Gaia Community: Sean's Blog

The Goalposts are Constantly Shifting

Mon, 21 May 2007 18:24:57 -0000

The goalposts are constantly shifting.

The postmodern contribution to the human race is the understanding that the universe, as we know it, is not static. In fact, if there is one thing that seems to be consistent it is the lack of consistency and thus, the return of the philosophical paradox of sorts. Yet, this is not a true paradox because now, thorough the lens of the postmodern we can see the larger overall picture which is one of complexity and dynamic interconnected systems. It is impossible for most people in their current way of seeing and grasping the world to truly get this in it’s entirety and when it happens it is often described as an “Ah-ha!” experience and even mystical in nature (whatever your level or definition for mysticism).

The goalposts are constantly shifting. This means, simply, that the laws we come to rely on today might not be true tomorrow. If the universe does truly evolve and is dynamic, creative, and novelty generating then how can we assume that the laws of physics, for example, are static? How is it that we can make this exception when all else is evolving in complexity? This is what it means to exist on a level of understanding that rides the current of emergence in reality as we know it. Postmodernism and it’s children, such as complexity theory and chaos theory teach us that we can’t take our assumptions and our current rules for granted for all times, all places, and all universes. In fact, this is the central tenant, as I understand it, of the new physics since the birth of quantum mechanics. Even in modern consciousness research there is an understanding that what we are dealing with are so many constantly changing variables that to take a “snap-shot” if you will through our scientific methods is, in the final instance, doomed to temporary truth status as surely things will change. Socially speaking, if we do make the categorical error of taking our models too seriously we are in for a rude awakening. So far, there hasn’t been a worldview that hasn’t been challenged and improved upon and I certainly don’t see it changing in the future. So, it is from this that I can go ahead and make the assumption that there will never be any truly Grand Unified Theory or THE. Only relatively speaking is this possible. This, of course, is a very postmodern statement that is not without it’s own difficulties but I see no other alternative than to go down this path and to follow my contemporaries in the belief in an integration of worldviews and methods in an ever-evolving, continuously changing universe of realities and possibilities beyond anything we could ever imagine.

So, as I see it, the future of science is one of integration, dynamism, and the recognition of the observer effect and the reality of ever shifting goalposts. The pathological alternative is already in existence today and will likely continue for a significant number of people and that is one of scientism, or scientific dogmatism, which is, strictly speaking, not science at all. Beyond this, it is a matter of hermeneutics and linguistic swordsmanship. Nonetheless, this all seems to be the case but there are many traps along the way, the most obvious being taking it all (any model such as this one) too seriously. We can be persistent in our pursuit for truth, knowledge, insight, and wisdom but we needn’t take it all so seriously that we lose sight of what I call the “dynamic absurdity” or the great play of Lila as the Hindus put it.
It is important to maintain a sense of play and beginner’s mind at every turn, no matter how experienced others might tell us we are. Humility and awe is what keeps the true scientist, at least the best ones, in check for as the saying goes, truth is stranger than fiction.

-sean
aug. 2005

The Transpersonal Scholar

Tue, 15 May 2007 18:13:16 -0000

This is the blog for my internet and scholarly research class at ITP

“I am beginning to wonder if anyone ever makes true friends in graduate school. Most everyone here seem super competitive - I tend to be more of a cooperative learner. I have this vague, nagging idealism that education should be a growing experience - not a series of sucker punches . . .”

What the hell is a DQP?

Sat, 12 May 2007 00:34:43 -0000

Sorry folks. My last blog entry (after several months of zero activity) is very strange indeed. Basically, I am doing some preliminary literature searches through an internet and scholarly research class that I'm taking at the moment (at ITP), and I was assigned to post to my blog some relevant hits for my Doctoral Qualifying Paper (DQP).

DQP relevant websites

Tue, 08 May 2007 18:56:30 -0000

Toward an Integral Methodology
for Transpersonal Studies

AN INTEGRAL APPROACH

Ken Wilber and the Education Literature

Integral International Development Gathering – A Synthesis

Bruce Aldermann: Integral Visioning

Organizational Development Network: Links

Where is Sean?

Sat, 11 Nov 2006 06:14:46 -0000

Man, I have been sorely neglecting my presence on Zaadz. Basically, when one starts a new doctoral program, you can pretty much be sure that it's quite taxing on a number of levels. Gwen's visit was awesome and made me realize how I've been on "time-out" in regards to Zaadz. I never was a prolific blogger anyway. I guess I just felt the need to say something since my last post was back at the beginning of september!

What is Transpersonal Psychology?

Sat, 02 Sep 2006 06:58:09 -0000

Since I get this question a great deal and because I'm sure that there are plenty of folks out there who just want a good definition, I've provided a link to this description provided by my school, ITP. Granted, it's one of the lengthier descriptions but I find it the most helpful.

The 2006 ATP-ITP Transpersonal Conference

Mon, 14 Aug 2006 02:51:01 -0000

The 2006 Association of Transpersonal Psychology/Institute of Transpersonal Psychology Conference being held at my school, ITP, in Palo Alto, is a truly exciting event for those in the field. Here's the blurb found at the Institute and the Association's website:

The ATP-ITP 2006 Conference: 100 Years of Transpersonal Psychology will be held September 7-9, 2006 at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in Palo Alto, CA. 100 years ago, William James used the word transpersonal for the first time in reference to that which transcends the boundaries of the individual self. A century later, the Association for Transpersonal Psychology and the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology invite you to our annual professional conference, to teach, learn, and share the innovations and discoveries that have shaped the field since that day, and to chart the future for the next 100 years. Featured guest speakers include: Stanislav Grof, Jeanne Achterberg, Jim Fadiman, Francis Vaughan and more! Special events include: A Celebration of Women in Transpersonal Psychology on the eve of Sept. 7 and a Multimedia Event on the eve of Sept. 8. To register or for more information, go to www.atpweb.org or call (650) 424-8764.

A Moment of Truth from the SF 2006 Gay Pride Parade

Sun, 16 Jul 2006 21:06:22 -0000

On a recent sun-drenched weekend here in the Bay Area I had the unique honor of going to the annual gay pride parade in San Francisco, the second-largest gathering in the largest state economy in the largest national economy in the world. Aside from the sunburn I now suffer I can quite pointedly say that I had a fantastic time.

Early in the morning me and my friend had found a nice shaded spot along the sidewalk where we could easily watch the parade march down Mission Street on it’s way to the Castro. After standing there for a few minutes admiring the impressive display of pride and flamboyance a small boy of no more than 7 or 8 years walked in front of us waving the ubiquitous (in San Francisco) rainbow-hued flag in support of gay pride, trying to get a closer look at the ongoings. The boy was followed by his mother who was urging him to get closer and to not be shy about it.

So, I am standing there thinking how unique this is to witness (after having seen how the rest of the country responds to such events) when the mother asked me and my friend if we lived here. We admitted that we lived in the Mid-Peninsula which, I guess, counts. She said, “Well, I’m not from here, I’m from New York and although we have parades and events like this in New York I can’t help but notice how wholesome it all is here.” We readily agreed considering all of the families present at the parade and the children that I was seeing riding atop the shoulders of their parents. However, at the moment she said “wholesome” (her emphasis) I couldn’t help but to notice the “Leather Float” slowly go by.

So, here is this woman and her very young and innocent-looking son enjoying the “wholesomeness” of the parade and, at the same time, men and women in ass-less chaps, half-naked with whips and chains are parading down the street. In the center of this is a pickup truck with two men standing in the bed of the truck, one chained and bound with his rosy-red ass-cheeks getting whipped by his partner who also happens to be wearing strategically revealing cowhide goods. Both of them are waving and smiling to the crowd as if nothing unusual is going on at all.

I smiled and thought to myself: "Wholesome!"

(The Need to) Hold Your Models Lightly

Sun, 25 Jun 2006 05:39:23 -0000

     It is incredibly important for those who feel so inclined to study and create models for their existence lightly. A model might work but there is a very human tendency to get “stuck” into relying too much on a particular model to the point where it becomes calcified. I propose that a certain type of consciousness development must be reached before the natural tendency to hold one’s model’s lightly becomes second nature. Right now it would seem that the majority of us have a difficult time doing this.

    Why is it that people throughout history have shown us that the human tendency is certainly towards close-mindedness, i.e., a certain inertia? Yet there are those rare pioneers (you know who they are because they are the ones with knives in their backs) who have found a way to break the mould and challenge conventional dogma. What is this queer need to become dependent and static with one’s worldview? Habituation, surely.

    It also seems that even the best of us can so easily fall into the trap of taking one’s models of reality too seriously. To say anything is for most people to put faith in what one is saying. If someone is talking about how they see things then it seems all too easy to actually believe in it to the point where another’s conception of reality can become, unconsciously and consciously, a threat.

    In my mind, one of the best arguments for this is what many have come to call Scientism. You might think fundamentalist religious beliefs would be the more logical place to start but I think Scientism can be just as destructive and harmful, if not more so, since most scientists in the world, though the minority by far, are in the top eschelons of power in terms of their ability to influence and affect the world now and in the future. Scientism is a dogmatic fundamentalist belief, but , obviously, not a religious one. It is one that claims the fundamental and dominant truth of science even at the cost of not knowing anything about any one particular field of science. The fact of the matter is that no scientist, lest, no human, can know everything there is to know in the world, especially in the world of science. This is, need I remind you, why postmodernism came into existence and why we now have these fragmented, specializations: there is just too much to know. To get by at all, the idea is that we, collectively, work together under the rubric of theory and science but separately for the sake of truth (here, beauty is optional).

    Nonetheless, it is quite obvious what happens when someone grasps their version of things too tightly: they stop growing. Then, one day, it takes a serious whack on the head to break their concentration, unfortunately, this is rarely a pleasant affair. Dynamical Systems Theory is by far, one of the best examples to my mind of how this works. In DST when a system ceases to move it ceases to be dynamic, essentially, it dies. However, when a system is alive and dynamic it is in a constant state of flux and change. In this case there is a phenomenon that happens that scientists call “emergence.” This is where an entirely new creation comes into being. Very much like when something in our world of sticks and stones is created such as a painting, a song, or even a child. It is something entirely new and novel. This is the healthiest state for a any system to be in. A complex system (continuing with the analogy), such as ourselves can be thought of as being essentially the same in this regard. Indeed, everything about our lives suggests that the one thing that we can truly count on is change. If we embrace change and live creative lives riding the waves of novelty there is no telling what we can accomplish and how full and rich our lives are. The key word here is "embracing." However, if we fail to embrace this and choose to live a life rigid with belief, closed to novelty, we run the risk of a premature death. I mean this both metaphorically and literally.

    When we consciously create models for ourselves by which to live by it is important to be open to the necessity that it will inevitably change. The only way to do this is to truly develop a sense of humility. Think of it as more of a gently guiding process rather than complete control or all affairs within one's experience.   Living is an art and like any art it takes care, patience, persistence, and vision. It also takes being willing to risk everything you think you know.

    Curiously, as much as our culture in the West prizes logic and reasoning, the norm is anything but reasonable from my perspective. That is, one person’s reason might be another’s insanity. Most of the people I meet are not reasonable. They base their lives on beliefs, many of which they have taken for granted from other people. This is nothing unusual and modern psychology has shown us this. Most of us create our reality based upon the common society’s vision of reality at large and sort of just try and work with that to the best of our ability because, after all, for the vast majority of people in the world, life is no walk in the park.

I digress.

I really do not want to paint an negative picture here. On the contrary, my aim is to merely remind those of us who have the wherewithal to ponder such issues that no matter how sophisticated or learned we might think we are, we must always tread lightly with our beliefs. This is where a good dose of humility and openness comes in. Having the courage to state the facts, as you know it, and nothing more can be quite difficult. Again, to hold your model's lightly, to hold the ideas and beliefs you use to live your life, lightly, takes a higher order of mindfulness and conscious recognition of the transitory nature of physical existence.

The Flaming Lips

Tue, 23 May 2006 19:21:42 -0000

The Flaming Lips have been together as a band for a long time. 23 years to be exact. They are like a fine wine or a bottle of Scotch that gets better with age. I can say this about very few musicians and artists. One of the only other contemporary bands that comes to mind that have achieved this fate is Radiohead. However, I am a bit of a late-comer to the Lips. My introduction was their recent Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. Now, this album still blows me away and is in my top ten for sure. That's why when their new release At War with the Mystics came out last month I knew I would not be disappointed. Oh, how true my intuition was.

At War with the Mystics is, quite simply, amazing. I hear so much influence here from the greatest moments of 70's epic rock. Every rift and melody you ever loved about early David Bowie and T-Rex (and even a little Moody Blues), is there. This combined with a very fresh, modern sound from bands like The Beta Band, Yo La Tengo, Built to Spill, The Postal Service, and My Morning Jacket creates one of the best albums, from an actual band, I have heard in a very long time. It is epic rock with a grand tale to weave. And we thought great artwork, sci-fi storyboard, and classic formulas done in new, creative ways, was dead. Well the Lips have once again proved the pessimists wrong. This album rocks.

cycling through heaven and hell in 200k

Sun, 07 May 2006 19:09:10 -0000

Six hours of sleep and nothing for breakfast except a power bar and some iced green tea. . .

The night before the century I visited downtown Santa Rosa where it was recommended I go and visit a fine italian restaurant, a place called "Checkers." Though I am not accustomed to eating alone I must say that my affordable meal of spinach and cheese ravioli was bursting with well-balanced flavor. Really, all I needed was to stock-up on carbs but this delicious meal was quite a surprise. Strangely, it was cinco de mayo as I watched from my solitary table the revelry across the street. A rather sizeable party was going on in a club next-door. Yet, here I was, the solitary masticator on an island table in the dead center of the restaurant for all to see.

I woke up at 5:30 in the morning and arrived at the century's start at 6:20 and finally got on the road at 6:45. It was a little brisk but after commuting in the cold, miserable rain for several years in the Northwest I am accutely aware of my body's boundaries. This was warm by comparison. There were around 2500 riders in all but only a fraction of that was on the longest ride, the 200k, which immediately climbed over 4500 feet. The morning was foggy and chilled as we climbed (and I passed other riders), on the ascent. The ride through forest and high hills was idyllic. By the time we reached the first rest stop on the summit of the climb I was riding across a heavenly landscape of lush green hills and picturesque farm houses dotted with strategically placed trees and shrubs. It's the kind of place one hallucinates when dying face down in the sand in a remote desert after crashing one's plane.

On the summit I overheard a guy with a thick New England accent talking to someone on his cell-phone trying to explain where he was:

"I don't know. Where are you? I'm on a mountain somewhere. You want me to wait up? No, no, wait. Where did we turn?  Oh crap. I think I took a wrong turn . . . "

He then came up to me.

"Where are we? I can't figure out this map."

I then pulled out my map and showed him.

"Why's your map a different color? Oh crap, this is the 200k! I'm supposed to be riding the 100!"

The guy had accidentally resigned himself to a much longer ride than he bargained for, without his friends. Just the fact that he was talking so loudly in a thick Bostonian accent about being lost was enough to make me laugh. It was the combined effect.

The descent from this heaven gained at the expense of the hell of the climb (piece o' cake for me since my lung capacity is more geared to Colorado) merely led to yet another type of cycling heaven. One pastoral, high beauty, the other coastal with salt in the air and the sun breaking on the back.

The ride down was brutal and quite exhilarating with treacherous patches of loose pavement down a steep and narrow country road. I learned that where my strength is climbing, my weakness is the descent. I've had two serious crashes lately and the last thing I want to do is wipe-out. Besides, I just bought a new helmet. I don't want to test it's functionality.

After coming out of the mountains (hills) the sun emerged in all of it's morning glory and blessed us at the right moment with a blessed ride along the Pacific. A few miles down I turned right and began the meandering route along the Russian River and the rest of the ride through the famous wine country. Vineyards, vineyards, vineyards. Such beauty I have rarely seen. The only thing about appreciating all this scenery is that I am too busy riding, fast. You see, I am not a casual rider. I like to go at a quick pace. Combined with focusing on the road, being aware of cars, and intuitively reading what my body is telling me leaves only a fraction of my awareness to fully VISUALLY take it all in. So, what I find I am forced to do is realize that I am a part of the landscape itself and that I need not worry about missing anything since I am already interacting and literally breathing in the landscape with it's sweet smells, clean air, and cascading sun.

In all, there were five rest stops for peeing, filling water bottles, and grabbing munchies and snacks (thank god). What a luxury this is.  All I have to do is ride and carry two water bottles. The rest is taken care of. The route is marked and you never need ride alone.

For several miles I ride with a few fantastically strong riders trying to test my mettle and stamina. I can proudly say that I am well-conditioned and robust. This is great to know since I have never ridden with others like this. I often ride alone.  Towards the end of the ride, certain parts of my body began to rebel. My shoulder, from leaning over all day, began to throb with pain, forcing me to sit up and push blood back into the muscles. My legs, of course, were aching but able. It was my feet that hurt the worst. Those cycling shoes are a bit constricting and I have found that the circulation in my feet is the first to go which means I have to stand up on the bike more often the longer I ride.

I'd say that, in all, I rode somewhere around 9 hours in total. What I find amazing is that when people are bicycle touring this is just a typical day, the difference being far more weight and a much slower pace.

Strangely, although I was quite thirsty, my hunger was virtually absent until the next day. I slept very well when I got home.

Centuries are loads of fun. My only regret is that I wish I had some company.  I felt a little lonely seeing all these other teams, clubs, and friends chatting and having a great time. Maybe I'll join a club.

A new day in paradise

Mon, 01 May 2006 03:06:33 -0000

Well, for all those out there who give a crap, I've finally made my transition to the Bay Area. Currently I'm crashing at my aunt's superfantastic place in Los Altos Hills and things have been going splendidly for once. I've been riding around on my bicicleta trying to get a feel for the place and am totally stunned at how bike friendly it is despite the population density and the infamous traffic issues. Just yesterday I accidentally discovered the Rancho San Antonio Open Space, an open area in the hills/mountains that just floored me with it's stunning natural beauty. I had entered a veritable heaven. The weather is, of course, fantastic and I can feel the vibrancy of city life once again. This is definitely the easiest transition I have ever had and, in many ways, I feel that I've finally graduated to the Bay Area after having lived and done my time in so many other places including (but not limited to) the likes of Miami, the South, New York City, Vermont, Seattle, and Colorado, all with some sort of growing pains or spotty results. Did I mention that I feel truly blessed to be given what I have and that not a day goes by where I don't thank the Great Spirit for what has been given me? Well, it's true. Life just gets better and better.

Wine Country (double metric) Century

Wed, 19 Apr 2006 00:05:19 -0000

Hell yeah! I just registered to ride a double metric century held in beautiful Santa Rosa California, wine country. This is my first double metric (200 kilometers) and will take me from the Napa valley to the coast and back. Oh, this is going to be so much fun. There is going to be somewhere around 2500 riders, I think, which includes the shorter rides (the century, 100 miles, and a 30 mile ride). All I know is that the whole thing is catered and supported and that all I have to do is show up and enjoy one of the most popular centuries in California. I also toyed with the idea of riding it fixed (one gear, no freewheel) but I think, although I could probably do it, I might enjoy myself more if I switched back to a geared setup. With my Colorado-adapted lungs and legs I figure I'll rock the joint.

Kirtan rocks!

Mon, 17 Apr 2006 07:24:35 -0000

Tonight I went to my first Kirtan session, in Boulder, where I sang the praises of Hanuman, the monkey god, on his birthday. For those of you poor souls who don't know what Kirtan is (I didn't either), it is devotional chanting in the Vedic tradition. It is a form of Bhakti Yoga, the path of devotion and, I must say, I loved it.

"How would you like to go to Kirtan tonight?"

"What's Kirtan?"

"I'll wait 'till you see for yourself."

"Umm, okay? I'm down, but I'm a little nervous. I have to sing? Okay then, I can't promise you anything but I trust you anyway."

Well, as soon as I walked into the room all my fears immediately dropped and me and Nomz sat right down and started chanting and feeling the rhythm of the drums. I could really feel the joy in the room and any sense of fear was immediately realized as unfounded. The rhythm, the chant, the not knowing what all those sanskrit words mean, it all just made sense to this mind and I couldn't recommend it enough for all those out there who have struggled with sitting meditation practice or even just sitting still. Though it seems to be directed outwards it really centers and quiets the mind and, like prayer, puts you in a place of pure humility and gratefulness opening you to the Divine. This is no place for rationalization. No place for worrying about technique or skill. It is pure, simple, and powerful group mind joy! joy! joy!

Namaste.

UDV Church wins right to use Ayahuasca in US

Mon, 10 Apr 2006 08:35:27 -0000

This little bit of information just came to my attention through a friend of mine. We were discussing our hope and belief that governmental tolerance and acceptance of certain powerful psychoactives is increasing, albeit slowly, with the hope that one day we can reassume the scientific research and therapeutic effects of such substances without fear.

Once I realized what this article meant, that Ayahuasca, a DMT containing brew, has been allowed to be used by the UDV (União do Vegetal) Church in the US, I felt the need to share it. A very similar thing happened with peyote and the Native American Church a few year back in which they were legally allowed to use this sacrament.

What this means, essentially, is that we have another example that, perhaps, the puritanical fear and misunderstanding of these substances and plants is slowly steering towards a more enlightened and less fearful stance.

The aforementioned article: http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/ayahuasca/ayahuasca_law22.shtml

Electric Sheep

Mon, 03 Apr 2006 18:23:52 -0000

this sheep was designed by Exper.

Electric Sheep ( http://electricsheep.org/index.cgi?&menu=about ) is an amazing screen-saver. You have to have a high-speed connection for it to continually update but if you can manage this it is simply amazing. You can even vote for the patterns you like best (up-arrow) or dislike (down-arrow) and it will change the pattern sequence. I have, however, absolutely no idea where I stumbled across it. All I know is that they are semi-intelligent, dynamic works-of-art that reflect the principles of dynamical systems theory and they are mesmerizing

Wrecking on the bike is a bitch.

Wed, 29 Mar 2006 11:14:37 -0000

Well, I just did a faceplant on the road. Although I have done this many times so far this happens to be one of the most intense wrecks I've had. I busted my face on this one and just barely escaped without breaking anything or fucking-up my face too bad. Yet, even though, I screwed-up the left side of my face I can honestly say that I will die before I forsake the bicycle. Riding is worth every effort I give to it.

I feel like I've been punched in the face. I look like it too. Yet, somehow, I managed to not break any teeth, bones, or my bike. So, this means that, I will valiantly ride another day into the sunset despite my bruises. However, I 'm seriously wondering if I need stitches for this one. . .

Shakti: Session #7

Sun, 26 Mar 2006 20:29:15 -0000

March 25, 2006

Location of coils: Frontal Lobes
Duration: 30 minutes
Signal type: 40Hz Alternating Modulated (fast alteration)
(volume increased to 86% output)

Report:

[Please see entry #6 for an update on all of these entries]

Apparently, a lot is happening but it's happening under the surface of awareness and the effects of shorter sessions such as I have been doing (30 minutes and under) are designed for long-term changes not dramatic sessions.

There was no headache and very little feeling of pressure in my head during and after the session. I forgot to mention that in the last session (#6), after it was over, I felt some intense pressure in my head. I have since learned that headaches that can result (rarely) from the use of the device are not really headaches and more like pressure from your brain readjusting itself to different frequencies. This is not a bad thing but in rare cases can be undesireable. Again, it depends upon the person.

I once again became extremely relaxed and found that I could easily fall asleep if I let myself. This is the hypnagogic state. Towards the end of maintaining this balance and having visions float in and out of awareness (not unlike trying to calm one's mind while meditating) I found that, all of a sudden, I could "see" a black point that seemed to be an opening of sorts. Everything was dark but in the point it seemed as if it was darker, blacker and felt like an opening in space, a very spacious place. This felt very good to see. I could see a faint outline of an "eye" in the center of this blackness. It was very easy to "see" all this and I felt a reality to this dimension while maintaining awareness of my body.

If I was to meditate before a session for at least fifteen or so minutes for the sake of centering and if I was to couple this with a few techniques for bodily relaxation while working to maybe increase the volume (output) and also change the location of the coils to the temporal lobes I might be able to push the experience a bit further. So far, I just feel that, overall, I'm just not consciously getting much within the session themselves.

I'm going to wait 3 weeks before starting over with new sessions. This is the recommended amount of time to let the brain "reset" itself and to prepare for longer sessions.

Adios.

Shakti: Session #6

Sun, 26 Mar 2006 20:11:12 -0000

March 22, 2006

Location of coils: Temporal Lobes
Duration: 30 minutes
Signal type: 40Hz Alternating Modulated (fast alteration)
(Volume set at 75% output)

Report:

[For anyone is interested enough to read what I have to say about my now over two-year old initial experience with the 8-Coil Shakti, please read this first: When I wrote this entry and all the other entries related to it (sessions 1-5 and 7-8) I blogged about my own difficulties trying to deal with my physical setup. I want to emphasize that this is really not about the device itself but about my own process getting familiar with it. In fact, I have had several conversations with Todd Murphy about this and I have to emphasize that the technology itself is revolutionary but that I had needed some education about what to do and what it all means. At least, that was the case then. Now, I've decided to actually do some formal research with the 8-Coil Shakti and Todd has been gracious and patient with me every step of the way (even when I originally published these entries). Again, this is a reflection of my own process and not that of the 8-Coil Shakti itself.]

It's takes me about a half hour to get all setup simply because I have to carry my old PC down the stairs and rehook the monitor and start all over with the volume and settings each time. Eventually I won't need to do this every time but I only have one monitor for this and it's being used by another computer. I also have yet to refine emulating the Windows environment on my Mac, which would be ideal, but hasn't worked out as smoothly as I had hoped. (The Shakti software only works on Windows).

It would be nice to get something obviously noticeable to write about but that just isn't the case so far. However, that being said, I don't really expect dramatic effects right away and am not all that surprised. Once you understand the technology and the fact that every brain is different you have work patiently to find the signals and the session design that'll work for you and the effects you're looking for. This is experimental technology after-all. Some people have reported dramatic effects from the first time they used it. Check out what Azurescen has to say:

http://forum.ld4all.com/viewtopic.php?t=16017&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=0

This guy's experiences are extremely dramatic but he is also extremely unusual in the sense that he mentions that he regularly lucid dream's and leaves his body. The Shakti just seemed to serve to enhance his already unusual abilities.

So, for session #6 I just seemed to become extremely relaxed again. I started to wonder is I was a "hard-head," that is, among the minority of people who tend to not be influenced by things that would send other people into other realms. I found it very easy to enter a very neutral interior space. I became so relaxed that I just sort of went "void," almost like falling into a sleep state. I would say that I "went hypnagogic" again.

The only other thing I could mention is that I experienced a really pleasant feeling of "fuzzy" vision (in my mind's eye). If I was to venture out a bit I'd say that it was like opening my eyes when waking up and not being able to focus right away but this time I was bleary-eyed in a more psychic sense. I still can't seem to focus. Everything is dark.

There is still much to learn about my brain. Slowly but surely.

"Brain Stimulation as My Spiritual Path"

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 08:06:53 -0000

Here's a fascinating article I just read by one of the developers of the 8-Coil headset, Todd Murphy. I especially love "The Epiphany." It really helps to explain a lot.

http://www.innerworlds.50megs.com/me_myTL.htm