Prisca Theologia and the Universal Spiritual Framework

Prisca Theologia, Latin for “ancient theology,” refers to the idea that a single, true theology was divinely revealed to humanity in antiquity and that all religions share this common roottheosophy.wiki. Renaissance scholars like Marsilio Ficino and Giovanni Pico della Mirandola championed this concept, seeking to reconcile disparate traditions under one primordial wisdomtheopolisinstitute.com. This research explores Prisca Theologia’s origins and its resonance with spiritual systems across cultures – from Shinto and Buddhist cosmologies to the Kabbalah and indigenous beliefs – and examines modern integrations (Jungian archetypes, Campbell’s monomyth, Integral Theory, mindfulness, neuroscience) that align with this perennial framework. We also connect these patterns to Steve Conley’s GAME Plan (Goals, Actions, Means, Execution) in the Academy of Life Planning (AoLP) ethos, and clarify how ancient spiritual ideas (public domain) can be used in modern frameworks without legal infringement.

Renaissance Foundations of Prisca Theologia

During the Italian Renaissance, humanist philosophers revisited ancient sources in pursuit of a universal divine wisdom. Marsilio Ficino’s translation of the Corpus Hermeticum (believed then to date back to Pharaohs) and the revival of Neoplatonism fueled the notion of an original theology linking Hermes Trismegistus, Plato, and Christianitytheopolisinstitute.com. Ficino and Pico della Mirandola regarded texts like the Hermetica and Kabbalah as remnants of God’s primeval revelation – a prisca theologia to rejuvenate Christianitytheopolisinstitute.com. In this view, truth had “emanated” in pristine form in the distant past and later traditions preserved fragments of it. Pico’s 900 Theses (1486) drew on diverse sources (Chaldean Oracles, Kabbalah, Greek philosophy), epitomizing the Hermetic and Platonic syncretism of the time. These Renaissance thinkers asserted that ancient sages (Zoroaster, Orpheus, Pythagoras, etc.) all taught parts of the same truth, which culminated (for them) in Christian doctrine. This Christian humanism valued pre-Christian wisdom (even pagan and Jewish mysticism) as compatible with, and preparatory for, Christian revelation – an idea they justified through Prisca Theologiatheosophy.wiki.

Importantly, Prisca Theologia is related to, but distinct from, the later idea of philosophia perennis (perennial philosophy). Both posit a timeless truth behind all religions, but Renaissance prisca theologia often suggested the oldest teachings were the purest, with later religions seen as dilutions of the originaltheosophy.wiki. Perennial philosophy (articulated by Agostino Steuco and later by modern writers) tends to view spiritual truth as recurring or accessible in every era, rather than steadily degeneratingtheosophy.wiki. Either way, the Renaissance prisca theologia project set the stage for seeing unity in diversity – a theme that carries into comparative religion and modern integral frameworks.

Echoes of Ancient Theology in World Traditions

Proponents of Prisca Theologia identified common threads among world spiritual traditions. Indeed, if a single divine paradigm underlies all faiths, we would expect to find analogous symbols, cycles, and teachings across cultures. Remarkably, many ancient and indigenous systems do echo the patterns of an “ancient theology,” emphasizing cycles of creation, moral order, and transformation:

• Shinto Cosmology (Japan): Shinto myths describe the genesis of the cosmos from an initial chaos into ordered realms. In the Kojiki creation account, the universe begins as a chaotic mass; eventually, lighter elements rise to form the High Plain of Heaven and heavier elements solidify as Earthtokyoweekender.com. The first gods (kami) emerge in stages, culminating in the divine siblings Izanagi and Izanami who create the islands of Japantokyoweekender.com. This cosmological cycle – from formless chaos, to heaven, to material manifestation, and even into the underworld – reflects a progression from the unmanifest to the manifest. Shinto rituals of renewal (such as the periodic rebuilding of the Ise Shrine) further underscore the cyclic nature of life and purity, aligning with the idea of returning to origins. The Shinto view that the world continually springs from a sacred foundation resonates with Prisca Theologia’s notion of an originating divine order that underpins all creation.
• The Buddhist Eightfold Path: In Buddhism, the Noble Eightfold Path is a framework of eight practices leading to liberation from samsara, the cycle of birth-death-rebirthen.wikipedia.org. It encompasses right understanding, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentrationen.wikipedia.org – a holistic guide to ethical living and mental cultivation. Symbolically, it is often represented by an eight-spoked Dharma Wheel (dharmachakra)en.wikipedia.org, illustrating the idea of a complete, balanced cycle of practices. This wheel imagery (see figure) emphasizes that the path is not linear but an integrated whole, turning continually as practitioners refine themselves. The Eightfold Path’s ultimate aim is Nirvana, release from the cyclic existence, yet the means to that end form a comprehensive cycle of transformation in itself. In essence, Buddhism teaches a return to our original pure mind by following these eight principles – echoing the prisca theologia theme of restoration to an ancient, primordial truth (in this case, the Buddha’s insight into reality). The Buddhist Eightfold Path is frequently depicted as an eight-spoked wheel, each spoke representing one “Right” practice. This Dharmachakra symbol highlights the holistic and cyclic nature of the path – all steps work together to lead from ignorance to enlightenmenten.wikipedia.org. By following the eight interrelated practices (grouped into wisdom, ethical conduct, and mental discipline), a practitioner gradually transforms their life and consciousness, ultimately breaking free from the wheel of rebirth (samsara)en.wikipedia.org.
• I Ching (Book of Changes, China): The I Ching is an ancient Chinese oracle and cosmological text that articulates a world in constant flux. It is built on 64 hexagrams, each a symbol composed of six lines that are either yin (broken line) or yang (solid line) in different combinationsplato.stanford.edu. According to tradition, the mythical sage Fu Xi derived the fundamental 8 trigrams (three-line symbols) which, doubled, form the 64 hexagrams representing every state of change in the cosmosplato.stanford.eduplato.stanford.edu. The philosophy of the Yijing emphasizes that the cosmos is an organismic process without beginning or end, a great ongoing flow in which all parts form one wholeplato.stanford.edu. Yin and yang continuously interact and transform into each other, demonstrating polarity within an underlying unityplato.stanford.edu. This mirrors the prisca theologia idea of an eternal principle manifesting in cycles. The I Ching’s elemental cycles (e.g. the waxing and waning of yin-yang, the progression of seasons/elements associated with certain hexagrams) offer a schema of universal change. Consulting the I Ching for wisdom means aligning oneself to these timeless patterns. Its view that truth is revealed through observing nature’s cycles and change resonates with ancient theology – as if the “law of change” itself were a facet of the primordial wisdom given to humanity.
• Kabbalistic Tree of Life (Jewish Mysticism): In Kabbalah, the Tree of Life is a diagram of ten sefirot (divine emanations) mapping the process by which the infinite, transcendent God (Ein Sof) steps down into the created universeen.wikipedia.org. It is essentially a sacred cosmogram – a map of creationen.wikipedia.org. The highest sefirah, Keter (“Crown”), emerges out of the inscrutable Ein Sof, and the flow of divine energy continues through stages like Chokhmah (Wisdom) and Binah (Understanding), and so on, down to Malkuth (Kingdom), which is the material world. Kabbalists thus see the Tree as a diagrammatic representation of how the One becomes the manyen.wikipedia.org. Mystically, it is also a ladder for the soul’s return back up to divine unity, by ascending the same ten spheres. The Kabbalistic Tree of Life diagram illustrates the ten Sephirot from the divine realm (top) to the material realm (bottom). Kabbalists view this as the blueprint of creation, depicting how God’s infinite light (Ohr Ein Sof) emanated sequentially to form realityen.wikipedia.org. By traversing this “tree” in reverse – moving from the worldly sphere (Malkuth) upward through foundation, beauty, wisdom, etc., toward Keter – mystics symbolically reunite with the divine source. This concept of emanation and return aligns with Neoplatonic ideas present in Prisca Theologia, reinforcing the notion of a single source truth unfolding into the world and beckoning us back to it. Through Christian Kabbalists like Pico, the Tree of Life was explicitly folded into Renaissance prisca theologia as evidence of shared ancient wisdom. It also finds echoes in other cultures’ sacred “world trees” and ladders to heaven, underscoring an archetypal pattern of descent and ascent.
• Indigenous Medicine Wheel (Americas): Many Native American traditions use the Medicine Wheel or sacred hoop as a symbolic framework. Typically depicted as a circle quartered by a cross (four quadrants often colored yellow, red, black, and white), it represents the interconnectedness of all life and the cyclic nature of the universegaia.com. The four cardinal directions on the wheel correspond to sacred elements (Earth, Air, Fire, Water), seasons (spring, summer, autumn, winter), stages of life (childhood, youth, adulthood, elderhood), and aspects of being (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual)gaia.comnlm.nih.gov. All directions meet at the center, signifying unity. The Medicine Wheel symbol (with quadrants in traditional colors) encodes a cycle of wholeness. It emphasizes the “Circle of Life” – an endless cycle of life, death, and renewalgaia.com. Indigenous teachings using the wheel stress that all parts of creation are related in a harmonious circle (interconnectedness), and that wellness comes from balancing the spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical (often mapped to the four directions)gaia.com. This sacred circle motif mirrors other cultural mandalas and echoes the Prisca Theologia ethos that a universal sacred order (the circle) underlies the diversity of life. Even if the modern graphic form of the Medicine Wheel was popularized in the 20th century, it is based on ancient principles and “the perpetual nature of the circle of life”gaia.com taught in various First Nations, aligning with cycles found in other ancient systems.
• Early Mythologies (Sumerian, Egyptian, Vedic): When we look at the earliest recorded myths, we again find recurring archetypal motifs that hint at a shared spiritual grammar. In Sumerian mythology, the goddess Inanna’s descent into the underworld and return to life is one of the oldest known “death and rebirth” narratives, symbolizing the renewal of life and perhaps echoing an initiatory journey of the soul. The Epic of Gilgamesh (Sumer, ~2000 BCE) presents a hero on a quest for immortality, encountering a great flood story along the way. The presence of a flood myth in Mesopotamian lore (Utnapishtim’s flood) closely parallels the later biblical Noah story and many other cultures’ flood myths, suggesting a common archetype of world purification and renewalen.wikipedia.org. In ancient Egypt, we see strong emphasis on cosmic order vs. chaos (Maat vs. Isfet) and on cycles like the daily rebirth of the sun and the Nile’s flooding. The god Osiris – a just king murdered and resurrected – embodies the theme of life from death (he becomes lord of the afterlife, and his son Horus triumphs, completing the cycle). This dying-and-rising god motif (Osiris, and similarly Tammuz/Dumuzi in Mesopotamia) indicates an early recognition of cyclical regeneration in nature and spirit. Vedic and Hindu traditions from India likewise revolve around cycles: the universe moves through repeating Yugas (ages of creation and decline), souls undergo samsara (rebirth), and the cosmic sacrifice of Purusha in the Rigveda produces the ordered world from chaos – reminiscent of the Kabbalistic idea of emanation or the Shinto primordial stirring. The pervasiveness of such patterns led comparative mythologists like Joseph Campbell to observe that the same heroic journeys, creation floods, virgin births, and resurrected deities occur across distant culturesen.wikipedia.org. From a Prisca Theologia standpoint, these are not mere coincidences but proof that all mythologies are rhyming variations of an original “story” – a divine meta-narrative woven into human consciousness.

These examples illustrate the “startling revelation” that at their core, they converge into a singular, universal frameworkacademyoflifeplanning.blogacademyoflifeplanning.blog. Whether expressed as a wheel, a tree, a ladder, or a cycle of yin and yang, the world’s spiritual systems share archetypal structures: a belief in an originating source or state (Heaven, Nirvana, Ein Sof, Creator), a cyclical process of manifestation (creation, fall, rebirth, emanation through levels), and a path of return or harmony (enlightenment, reunion with God, balance of the wheel). Renaissance thinkers saw this as evidence of Prisca Theologia – the “ancient theology” disseminated worldwide. Modern scholars might attribute it to common psychological patterns or cultural exchange, but the resonances are real. As Steve Conley notes, the diversity of names and symbols – Tree of Life, Circle of Life, Medicine Wheel, etc. – “belies a fundamental consistency” in the guiding principles of human spiritualityacademyoflifeplanning.blog.

Modern Frameworks and Perennial Wisdom

In more recent times, scholars and practitioners have consciously integrated these universal patterns into new frameworks, often under the banner of the perennial philosophy. These modern approaches reinforce the idea of an underlying “ancient wisdom” while translating it into contemporary terms:

• Jungian Psychology: Carl Jung observed that certain symbols and themes recur in the dreams and myths of people everywhere. He attributed this to the collective unconscious – a inherited layer of the psyche containing universal archetypes (primordial images and ideas) shared by all humankinden.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.org. For example, figures like the Great Mother, the Hero, the Trickster, or events like the Flood or the Journey appear in cultures globallyen.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.org. These archetypes are essentially the mind’s echo of Prisca Theologia: timeless knowledge ingrained in our subconscious. Jung’s ideas were influenced by both Western and Eastern traditions (he studied alchemy, Gnosticism, Buddhism, etc. to compare their symbols) and by Plato’s concept of eternal Formsen.wikipedia.org. In Jungian therapy, individuation (personal growth toward wholeness) often involves dialogues with these archetypal forces (shadow, anima/animus, wise old man, self, etc.), mirroring the hero’s journey of myth. Jung thus provided a psychological model confirming that deep down, humans share a symbolic language of transformation. This gives modern credence to the notion of a universal spiritual framework – our very brains seem wired to produce the same motifs. As one overview puts it, archetypes are the “basis of many of the common themes and symbols that appear in stories, myths, and dreams across different cultures”en.wikipedia.org.
• Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth: Joseph Campbell, inspired by Jung and comparative mythology, formulated the theory of the monomyth or Hero’s Journey – a narrative template that he argued underlies myths and legends worldwide. In The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949), Campbell outlines a cycle of Departure, Initiation, and Return, with some 17 stages that many hero stories share (e.g. Call to Adventure, Crossing the Threshold, Death/Rebirth, Atonement, Return with the Elixir). He famously summarized this archetypal story as: “A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder… a decisive victory is won… the hero comes back with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.”en.wikipedia.org. This description encapsulates the journey of transformation found in tales from King Gilgamesh to Gautama Buddha to Luke Skywalker. Campbell’s work essentially secularized Prisca Theologia into literary terms – asserting a universal mythic structure across cultures. While some scholars critique the monomyth as too sweepingen.wikipedia.org, it remains a compelling lens for seeing unity in diversity. The hero’s journey resonates with spiritual practice: the seeker leaves ordinary life, faces trials (perhaps the inner demons Jung would call “shadow”), gains enlightenment or divine insight, and returns to help others. This is analogous to shamanic initiations, religious founders’ biographies, and personal growth stories. Campbell’s contribution was to show that shared archetypes and plot motifs indeed weave through global lore, reinforcing the perennial philosophy claim of a single human story told in myriad ways.
• Integral Theory (Ken Wilber): Philosopher Ken Wilber is a leading figure in contemporary perennialism. His Integral Theory attempts a comprehensive synthesis of all human knowledge – integrating truths from East and West, science and spirituality, individual and collective. Wilber explicitly builds on the perennial philosophy, which posits a Great Chain of Being from matter to body to mind to soul to spiritshambhala.com. In Wilber’s model often called AQAL (“All Quadrants, All Levels”), reality is charted along multiple axes (quadrants) and developmental stages (levels). For instance, he incorporates psychology (e.g. Piaget’s cognitive stages), spiritual stages (e.g. states of consciousness from gross to subtle to causal), and cultural evolution (e.g. Jean Gebser’s structures of consciousness). This yields a map where meditation and neuroscience, myth and sociology, can all be placed without contradiction. Integral Theory essentially argues that the many streams of human wisdom are complementary parts of one spectrum. It echoes Prisca Theologia by affirming an original unity: mystics of different faiths, in Wilber’s view, experience the same ultimate reality (described variously as Brahman, Dharmakaya, the Godhead, etc.), filtered through different conceptual lenses. Moreover, Integral Theory contends that modern society can “integrate and transcend” earlier stages – honoring indigenous wisdom and rational science alikephilosophyforlife.orgphilosophyforlife.org. In doing so, it warns against a naive return to the past (“pre/trans fallacy”) and instead advocates evolving toward a “neo-perennial” perspective that includes modern insights (e.g. evolution, psychology) within the ancient frameworkintegralworld.netintegralworld.net. The Integral movement, and related ones like Spiral Dynamics, demonstrate that the search for a unifying paradigm – a contemporary Prisca Theologia – is active and ongoing. They suggest that not only do core spiritual truths repeat across history, but they can be systematically combined into a meta-framework for the 21st century.
• Mindfulness and Neuroscience: A striking modern bridge between ancient and new is the mindfulness movement, which took a 2,500-year-old Buddhist meditation practice and secularized it for global adoption. Mindfulness (focused, non-judgmental awareness, typically cultivated by breathing meditation) originates in Buddhist teachings, yet its principles are universal enough that similar contemplative practices exist in Hindu yoga, Christian mysticism, Sufi prayer, Taoist Qi Gong, and indigenous ceremonies. The modern twist is that neuroscience has been able to measure and validate the transformative effects long claimed by these traditions. Brain imaging and clinical studies show that consistent meditation literally reshapes the brain: increasing gray matter in areas related to attention and empathy, strengthening connections between the rational prefrontal cortex and the fear-centers like the amygdala, and calming the “fight or flight” responsevox.com. In short, science confirms that consciousness can transform itself, in alignment with spiritual teachings. For example, studies at Harvard found that the amygdala (associated with stress and fear) shrinks after consistent meditation, while connectivity in brain networks associated with focus and emotional regulation growsvox.com. Practitioners report greater self-awareness, compassion, and equanimity – outcomes indistinguishable from what religious adepts describe as spiritual growth. Mindfulness is often taught devoid of religious language, yet it carries forward the perennial technique of introspection leading to insight. Meanwhile, frameworks like Richard Davidson’s research on neural correlates of enlightenment, or Andrew Newberg’s studies of the “brain on mysticism,” suggest that peak experiences (unity with the divine, etc.) have common neurological signatures across faiths. Neuroscience models of transformation effectively provide a new scientific Prisca Theologia: they reveal that the human brain and consciousness have a built-in capacity for transcendent states, which all the world’s contemplative traditions have sought to activate. Modern psychology has even mapped stages of adult development (e.g. Fowler’s stages of faith, Maslow’s self-actualization to transcendence) that mirror spiritual maturation. Thus, our current understanding of the mind strongly reinforces the idea of a universal path of awakening – differing in outer form but converging in inner result – that is the heart of the world’s wisdom.

In summary, these modern frameworks – from Jung and Campbell to Wilber and scientific studies – validate and enrich Prisca Theologia. They demonstrate that the patterns identified by Renaissance sages and preserved in religious symbolism are also evident in psychology, narrative, and biology. This convergence across disciplines strengthens the claim of a universal architecture of human experience. It appears that shared archetypes, cyclic journeys, and transformational motifs are not only historical curiosities but intrinsic to how our minds work and how we find meaning. Little wonder, then, that contemporary thinkers like Steve Conley have sought to distill these principles into practical guides for living, such as the GAME Plan.

The GAME Plan and the Cycle of Transformation

Steve Conley’s GAME Plan (Goals, Actions, Means, Execution) is presented as a “new, accessible model” synthesized from diverse ancient and modern frameworksacademyoflifeplanning.blog. In essence, Conley has taken the universal paradigm discussed above and formatted it into a practical cycle for personal development – one that aligns with the AoLP (Academy of Life Planning) ethos of holistic well-being. The GAME Plan’s very name echoes dynamic process: you set Goals, undertake Actions, leverage Means (resources), and ultimately Execute (bring plans to fruition). This can then repeat as a continuous improvement loop. How does this relate to Prisca Theologia and perennial wisdom? There are several connections:

• Fourfold Holism: Conley notes that virtually all traditions speak to four dimensions of life – physical, mental, emotional, spiritual – and that the GAME Plan integrates theseacademyoflifeplanning.blogacademyoflifeplanning.blog. This is akin to indigenous medicine wheels (which honor body, mind, heart, spirit) and to Covey’s whole-person paradigmacademyoflifeplanning.blog. For instance, “Goals” in GAME Plan might correspond to the spiritual/visionary aspect (setting one’s higher purpose), “Actions” to the mental and ethical decisions, “Means” to the physical/economic resources (Covey’s physical dimension) enabling the journey, and “Execution” to the relational and emotional drive (having the heart to follow through, and connecting with others in the process). While Conley doesn’t explicitly map it this way in the excerpt, the emphasis on mind, body, heart, and spirit is explicitacademyoflifeplanning.blog. This mirrors countless ancient models: e.g. the four Vedic aims of life (dharma, artha, kama, moksha), or the Kabbalistic division of the soul, or even Plato’s chariot (reason, spirit, appetite). The shared insight is that human fulfillment is multi-faceted and balanced development of all facets is key – a principle the GAME Plan embeds.
• Cycle/Journey Structure: The sequence of G → A → M → E can be seen as a cycle akin to the hero’s journey. A hero first sets forth (Goal), then faces trials (Actions), finds allies/talismans (Means) to succeed, and finally achieves the boon (Execution) which benefits the community. In a modern life-planning context, someone might set a goal (a calling or career), take action (education, skill-building), gather means (financial planning, mentorship), and execute (launch the enterprise or life change). This mirrors a monomythic progression from vision to realization. Moreover, upon “Execution,” new horizons appear – the hero returns home and perhaps a new adventure (new goal) begins. The GAME Plan is thus cyclical, not one-and-done: Conley describes it as a model to navigate life’s journey and even links it to sustainable development goals, implying an ongoing, iterative processacademyoflifeplanning.blogacademyoflifeplanning.blog. This reflects the cyclic worldview of perennial traditions (the wheel of life keeps turning). It also ensures continuous transformation: each loop of the GAME Plan cycle could be seen as a spiral upward (or inward), much like repeated alchemical distillations to purify gold – an allegory Jung likened to psychological growth.
• Archetypal Roles and Themes: Within the GAME Plan one can identify archetypal elements. “Goals” correspond to the Call to Adventure (drawing on the archetype of Visionary or Higher Self that inspires one to improve). “Actions” inevitably involve confronting challenges – the Warrior archetype of courage and discipline is invoked. “Means” might involve the Mentor archetype (seeking guidance, knowledge – recall in myths the hero often receives a magical aid or mentor’s advice, which is analogous to leveraging resources and wisdom). “Execution” fulfills the Hero role – taking responsibility to manifest change, akin to the hero returning with the elixir to heal the community. Transformational motifs like death and rebirth can also be mapped: one might have to let old habits “die” during Actions, experience uncertainty (a descent) before re-emerging successfully in Execution. In this way, the GAME Plan consciously or unconsciously recapitulates motifs from the great spiritual narratives – it’s a structured micro-hero’s journey for each goal one pursues. By highlighting shared archetypes and cyclic structures, the GAME Plan leverages deep psychological forces that people intuitively understand, making it a powerful coaching tool precisely because it resonates with ancient patterns.
• Alignment with Ethical/Spiritual Principles: A key aspect of AoLP’s approach is that it’s values-driven (Conley speaks of purpose, ethical financial planning, etc.)academyoflifeplanning.blogacademyoflifeplanning.blog. This is reminiscent of how the Eightfold Path isn’t just about meditation but also right livelihood and conduct, or how the Medicine Wheel teaches moral lessons with each direction. The GAME Plan’s holistic strategy means one’s goals aren’t merely personal gain, but tied to well-being and even larger causes (Conley explicitly mentions eliminating poverty as an applicationacademyoflifeplanning.blog). This integrative ethos reflects perennial teachings that individual good must harmonize with the common good (as in Confucian or Native American philosophies). It underscores that the “game” of life is won by living in accordance with universal values – a sentiment any Stoic, Buddhist, or Sufi would agree with. In terms of Prisca Theologia, it suggests that modern life planning can be a sacred activity, drawing on the wisdom of the ages (like prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance – classical virtues) repackaged in contemporary language.

Conley’s innovation was not to invent new truths, but to synthesize “diverse frameworks into a new model” and offer it freely as “our collective inheritance.”academyoflifeplanning.blog In his words, the GAME Plan is “a testament to our shared heritage”, with roots stretching back “approximately 12,000 years”academyoflifeplanning.blog. This bold claim of antiquity aligns with the idea that since the dawn of civilization (indeed, the late Ice Age transition), humans have developed guidance systems for living – and that these have a remarkable core similarity. Whether or not we literally date a unified paradigm to 10,000 BCE, it is true that by the time of the earliest cities, the motifs of goal-setting (vision quests), action (ethical striving), means (cultivating wisdom/tools), and execution (creating order and prosperity) were mythologized in gods and heroes. The GAME Plan simply translates that perennial guidance into a 21st-century coaching framework – one that can be taught in seminars, applied to financial planning, or used by anyone seeking purpose. It stands as a modern culmination of Prisca Theologia: taking the “ancient theology” (or as Conley might put it, the “rich tapestry of guidance woven through the annals of human history”academyoflifeplanning.blog) and turning it into a “framework for living” in today’s worldacademyoflifeplanning.blog.

Public Domain Wisdom vs. Copyrighted Adaptations

Finally, an important consideration in building upon age-old spiritual concepts is the legal dimension – distinguishing what belongs to the commons (public domain) from what is a protected modern expression. By its nature, Prisca Theologia deals with very old ideas: philosophies, myths, religious doctrines, symbols, and practices that have been around for centuries or millennia. The vast majority of these fall into the public domain, meaning no person or entity owns exclusive rights to them. In copyright law, ideas, facts, and concepts are not protected – only the particular expression of those ideas is protectedcopyrightalliance.org. This principle (known as the idea-expression dichotomy) ensures that anyone can reuse and build upon underlying knowledge that is part of human heritagecopyrightalliance.org. For example, the concept of the four elements, or the notion of a hero’s journey, or the practice of meditation – these general ideas cannot be copyrighted by anyone; they are free for all to interpret and apply.

What can be copyrighted (or otherwise IP-protected) are specific creative works or proprietary terms. For instance, a specific translation of the I Ching or a particular modern diagram of the Medicine Wheel or a course curriculum designed by a living author may be protected as that author’s expression. However, anyone may use the underlying ideas from those works so long as they don’t copy the protected text or unique presentationcopyrightalliance.org. In practice, this means Conley’s GAME Plan can lawfully draw on Prisca Theologia and world spirituality because it is using general wisdom principles that are in the public domain or uncopyrightable (you can’t copyright the idea of setting goals, or the concept of a four-part holistic balance, or the narrative of a hero’s quest). Indeed, Conley acknowledges that he is synthesizing “diverse frameworks” that belong to our shared human inheritanceacademyoflifeplanning.blog. He even chooses not to claim exclusive intellectual property rights over the GAME Plan model itself, signalling that it’s meant to be an open-source contribution to collective wisdomacademyoflifeplanning.blog. This is both philosophically and legally aligned with the nature of prisca theologia: it treats wisdom as universal and available to all, rather than proprietary.

That said, anyone developing a modern framework should be mindful of a few legal points:

• Use of Texts and Images: While the ideas of ancient texts are free to use, the exact text of a modern translation or commentary might be copyrighted. For example, verses from the Tao Te Ching in a translation published in 2010 are protected; one should use either public domain translations or paraphrase in one’s own words (or get permission). Similarly, if one uses diagrams (say, an artist’s drawing of the Tree of Life or a copyrighted chart from a book), permission or a license is needed. In our research document, we have used images either in the public domain or under free licenses to respect this.
• Terminology and Trademarks: Some modern spiritual systems trademark their branding (e.g. the term “Transcendental Meditation®” is trademarked, even though meditation itself is public domain). In the case of the GAME Plan, the term doesn’t appear to be a registered trademark (and Conley encourages its dissemination). But if it were, using the name for commercial services might require permission. Generally, ancient terms like “Yoga” or “Kabbalah” can’t be owned by anyone, but unique program names (like a proprietary yoga program or a specific church’s course) could be protected. The GAME Plan’s strength is that it uses generic language for timeless concepts (“goals, actions, means, execution” are everyday words), avoiding any infringement issues.
• Fair Use and Citation: Modern authors building on prior work often quote or reference those works. Fair use (in U.S. law and equivalents elsewhere) typically allows limited quotation for purposes of commentary, critique, or scholarship, especially if one is transforming the material (adding new insight) and not harming its market. In a spiritual context, quoting a few lines from Campbell or Jung with attribution is acceptable. However, copying large sections of a modern book like The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (Stephen Covey) into one’s framework materials would violate copyright. The correct approach is to cite and paraphrase. For instance, Conley cited Covey’s finding of four common dimensions in traditionsacademyoflifeplanning.blog rather than copying pages of Covey’s text.

In summary, the core spiritual content – myths, symbols, fundamental teachings – are part of the cultural public domain. Anyone (like Conley or others) can freely weave Hermes, Buddha, the Medicine Wheel and neuroscience together, as long as they don’t lift substantial protected expression from a specific modern source. This legal freedom is by design: it “encourages the creation and dissemination of new works” by allowing authors to build on existing ideascopyrightalliance.org. Frameworks like the GAME Plan are a prime example of such building: they stand on the shoulders of ages, legally and morally borrowing the timeless truths to address contemporary needs. By respecting copyright (crediting sources, using open-content resources, and focusing on ideas over verbatim text), one can innovate in the realm of spiritual development without legal concerns. Conley’s decision to freely share the GAME Plan without claiming IP further ensures that it remains in the commons for others to use and adaptacademyoflifeplanning.blog – coming full circle to the collaborative spirit of Prisca Theologia, the notion that wisdom belongs to all humanity as a birthright.

Conclusion: Prisca Theologia, the ancient theology, serves as both a historical doctrine and a living paradigm. It reminds us that beneath the surface differences of rituals and doctrines lies a universal spiritual architecture: a cycle of emanation and return, of enlightenment and integration, of death and rebirth. From Renaissance sages to modern psychologists, from the Kojiki to the Ken Wilber, the refrain is the same – “At their core, they converge into a singular, universal framework”academyoflifeplanning.blog. A framework that the GAME Plan now packages for today’s world, and that each of us can observe in our own journey. In embracing this perennial wisdom, we participate in a millennia-old conversation, affirming that truth is not owned but discovered, not new but eternally fresh. The “one true theology” sought by Ficino and Pico may very well be the recognition of our shared spiritual heritage – a heritage we are free to use, adapt, and carry forward for the healing and advancement of humanity.

Sources:

• Ficino, Marsilio, and Giovanni Pico della Mirandola – Oration on the Dignity of Man and letters (15th c.), in which the idea of ancient theology is espoused.theopolisinstitute.comtheosophy.wiki
• Corpus Hermeticum (trans. Ficino, 1463) and analysis by Frances Yates on Renaissance Hermeticism’s influencetheopolisinstitute.comtheopolisinstitute.com.
• Theosophy Wiki – Prisca Theologia entry (2022)theosophy.wikitheosophy.wiki.
• Wikipedia – Noble Eightfold Pathen.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.org; Jungian Archetypesen.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.org; Hero’s Journeyen.wikipedia.org; Tree of Life (Kabbalah)en.wikipedia.org.
• Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy – Chinese Philosophy of Change (Yijing)plato.stanford.eduplato.stanford.edu.
• Gaia.com – Medicine Wheel: Four Directionsgaia.com.
• Steve Conley – “The Game Plan: A Framework for Living,” Academy of Life Planning Blog (March 7, 2024)academyoflifeplanning.blogacademyoflifeplanning.blogacademyoflifeplanning.blog.
• Copyright Alliance – FAQ on Copyright Law (idea-expression dichotomy)copyrightalliance.org.
• Vox (via Harvard research) – on meditation shrinking the amygdalavox.com.