Akiva Counter Operating Instructions - SCP Foundation

The N-THEO Gen IV Akiva Counter is a handheld digital device for quantifying the divine presence of a location, the piety of individuals, and the sanctity of relics.

CLASSIFIED INFORMATION

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

DO NOT REPRODUCE OR DISSEMINATE

N-THEO Gen IV Akiva Counter

Operating Instructions

Produced by the Department of Tactical Theology

in partnership with the Department of Manufacturing

Table of Contents

Overview

Packing List

Akiva Radiation

How The Akiva Counter Works

Akiva Radiation Reference Tables

Ambient Akiva

Individuals

Objects

Calibration

Operation

Safety

N-THEO Gen IV Akiva Counter

Overview

This document provides the background information and operating instructions necessary for the calibration and proper use of the N-THEO Gen IV Akiva Counter. This handheld digital device was designed by and manufactured for the Foundation's Department of Tactical Theology, for the purpose of quantifying Akiva radiation. Operators should carefully read this document, and adhere to the following instructions.

Packing List

The following items are enclosed:

N-THEO Gen IV Akiva Counter

Akiva Counter Operating Instructions

3 Entheogen Cartridges

Micro USB charging and data transfer cable

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Akiva Radiation

In the field of Tactical Theology, the use of religion to contain or neutralize divine entities, few discoveries have had more impact than the detection of Akiva radiation. Akiva radiation refers to fluctuations in the anomalous field responsible for interactions between belief and reality, typically quantified in centiAkiva (cAk). Although this Akiva field does not consist of particles, changes in the field can affect non-anomalous matter and energy, enabling fluctuations in the Akiva field caused by human belief to produce tangible alterations to reality.

Fluctuations in the Akiva field can only be produced by sapient entities, primarily humans, although human belief is capable of elevating or depressing the Akiva field around specific objects or locations. Further fluctuations in the Akiva field can be produced by the manifestation of a divine entity. It is unclear whether this increase in Akiva radiation reflects the human belief in the entity that is manifesting, or whether it is due to the divine being's faith in its own abilities.

It should be noted that a particular kind of belief is required to produce changes in the Akiva field. It is not affected by mere awareness of narratives featuring mythological entities, or by simply acknowledging the existence of another person, and so it appears that perceiving a being as both real and supernatural is required to affect the Akiva field, with the greatest changes occurring when the existence of the entity is regarded as justifying or requiring specific actions. While some refer to these beings as "gods" or "deities", these terms are not appropriate descriptors for all divine entities, as the veneration of saints, the belief in angels, and the reverence of ancestors also produce fluctuations in the Akiva field, despite these being perceived as theologically distinct from deities.

Fervently-held philosophical and political beliefs may also perturb the Akiva field, even when individuals openly profess their atheism. Abstract concepts such as "justice" or "the nation" can function similarly to divine entities, being non-material yet still compelling concrete action. The most notable example of this phenomenon is the so-called "Specter of Communism", which achieved apotheosis during the early 20th Century, but this phenomenon is not unique to any particular political philosophy. The best-studied example of nationalistic sentiment influencing the Akiva field is the American civil religion, which elevates Akiva counts around objects like the US Constitution, and in locations such as Washington, D.C.

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How The Akiva Counter Works

Humans have been aware of divine presence as something that can be sensed since ancient times, but this experience of the numinous could not be numerically quantified until the Paranormal Renaissance in the 19th Century. The earliest thaumometric instruments developed during this period quantified the Akiva field by measuring supernatural manifestations, such as the period of time that olive oil burned for in a menorah, or the rate at which blood flowed from the eyes of a statue of the Virgin Mary. While ingenious in their construction, these primitive Akiva counters were notoriously unreliable outside of their own specific religious context.

In the 1960s, the recently formed Department of Tactical Theology phased out these older designs, replacing them with Akiva detectors based on demonics, electronic circuits that summoned and incorporated demons. While a properly calibrated Demonic Detector could much more reliably quantify manifestations of the divine, the demons that made them work were exorcised by high levels of Akiva radiation, and so these devices required frequent repair and recalibration. Greater awareness of the dangers of demonic technology in the 1980s resulted in their replacement by modern Akiva counters, based entirely on non-anomalous scientific principles.

The N-THEO (New Theological HT2A Entheogen Organic) line of Akiva Counters were created by a team lead by Foundation biochemist Doctor Gerald Dennison. Although not originally employed by the Department of Tactical Theology, he contacted the department in 1982, proposing a new method for detecting fluctuations in the Akiva field based on recent research into a class of psychedelics known as entheogens, substances which Doctor Dennison had extensive experience with. These drugs, when used as part of religious or shamanic rituals, are capable of inducing altered states of consciousness that aid the perception of the divine. Doctor Dennison hypothesised that the Akiva field affected the affinity of entheogen molecules for receptors within the brain, a theory that was later proven to be correct.

Although early designs required cultures of human neurons to be maintained within the device to be exposed to the entheogen mescaline, later versions of the device refined the process. The current model, the N-THEO Gen IV Akiva Counter, utilizes a cartridge containing multiple temperature-controlled chambers, each filled with a mixture of mescaline and recombinantly produced 5-HT2A, a serotonin receptor modified to produce a detectable fluorescent signal following agonist binding. As an entheogen, mescaline's affinity for the 5-HT2A serotonin receptor is increased by elevated levels of Akiva radiation. After calibration of the device using relics with known and consistent Akiva counts, the Akiva radiation emitted by other sources can be quantified and digitally recorded based on the detected fluorescence. This enables the ambient Akiva field at any given location to be measured, and also enables the Akiva radiation emitted by individuals and objects to be detected and quantified relative to the background.

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Reference Tables

The following information is intended to enable interpretation of the Akiva counts of locations, individuals and objects. For accurate measurements, a background reading of ambient Akiva radiation should be made in the absence of the individual or object, before repeating the measurement after bringing the individual or object into the room. While Akiva radiation is generally only detectable in the immediate vicinity of a person or object, higher than expected values will be recorded if large numbers of believers or objects with religious significance are in the same room. For optimal performance, measurements should be made under controlled conditions in a secular setting.

Akiva counts cannot go below zero, as this represents a complete absence of divine presence, although certain entities and objects can bring the value very close to zero.

Ambient Akiva

Before attempting to assess the effect of an individual or object on the Akiva field, it is essential to first quantify the background level of Akiva radiation in the location that the measurement is to be made in. While the Akiva field is primarily affected by the presence of believers or objects of religious significance, elevated levels of Akiva radiation are detectable in places of worship, even if all worshippers and religious symbols are removed.

To accurately assess a building's ambient level of Akiva radiation when unoccupied, multiple measurements should in taken in locations throughout the building, as prominent places such as the pulpit of a church or the minaret of a mosque will have notably higher readings than the rest of the building.

Rating (centiAkiva)
Location

0
[REDACTED]

0.01-5
Desolate, profane, or desecrated space

5-15
Typical background level in a secular environment

15-25
Former place of worship

25-75
Place of worship in regular use

75-99
Site of pilgrimage

>99
Focal point of a major world religion

4

The exact level of ambient Akiva radiation in a place of worship is affected by the number of worshippers that regularly meet there, their average level of piety, and the length of time that the location has been in use for. Higher Akiva readings are detected at sites that have a history of spiritual significance to people who do not regularly attend, such as the cathedrals and monasteries that pilgrims travel to. The highest levels of ambient Akiva radiation can be detected at the focal points of major world religions, such as Mecca, Jerusalem, and Vatican City.

The Akiva reading of a place of worship will decrease if the location is no longer regularly used, with the definition of regular use being at least partially dependent on the religious sect utilizing it. Even if a building is formally deconsecrated and repurposed for a secular function, Akiva radiation within it will remain elevated as long as the location is recognizable as a former place of worship.

Outside of places of worship, Akiva levels in secular environments vary based on human population density and the general level of religious observance, although there are remote and sparely populated regions with unexpectedly high levels of Akiva radiation. Experiments performed by unmanned probes sent into outer space have determined that the Akiva Field has a cosmic background constant of 0.07 centiAkiva, and so Akiva counts will not get lower than this value except through anomalous means. Akiva levels below 5 centiAkiva are associated with a palpable sense of "divine absence", and include remote and inhospitable environments, former crime scenes, and most Foundation Facilities.

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Individual Akiva Emissions

Akiva readings of individuals correspond to rankings on the Brandon-Spencer Piety Scale, with higher Akiva readings correlating with a greater willingness to make decisions based on faith in the supernatural. This measurement is particularly relevant to Tactical Theology, as certain anomalous entities can only be contained or neutralized by individuals with elevated levels of piety. Involvement with organized religion correlates with, but is not necessary for, an elevated Akiva count. Although formal recognition as a religious leader typically corresponds to an higher Akiva reading, this is not universally true, and Akiva counts provide a more accurate measurement of piety than self-reported religious observance.

Individual Akiva levels will be affected when within a place of worship, increasing or decreasing the ambient Akiva field. Since Akiva readings are made relative to the background level, for accurate and consistent results individual Akiva readings should be made within a secular setting (<20 centiAkiva).

Rating relative to background (centiAkiva)
Individual

<0
Antithetical to ambient Akiva

0-5
Non-human animal with no perceived religious significance

1-25
Non-religious individual

25-50
Non-practicing believer

50-89
Regularly practicing believer

90-134
Notably pious believer, religious leader

135-159
Devout religious leader

160-199
Prophet, Saint

>200
Messiah, Demigod, Deity

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While most individuals emit a relatively stable level of Akiva radiation on a day-to-day basis, temporary spikes in Akiva readings are a normal part of religious observance, with individual prayer and contemplation typically resulting in increases of around 15 centiAkiva, and communal religious gatherings may briefly double or even triple an individual's level of piety. Temporary reductions in Akiva readings have also been reported, generally in individuals experiencing a crisis of faith.

While attempts have been made to correlate Akiva readings with various psychological measures, it is difficult to generalize. Although exceptionally high Akiva readings are often associated with increased altruism, elevated Akiva readings have also been reported in individuals suffering from grandiose delusions, manic behavior and pathological narcissism.

Akiva readings close to zero are generally detected around individuals with little or no interest in or engagement with the spiritual, supernatural or divine. When measured within secular settings, individuals with a strong commitment to atheism frequently have a higher Akiva reading than non-practicing believers, and extreme commitment to a secular political ideology has been reported to produce effects on the Akiva field that are indistinguishable from devout religious belief.

Since the Akiva emissions of individuals are quantified relative to the ambient level of Akiva radiation, it is possible for negative values to be registered relative to this background. In religious contexts, a reduction in the Akiva field is typically caused by antithetical belief, a strongly held objection to the religious observance occurring at that place of worship. This may be motivated by an atheistic opposition to all religion, or by a conflicting religious belief that regards the observed practices as heretical or idolatrous.

In secular settings, a reduction in the ambient Akiva level around an individual is usually only caused by Tartarean entities or certain forms of post-mortem reanimation. These entities can also suppress the Akiva Field within places of worship, but these effects are generally short-lived, since these entities are repelled or destroyed by sufficiently high levels of Akiva radiation. A notable exception is religious contexts in which Tartarean entities are perceived as divine, which enable these beings to increase the ambient Akiva field without being harmed by the emitted Akiva radiation.

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While a high Akiva reading is not anomalous, it is associated with the ability to prophesy accurate information about the past, present and future, perform miraculous healings and probability alterations, and exorcise Tartarean and spectral entities, with further increases in Akiva radiation being detected during these extranormal events. Additionally, the anomalous effects studied and produced by thaumatologists are frequently accompanied by elevated levels of Akiva radiation, and it has been proposed that a certain level of faith is required to perform these anomalous reality alterations. However, this may simply be because thaumaturgy has traditionally been practiced as part of a religious or spiritual tradition, and invocations of deities and spirits continue to be used by many modern practitioners of "magic". Ontokinesis has also been associated with elevated levels of Akiva radiation, although usually only when the ontokineticist regards their abilities as a divine gift, or perceives them to be a manifestation of their own divinity. This phenomenon has not been well studied, due to the inherent dangers of reality benders with grandiose delusions.

Exceptionally high Akiva readings have been measured around individuals recognized by others as messiahs, demigods and deities, although many of these beings are capable of suppressing their Akiva emissions to the level of a pious human. If travelling incognito, proclamation or recognition of their divine identity will correspond to a dramatic increase in measured Akiva radiation.

The origin of these divine entities is the subject of ongoing debate, as there is evidence in favor of multiple hypotheses. It has been argued that these beings were once human, but used thaumaturgy or ontokinesis to convince others of their divinity. Others theorize that these beings are extradimensional entities originating from realities with more permissive physical laws, or that they are egregores, created and sustained by belief in their existence, with any miraculous reality alterations occurring in accordance with human expectations. While Akiva counters may aid in identifying divinity, they offer limited insight as to its origins.

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Objects

The Akiva reading of an inanimate object appears to be determined by its perceived religious significance, and is affected by a number of factors, including the number and piety of the believers that revere the artifact, the length of time that it has been revered for, how frequently it is interacted with, and how holy it is perceived to be. The values listed below indicate the typical range for different classes of artifact.

As with individuals, the Akiva emissions of objects should be assessed with an ambient level of Akiva radiation <20 centiAkiva. Compared to measurements taken in a secular context, Akiva readings of the same object within a place of worship may be lower, if the object is only one of many within the building, or higher, if the object is placed at a focal point in the building or is perceived to have particular significance within that place of worship.

Rating relative to background (centiAkiva)
Object

<0
Antithetical to ambient Akiva

0-4
Inanimate object with no perceived religious significance

5-30
Object or clothing regularly used as part of a religious ritual

15-60
Religious scripture or symbol

30-100
Icon or idol

80-149
Holy relic

>135
Body of a saint

>150
Major holy relic

Measurements of Akiva radiation made before and after religious services indicate that the use of any object in an act of religious observance gives it at least at some religious significance, but the increase is dependent on how significant the object is perceived to be. While a piece of bread typically has negligible religious significance, its consecration as part of the Eucharist results in an elevated Akiva reading. This increase is greatest and most durable during a Catholic Mass, due to a belief in transubstantiation that is absent from most Protestant sects. Akiva radiation will gradually return to normal levels if an object is discarded or repurposed for secular use.

Pareidolia may also elevate the Akiva reading of an inanimate object, with increases in Akiva radiation being detectable around objects that coincidentally resemble religious symbols, such as pieces of bread that are toasted in patterns resembling depictions of the face of Jesus.

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Religious symbols and scripture tend to have permanently elevated Akiva levels, only returning to baseline levels if the object is destroyed in a manner that leaves it unrecognizable as an object of religious significance. A number of factors determine exactly how much Akiva Radiation is emitted by these objects, including how sacred the physical object is believed to be by the individuals that make use of it. For example, Jewish Torah and Islamic Qu'ran consistently have higher Akiva counts than Christian Bibles produced through identical methods and used with identical frequency, likely due to differing beliefs on the sacral quality of the text itself.

Analogue or digital recordings of religious symbols, texts, songs or sermons will also result in the storage medium emitting Akiva radiation. If an electronic device is not exclusively used for religious purposes, it will only emit Akiva radiation when displaying or playing religious content.

Consistently high Akiva readings are detected around objects officially recognized as holy relics, such as the bones of saints and fragments of the True Cross, making these objects useful for the calibration of Akiva counters. Whether claims made about these objects are actually true does not appear to be important, as carbon dating confirms that none of the fragments of the True Cross used by the Foundation to calibrate Akiva counters actually existed at the time of Jesus of Nazareth's death.

The highest Akiva counts are measured around holy relics that are explicitly mentioned in religious scripture. The exact Akiva counts of objects such as the Kaaba are difficult to quantify, because their surroundings are also regarded as holy, and there are few opportunities to transport major holy relics to a laboratory for study in a secular environment.

It is possible for a holy relic to suppress rather than enhance the Akiva field, if brought into a place of worship with an antithetical source of Akiva radiation. This effect is most apparent if a religious icon is brought into a place of worship used by an iconoclastic sect that regards any depiction of divine entities as blasphemous. Suppression of the Akiva field within places of worship has also been observed with certain objects of atheistic significance, such as SCP-4519. Additionally, a small number of "unholy relics" have been documented, usually associated with diabolism. These objects are capable of suppressing the ambient Akiva field even in secular environments, although they will be damaged by sufficiently elevated Akiva levels.

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Calibration

Akiva Counters must initially be calibrated using relics with known and consistent Akiva readings, with a baseline value being provided by a mundane object with no spiritual significance. Since all individuals affect the Akiva field around them to a varying extent, a handheld Akiva Counter must be calibrated and used by the same operator, with any change of user or significant change in the current user's piety requiring recalibration of the device.

Before calibrating the N-THEO Gen IV Akiva Counter, fully charge the device using a micro USB charging cable, then open up the back of the device and insert an Entheogen Cartridge into the designated slot inside.

To calibrate the N-THEO Gen IV Akiva Counter, carefully follow the following instructions, in an environment with a background Akiva level <20 centiAkiva:

Switch on the Akiva Counter, then wait for 1 minute.

To minimize operator interference, the operator should spend this minute focusing their attention on the device and the numbers on its display.

Press and hold the "CAL" button for 3 seconds.

Press and hold the "COUNT" button for 3 seconds to record the background level of Akiva radiation, in the absence of any objects.

Bring the first calibration relic into the room.

Hold the device in one hand, and hold it close to the calibration relic. For optimal performance, the device should be held exactly 3 cm away from the calibration relic when the reading is taken.

Press the "COUNT" button to record an Akiva reading.

Repeat the previous three steps for each Calibration relic.

Press and hold the "CAL" button for 3 seconds to skip a pre-programmed Calibration step. Calibration will automatically end when the last relic is counted or skipped.

The Akiva Counter has now been calibrated.

Although skipping calibration steps is possible if an artifact is unavailable, it is not recommended, as this will reduce the accuracy of any readings made. Non-anomalous objects are used whenever possible. SCP-4960 is not strictly necessary, but does provides a convenient upper bound for most Akiva counts, minimizing the need for extrapolation. The anomaly is currently provided with a stable level of worship, so fluctuations in its Akiva emissions are infrequent.

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The standard pre-programmed sequence of calibration relics is shown below. A different set of artifacts may be programmed into the device using the USB data transfer cable.

Value (centiAkiva)
Object

-6
"Undervegas" branded playing cards, imported from Hell by Site-666

0
Blank book

10
Holy water

16
Mass produced Bible, New International Version

24
Mass produced Quran (cannot be substituted for a translation)

30
Eucharist consecrated by a Catholic preist

80
Fragment of the True Cross

136
3 grams of bone from Saint Albertus Magnus, patron saint of scientists

204
SCP-4960, a physical manifestation of the goddess Kedesh-Nanaya

Operation

To utilize a calibrated Akiva Counter, carefully follow the following instructions:

Switch on the Akiva Counter, then wait for 1 minute.

To minimize operator interference, the operator should spend this minute focusing their attention on the device and the numbers on its display.

Press and hold the "COUNT" button for three seconds to record the background level of Akiva radiation, in the absence of any individuals or objects.

Press the "COUNT" button in close proximity to an individual or object to record a background-adjusted Akiva count. For optimal performance, the device should be held exactly 3 cm away from an object when a reading is taken, and should be pointed at the head in the case of human subjects.

Press the "LOG" button to see a record of previous Akiva readings and the time at which each was taken. Use the "COUNT" and "CAL" buttons to cycle through the list of previous Akiva readings.

Press "LOG" again to close the list.

Recorded results can be exported from the device using a micro USB cable, and will be formatted as a .csv file.

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Safety

Do not attempt to perform measurements when the battery is low.

Do not expose the device to temperatures less than 0°C or in excess of 50°C for extended periods. If the device is exposed to these temperatures while unpowered, discard and replace the Entheogen Cartridge.

Do not subject the Akiva Counter to heavy impacts.

The Akiva Counter should remain dry. Place the device within a sealed plastic bag in conditions of high humidity or when dispensing Holy Water.

Do not pray, chant or sing while operating the device.

Do not blaspheme, curse or use religious profanity while holding the device.

Turn off the device when not in use.

WARNING!

Akiva radiation in excess of 400 centiAkiva is considered lethal, with human exposure consistently resulting in immediate death by seizure, stroke, immolation, or transformation into salt.

Akiva radiation in excess of 200 centiAkiva has also been linked to adverse health outcomes, including but not limited to death, disease, disability, animal attacks and extreme weather events.

Elevated levels of Akiva Radiation may also be benign or even beneficial, resulting in miraculous healing, prophesy, a profound experience of the numinous, or the advantageous occurrence of low-probability events.

High levels of Akiva radiation have also been associated with an increased chance of pregnancy, even in individuals otherwise deemed to be infertile, and in rare cases even in the absence of sexual intercourse.

Given the unpredictable effects of divine intervention, users of the N-THEO Gen IV Akiva Counter operate the device at their own risk, and are advised to immediately leave the area if an Akiva reading in excess of 200 centiAkiva is detected.

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