rest of OSDM has been all about secrecy and ritualization to maintain power while Michelle seems to believe that the true path to power is information dissemination and raw data. They’re opposite approaches but with a similar goal. And perhaps just so long as that proves true, her system leads to greater power, she is still useful even as a bit of a wild card. It’s like employing the Streisand Effect to their advantage. Create the sense that OSDM wants to be kept secret so that we are all inclined to talk about them more and “expose” them, which only serves as publicity. As we’ve seen in recent politics, bad publicity does not necessarily mean lessened power. Increasingly it seems as though volume matters more than righteousness or even logic.
I also feel like I remember something during that Michelle email exchange reveal that referenced a man that she was working alongside who agreed with her that the other higher ups are out of touch. Am I recalling correctly? Did we ever find out who that was or am I only thinking of Horace?
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@acedefective
That’s an interesting idea. Would anyone care to find out about the OSDM if they weren’t trying to keep everything a secret? The thing you want most is that which is denied you. -
@acedefective: Perhaps you’re thinking of Michelle’s associate Jack? He was the person Michelle was allegedly speaking to during the park event that @julierei attended in the latest days of the ARG. To quote Julie:
She [Michelle] seemed pretty antsy on the phone with Jack. She kept telling him they’re trying to drag her back in, but she was had no intention of going back. She then told Jack to listen to her closely and how he needed him to pull the trigger.
I have copies of all other dead drop/periscope correspondence docs revealed. Two that come to mind:
During the Culver City dead drop (from memory this was one @addisonborn attended, but I could be wrong) retrieved docs listed: Cmr45, CM14, CM16, ClockM0056, Clock5, CM-43, MJLemke, Clmr9, cMake34, ClMr68, ClckM75, CM-43. Jeez I hadn’t recalled there were so many and hopefully I listed them correctly. I can upload the images too if that’s helpful.
During the 11/10 Periscope docs listed: Michelle, Samson, Horace, Seventh Maker of the Clock.
All of the above are assumedly OSDM players.
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@electrichippo, yes! Jack. That was it, thank you.
Do we know any more about him except for that moment? Is it possible he’s the new suit guy who showed up at the book release alongside Michelle?
Thanks for all the references. I feel like there is still so much of a paper trail that I haven’t managed to fully delve into.
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@acedefective: That was the only time I can recall hearing the name Jack. The older gentleman who gave the angry speech at the Book Release is only credited anywhere as “The Interrogator.” He didn’t really look like a Jack, but you never know. Maybe Jack was one of the men wielding a gas can that night? Maybe Michelle tired of Jack and knifed him in the gut?
As an aside that was never mentioned on the Tension forums: I’ve always wondered if Michelle is MJ Lemke, as listed in those Culver City dead drop docs.
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I wonder if maybe Michelle he something over OSDM? I can understand why she would keep with them, as they may have tools she can use that she wouldn’t have without them… but as has been discussed I can’t understand why they would keep her in their ranks. Maybe she has something over them or maybe she’s so damn good at her job that they put up with the problems she gives them?
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So here’s another thing that I’ve been thinking… All logic has been thrown out the window TBH so bear with me…
Who has truly perished at the hands of the OSDM?? Yes, we had figured that the hired (brainwashed) cast of tension were slaughtered in a way of cleaning house at the end event, yes? But then we went to the (at first thought) OOG book release party only to have it turned IG with Michelle showing up and having her goons set fire to the place/slapping DLB. DLB went missing and the entire cast were alive and in shock to see their home burned down by Michelle. So with that, did OSDM really kill any of the cast that we so much cared for? I was trying to think of who may have actually perished from them and all I can think of were those 5 people who died in a fire after signing life insurance, (which I assume is an OSDM tactic and not so much an OOA, as actors in tension revealed they were asked about/to sign life insurance, as well as the first paper you sign when visiting the tension experience asked if you had insurance).
So basically I D K, this may all be crazy talk but has the OSDM actually killed anyone?
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@rizzzoooooo And we never did see Samson die. He was just stabbed and dragged off!
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@meghanmayhem right??
And if I remember correctly wasn’t the actor who played Samson in attendance? No other OSDM “actors” but him, right? More logic thrown out the window, and rabbit hole going deeper idk -
@pandace88 I agree, I don’t think Samson died after the stabbing TBH
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@rizzzoooooo I mean, other than Samson and Michelle (and later for some, Noah), I don’t that we ever really interacted with any OSDM inside the compound and both of them were in attendance.
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Michelle’s involvement with the OSDM has perplexed me a good deal too @rizzzoooooo. She seems to be with them but simultaneously against them. She was so amused and seemingly pleased that her bosses were afraid of those of us who made BOS real.
And, yes Aaron Akins was at the book signing, right out in the open with the rest of the “cast.” Meanwhile, I opened a door that said “do not open” (because of course I did) and saw Michelle, the gas can thugs and the old angry suit guy hidden away in a side room just waiting.
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@meghanmayhem yes yes, all true. But we’ve only encountered the “actor” of Samson, as far as we are aware Michelle and noah are truly just Michelle and noah… however Aaron has interacted and was in attendance of the book release.
@electrichippo and I were talking when I noticed Samson/Aaron sneak out of the compound back door, very much unlike the other cast who were sticking around and gradually leaving. Maybe Aaron isn’t truly who he says? -
@rizzzoooooo I think you are dead right. In retrospect, and because a mysterious individual suggested this somewhere, the bodies were too staged, even for a play. Which supports the theory of OOA members resurrected as their Shadows.
I feel fairly certain that, again, Samson’s line from the Cole song is a major clue.
It’s all a lie. All of it. The OOA, the BoS, and now — I suspect, the OSDM.
The OSDM may very well be chained up in the cave with us, with the real manipulators behind them.
Alternatively, the reason Michelle appears to be rogue in contained in her speech: “More bullshit, lies, and propaganda”. She may, in fact, be the agent of a wider truth that she is trying to make clear to us. She may, in fact, have urged the Investors to pull out because Darren and Clint were taking advantage of a broader plan for enlightenment, and attempting to brand and monetize it.
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@rizzzoooooo If Michelle and Noah are truly themselves, why do they have actor names listed in the Tension book? We’ve already seen the book is IG with the OSDM edits. Wouldn’t those have been redacted?
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@rizzzoooooo Speaking of who stayed inside the warehouse and who snuck away. The list of those who obviously stayed in could be considered quite compelling. For example, DLB, Sabrina, and London May (aka Sentinel). Who else stayed inside?
@larry BOS might have started as a lie but it became one of the few solid truths. -
I spoke to the actor who played Sampson at the party. I introduced myself, said we had a scene together, and it was a pleasure to meet you. He look at me like I was insane, and appeared a bit scared and worried. He told me “I have no idea what your talking about” and said “I don’t know you”, then he did everything he could to avoid me and wouldn’t talk to interact with me in any way.
I didn’t think much about this at the time.
Sabrina (Addison / Overseer) was there as well and was standing by her self all alone by the wall, and was oddly looking around to see if anyone noticed her. I tried to talk to hear directly, but @russell said something to her, and she stormed off. Then I never had the opportunity to talk to her again.
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@electrichippo Stephanie stayed inside.
Did I miss a story beat? It seemed to me that BoS was manufactured by OSDM to make it appear as a splinter group intent on taking down the OOA.
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@larry yes yes, however I must agree with @electrichippo that the BOS was indeed a true entity in the end. Michelle set has her own agenda that isn’t quite inline with her organization, but I would believe it would be somewhat alike to her bosses… otherwise why would they still be connected?
@nothenrygale mhmm, also very true. -
@larry BOS did indeed start off as a ruse to keep teach of detractors, however all of the memebers of BOS had made it a real, living, breathing organization. We truly did rebel against the OSDM and, according to Michelle, frightened her organization for the first time in a long time
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Yes @larry, at the BOS van event, on that last weekend of Ascension, Michelle told us this:
“…the original BOS was an invention, created by an organization that I work for, to help us track detractors and test a new variable. Yes, it was a giant rabbit hole that you all fell into beautifully. But the good news, the GREAT news, is that you, every single one of you blew that rabbit hole right the fuck up, and you crawled out through the rubble, yes? and you made the B.O.S. 100% real. An actual free thinking, no bullshit taking resistance. Be Proud! I have never seen them as terrified as they are right now. You call yourselves B.O.S., yes? Own it. Keep doing it. Keep doing your work. It’s yours now. No one else’s.”
Some could argue that Michelle isn’t a reliable source, but those of us who have been loyal to BOS really wouldn’t give a damn. It’s real because we say it’s real.
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It’s real because we say it’s real.
Something Samson said to me and you @larry about Sabrina, but it’s fitting here….”You see this? She actually thinks this shit is real hahaha”
Don’t buy into this propaganda
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“If it’s true for you, it’s true for you.” – L. Ron Hubbard
It’s your decision whether or not you want to drink the Flavor-Aid, but I wouldn’t…
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@russell said;But, at the time… for her… it WAS real.
And to paraphrase, the one thing they couldn’t program out of her was her faith. Perception is reality. Might be misguided reality, but it’s still reality, and I for one would rather believe in something than believe in nothing at all, although I won’t do it blindly.
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Ok so for what its worth, When I was in the tool room. the one thing that still burns in my brain is “The Preparer” pointed to the pictures above the bench. He said something to the likes of “These are the guys running everything.” The reason it burns my brain is because its the part that I feel I messed up. I found a note in a plant when I entered the Lobby. It said something like “He is not an actor, dont trust him.” Later on I met up with Elder Ernest in the corridor. He went on a rant about how he was just an actor and wondered if I believed any of this or not. He told me that its so weird because who do you think signs my paycheck. Not Darren, Not The Tension Experience. Its signed the &$#*(@% OOA. (My regret is I never called him out on his lie for being an actor. I was so in the moment I had forgotten the paper in the beginning) But it makes sense. He was at the stage during the ceremony. He was a waiter at the gathering for “The One” along with Samson. Just my thoughts but I think all the waiters were OSDM, as well as everyone in this picture. – Photo taken from @mkarrett
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imo, BOS is only the title of a movement, and one that has been adopted from the original by members of the original because of the weight it carries.
I think it’s safe to say that BOS is an anti-OSDM group. Even though it was originally set up BY the OSDM, once we were told that it was a more or less a trap, any alignment with any group associated with and including the OSDM went out the window.
It’s real because we make it real, and honestly, it would exist without the OSDM’s involvement. They just made the organizational and recruitment portions easier. As long as someone wants to fight the people pulling the strings, the BOS will exist.
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Who knows what’s real TBH, but we truly rebelled, we truly believed in something that wasn’t brainwashing and murder, and we truly believed in helping a young girl named Sabrina and anyone else in harms way of whatever organization (be it OOA or OSDM). We may have joined with the creators of BOS not being honest and having alternative motives, but we took it from them and we made it out.
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@lukasrl I was thinking of that man as well! I found no note, but I was just recalling him from the one event… I agree we may not have seen the last of him and he has a role much bigger than what we thought he had
EDIT: However we also know these guys know how to brainwash, maybe they were just reset for that event as muscle? But that note you spoke of has me thinking… hmmmmm
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@rizzzoooooo and I may not have been there but as far as the periscope goes. I didn’t see him in a pool of blood. I also think I recognize some of the other pictures but I dont believe if I had any interactions with them.
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@rizzzoooooo Yeah every time I think of Ascension that note hits my memory and I cringe because I didnt say anything. I want to believe I was chosen for that scene based on me finding that note because I dont hear too many people talking about that scene in spoilers that I have read.
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@lukasrl I do recall he was in the end, I believe he was in a chair all “dead” and such
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@electrichippo If we really want to line this rabbit hole with thorns…
It’s real because we say it’s real.
… could simply mean it isn’t real at all.
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Have we ever been able to sort out who Michelle is referring to specifically when she calls out “her superiors?” Essentially, does she mean the Clockmakers, or others at OSDM?
I think back to the emails between Horace, Samson, and Michelle towards the end of Tension, where Horace angrily wrote “Michelle, you and your entire team were nothing before us.” He also signs his emails “High Councilor, Seventh Maker of the Clock” — not anything related to OSDM.
That pooints to the Clockmakers having a problem with a group of people — perhaps OSDM as a whole — rather than just Michelle. Then, during The End, Michelle talked about how her team were able to manipulate and coerce people, and that “you’d think this ability would have been enough to show our superiors that we should be taken seriously. But the [muffled, but always sounded like “old bags balked” to me] and resisted our methods, and they put their faith in a fucking book.” That book, of course, being the Book of Anoch.
Given the dividing line seems to be between a focus on data, and a focus on faith with the Book of Anoch, I can’t help but wonder if the OSDM as a whole was not the data-focused group initially empowered by the Oracles, who then became power hungry when they realized their own power to manipulate, and decided to go rogue as a whole. That gives the dynamics a fun spin, explaining why the OSDM essentially staged a coup at The End as a show of force, and then led us all right into Lust with invitation cards that night. Michelle isn’t a thorn in the side of OSDM — she is OSDM. (It also makes the group scarier; if Tension was them being held back by the Clockmakers, what will they do now without those restrictions?)
With regard to BOS and The End, I’ve always been fascinated by the machinations there at the final days of the show. Michelle applauded BOS for making the organization their own independent, thinking, entity, and then gave them a task — recording the event — and BOS happily did as they were told.
It’s always worth playing devil’s advocate given how little we truly know, but from the perspective of someone like Michelle: aren’t the best puppets the ones that don’t realize they’re puppets at all?
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Huh, I actually dig that a lot @bcbishop
OSDM and the clockmakers are, in actuality, two separate entity’s opposed to them both being OSDM. Thatbwould make a lot of sense!
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So are there people higher up in the OSDM (or whatever group the Clockmakers are a part of) who actually believe in the Book of Anoch?
I only came in near the later part of Ascension, but I had thought that the Book of Anoch was only used as a means for the OSDM to control those in the OOA. Michelle’s attitude and the accounts of Samson regarding Addison (“Isn’t it funny? She believes this is real.”), gave the impression that they thought it was bullshit. Given that, Michelle’s line about putting their faith in a book has always struck me as a bit strange.
If there is a group who believe in Anoch, would they be a part of the OSDM? Would they have people under them, like Michelle and Samson, who don’t believe in Anoch?
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That was my understanding, @kevin, that although Ascension was a ruse, the book of Anoch and its belief system was still real in some way and held by Horace and other members of the OSDM. I also got the impression that Michelle doesn’t so much not believe as much as she just doesn’t care one way or the other if it’s true because she has bigger things on her mind. I could be wrong though.
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We’re all lusting for attention… that’s why we are here.
“Only the Active Move Forward”
I’d go so far as to say that MOST of the participants (will) lurk for the greater portion of this experience… but they won’t necessarily benefit narratively.
In my opinion, patronizing those that attempt to endear themselves to the experience is counterproductive.
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