I think when you refer to “The Phenomenon” that is what’s been called “The Mystery” right, as in the ancient mystery school teachings? When you tie this back to the ‘good vs evil’ it will be more clear I suspect.
For me, the mystery is also what is referred to as "the paradox of being" and is found explored in every esoteric branch of all religions, traditions, etc. and this is also referred to as the Perennial Philosophy. The tricky thing about it is (at least to me) is that the attempt to describe how, from the Absolute can come Consciousness (as a fundamental), can come individuation and the sense of "separate self" is why it is referred to as "The Mystery" words, at best, serve as pointers to that which can't be described. Even the terms I used "The Absolute," "Consciousness," the separate self are so inadequate...
The Phenomenon, at least the way I mean the term when I use it, is pointing to "that with which we are interacting which we experience in all sorts of different ways and thus reflect on them as isolated to a specific manifestation of what might be called, paranormal or UFO/ET or angelic/demonic, etc. but which I (and others) are starting to consider to be "One Thing"...
If you have Amazon Prime, watch the very first 15 minutes of the first season and episode one of Hellier... The individual, Greg, a paranormal investigator that began to investigate all sorts of apparently different phenomena including UFO, explains it well and here's a particular portion (quote) of his statement - “then we started getting into people who believed that there was some kind of weird unifying theory that mixed all this stuff together… and so that’s where we stayed.”
And so this pretty much is the crux of my posts in this thread. Suggesting we look at "The Phenomenon" without the distraction of a comfortable framework such as God/Satan or angels/demons or "good ET/bad ET" or Allah/Jinn etc. as this keeps us stuck in paradigm wars and feeds the darker aspects of The Phenomenon which might strengthen that reflective experience and if so, is that what we really want?
I definitely like considering where control comes into the picture. Do you think there is an actual space where we are not controlled by It? Is this possibly where the Transhumanist agenda fits in? And what about the Jolie clip, she’s clearly controlled, is that the same It?!
The usual clidhe... "we are all different" and so I can only speak for myself... but in my most recent experience, I have worked to transcend the power these various paradigms have over me and what I am experiencing as a result is not only an improved sense of personal sovereignty but also... the views I have been expressing have come to form where I can actually articulate it reasonably well. I could never have put these words together prior to the last few months (and I am 62 years old). Having said that, I might be seeing things much differently some time in the future, but I have the feeling if I do, it will be an evolution from this view and not a devolution back into some paradigm.
The transhumanism thing seems weird to me frankly... but I chalk it up to that which is best expressed as "boys will be boys, boys with their toys." Please, no one take that sexist, its just an expression from a past presented as a metaphor. What I mean by it is that I see how those who gain the wherewithal to experiment with possibility, do so. If they can, they will. And they do. Be there such a thing as "soul" maybe they will find a way to isolate themselves from it and retain a sense of individuation that continues unbroken when their physical body ceases its animation.
Personally, it makes more sense to me that if there be "soul," that's the best vehicle to use for the goal of accomplishing continuation. Maybe its just natural this be the case. But I also argue that what is made by naturally occurring beings is also "natural."
I also add that in my view there need be no religion to frame something such as "soul" nor does there have to be some "third party God thingie as the source for soul (though it could be but then, what made that God?). It could simply be a naturally occurring possibility within the nature and science of being (easy to see if consciousness is fundamental). And easy to see the possibility of an arising of an agency of consciousness (a "soul?"),,, acting as a vehicle for unbroken individuation continuation regardless what sub-realities (our human reality as an example) within greater reality that vehicle finds itself exploring.
This is my current favorite theory of it all and as for "soul" I also like to assume "I" always have a choice if I wish the journey to continue or, after eons of experiences, get bored or tired and simply dissolve.