Text: "In visualizing the problems posed by the representation of the various facets of the realities, it has been found useful to define the concept of "the metabelief operator." Here the term "operator" is used in the mathematical sense of something that operates on something else to introduce changes/transforms in it. The term "metabelief" is defined as a belief about beliefs themselves: it is "meta" (above on the next level) to beliefs. Thus a metabelief operator is a concept/function/agent that operates on, transforms, introduces changes into belief systems. The metabelief operator is operating outside a given belief system and operating on it. The primary conceptual role of the metabelief operator is the transformation of beliefs, and hence transforms of one's assumed realities. The metabelief operator can be weak, strong, or nonexistent. If one is quite content with one's representations of the inner/outer realities, and content with one's life as it occurs, there may be no great need for a metabelief operator. In this case, it may be so weak as to be insignificant; one is content with one's beliefs: in one's family/business/religion/politics, one's beliefs work satisfactorily. One's intention is not devoted to transforms of beliefs. In such a case, the metabelief operator is nonexistent or functioning only as an entertainment of Self. Activation of a strong metabelief operator in one who previously did not have such an operator can occur through a crisis of the physical/mental/spiritual type. A near brush with death, a profound religious experience, a serious accident, a prolonged illness, a financial disaster, a sudden unexpected new confrontation with violence-war-invasion, a deep psychedelic experience, each can generate a need to change beliefs about Self, about external reality, about internal reality. In such cases, the metabelief operator may appear and function for a time and either continue its operations or disappear again." ‹John Lilly, The Deep Self

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