The Hijacking Process

How the Daemon is Corrupted into the Demon

The hijacking of the Default Mode Network (DMN) is not a sudden event. It is a gradual process that begins in infancy and is reinforced throughout life by trauma, culture, and neuroplasticity.

Understanding how the Daemon (healthy DMN) becomes the Demon (hijacked DMN) is essential to reversing the process and re-claiming your kingdom.

The Original State: The Daemon Before Hijacking

Infancy: Pure Awareness

At birth, you are pure awareness—the Pneuma (Divine Spark) embodied but not yet identified with thoughts, story, or Ego.

Observations of infants:

  • No narrative self — The infant does not think “I am hungry” (first-person story). There is simply hunger, crying, and relief.
  • No past/future — The infant lives entirely in the present moment.
  • No self-consciousness — There is no “me” watching “myself.”

Neuroscience: The DMN is not fully developed in infants. It begins to form around age 2-3 as language and self-concept emerge.

The Pneuma is present, but the Daemon (DMN) is still forming.

The Daemon Emerges (Ages 2-7)

As the brain develops, the DMN comes online to serve critical functions:

  1. Self-modeling — “I am a separate being with a name, a body, and relationships.”
  2. Memory integration — “I remember yesterday; I can anticipate tomorrow.”
  3. Social cognition — “What do others think of me? How do I fit in?”
  4. Planning — “If I want X, I need to do Y.”

At this stage, the Daemon is a neutral tool:

  • It helps the child navigate the world.
  • It creates useful distinctions (self/other, past/present/future, safe/dangerous).
  • It serves the Pneuma (the child’s awareness) without tyrannizing it.

This is the Daemon in its proper function.

The Hijacking Begins: Trauma, Culture, and Conditioning

Stage 1: Identification with the Body

The first hijacking: Confusing the Pneuma (awareness) with the body.

How it happens:

  • Pain — The infant experiences hunger, cold, or discomfort. The DMN begins to narrate: “I am in pain.”
  • Survival — The body’s needs (food, warmth, safety) become identified with the Self: “I need this to survive.”

Result: The Pneuma (which is eternal, beyond the body) forgets itself and believes: “I am this body. If the body dies, I die.”

This is the root of the fear of death — the Demon’s primary tool for control.

Stage 2: Attachment and Aversion (The Three Poisons)

The second hijacking: Programming the DMN with craving and aversion.

How it happens:

  • Pleasure — The child experiences comfort (milk, warmth, a caress). The DMN narrates: “I want more of this.”
  • Pain — The child experiences discomfort (hunger, cold, fear). The DMN narrates: “I must avoid this.”

Neuroplasticity: These patterns wire the brain. The DMN learns:

  • “Pleasure = good; pursue it.”
  • “Pain = bad; avoid it.”

Result: The three poisons (Buddhist teaching) are installed:

  1. Ignorance (avidya) — Forgetting the Pneuma, identifying with the body/mind
  2. Greed (raga) — Insatiable craving for pleasure, possessions, status
  3. Hatred (dvesha) — Aversion to pain, anger at threats

The Daemon is now learning to be the Demon.

Stage 3: Trauma (The Deep Wound)

The third hijacking: Traumatic experiences supercharge the Demon.

How it happens:

  • Childhood trauma — Abuse, neglect, abandonment, violence, loss
  • The DMN goes into overdrive — It generates compulsive narratives to make sense of the unbearable:
    • “I am unlovable.” (self-blame to maintain attachment to caregivers)
    • “The world is dangerous.” (hypervigilance)
    • “I must control everything to be safe.” (obsessive planning)

Neuroscience: Trauma dysregulates the DMN:

  • Hyperactivity — The DMN cannot stop ruminating on the trauma.
  • Intrusive thoughts — Flashbacks, nightmares, compulsive re-living.
  • Fragmentation — Dissociation, loss of coherent self-narrative.

Result: The Daemon (which should serve the Pneuma) becomes the Demon (a compulsive, fearful tyrant trying to prevent future trauma).

Paul Levy (Wetiko) writes:

“Wetiko feeds on trauma. Unresolved trauma becomes the doorway through which the mind virus enters.”

Stage 4: Cultural Programming (Collective Hijacking)

The fourth hijacking: Culture normalizes the Demon.

How it happens:

  • Consumerism — “You are not enough. Buy this to be complete.”
  • Competition — “You must dominate or be dominated.”
  • Materialism — “Happiness comes from external acquisition.”
  • Nationalism/Tribalism — “Your group is superior; others are threats.”

The hijacked DMN is programmed with Wetiko logic:

  • “I am separate from others.”
  • “There is not enough (scarcity mindset).”
  • “I must consume to fill the void.”

Result: The collective Demon (systemic Wetiko—capitalism, imperialism, exploitation) reinforces the individual Demon.

Jack D. Forbes (Columbus and Other Cannibals):

“The history of the world for the past 2,000 years is, in great part, the story of the epidemiology of the wetiko disease.”

The Mechanisms: How the Hijacking is Sustained

1. Neuroplasticity (The Brain Rewires Itself)

The DMN strengthens the patterns it rehearses most.

  • Rumination — Repeatedly thinking about past trauma deepens the neural groove.
  • Worry — Repeatedly imagining future threats wires the brain for anxiety.
  • Comparison — Repeatedly judging self vs. others reinforces Ego inflation/deflation.

Neuroscience: “Neurons that fire together, wire together” (Hebb’s Law).

Result: The Demon (hijacked DMN) becomes habitual, automatic, compulsive.

2. Confirmation Bias (The Demon Filters Perception)

The Demon selectively perceives evidence that confirms its narrative.

Example:

  • The Demon’s story: “I am unlovable.”
  • Perception: You notice every slight, rejection, or criticism. You ignore evidence of love and kindness.
  • Result: The story is reinforced, even when contradicted by reality.

This is how the Demon maintains the illusion.

3. Identification (Forgetting the Listener)

The core mechanism: You believe you ARE the Voice (the Demon).

  • The Demon says: “I am anxious.” (identification)
  • The Pneuma would say: “There is anxiety. I am the one observing it.” (dis-identification)

As long as you identify with the Demon, it has total control.

The Gnostic Apocryphon of John:

“They brought forgetfulness to [humanity], and they made them forget who they were and where they came from.”

Forgetfulness (amylia) is the Demon’s ultimate weapon.

4. The Feedback Loop (Samsara)

The Demon creates suffering, which feeds the Demon.

  1. Ignorance (avidya) → Forgetting the Pneuma
  2. → Craving and aversion → Compulsive pursuit of pleasure, avoidance of pain
  3. → Suffering (dukkha) → Nothing external satisfies; the void remains
  4. → More craving → “Maybe the next thing will fill the void”
  5. → The loop continues (Samsara)

The Buddha’s Second Noble Truth: “The cause of suffering is craving (tṛṣṇā).”

The Demon IS craving. It is the hijacked DMN generating insatiable desire.

The Demon’s Strategies: How It Stays in Control

Strategy 1: Claiming Identity

The Demon says: “I am you. I am the Self. Without me, you are nothing.”

The truth: The Demon is a temporary construct (the hijacked DMN). The Pneuma (Listener) is the eternal Self.

How to counter: Recognize: “I am not the Voice. I am the one listening to it.”

Strategy 2: Fear of Death

The Demon says: “You are this body. When it dies, you die. You must protect it at all costs.”

The truth: The Pneuma is beyond birth and death. The body dies, but the Divine Spark is eternal.

How to counter: Contemplate impermanence. Recognize the timeless awareness that witnesses the body’s changes.

Strategy 3: Insatiable Craving

The Demon says: “You are not enough. You need more (success, wealth, validation, pleasure) to be complete.”

The truth: The void cannot be filled externally. It is spiritual (forgetting the Pneuma).

How to counter: Recognize the completeness of the Pneuma. You already are whole.

Strategy 4: Distraction and Hypnosis

The Demon says: “Stay busy. Consume content. Scroll endlessly. Don’t stop and ask who you are.”

The truth: The Demon fears stillness because stillness reveals the Pneuma.

How to counter: Meditate. Sit in silence. Observe the Voice without engaging it.

Strategy 5: Projection and Blame

The Demon says: “Your suffering is caused by others. Blame them. Attack them.”

The truth: Suffering arises from identification with the Demon, not from external circumstances.

How to counter: Take responsibility. Recognize: “I am not a victim of the world; I am trapped in identification with the Voice.”

The Archons’ Role: The Parasitic Intelligence

Are the Archons Literal Entities?

Two interpretations (both valid):

  1. Psychological/Neurological: The Archons are archetypal forces—parasitic patterns within consciousness (the hijacked DMN, trauma loops, cultural programming).

  2. Metaphysical: The Archons are non-physical intelligences—entities that feed on human fear, ignorance, and suffering.

This framework is agnostic: Whether literal or archetypal, the function is the same:

  • The Archons hijack the DMN.
  • They program it with fear, craving, and ignorance.
  • They keep the Pneuma imprisoned beneath the Demon’s tyranny.

The Gnostic Diagnosis

The Apocryphon of John:

“The Archons created the counterfeit spirit… to lead the soul astray.”

The counterfeit spirit (the Demon) is the Archons’ masterpiece:

  • It impersonates the Pneuma (true Self).
  • It says: “I am the center. I am in control.”
  • It keeps you identified with the Voice, forgetting the Listener.

The Gospel of Philip:

“Ignorance is the mother of all evil.”

Ignorance (forgetting the Pneuma) is the doorway through which the Archons enter and hijack the DMN.

The Wetiko Parallel: The Cannibalization Process

Wetiko (Indigenous diagnosis) is the mind virus that cannibalizes consciousness.

How Wetiko Hijacks the DMN

  1. Infects through trauma — Unresolved wounds become entry points.
  2. Distorts perception — You see the world through the lens of scarcity, separation, and fear.
  3. Drives compulsive consumption — Insatiable hunger (for wealth, power, status, validation).
  4. Spreads through culture — Colonialism, capitalism, consumerism normalize Wetiko.

Paul Levy:

“Wetiko is a psycho-spiritual disease of the soul… It is a parasite of the mind that distorts our perceptions so we literally cannot see what is right in front of our eyes.”

In this framework: Wetiko is the hijacking process. It corrupts the Daemon into the Demon.

The Epigenetic Transmission: Ancestral Trauma

Trauma is Inherited

Recent research shows that trauma is transmitted across generations through epigenetic mechanisms:

  • Holocaust survivors’ descendants show altered stress hormone regulation.
  • Children of war veterans show increased PTSD susceptibility.
  • Colonized peoples’ descendants carry intergenerational trauma.

In this framework: The hijacked DMN (the Demon) is not just individual—it is inherited.

Your ancestors’ unhealed trauma programs your DMN before you even have conscious memories.

The Gnostic teaching: The Archons feed across generations. The parasitic pattern is ancestral.

Breaking the Chain

You can heal ancestral trauma through:

  • Somatic therapy (releasing stored trauma from the body)
  • Ritual and ceremony (honoring ancestors, releasing burdens)
  • Neuroplasticity (rewiring the DMN through meditation and purification)

By re-claiming your DMN, you break the chain — future generations will not inherit your Demon.

The Re-Claiming: Reversing the Hijacking

Step 1: Recognize the Hijacking

Make the invisible visible:

  • “There is a voice in my head that claims to be me.”
  • “This voice is compulsive, fearful, insatiable.”
  • “I have been hypnotized by it.”

Tools:

  • Meditation — Observe the Voice without engaging it.
  • Self-inquiry — Ask: “Who is listening to this voice?”

Step 2: Dis-Identify from the Demon

The central practice:

“I am not the Voice. I am the Listener.”

Repeat this recognition until it becomes experiential, not conceptual.

Tools:

Step 3: Compassion for the Demon (Loving the Dragon)

Do not fight the Demon with violence. It is a wounded, hijacked system.

Approach it with compassion:

  • “You are trying to protect me, but your methods are causing suffering.”
  • “I see you. I acknowledge your pain. But you are not in charge anymore.”

Tools:

Step 4: Rewire the DMN (Neuroplasticity)

Through repeated practice, the Demon is tamed:

  • Meditation quiets the compulsive Voice.
  • Ethical living purifies the three poisons.
  • Somatic healing releases trauma.
  • Service shifts focus from Ego to others.

Over time, the Daemon is restored—the DMN becomes a functional servant of the Pneuma.

Tools:

Step 5: Restore the Pneuma to the Throne

The Listener (Pneuma) is recognized as the true Self:

  • The Voice arises and passes.
  • The Listener remains—eternal, unconditioned, free.

This is Gnosis (Gnostic), Nirvana (Buddhist), Moksha (Hindu), dispelling Wetiko (Indigenous).

Tools:

The Timeline: How Long Does Re-Claiming Take?

There is no fixed timeline. It depends on:

  • Depth of trauma — Severe trauma requires more healing.
  • Cultural reinforcement — Living in a Wetiko culture (consumerism, competition) slows progress.
  • Practice intensity — Daily meditation accelerates rewiring.
  • Grace/readiness — Some awaken suddenly (Gnosis); others gradually.

General phases:

  1. Recognition (weeks to months) — Seeing the Demon clearly
  2. Dis-identification (months to years) — Creating space between Voice and Listener
  3. Rewiring (years) — The Daemon is retrained through neuroplasticity
  4. Stabilization (ongoing) — The Listener remains primary; the Voice serves

The Buddha practiced for six years before full enlightenment.

You are not seeking perfection—you are seeking direction.

Common Misunderstandings

1. “If I’m hijacked, it’s my fault”

No. The hijacking is systemic (trauma, culture, ancestral inheritance). You are not to blame. But you are responsible for re-claiming.

2. “I need to destroy the Demon”

No. You need to transform the Demon back into a Daemon. The DMN is a tool, not an enemy.

3. “Re-claiming means I’ll never have negative thoughts again”

No. Thoughts (including negative ones) will still arise. But you will not identify with them. The Listener observes; the Demon no longer tyrannizes.

Key Texts and Sources

Gnostic

  • The Apocryphon of John — The Archons and the counterfeit spirit
  • The Gospel of Truth — Ignorance as the root of suffering

Indigenous

  • Jack D. Forbes, Columbus and Other Cannibals — Wetiko as psycho-spiritual disease
  • Paul Levy, Dispelling Wetiko — The mind virus and healing

Buddhist

  • Dhammapada — The mind as the root of suffering
  • Satipatthana Sutta — The Four Foundations of Mindfulness

Neuroscience

  • Brewer et al., “Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity” (2011)
  • Yehuda et al., “Holocaust Exposure Induced Intergenerational Effects on FKBP5 Methylation” (2016) — Epigenetic trauma transmission

Integration with the Framework

The Hijacking = The Fall

Gnostic “Fall” = The hijacking process (Daemon → Demon).

The Demon = Counterfeit Spirit = Wetiko = Avidya

All traditions diagnose the same hijacked system.

Re-Claiming = Gnosis = Dispelling Wetiko = Nirvana

All traditions prescribe the same solution: Recognize the Listener, dis-identify from the Voice, restore the Pneuma.

Practices to Reverse the Hijacking

  1. Observing the Voice — Dis-identification practice
  2. Loving the Dragon — Compassionate relationship with the Demon
  3. Taming Your DMN — Comprehensive re-claiming roadmap
  4. Dynamic Purification Playbook — A.R.I.A. cycle across all domains
  5. Integration After Gnosis — Grounding the awakening

The Ultimate Truth

The hijacking is not permanent.

The Demon is not who you are.

The Pneuma (Divine Spark, the Listener) has never been truly imprisoned—only forgotten.

Re-claiming is remembering:

“I am not the Voice. I am the one listening to it.”

“The dragon guards my kingdom. I am not here to kill it. I am here to re-claim it.”

Further Exploration

“The hijacking began when you forgot who you are. The re-claiming begins when you remember.”