Pronoia Philosophy
The simplest definition of Pronoia may be to say that it is the opposite of paranoia. A person suffering from paranoia suspects that persons or entities (e.g. governments/deities) conspire against them. A person enjoying pronoia feels that the world around them conspires to do them good. The Wired article explains a close association between Zippie, rave culture, and the use of designer drugs which are noted for producing feelings of euphoria and positive fellow-being amongst users. Rave culture involves large social gatherings to participate in trance-like dancing in an environment of techno music and intense light shows. The message of the Zippies appears to be a design to bring the intense positive social feeling and enthusiasm of the Rave to a quasi-religious cultural movement for the improvement of mankind.
Pronoia was also a prevalent theme in the 1988 novel The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho. In it, the protagonist, a young boy is told by an older man to pursue his dreams. He tells the boy, "When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it." The book also deals with omens, signs that the universe wants the boy to follow a specific path, which will lead to his goal of fulfilling a dream.
The principal proponent of pronoia in the 21st century has been the astrologer, writer, poet, singer, and songwriter Rob Brezsny. Brezsny's book Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings, published in 2005, explores the philosophy of pronoia.
Read more about this topic: Pronoia (psychology)
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