Obligatory note that, speaking as a rationalist-tribe member, to a first approximation nobody in the community is actually interested in the Basilisk and hasn’t been for at least a decade.

Sure, but that doesn't change that the head EA guy wrote an OP-Ed for Time magazine that a nuclear holocaust is preferable to a world that has GPT-5 in it.

nobody in the community is actually interested in the Basilisk

But you should, yall created an idea which some people do take seriously and it is causing them mental harm. In fact, Yud took it so seriously in a way that shows that he either beliefs in potential acausal blackmail himself, or that enough people in the community believe it that the idea would cause harm.

A community he created to help people think better. Which now has a mental minefield somewhere but because they want to look sane to outsiders now people don't talk about it. (And also pretend that now mentally exploded people don't exist). This is bad.

I get that we put them in a no-win situation, either take their own ideas seriously enough to talk about acausal blackmail. And then either help people by disproving the idea, or help people by going 'this part of our totally Rational way of thinking is actually toxic and radioactive and you should keep away from it (A bit like Hegel am I right(*))'. Which makes them look a bit silly for taking it seriously (of which you could say who cares?), or a bit openly culty if they go with the secret knowledge route. Or they could pretend it never happened and never was a big deal and isn't a big deal in an attempt to not look silly. Of course, we know what happened, and that it still is causing harm to a small group of (proto)-Rationalists. This option makes them look insecure, potentially dangerous, and weak to social pressure.

That they do the last one, while have also written a lot about acausal trading, which just shows they don't take their own ideas that seriously. Or if it is an open secret to not talk openly about acausal trade due to acausal blackmail it is just more cult signs. You have to reach level 10 before they teach you about lord Xeno type stuff.

Anyway, I assume this is a bit of a problem for all communal worldbuilding projects, eventually somebody introduces a few ideas which have far reaching consequences for the roleplay but which people rather not have included. It gets worse when the non-larping outside then notices you and the first reaction is to pretend larping isn't that important for your group because the incident was a bit embarrassing. Own the lightning bolt tennis ball, it is fine. (**)

*: I actually don't know enough about philosophy to know if this joke is correct, so apologies if Hegel is not hated.

**: I admit, this joke was all a bit forced.

nobody in the community is actually interested in the Basilisk

except the ones still getting upset over it, but if we deny their existence as hard as possible they won't be there