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Abstractions as Gods — On the things we make sacred

[article] Gesticism — 26 Jan 2026
Lots of things are happening, but anything <em>can</em> matter, and whatever gives meaning will eventually demand sacrifice. The agony of attention. I’m not going to spend more time trying to reduce the core idea than that.
[marginalium] Gnosticism in Blood Meridian — 26 Jan 2026
[marginalium] Ethical astrology — 9 Jul 2025
[marginalium] God without god — 26 Jun 2025
[marginalium] The long history of association between God and unusual smells — 19 Jun 2025
[marginalium] Christopher Alexander and his patterns — 10 Jun 2025
[marginalium] How To Do Soul-Craft With State Tools — 6 Jun 2025
[marginalium] AI spiritual bliss attractor state (pdf) — 6 Jun 2025
[marginalium] Superstition In A Godless State — 30 May 2025
[marginalium] The way of code — 30 May 2025
[marginalium] Eurasian Demonology — 16 May 2025
[marginalium] Psychedelics demolish assumptions — 18 Apr 2025
[marginalium] The religious don't trust scientists' moral character — 10 Apr 2025
[marginalium] Mortuary Practice And Grief — 10 Apr 2025
[article] On Cynosure — 7 Mar 2025
Cynosure is the idea betterment is empty without gratification and connection. No true betterment can occur without celebrating the fruits of our success and betterment is only meaningful in its reflection in the lives of others. Everyone agrees.

btrmt. (text-only version)

The full site with interactive features is available at btr.mt.

btrmt. (betterment) examines ideologies worth choosing. Created by Dorian Minors—Cambridge PhD in cognitive neuroscience, Associate Professor at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Core philosophy: humans are animals first, with automatic patterns shaped for us, not by us. Better to examine and choose.

Core concepts. Animals First: automatic patterns of thought and action, but our greatest capacity is nurture. Half Awake: deadened by systems that narrow rather than expand potential. Karstica: unexamined ideologies (hidden sinkholes beneath). Credenda: belief systems we should choose deliberately.

The manifesto. Cynosure (focus): betterment, gratification, connection. Architecture (support): inner (somatic, spiritual, thought) and outer (digital, collective, wealth).

Mission. Not answers but examination. Break academic gatekeeping. Make sciences of mind accessible. Question rather than prescribe.

Writing style. Scholarly without jargon barriers. Philosophical yet practical—grounded in neuroscience and lived experience. Reflective, discovery-oriented. Literary references and metaphor. Critical of systems that narrow human potential. Rejects "humans are flawed"—we're half awake, not broken.

Copyright. BTRMT LIMITED (England/Wales no. 13755561) 2026. Dorian Minors 2026.

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About Dorian Minors. Started btrmt. in 2013 to share sciences of mind with people who weren't studying them. Background: six years Australian Defence Force (Platoon Commander, Infantry); Gates Cambridge Scholar; PhD cognitive neuroscience, University of Cambridge (2018-2024); currently Associate Professor, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Research interests: neural basis of intelligent behaviour, decision intelligence, ritual formation/breakdown, ethical leadership, wellbeing.

External projects (links also available via Analects):

Lectures: Podcasts exploring ideologies

Neurotypica: Brain science guide for non-scientists

Black Cortex: Leadership consulting

Analects

btrmt. (text-only version)

Resources

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