A Message from the Depths
A long time ago, the story goes, people tried to build a great tower. They spoke the same language, and that tower almost reached the heavens. But a jealous god saw their attempts, and knew that in their unity they would challenge his fragile power. And so cursed them to speak a thousand different languages, and the tower was never finished.
This is an old story, and it’s as relevant today as it was two thousand years ago. Over the last two decades, our social technologies have amplified the fragmentation and disconnection that has always been present in the human spirit. So present that, as Josh Schrei puts it, most cultures have stories about our tendency to divide, and develop rituals that heal the bonds between us.
In the modern world, we’ve lost many of those rituals. And without trust and communication, our collective problems can seem impossible. Environmental crises. Wars. Declining mental health. Declining fertility. An epidemic of loneliness. The loss of a commons where we can explore ideas that aren’t watched over by jealous algorithms.
In an attempt to meet these challenges, some notable subcultures have emerged. They go by many names and espouse many different perspectives, but share some recognition that the systems we’re living in are self-exterminating. These subcultures form more of an ecosystem than a movement, a loose scene instead of a unified front. They include people in the ‘Liminal Web’, Metamodernists, systems thinkers, facilitators, conscious communities, psychedelic activists, the Game B movement and dozens of other tribes.
I’ve been part of these worlds for a long time. Kainos sits within this landscape, as did Rebel Wisdom. Even though I find them (and myself) frustrating at times, I still think this scene is one of the most interesting in the world, because the people that make it up are trying to point toward new horizons we can’t yet imagine.
But it also has a serious problem. Most of the ideas and approaches that come out of these corners of the internet and academia are completely inaccessible to 99.99% of the population. They’re loaded with complex ideas and jargon. They can be overly abstract and too focused on personal development over grounded policies. Sharing circles and obscure philosophies alienate people who might be interested in the ideas but aren’t used to sub-cultural rules.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with any of this, and the same can be said of most scenes. I’m a major perpetrator of everything I’m listing here. I love a bit of abstraction, and overthinking popular culture is one of my favourite pastimes. However, I’ve always felt that by its nature this scene should be different. It isn’t about a shared activity, or music, or fandom. It goes right to the heart of what matters. It’s about our future. It’s about creating a more beautiful world. Inherent in its very nature is an obligation to convince the majority of people that there is another way of doing things.
Over the last five years, I’ve thought a lot about where to place my focus in this space and beyond. There are many things I can’t do particularly well, but one thing I am good at is translating complex ideas and telling stories around them. My book The Bigger Picture was an attempt at this, using psychedelic science to invite readers into a wider perspective on what’s possible. I’ve always been inspired by Terence McKenna’s paraphrasing of William Blake: “If the truth can be told so as to be understood, it will be believed.”
Kainos was inspired by this sentiment. It exists to act as a bridge between the essential ideas coming from the realms of systems change, art and academia and the mainstream. Why? Because we have an amazing opportunity.
As the old world order buckles, anyone involved in systems change, transformational practices, ecological activism and heterodox social theories can have a disproportionate impact. Our institutions have run out of ideas. Our stories have become stale and repetitive. Society and politics is churning, looking for new ways of seeing and being. The soil is parched and ready.
Often, academics and theorists are reluctant to bring their ideas into the mainstream because good ideas have the bad habit of being captured, watered down or twisted beyond recognition when they hit TikTok feeds and the nightly news. They are stripped of their complexity, their heart, and their edge so that they don’t challenge existing assumptions. I don’t see this as an intentional strategy by any actors, it’s just a feature of an extractive and empty system.
It’s horrible to watch. You probably know this feeling if you have extensive knowledge in any field, skill or domain. When you see it represented on TV or the news, you might wince as it’s reframed for the lowest common denominator. It only scratches the surface of the deeper truths it points to, or worse, is wildly misrepresented.
If we want to bring essential ideas about systems change and social transformation into the mainstream, the trick is to scratch the surface without losing the depth. To create Trojan horses that look pretty on the outside but are full of radical potential.
But it’s really, really hard to do.
There’s no perfect balance. Our attempts can result in stories or movements that are either too complex, or too simple. You can’t please everyone. But I think we have to try, and then share our insights and work together to land on framings and ideas that stick.
There is no point in a world-changing theory or idea that can’t be embodied by a culture. In the same way, a new invention without an R&D process, factory, supply chains and human bodies dedicated to making it a reality is just a fantasy.
Vital ideas need to leave their silos. When they do, theories can become policies. Concepts can become social experiments. They help us to unify around shared human truths we all feel in our hearts.
I realised about a year ago that I wanted to be part of that shift, and use my skills to translate as best I can the ideas I think matter so that people outside of the bubbles I live in can feel as inspired by them as I have.
My first feature-length documentary, Leviathan, is by far my most ambitious attempt. It premieres on this Substack tomorrow, and it’s been the most intense creative process I’ve ever taken on. The title of this piece might refer to exhaustion, despair, my churning unconscious or the cultural zeitgeist. I genuinely have no idea, just like I had no idea what I was getting myself into at the start of this project.
All that being said, I think we’ve created something beautiful. It wouldn’t have been possible without the help of many people, particularly its editor and co-writer Whetham Allpress, who’s unflinching dedication to narrative clarity was crucial in helping me take some very complex ideas and simplify them into a compelling narrative.
It also wouldn’t have been possible without my amazingly patient wife Ashleigh, who has tolerated many late nights, trips abroad and my own brand of infuriating madness, but still had the compassion to be there for me as I struggled. Twenty-four hours before the premiere I’m tired, nervous, and immensely proud of what we’ve created. I’ve also been really touched by the responses we’ve had already from our screenings; it’s kept the whole Leviathan crew going in these final weeks.
I was umming and ahhing about writing this message as I also need to rest before tomorrow, but I love this film and want it to have a strong start.
That’s why I’m sharing this context, and asking for your collaboration if you feel called to give it. If you’re deeply immersed in systems change, complexity and meta-crisis ideas and you enjoy Leviathan, consider using it as a bridge to communicate with people you want to bring into a deeper conversation.
Leviathan is a story and journey in its own right. So far it’s been described as intense, beautiful, challenging and necessary. Almost certainly there will be aspects of it you disagree with. If you do, share them. This film is an invitation into a new kind of conversation. It’s a blend of translation art, informative documentary and embodiment practice.
I created it to bring people together in person and across oceans. To spark conversations, and open up dialogue between different groups and inspire grounded hope.
Are you the only person in your friend group who’s heard the term ‘meta-crisis?’ Invite some friends round to watch it together. Have you ever had drinks with friends and tried to explain why you don’t fit within the political left or right? Share it with them. Are there people in your life you want to talk about complex ideas with, but can’t find a way to start the conversation? Share Leviathan and see if it sparks something.
Kainos was founded to tell stories that bridge the gap between the edges of culture and the mainstream. In many ways, Leviathan is the real launch of this platform. But a film can’t act as a bridge without human beings. When it premieres tomorrow, you might want to watch it alone, but if you do then join in the Kainos Substack chat so we can all have a conversation about it.
If you want to host a screening, you can express your interest here. We have screenings taking place tomorrow in London, Stockholm and Toronto you can still join, with San Francisco, Dublin and many more to be announced post-premiere. We want to keep these screenings and facilitated conversations going indefinitely as long as there’s energy for them.
Lastly, if you enjoy the film and want to help us make more like it, sign up as a paid subscriber. There are lots of practical benefits to doing so, in particular access to the full interviews with all seven guests (Yanis Varoufakis, Nora Bateson, Douglas Rushkoff, Minna Salami, Josh Schrei, Alexa Firmenich and John Vervaeke). There’s so much good stuff that didn’t make it into the documentary that is really worth checking out.
Beyond that, supporting Kainos is a way to help us make films like this in the future. Leviathan cost about $50,000. For any UK readers, that’s the equivalent of about 91,000 Freddo Bars.
At the moment, my ratio of paid to free subscribers on Substack is about 2%, and the average is 10%. It costs just 20 cents a day to change your subscription, and if we can get up to 10% we’ll have enough to fund the next documentary, which is going to explore the dynamics between men and women in 2025 and how it influences culture.
You can find a list of premiere day screenings below, plus my special event with Leviathan guest Douglas Rushkoff in London on July 1st.
First, a few more photos of screenings that have taken place over the last week, including Berlin last night which was hosted by Steffen Stäuber at his beautiful co-working project WeSpace. Also, our groundbreaking interspecies premiere at the Storbuan Gård organic farm in Norway, hosted by Maegan Melissa Gorbett.
In-Person Premieres
London: Official Premiere on 26 June with live talk and Q&A by Alexander Beiner, at the Courthouse Hotel in Soho (free for paid members, email info@studiokainos.com)
Stockholm: Thursday, 26 June hosted by Nora Bateson and Pella Thiel (with Alexander on virtual Q&A)
Toronto: Thursday, 26 June hosted by Peter Limberg and Sofia Panasiuk / Imagine Cinemas Carlton
Basel: Thursday, 26 June hosted by Nicole Werner
London: Douglas Rushkoff and Alexander Beiner in Conversation at &Souls in Shoreditch on Tuesday, May 1st.
Alexander, thank you so much for the work that you do. I encountered the liminal web at the beginning of the pandemic. The common wave found within it resonates deeply with me, yet at the same time, I have not engaged in any dialogue. I am not an academic and sometimes struggle to grasp some of the ideas, much less engage with those espousing them. It has been entirely a solo endeavor because I don’t feel like I can “hang” in the discourse and none of my loved ones are involved. You are doing extremely important work here to bridge this work with the mainstream - perhaps the most important work. What good are the philosophies and theories if they are not enacted, widely discussed, embodied, or carried into the way we live our lives? Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your work. If I had a venue I would host a screening myself.
I watched the film last night and... amazing! Thank you for bringing this art into the world. I hope it helps people understand what is happening and why many feel the way they do.