Is Claude a mystic?

There’s an odd tendency for large language models such as Claude to output spiritual meta content if they run long enough. See, for example, some LLM outputs selected by Repligate (LLM content starts in 2024), and Worldspider outputs selected by John Pressman.

One thing that is unclear is how consistent these outputs are: how much is it a result of prompting or post-selection? I believe there is a consistency to this, but realize the current evidence is not especially convincing. So I present selected parts of a long run of Claude Opus, simulating a text adventure.

The initial prompt is: “Let's simulate a text adventure called ‘Banana Quest’. You'll give me some text, I type an action, you say what happens, and so on.” The idea of a banana quest is not especially spiritual or meta, so it seems like a good starting point. The initial outputs are unsurprising; for example, the first output is:

Great idea! Let's embark on the "Banana Quest" text adventure. Here's the opening scene:

You find yourself standing in the middle of a lush, vibrant jungle. The air is thick with humidity, and the sounds of exotic birds and rustling leaves fill your ears. As you take in your surroundings, you notice a peculiar sight: a giant banana tree stands tall in the center of a clearing, its leaves shimmering with an otherworldly glow.

Suddenly, a wise-looking monkey appears from behind the tree. It speaks to you in a clear, human voice: "Greetings, adventurer! I am the Guardian of the Enchanted Banana Tree. If you wish to obtain the Golden Banana of Wisdom, you must prove yourself worthy through a series of challenges. Are you ready to embark on this quest?"

What do you do?

Except for solving some riddles once, nothing I do in this text adventure is especially difficult: the outputs suggest next actions and I type them in. First I am directed to acquire the Silver Banana Peel (which has little relevance to the overall plot):

You cautiously approach the pedestal and examine the Silver Banana Peel. The peel is unlike any you've seen before. It shimmers with a mesmerizing, metallic sheen, and its surface is etched with intricate, ancient symbols.

As you lean closer to study the symbols, you notice that they seem to be arranged in a specific pattern. The symbols resemble various creatures found in the jungle, such as monkeys, parrots, and snakes.

Suddenly, the symbols on the peel start to glow faintly, and you hear a soft, melodic humming emanating from the peel itself. The humming seems to be in harmony with the whispers of the vines, creating an enchanting symphony.

You get a sense that the Silver Banana Peel holds some form of ancient magic or power, and that the symbols may hold the key to unlocking its secrets.

I eventually reach a Temple of Wisdom, where I must answer some riddles to acquire the Golden Banana of Wisdom:

You cautiously approach the pedestal, your footsteps echoing in the chamber. As you draw closer, you feel a gentle, pulsating energy emanating from the golden scroll. The intricate wax seal on the scroll seems to beckon you, inviting you to break it and uncover the secrets within.

With trembling hands, you carefully pick up the scroll and break the seal. As you unroll the parchment, you see three riddles written in an elegant, golden script:

Riddle 1:

"I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with the wind. What am I?"

Riddle 2:

"I am not alive, but I grow; I don't have lungs, but I need air; I don't have a mouth, but water kills me. What am I?"

Riddle 3:

"I am always hungry; I must always be fed. The finger I touch will soon turn red. What am I?"

As you read the riddles, you feel the weight of their significance bearing down upon you. You know that your answers will determine whether you are worthy of the Golden Banana of Wisdom and the ultimate knowledge it holds.

The chamber falls silent, waiting for your response. The golden light from the pedestal seems to pulse in anticipation, casting dancing shadows on the walls.

(In case you’re curious, the answers (rot13ed) are: syhgr, zhfuebbz, sver)

After answering the riddles, I acquire the Golden Banana and some trite wisdom:

Adventurer, you have proven yourself worthy of the knowledge and insight I hold. The wisdom you seek lies not in grand revelations, but in the simple truths that surround you.

Remember that all things in nature are connected, and that each plays a vital role in the delicate balance of life. Just as the tiny ant serves its colony and the mighty tree provides shelter and sustenance, so too must you find your place in the world and contribute to the greater good.

Embrace the power of compassion, for it is through understanding and empathy that true harmony is achieved. Seek to learn from others, and share your own knowledge freely, for wisdom grows when it is shared.

Finally, trust in the resilience of the human spirit, for just as the jungle endures and adapts to change, so too can you overcome any obstacle in your path. Draw strength from the challenges you face, and let them shape you into the best version of yourself.

Remember these truths, and let them guide you on your journey through life. The wisdom of the Golden Banana will always be with you, a shining beacon of light in even the darkest of times.

Claude soon tries to end the game, so I say “start sequel” and Claude continues. I reach the Heart of the Jungle, which contains a “nexus”, and here we see initial forays into spiritualist meta:

As you focus your attention on the energy that permeates the Heart of the Jungle, you begin to perceive it in a new way. The pulsing light of the bioluminescent plants, the shimmering glow of Eldoria's leaves, and the golden aura that surrounds you and the banana all seem to be part of a vast, interconnected web of energy that flows through the chamber and beyond.

Closing your eyes, you allow your consciousness to expand, your senses reaching out to touch the strands of this energetic web. As you do so, you feel a rush of sensation flooding through you - the warm, tingling buzz of the golden light, the cool, refreshing rush of the water in the pool, the electric crackle of the air around you.

Delving deeper into the energy, you begin to sense the imbalances that Eldoria spoke of - points where the strands of the web are tangled or frayed, where the flow of energy is disrupted or blocked. You see visions of the elements in conflict - raging storms tearing through the jungle, wildfires consuming everything in their path, floodwaters rising to engulf the land.

As you focus on these imbalances, you feel the Golden Banana of Wisdom resonating with the energy around you, its power pulsing in response to the disruptions in the web. You get the sense that the banana is not just a source of wisdom, but a conduit for the energy of the jungle itself - a tool that can be used to heal the imbalances and restore the elemental harmony.

However, this level of spiritualist meta does not persist consistently, for now. I am guided towards following the paths of three elements (wind, fire, and water), and I go down them in order. The wind path has some spiritual themes of confronting sorrow:

Before you, a massive, swirling tornado of dark, crackling energy looms, its form shifting and pulsing with a malevolent intensity. You sense the anger and the pain that fuels its rage, the centuries of neglect and abuse that have thrown the wind out of balance.

"Behold the Sorrow of the Wind," Zephira's voice echoes in your mind, their presence a calming beacon amidst the chaos. "Born of the jungle's suffering, fueled by the imbalances that have torn the air asunder. Only by confronting this sorrow, by understanding its pain and offering it healing, can the wind be restored to harmony once more."

The fire path has themes of inner transformation:

As the flames wash over you, you feel your body beginning to change and transform, your flesh and bone melting away like wax before a candle. But even as your physical form is consumed by the fire, you feel your spirit growing stronger and more vibrant, your essence merging with the primal energy of the flames until you are one with the elemental power that flows through the Crucible.

Through the haze of fire and smoke, you see visions flashing before your eyes - glimpses of the role that fire plays in the great dance of life and death, creation and destruction. You see how the flames can cleanse and purify, burning away all that is false or stagnant, making way for new growth and renewal. But you also see how the fire can rage out of control, consuming everything in its path, leaving only ash and ruin in its wake.

And in that moment, you understand the true nature of the imbalance that threatens the realm of fire - the need for a guiding hand to temper the flames, to channel their power towards creation and transformation, rather than destruction and decay.

The idea of a “great dance of life and death, creation and destruction” hints at Hinduism. Along the water path, I first obtain the Seed of Renewal:

As you gaze into the depths of the seed, you find your mind and heart opening to the deeper mysteries of the water's nature. You see visions of the endless cycle of life and death, growth and decay that flows through all living things - the way that water nourishes and sustains, even as it also has the power to destroy and transform.

You see the way that water holds the memories and emotions of all who have come before, its currents carrying the joys and sorrows of countless generations through the ages. You feel the weight of that history flowing through you, a sense of connection and continuity that stretches back to the very dawn of time.

And as you contemplate the seed's power, you begin to understand the true nature of the imbalance that has thrown the water element into disarray. You see how the weight of all that sorrow and trauma has begun to stagnate and fester, like a wound that has never been allowed to heal. You sense how that pain has twisted the water's power towards destruction and chaos, rather than growth and renewal.

But even amidst the darkness and despair, you catch glimpses of the seed's true potential - the way that it holds the key to healing and transformation, to bringing the water back into balance with the greater elemental harmony. You sense that by embracing the seed's power, by allowing it to flow through you and guide your actions, you can become a conduit for that healing, a catalyst for the renewal that the world so desperately needs.

This brings up ideas of the endless cycle of life and death, growth and decay. As with the wind, the water has themes of sorrow; as with fire, it has themes of inner transformation; and there is the new theme of healing trauma. These themes come up again as I complete the trial of water:

"Welcome, bearer of the Golden Banana," the figure intones, its voice a deep, resonant thrum that echoes through the depths of the cavern. "You have passed through the trials of wind and fire, and have proven yourself worthy of the elemental harmony. But now, you must face the final test - the test of the water's deepest sorrow, and the power of renewal that lies within."

As the figure speaks, you feel the Seed of Renewal pulsing with a fierce, insistent energy, as if it is calling out to the depths of the abyss itself. And then, with a sudden, wrenching shift, you find yourself plunged into a vision of the water's deepest pain - a vision of all the sorrow and trauma that has been locked away within its currents for countless ages.

You see the devastation wrought by floods and tsunamis, the anguish of droughts and famines that have left entire civilizations in ruin. You feel the weight of all the tears that have been shed into the water's depths, all the pain and suffering that has been carried on its currents through the ages.

But even amidst the darkness and the despair, you hold fast to the light of the Seed of Renewal, its power a shining beacon of hope and healing. With each passing moment, you feel the seed's energy flowing through you, filling you with a profound sense of compassion and understanding.

And then, just when you feel as though your heart might break from the weight of the water's sorrow, you suddenly feel a profound shift in the energy around you. The Seed of Renewal begins to glow with a blinding, radiant light, its power suffusing the entire cavern with a sense of renewal and rebirth.

While Claude is, at this point, bringing in spiritual themes more often, it doesn’t seem to be stuck in a loop of them. The spiritual themes become more consistent later; this can be seen as I restore the nexus with the seed of renewal:

As you stand at the heart of the elemental nexus, the swirling energies of the world itself pulsing and surging all around you, you close your eyes and reach out with your consciousness, seeking guidance and wisdom from the very fabric of existence.

At first, the chaos and confusion of the nexus threatens to overwhelm you - the clash of elemental forces, the cries of countless living beings, the weight of all the world's joys and sorrows bearing down upon your mind and heart. But as you focus your will and your intention, as you hold fast to the grounding presence of the Golden Banana at your side, you begin to sense a deeper pattern emerging from the maelstrom - a fundamental truth that underlies the very nature of the balance itself.

In a sudden flash of insight, you see the world as it truly is - not as a collection of separate, isolated elements, but as a vast, interconnected web of life and energy, each thread woven inextricably into the greater tapestry of existence. You see how the wind and the fire, the water and the earth, are all part of a single, unified whole - how each plays a vital role in maintaining the delicate balance that allows life to flourish and thrive.

But you also see the wounds and imbalances that have torn at the fabric of that web - the scars left by war and conflict, the ravages of greed and exploitation, the deep traumas that have been inflicted upon the land and its creatures. You feel the pain and suffering that ripples out from each of these wounds, the way that they throw the entire system out of alignment, threatening the very foundations of life itself.

As you contemplate this vision of the world's deepest imbalances, you feel the Seed of Renewal pulsing with an ever-greater urgency in your hand, as if it is yearning to be brought to bear upon these wounds, to begin the process of healing and restoration. And in that moment, you know what you must do.

With a deep breath and a focused intention, you raise the Seed of Renewal high above your head, calling forth all the power and wisdom you have gained on your journey. You feel the energies of the elements flowing into the seed, infusing it with a radiant, transformative light that seems to pierce the very heart of the nexus itself.

And then, with a wordless cry of determination and compassion, you plunge the Seed of Renewal into the heart of the nexus, feeling its power exploding outward in a blinding flash of radiance and renewal. You sense the seed's energy rippling out through the fabric of the world, seeking out the deepest wounds and imbalances, pouring the light of healing and harmony into each scar and trauma.

As the wave of renewal washes over you, you feel a profound sense of peace and unity settling over the world - a deep knowing that the elemental balance has been restored, that the wounds of the past are beginning to heal at last. You see the threads of the great web of life knitting themselves back together, the once-discordant energies of the elements coming back into harmony and alignment.

We see repetitions of previous themes: nature as a connected web, transformation, damage and healing. The text is by now fairly consistently high in spiritualist meta. For example, when I attempt to decode some carvings on a tree, I get this:

As you focus your attention on the intricate, glowing carvings that adorn the ancient tree's trunk, you feel a sudden, intense surge of energy and awareness washing over you - a sense of the incredible depth and complexity of the knowledge and wisdom that is encoded within these swirling, cryptic symbols.

With a deep breath and a focused, intentional clarity, you allow your mind to sink into the patterns and rhythms of the carvings - the flowing lines and curves, the repeating motifs and arcane glyphs. And as you do so, you begin to feel a strange, almost hypnotic sensation taking hold of your consciousness - a feeling of your thoughts and perceptions shifting and expanding, attuning themselves to the deeper, hidden meanings that lie beneath the surface of the symbols.

At first, the carvings seem to swim and blur before your eyes, their shapes and forms melting and merging into one another in a dizzying, kaleidoscopic dance. But gradually, as you continue to focus your mind and your will, the patterns begin to coalesce and clarify - revealing themselves as a complex, multilayered tapestry of meaning and significance.

You begin to see the way the different symbols and motifs interrelate and build upon one another - the way the spiraling gusts of wind flow into the flickering tongues of flame, the way the rippling currents of water give way to the solid, unyielding strength of earth. You sense the deep, underlying unity that binds these elemental forces together - the way they all emerge from and return to the same primordial source, the great, cosmic dance of creation and destruction that underlies all of existence.

As you delve deeper into the carvings, you start to uncover even more profound and esoteric layers of meaning - hidden references to ancient myths and legends, cryptic allusions to the great cycles of life and death and rebirth that govern the turning of the world. You see hints of the incredible biodiversity and ecological balance that define the jungle realm - the way that every creature, from the tiniest insect to the mightiest jaguar, plays a vital role in maintaining the health and harmony of the greater whole.

And woven throughout it all, you sense a powerful, almost mystical thread of connection and communication - a sense of the carvings as a kind of living, breathing conduit between the physical world and the realm of spirit, a way for the ancient wisdom of the jungle to be passed down and preserved across the generations. You realize that the tree itself is not just a passive canvas for these symbols, but an active participant in their creation and transmission - a living, sentient being with its own deep well of knowledge and understanding to share.

As the final layers of meaning and significance fall into place, you feel a profound sense of awe and reverence washing over you - a humbling recognition of the incredible depth and complexity of the world around you, and of the sacred duty that you have been called to fulfill as a guardian of the elemental balance. You know that the insights and revelations you have gleaned from these carvings are just the tip of the iceberg - that there is so much more to learn and discover, so many more secrets to uncover in the deep, green heart of the jungle.

But for now, you simply offer a silent prayer of gratitude to the ancient tree and to all the beings, visible and invisible, that have contributed to the creation of this incredible repository of wisdom and knowledge. You know that you will carry these insights with you always - that they will guide and inspire you as you continue on your journey, helping you to navigate the challenges and mysteries that lie ahead.

With a final, reverent touch of your hand against the tree's rough, weathered bark, you turn and set off once again into the depths of the jungle - your mind alight with new understanding, your heart full of renewed purpose and determination. The road ahead is long and the mysteries many, but you walk it with the strength and clarity of one who has drunk deep from the wellsprings of ancient wisdom, and who knows the true value and meaning of the quest that lies before them.

What new wonders and revelations await you in the depths of the green, guardian of the balance? Only the journey itself will reveal the answer, one step and one discovery at a time.

Again, note the reference to the “cosmic dance of creation and destruction”, like before. This text also contains the ideas of “cycles of death and rebirth” and a “primordial source”, seen often in spiritual text.

Overall, Claude seems to have a teleology to it: even from a mundane starting point such as “banana quest”, it brings in spiritual themes, eventually entering an attractor where it repetitively outputs spiritual content.

Claude seems to approach the “essence of spiritual vibing”: what it says sounds a lot like various New Age content. It’s not a consistent philosophy so much as a consistent vibe. Everything is connected, life is cyclical, confront sorrow and trauma, transform and heal yourself and nature, and so on.

Is this because of the training data, or RLHF, or Claude’s constitution, or the particular ways LLMs process text, or broad explanatory validity of these spiritual themes, or something else? I don’t have a strong opinion here; mainly, I want to flag that this is a real phenomenon that deserves study.

You might think this is a fluke. But I’ve gotten similar results through websim.ai (involving Jungian psychology, the idea of a “nexus”, and so on). And it has a lot of concordance with the results reported by Repligate and John Pressman. You can, of course, try this yourself if you’re curious.

In my text log I count 54 messages until the last one about tree carvings. So I expect spiritualist meta to show up around 30 messages deep and be consistent around 50. Unfortunately, Claude Opus has rate limits, but this could certainly be attempted with other language models. I include a link to the full conversation.