What happened to the ‘experimental counter-culture’?

The ‘experimental counter-culture’ – its a wonderful term that highlights the potential of digital collaboration for enhancing the avant-garde experimentalism that produced some of the most deep reaching science of the 20th century.  In an interview with pioneering consciousness researcher Dr. Charles Tart, Greg Taylor, Founder of The Daily Grail, highlights how science can become a rigorous adventure into the unknown:

GT: Do you think that the revolutionary work undertaken by individuals and groups in the 1950’s (such as the Round Table Foundation) had an influence on the rise of the experimental “counter-culture” of the 1960’s and 70’s…or were they simply parts of a larger trend in the way humans thought about themselves?

CT: No, I’m sorry to say that Puharich’s research has been almost totally ignored by scientific parapsychologists at the time and since then. I fear this has been a big loss. Puharich had a lot of influence in more fringy, “New Agey” circles, but that has not resulted, to my knowledge, in any solid scientific discoveries. As to the counter-culture, that was created by a combination of existential discontent with a shallow, materialistic culture, plus a desire for actual spiritual experience, not just being told what to believe, plus the introduction of oriental meditation techniques – something you could actually *do* instead of just believe – plus psychedelic drugs, which showed many, many people that there were more profound experiences possible than consumerism – to vastly oversimplify a complex historical phenomena, of course.

The Round Table Foundation, mentioned by Greg, was the brainchild of Andrija Puharich. Consisting of a fully equipped laboratory set up in a rural location in Maine, the original group saw collaboration between figures such as psychedelic explorer, Aldous Huxley, the famous medium, Eileen Garrett, and a number of prominent socialites and inventors to create a think tank that put experimentation before assumptions and produced viable medical technology as well as insights into anomalous cognition and consciousness. As a protege of Puharich’s, Charles Tart’s own work would go on to influence the development of scientific investigations into Altered States of Consciousness, lucid dreaming and Out of Body Experiences.

Listen to the Message – Adventures with Sound and Explorations Outside of Time

“The ethereal nature of poetic resonances teaches us about the inner dimensions. It is up to us to immerse ourselves and trod through the gross associative landscape of common expectations to recognize the buried treasure in our midst. But no matter how strong and beautiful feeling tones may appear, they are still traps. The arrow of mind must not stop at any target. Hitting a target means grasping at some phenomena, whether it is a paradise or a hell realm. The pursuit of gnosis has no end. No stoppage point should deter its longing for the infinite. The goal is for the dynamism of the arrow to be realized as equal to the space in which it flies. The open nature of that dynamism usurps its linear motion, and a new aspect of its meaning becomes possible, and it is reborn. In this manner we approach En Sof, the unattainable. If the arrow stops and hits any target, contemplation is officially over.”

– David Chaim Smith

Living near the Georgia Guidestones, I am constantly reminded that the world is filled with strange frequencies.  When Dr. Raymond Moody was developing The Dr. John Dee Memorial Theater of the Mind to facilitate his experiments with mirror scrying and the therapeutic effects of necromantic divination, he followed certain design principles aimed at developing a sense of temporal displacement in those who would enter the institute’s psychomanteum chamber hoping to manifest an apparition of a past loved one.  He found that creating an environment where ideas of time and place are displaced through mismatching antiques and curios was a powerful way to draw the seeker out of their normal sense of self.

The town of Elberton, Georgia where the Guidestones are located, and really the entire surrounding area, needs no additional tweaks to accomplish this. Situated in the midst of antiquated farms, untended woodlands and the general pace of rural life one is immersed in an atemporal environment where contemporary influences mix freely with the decaying images of the past – dead memories dance in step with the living present to create an phantasmal environment that is prime for contemplative experimentation.

The Mind – A Festering Sore: An Excerpt from Mark Probert’s Deep Trance-Lecture No. 14

Telegnostic Mark Probert channeling the Inner Circle

For your education and enjoyment, a short excerpt from The Inner Circle of Light’s Transcript from Deep Trance-Lecture No. 14.

In this excerpt we find E Yada di Shi’ite, as channeled by Mark Probert, offering advice on the benefits of meditation, and the difficulty in finding a good teacher:

“Now we cannot teach simple relaxation with any effective results to the student unless we can somehow get at that student’s mind to discover what is disturbing him. And undoubtedly, when we do get at that student’s mind we will discover that it is not one thing that is agitating him and keeping him jumping around like the Mexican jumping bean, it is many things. Many things that he has put into his unconscious self and covered up, and it has been rotting there. It has become a festering sore.

AUDIENCE: A garbage can with a lid on it!

That is right. And it has been sitting in the hot sun for a long time.

Audience: And these meditative processes actually kind of loosen the lid a bit.

That is right! That is right. The psychiatrist in your world, in your country…it is a great day for him. Only trouble is, many of these people (psychiatrists) are mentally and emotionally disturbed themselves.

Audience: I thought you were going to say that they were sitting on more garbage than the patient.

Often this is true. Unfortunately, as this is the case, you should consider yourself very fortunate indeed, can you encounter one that himself is clear enough to take care of you. ”

–
About the teacher:

E Yada di Shi’ite was born in Kaoti, the city of the temples in a civilization called YU. This civilization was located in the Himalayan Mountains, and existed some half million years ago. It consisted of 180 million people at the time when Yada was a Kata (Priest) and later a Yada (High Priest).

He was one of the heads of the mystical order called Shi’ite.

E Yada was killed in a violent quake that destroyed the civilization with 80 million people.

He was about 34 years old when he died and the YU civilization 1,024 years old when it perished.

About the channel:

A self described ‘Telegnostic from San Diego,” Mark Probert purported to channel the ‘Inner Circle – Teachers of Light” from 1949-1968. His first experience with a UFO occurred prior to Kenneth Arnold’s famous sighting which began the UFO craze in 1947.

For more information Click Here to head over to the Inner Circle – Teachers of Light webpage.

Klipot and the free passage of mind

The following is a brief essay on klipot (Heb. shells) from the artist and contemplative David Chaim Smith. Currently undertaking 3 months of full retreat, he is releasing this piece to help those who are serious in pursuing deeper contemplative practice:

There is considerable confusion as to whether the klipot exist, and what they are or are not. The greater question is what is meant by the designation ‘exist’?

The view upon which this text operates does not invite concepts of being and non-being to be used as qualifying markers for phenomena. It is true that dark malevolent forces push and pull the human realm into distortions, and impressions of shadowed impulses persist throughout all the worlds. It is far better to hold these forces according to the essential nature shared by all phenomena.

This is only En Sof.

In this sense, even the worst klipot are primordially pure. Klipot are no different in essence from any of the structural limitations which shape the worlds. They lock cognition into limitation. When they do so in a manner which obscures and obstructs the free passage of mind, it is called klipah. In this sense, the difference between the lights and vessels of the worlds and the klipot becomes hazy. Klipot represent a function, not a domain in itself. In the view of this style of gnostic contemplation, when any phenomena obscures and obstructs gnosis it should be treated as klipah.  In this manner the imperative for continual breakthrough is clear, and is reinforced in each encounter.

Beyond the question of existence and non-existence is a vivid living dream in which phenomena is free to be fluid, wild, and erratic. This includes both so-called ‘good’ and ‘evil’ associations for conventional religious doctrines. This can be a tremendous sidetrack for a contemplator who might have no interest in religion. Occultists are sidetracked in another way; by the silly dark glamour of the power of the klipot. Both the adolescent mage and the fretful religionist share the habit of reifying phenomena. The solution to both is a shift in view.Continually holding to primordial purity mitigates the rigid sense of reality, but not its vividness. Through the aspect of the vividness of its ever-changing continuum, primordial sparks can break through the superficiality of their mundane shells. Holding the gnostic view can dissolve these prison cells, and ultimately break its momentum free to join into one’s practice. Facing the klipot, like facing any kind of phenomena, is pure spiritual practice. Its strength and disposition is shaped in each moment, and in turn, shapes the meaning of our life.

The klipot are thickened echoes of the primordial tzimtzum which opacify and uphold the structure of the worlds. In this sense they perform a viable function. However the mystic is not satisfied abiding within limiting structures. The goal of mysticism is realization of the inherent essentiality of phenomena, which is En Sof. This can only be approached by an aspiration to penetrate the shells of every world. This aspiration should not be confused with ordinary goals, which point to a destination at the end of a linear path. This is inherent in every aspect phenomena. It is a disposition of continual breakthrough, always penetrating deeper and further, without end. What the mystic ultimately realizes is that this process never reaches anywhere. In the endless reaching the accomplishment is clear, inherent in the gnostic view and its practice.

Each klipah forces perception to a capacity, and then blocks further expansion past that point. Dissolving successive klipot is the basis of spiritual work. Each step introduces a set reflexes which shape the manner in which the universe appears, both in its inner and outer aspects. The general perception and understanding of what the universe and its laws are is a byproduct of the collective habit field of the klipot of the human realm.

This is elaborated upon by the individual klipot which are specific to each human mind. As well, both the collective and individual contexts have their respective inner and outer aspects. This complex network of klipot constitutes the general realm we share, and also keeps the world appearing differently to each human being. Each micro-klipah opens an incremental vista of primordial expanse. As breakthroughs dawn, former obstacles reveal treasures which ornament space with unfolding variation, each bit at a time.

–

David Chaim Smith (b.1964) is an artist, contemplative practitioner and writer based in Brooklyn, New York. He was educated locally and attended Rhode Island School of Design where he gained a BFA in drawing. In 1989 he graduated from Columbia University with his Masters.

In his long engagement with contemplative work he has found new methodologies, most notably those for approaching a non-dual perspective via a Gnostic-tantra praxis. Since 1998 he has continued this work through the language of Chassidic mysticism and traditional Hebrew Kabbalah through the devotional approach of Breslov.

In 1999 David encountered The Fountain of Wisdom, a text that has survived as a 13th century manuscript in the Vatican Library. He worked with the text for many years, drawing from his experiences as an ecstatic visionary artist. In 2004 he made a breakthrough in interpretation with the development of ‘graphic maps,’ and within a few years had reached a degree of fluency that allowed him to transfer their syntax and visual vocabulary to works of art.

His series of drawings such as Machinery of the Apparitional Playground (2007-2008), Blood of Space (2008-2009) and The Sacrificial Universe (2009 to date) are numinous examples of his progress. As a writer and artist whose creative engine is fuelled by a devotional approach to ecstatic visionary mysticism, a unique dimension of David’s work stems from aspects of ideational contemplation considered as a mystical path.

Smith’s most recent work The Blazing Dew of Stars is currently available in a strictly limited edition from Fulgur Limited (Click Here for details) 

http://www.davidchaimsmith.com

Craigslist Conjurations – Amazing Advertisements for Local Spiritual Workers

Psychic services are a mainstay on Craigslist’s classified ads, but there are more rarefied  offerings from a few unique individuals who have stepped outside of the common spiritual SEO.  These beautiful people offer us a vision for how the traditions of folk spirituality continue on outside of any supposed ‘occult revival,’ without artisan publications or connections to the mediated movements of nostalgia that have driven much of the interest in these areas for the past few decades. Although it is obvious that there is some influence from the mainstreaming of esoteric spirituality, as you will see in some of the exorcism services offered, these ads also show deep connections with the standards of popular spirituality that have existed for centuries.

Here for your enjoyment and edification are some of the more interesting spiritual workers on the market. All spelling, grammar and other personalized touches have been left in place to present a most true and honest picture of each spiritual worker:

(Exorcist)expulsion, protection, blessing (non-denominational)

Hello there I’am an exorcist of international study, i do not have a specific ritual status so if you do prefer a certain style of belief oriented ritual i will not refuse do to the fact of resenant energy.

Now i offer the service of repeling spirits of dark nature and demons (or if needed, helping a spirit of any manner cross over to the other plain)

Yes i do have experience exorcising spirits in myself and others so do not hesitate to ask for an exorcism “I WILL HELP YOU” keep in mind an act of exorcism is very dangerous for myself and esspecialy YOU so keep in mind you need to be sure and you need to be strong and stay strong no matter what happens (NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS).

I also offer blessings of items, oneself and residence.

So if you are ready to rercieve my help do not hesitate to ask for it, i’am here for the public (everyone and anyone) i believe all that is and can be, i ony believe in trueth there is no false in spirituality or belief. So if you do not have a prefrance of ritual status then i will do what i do best, but if you DO do not mind telling me i will bend to your belief.

REMEMBER I’AM HERE TO HELP YOU, NOT TO TELL YOU WHAT IS RIGHT OR WRONG.

Hey and even if you need spiritual advise or advise of your well being, counseling etc…. I might as well be one in a million i’am very wise..

P.S Now i will recieve a mobile phone on the first of this coming month and i will update with the number, so dont freak out if you are not comfurtable with E-mail..

Thank you and have a nice and positive day.. May we all walk the line of peace!!

–

The next advertisement mixes the traditional healing methods of folk Christianity with contemporary ideas such as ‘demonic stronghold analysis’ for a surprising Craigslist spiritual offering:

Curse Removal Guidance And Spiritual Advisor (Atlanta)

I offer Free Help Initial to prove my worth, then i charge to continue Support and Guidance.

So you have a Guarantee to verify that i can help you first at no expense to your self.

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND:

one of the most common reasons why people dont get success from Spiritual advisory is NOT FOLLOWING EXACT INSTRUCTIONS.

I know and realize its hard getting directions from a complete stranger on how to handle issues in your life but this is the only way to for it to work…at least with my service of healing.

Im very very thorough with what i do which involves home visits.

I offer:

Paranormal Activity Analysis
Demonic Stronghold Analysis
Unexplained Paranormal Activity
Haunting
Ghost
Spirits
Paranormal Investigation
In Home, Telephonic, Face to Face Advisory System.

Bible Foundation methods with no worldly rituals, baths, beads, soaps and so forth. Strictly on the Word of God and Direction in the Bible. Through, Prayer, Coaching, Support, Guidance, Biblical Enlightenment, and “Genuine Love”, our specialist will bring light to your dark situation.

Specializing:
Identification and removal Demonic, Negative holds, Assignments and Barriers placed on individuals.

Relationship Healing and Ending through healthy closure.

Breaking of Negative Generational Ties.
Spiritual/Emotional Healing Assistance.
Spiritual Awakening, (Destiny Realization)
Removal Demonic Emotions; Sadness, Depression, Loneliness, Fear, Anxiety, Anger, Lust, Envy, Jealousy,Stress

Spiritual Healing From Abuse; Molestation, Violence, Mental Abuse, Sexual Assault, Neglect

FREE CONSULTATION

24 Hour Counselling Support Line For Active Clients
For Service Reply to this ad with “HELP HEALING” in the Subject Line in the body please give your full name, a brief description of the issues at hand, your faith or beliefs, and a contact number with an appropriate time frame that you can be contacted.

Thank You and Have a Blessed day.

–

Next we have Miss Mary, who runs a number of advertisements in different cities, which to the uncritical eye might seem to be repetitious – however, the true connoisseur of traditional spiritual work will recognize the poetic touches that make each ad unique. She uses a time honored formula that is reminiscent of older advertisements for such services. Miss Mary’s ad copy is similar to the Mother Powers advertisements in Lottery Dream Books, or the associated advertisements online for Sister Mary, here you can see the tradition carrying on into the digital world of Craigslist classifieds:

SPIRITUAL ROOTWORKER (BRUNSWICK, GEORGIA)

MISS MARY CAN HELP YOU ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD IN HOURS. ARE YOU IN HARD LUCK? DO YOU HAVE PROBLEMS THAT ARE WORRYING YOU? ARE YOU SUFFERING IN PAIN AND MISERY? DO YOU WANT TO GET LUCKY AND STAY LUCKY? IS YOUR HUSBAND OR WIFE SPENDING THE MONEY ON SOMEONE ELSE? HAS HE OR SHE LEFT YOU FOR ANOTHER? CALL MISS MARY NOW FOR HELP. ARE YOU HAVING TROUBLE WITH YOUR LEGS, BACK, STOMACH, HEAD, OR ARMS? IS YOUR HAIR FALLING OUT? MISS MARY WILL REMOVE BAD LUCK, EVIL, SICKNESS, PAINS AND NERVOUS CONDITIONS FROM YOU NOW. MISS MARY WILL TELL YOU HOW TO BE LUCKY AT HORSES, CARDS, BINGO, LOTTERY, DOGS, SLOT MACHINES, AND NUMBERS. CALL NOW FOR HELP. YOU WILL BLESS THE DAY YOU DID. MY WORK IS 100% GUARANTEED. CALL MISS MARY TODAY AND BE RID OF YOUR TROUBLES BY TOMMOROW.

MISS MARY POWERFUL ROOT WORKER (BRUNSWICK, GA.) 

MY POWERS ARE GUARANTEED. DO YOU HAVE BAD LUCK? NEED HELP? MISS MARY SOLVES ALL PROBLEMS. MONEY, LUCK, BUSINESS, HEALTH, NATURE, MARRIAGE, LOVE PROBLEMS, DRUG PROBLEMS, ALCOHOLISM. MISS MARY CAN REMOVE EVIL SPELLS OF ALL KINDS. VOODOO, ROOTS, HEXES. 100% SURE FAST RESULTS. CALL MISS MARY TODAY AND BLESS THE DAY YOU DID. MY MAGICAL POWERS ARE BEYOND YOUR IMAGINATION. CALL NOW FOR IMMEDIATE RESULTS.

POWERFUL ROOT WORKER (BRUNSWICK, GA.)

MISS MARY WILL READ YOUR ENTIRE LIFE WITHOUT ASKING YOU A SINGLE QUESTION. SHE HAS THE ABILITY TO HEAL BY PRAYER. ARE YOU SUFFERING? ARE YOU SICK IN ANY PART OF YOUR BODY? ARE YOU LOSING YOUR HAIR? HAVE YOU EVER STAYED AWAKE AT NIGHT THINKING ABOUT YOUR FUTURE? WELL THINK NO MORE MISS MARY IS HERE TO HELP YOU WITH ANY PROBLEM YOU MAY HAVE. MISS MARY WILL HELP YOU IN LOVE, MARRIAGE, ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE, LAWSUITS, EVIL, DIVORCES, ANY PROBLEM IS NOT TO BIG OR SMALL. I WILL GIVE YOU LUCKY NUMBERS TO PLAY LOTTO, BINGO, HORSES, DOGS, SLOTS. CALL MISS MARY TODAY AND BE RID OF YOUR PROBLEMS TOMORROW. MISS MARY SOLEMLY SWEARS TO HELP YOU. CALL MISS MARY  TODAY AND BLESS THE DAY YOU DID.

0RDAINED PSYCHIC READER AND ADVISOR (BRUNSWICK, GA)

HAVE YOU BEEN HOODOOED? ARE YOU SICK IN ANY PART OF YOUR BODY? MISS MARY HAS GOD GIVEN POWER TO HELP YOU OVERCOME YOUR PROBLEMS NO MATTER HOW BIG OR SMALL. I WILL TELL YOU JUST WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT FRIENDS ENEMIES OR RIVALS, WHETHER HUSBAND, WIFE OR SWEETHEART IS TRUE OR FALSE, HOW TO GAIN THE LOVE YOU MOST DESIRE, CONTROL OR INFLUENCE THE ACTION OF ANYONE EVEN THOUGH MILES AWAY. WILL GIVE YOU LUCKY NUMBERS, I HAVE HELPED THOUSANDS THROUGH ALL WALKS OF LIFE. I WILL ADVISE YOU ON LOVE, MARRIAGE, BUSINESS, HEALTH, DIVORCES, LAWSUITS, LUCK, ALCOHOLICS, DRUG ADDICTIONS, HAPPINESS,SPELLS, SUCCESS AND EVIL INFLUENCES OF ALL KINDS. I WILL TELL YOU WHO YOUR FRIENDS AND ENEMIES ARE. GUARANTEES TO REMOVE ALL EVIL AND BAD LUCK!!! WHY SUFFER WHEN YOU CAN BE HELPED AND FREED FROM ALL YOUR TROUBLES!!! DON’T FAIL TO CALL MISS MARY TODAY YOU WILL BLESS THE DAY YOU DID!!! CALL MISS MARY AND SEE FOR YOURSELF WHAT MY POWERS CAN DO FOR YOU!!! DO NOT COMPARE ME WITH CHEAP, COMMON, ORDINARY INPERSONATORS MY WORK IS WITH GOD!!! CALL MISS MARY TODAY

SPIRITUAL READER AND ADVISOR (BRUNSWICK,GEORGIA) 

MISS MARY WILL READ YOUR ENTIRE LIFE WITHOUT ASKING YOU A SINGLE QUESTION. MISS MARY HAS THE ABILITY TO HEAL BY PRAYER. ARE YOU SUFFERING? ARE YOU SICK IN ANY PART OF YOUR BODY? HAVE YOU EVER STAYED AWAKE AT NIGHT THINKING ABOUT YOUR FUTURE? WELL, NOW YOU DON”T HAVE TO! THIS SPIRITUAL WOMAN WILL GUIDE YOU TO OVERCOME YOUR PROBLEMS NO MATTER WHAT YOUR PROBLEMS MIGHT BE. I CAN HELP YOU WITH LOVE PROBLEMS, MARRIAGE, OR BUSINESS PROBLEMS. I CAN GIVE YOU SURE HIT LUCKY NUMBERS. I WILL CURE ANY PROBLEMS THAT YOU HAVE. DON’T BE DISCOURAGED IF OTHERS FAILED YOU. MY WORK IS WITH GOD AND MY POWERS ARE GUARANTEED TO WORK. CALL ME AND FIND OUT FOR YOUR SELF HOW GREAT MY POWERS ARE. CALL MISS MARY AND BLESS THE DAY YOU DID.

MISS MARY ROOTWORKER (BRUNSWICK, GEORGIA)

LET MISS MARY REMOVE ALL EVIL SHADOWS AND SPELLS FROM YOU AND YOUR HOME. I USE LOVE POTIONS, SPELLS, DOLLS, HERBS, OILS AND CANDLES IN MY WORK TO REMOVE OR PLACE A VOODOO. DO YOU WISH TO CONTROL THE ACTIONS OF ANYONE YOU DESIRE MISS MARY WILL ADVISE YOU IN LOVE, MARRIAGE, BUSINESS, LUCK, HAPPINESS, AND MONEY. CALL MISS MARY TODAY AND BE HELPED AS THOUSANDS HAVE ALREADY DID. CALL MISS MARY AND BLESS THE DAY YOU DID.

Psychic Palm and Tarot Card Reader

I AM A LOCAL PALM READER HERE IN BRUNSWICK, GA. I HAVE BEEN HERE FOR OVER 30 YEARS I HAVE ALOT OF REPEAT CLIENTS THAT ARE VERY SATISFIED WITH MY READINGS I AM AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE PARTYS IF YOU ARE HAVING A PRIVATE PARTY AND ARE INTERESTED IN HAVING A REAL LIFE PALM READER AT YOUR PARTY CALL ME FOR RATES MISS MARY

–

With the popularity of exorcism in the mainstream media it is not surprising to see some focused exorcists advertising on Craigslist as well. In the case of the next two selections we find an ordained minister offering his services both solo, and with a full ‘paranormal investigation’ team:

exorcist, investigating home/personal exorcism (upstate s.c, and nc)

Ordained Christian minister who specializes in demonic expulsion. Before an exorcism on a person will be conducted the proper mental health evaluations must have taken place. I offer a free service but due to travel cost, donations are accepted but not necessary. I want to bring deliverance. No matter your religion, race or creed if you are experiencing paranormal disturbances please contact me. This is a serious post so please be serious and professional
–

paranormal investigation and demonic expulsion

A group of paranormal investigators in the upstate of south Carolina have decided to work together and form a team. A like-minded group who’s intent is to investigate the most known allegedly haunted locations in SC and NC. The South Carolina supernatural investigators (scsi) aims to validate or debunk these claims. We are available for private investigations at no cost. We are accompanied by an ordained minister who specializes in exorcism and demonology and thus We will also be available to investigate personal possession/home infestation claims. Contact us if you are experiencing any form of haunting and we will be glad to help.
Contact us
–

Finally we have an example of a fictional form emerging into the culture through a classified ad for an ‘Occult Detective’ – a favorite character type for the past century of popular weird tales:

Occult Detective, Anthony W. Fields (greenville sc)

“Investigating the Unexplained.”

I provide Consultation concerning the strange and unexplained.

Over 20yrs of Paranormal/Occult/Cult Studies and Practice with 12yrs of Professional Investigation/Counter Intelligence/Personal Security experience.

Free face-to-face Consultations., Call or email to set-up an appointment.

Entering the Theatre of Manifestation – The Art of Possession

The Manuscript – Strange Factories

(For the first installment in this series covering the FoolishPeople’s ritual performance craft see – Entering the Theatre of Manifestation – Unveiling the FoolishPeople)

“There was a time when I found the concept of possession alien, exotic and dangerous. We Westerners have come to see possession a something akin to what we find in movies likeThe Exorcist, Rosemary’s Baby, The Serpent and the Rainbow and many other movies that feed the fear of the unknown taking possession of us. But these movies speak solely about the possession and obsession that might happen by the intrusion of hostile spirits upon ones being.”

– from The Mystery of Possession, Nicholaj de Mattos Frisvold

Possession is an odd phenomena. Portrayed in the media as rare and uncertain, observed more carefully the basic elements of possession can be used to understand the underlying nature of our conscious experience. We are possessed by our self identity, a phantom, so easily unmoored, an accretion of habitual responses and memory that we cling to with such intensity we often miss the benefits of taking on another type of personal agency. Especially when we begin to realize that possession does not end with the body, or with the self, but exists within a web work of wider relationships and environmental memories.

FoolishPeople make a game of possession, they play with it, and fool’s play is a serious games to engage in.  Whatever the internal driver we want to assign for possession, the state seen symptomatically involves changes in action and self perception radically altering how we interact with and experience the world around us. To invoke these changes willfully, to court the disassociation and potential permanence of alternate personalities and memory sets, is a very potent artistic tool.

Re-Membering Giordano Bruno

History is a narrative, whose plot is often guided by the mistakes of well meaning scholars repeating errors and misrepresentations that have crept into the academic discourse. This usually happens due to the vast amount of information available, and the necessity to triage resources while pursuing tangential investigations of a specific topic.  A good example of this is the legacy of Giordano Bruno, who has been labeled a “proto-scientist,” his legacy and martyrdom becoming a rhetorical device lauded by popular figures, like the physicist Michio Kaku, to highlight a sacrifice for humanistic science and free thought.

This image of Bruno has developed out of the strange and stilted public debate on the supposed conflict between religion and science, and the Catholic church’s ignoble position of having been the ruling worldly power during a long period of transition from ancient culture to our contemporary world. The lessons of the 20th century show us that had secular powers been in control, we still cannot be assured the persecutions, bloodshed and atavistic thinking could have been averted. The truth is beyond category, religious or secular, (those debating should read some of Bruno’s works!,) and this particular debate between those who take it upon themselves to represent the world’s faith traditions and those representing empirical science has done little to aid in humanity’s spiritual or empirical development.

Hidden in Opposition – Observations on Obeah, Santa Muerte and the Veiled Potency of Folk Practice

“Obeah is notoriously difficult to define for those searching for a coherent system by this name. Obeah is, like witchcraft, a sorcerous art exercised by the one who possesses the ‘obi’ – or power. The Obeahman or woman inherits a particular power that aids effectively in enhancing the potency of their spellcraft, duppy-catching and sorcery.”

– From Obeah: A Sorcerous Ossuary, by Nicholaj De Mattos Frisvold

It was Santa Muerte who lead me to Obeah, or rather lead me more deeply into the question of Obeah after I had touched on it earlier while researching the cultural influence of mail-order occultist L.W. de Laurence. In searching out the popular streams, occult ephemera, and urban materia magica that attend to La Nina Bonita’s contemporary public emergence I encountered a deeper understanding of Obeah, an Afro-Latin spirituality that shares with Her a similar confusion in terms of practice and public persona.

These are ghost spiritualities, names spoken in hushed tones, complicated by fear, adoration, respect, and care. To find and understand their devotions is not possible through texts and dispossessed investigation, one must seek their very heart, and in doing so accept the price of seeing beyond the social boundaries that hold us safely in our comfortably commodified identities.

Taking Back Transmedia

“Might we contrive one of those opportune falsehoods … so as by one noble lie to persuade if possible the rulers themselves, but failing that the rest of the city.”

– Plato in The Republic

“If you read it, you will be infected. If you are infected you will be InFicted. If you are InFicted, you will get UnFucted. “

– Joseph Matheny

Those who entered the digital world in the late 80’s and early 90’s were introduced to a nearly unfathomable host of possibilities for media and creativity. DVD’s offered the potential for integrative experiences that tracked user preferences and allowed for multiple story formats which changed with each viewing based on previous use, virtual reality models held the possibility for turning these experiences fully immersive, cell phones and wireless technology promised an unthought of openness to it all, and the internet allowed everyone to dream of a fully connected, creative global conversation that synchronized each aspect into a beautifully coordinated whole. Looking back on those dreams in light of growing concerns over surveillance, advertising, neuromarketing and the like one might wonder what happened to turn the dream into a lousy cold war sitcom.

It was a recent note from my friend Joseph Matheny that shuffled the dust around in my memory and made me realize that my current experience with technology isn’t quite as conducive to creativity as promised. Matheny is about to begin a series of classes for University of California – Santa Barbara (Click Here for More Information) that will cover the basics of multimedia and transmedia production, and I was glad to hear that his insights were going to be available to creatives coming into the field at a serious level. Hopefully it will bring some focus back to what these tools were intended for originally in the minds of their creators.

As one of the early pioneers in multimedia, his alternate reality game Ong’s Hat has become a reminder of what is possible with today’s technology, and a kick in the ass to today’s creatives that are allowing this potential to be misused, abused and denigrated by marketers and media corporations. Matheny’s vision of transmedia production doesn’t end with a shiny bit of intellectual property, it ends with reformatting the mytho-poetic infrastructure of consensus reality.

Considering Ghost Hunters as Cultural Workers

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An experiment in digital tractology with inspiration from Deonna Kelli Sayed, author of Paranormal Obsession: America’s Fascination with Ghosts & Hauntings, Spooks & Spirits(Llewellyn, September 2011) and So You Want to Hunt Ghosts: A Down-To-Earth Guide (Llewellyn, October 2012).

Sayed’s article Why Ghost Hunter’s are Culturally Cool  brings a sharp focus on community storytelling, cultural responsibility and collective memory to the field of paranormal investigation. This digital tract attempts to condense some of these ideas into a cohesive vision through the use of digital bibliomancy, cut-up technique and collage.

Note: Use of the ‘Pause’ button on the slide show is recommended for maximum comprehension and readability.