About This Project
The Concept
"The Council of Presence" is a 30-page graphic novel that emerged from a heterarchical deliberation protocol—a structured process where multiple perspectives examine a question without any single authority resolving the outcome.
The central proposition: "Just doing nothing and staying fully present—it's like the only thing to do." Eleven spiritual perspectives were invited to deliberate this idea, each bringing their unique lens to the question.
The Process
The deliberation followed a five-phase protocol:
- Independent Lens Enactment — Each sage presented their perspective without reference to others
- Lateral Cross-Examination — Sages challenged each other in contrast sets
- Reflective Re-Statement — Each sage refined (or maintained) their position
- Mutual Evaluation — All perspectives were evaluated across multiple axes
- Orchestrated Outputs — Agreement maps, tension maps, and option spaces were produced
Key Findings
Universal Agreements: All perspectives agreed that the quality of being infuses doing, literal inaction is not the point, and misunderstanding poses real risks.
Irreducible Tensions: The board surfaced fundamental disagreements about the nature of self, the role of method, and the relationship between stillness and action.
Six Paths: Dissolution, Liberation, Compassionate Action, Effortless Alignment, Strategic Presence, and Choiceless Awareness emerged as distinct approaches.
The Message
The comic's conclusion—where the Seeker turns away from all offered paths to discover their own inner light—reflects the deliberation's core insight: the board clarified the decision space without collapsing it. The choice remains with the one who must live it.
"The answer was never in a path to be chosen... but in a presence to be discovered."