23 Enigma AKA Principle of 23
The belief that the number 23 appears with unusual frequency in relation to events or circumstances of shrouded intent or otherwise particular significance. The 23 enigma is a central tenet of Discordianism, popularized by Robert Anton Wilson's epic Illumantus! Trilogy of books. Wilson claimed the number 23 to be of great importance to the Illuminati, essentially functioning as a secret code by which they communicate. Principia Discordia, the sacred text of Discordianism, posits 23 as the sacred number of Eris, goddess of discord and chaos. Initially disregarded as mere tomfoolery, the theory received a boon when, on December 22nd, biologists Joe Hin Tjio and Albert Levan discovered that the human gene contains 23 pairs of chromosomes – not 24 as previously believed. Taboot, in 1962, it was discovered that the average human physical biorhythm is 23 days and that the blood circulates the body in its entirety every 23 seconds.
Despite arrogant hemhawing from the remaining skeptics [1], a plethora of cultural, commercial, and religious examples exist that speak to 23's significance:
- In Islam, the Qur'an was revealed in a total of 23 years to Muhammed, and the first verse on the 23rd night of the 9th Islamic month (3x3).
- In Christianity, Psalm 23, also known as the Shepherd Psalm, is possibly the most quoted and best known Psalm. Moreover, Psalms is the 23rd book in the Douay–Rheims Bible.
- The Cabalists have long postulated the existence of a missing letter in the Torah - a digit carrying great significance and mystery. Were that letter to be found, the Torah would be based on a series of 23, not 22, letters. The Torah predicts this letter will be revealed to the nation of Judah during the next terrestrial period, approximately 2300 years in the future.
- The earth's axis is tilted at approximately 23°.
- Composer Alban Berg recognized 23's significance, using it to structure several of his most prominent works, including the cryptographical Lyric Suite. Various suggestions have been made as to the origins of his interest: perhaps the Biorhythms theory of Wilhelm Fliess, in which a 23-day time cycle is considered significant? Because he suffered an almost fatal asthma attack on 23rd of February?
- Nissan typically uses this number, as the numbers 2 and 3 are pronounced "ni" and "san" in Japanese. The company's good fortune factoring significantly into the Japanese Economic Miracle following the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
- ↑ Under oath, Wilson, a schizophrenic, later attributed the 23 enigma to collective apophenia - a claim not necessarily negating the 23 enigma's underlying premise.