Music

Like most people I have been fascinated with the vast amount of music available today. When I was growing up in the 80s, I liked about 5 or so bands. Now, each week, I scan through literally thousands of different bands finding absolute masterpieces within.


I like anything from Classical to Depressive Black Metal. Lately as I have become older, I am getting more in to folk music.

The above video is just an excerpt of one of my all time favourite tracks from a German one man band named Wedard. I also created and manage the site for him at www.wedard.com .

I often listen to these epic tracks when walking deep in the bush or high up in the mountains. The endorphin rush is truly indescribable. When I am running of a morning I often listen to metal; the mix of endorphins can assist in running harder and further. I have what could be described as a "mid morning awakening" on occasion.

It is music that has been inspired from the depths of ones truthful heart rather than the scheming mind.

One of the aspects of epic metal tracks I love is their ability to build tension for a while for example 5 to 8 minutes of discordant monotony then suddenly flooding open in perfect blissful harmony.

Viewed from a particular perspective, Depressive Black Metal truly can uplift one to the greatest levels of happiness. A Rachmaninoff Piano concerto can also do the same.

For thousands of years, humans have inspired each other to create more and more complex music. It's almost like the spiral arms of a fractal in that each generation of musicians inspires the next and so on, creating ever more complex, beautiful, and unique sounds.

The universe is truly a great mystery. Music is a direct expression of that creative force, hence why it resonates so deeply within our beings when heard from stillness.

Sleep Paralysis

Around the age of 5 I started my journey with Sleep Paralysis and Lucid Dreaming. I know this only because I moved from the city to a country town when I was that age and it was then, in the pristine silence, my mind began to awaken to dreaming (or I became aware of my dreaming).

At first I had no idea what it was or how to explain it to myself. I was occasionally frightened by the experience of sleep paralysis and found techniques to stop it such as turning my head sideways.

The furthest memories of my lucid dreams are easy for me to recall since they were reoccurring. I would start by becoming paralysed and feeling an intense all over body vibrating buzz that was warm and blissful. I would then have the sensation of sinking deep into darkness where a lucid dream experience would unfold. I would plunge into a large room filled with chairs, I would then fly through the legs of many of these chairs and then everything would suddenly stop with just a single image of a sheep and then the sound of the sheep bleating.  Beyond this could have been anything from a further in depth lucid experience to a regular dream adventure. I had this reoccurring dream for many years. It was my gateway into lucid dreaming.

Over the years, the reoccurring dream eventually disappeared. I still had the buzzing sensation and I knew that this meant it was time for a dream and would let it happen.

When I moved out of home and back in to the city, I had some difficulty adjusting. The buzzing no longer meant I would automatically plunge into dreaming. I would stay a while in the paralysed buzzing state. This is where I started exploring Sleep paralysis. I was indeed very frightened at times since I could not move and had worries about people breaking into my house and attacking me. I learnt to overcome this by asking the universe for protection. While paralysed I would simply remember to say “please let me be safe” and I manage to calm myself down. You have to be brave, it’s like walking through a swarm of bees, you have to maintain courage and focus otherwise you will run screaming (wake up).  

Now that I am getting older and I have become used to the city, I find sleep paralysis very comfortable. There can be occasional times of terror, but I just re-adjust and try again.

I regularly experience buzzing, humming, vibrations, pressure on my chest, bodies lying on top of me; sometimes kissing and hugging me, hands on my neck, floating above my body, seeing my sleeping body from above.

I have been 'enjoying' Sleep paralysis for many years now. I find it a great experience of exploration and wonder. I have reached the stage of being able to lie down and consciously 'bring-on' an episode. I have SP most nights.

One thing that I have noticed about SP is that no else seems to mention experiences of free virtual limb/body movements. This is the extraordinary process of proceeding to move a part of your body, and it feels as though it is moving; but you can still see your hand or leg in the original position. This has developed so much that I can roll out of my body. 

Also when you move your ‘virtual’ limb though an object, your mind seems to be able to imagine what that feels like. I can move my limb through my partner’s leg and I can feel her flesh and bone.  or you can push your legs through the bed and feel the roughness of the wooden slats.

Astral travel experiences can also happen at this stage when you completely leave your body. I find the constructs of the human mind fascinating!

Sleep Paralysis is certainly nothing to be afraid of. It is my belief that this is a long forgotten skill that human beings once found great happiness and insight from. A natural ability to hallucinate or trip without drugs.

Books

I have decided I don't read enough and that the over consumption of social media has begun to rot my once creative and in depth mind.

I am going to reverse this damage by attempting to read a book per week and provide detail into my thoughts on each of the books I complete and also describe how I change as a result of this.

I aim to expand my consciousness, improve my vocabulary, increase my self confidence, engaging in more interesting conversation, and most importantly of all, reignite my imagination and creativity.


Book number 1 will be: Haroun and the Sea of Stories - By Salman Rushdie
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haroun_and_the_Sea_of_Stories

It's a nice easy childrens book, simply to warm up my mind after so many years of neglect.

Haroun and the Sea of Stories is an adventure novel, the story of a father and son, of Rashid and Haroun, and of Haroun's determination to rescue his father and return to him his special gift. It has a mad bus driver named Butt and a water genie named Iff. It has a floating gardener and a pair of fishes with mouths all over their bodies. It has the wonderful city of Gup (where it is always light) and the terrible land of Chup (where it is always dark). And, perhaps most important, it has P2C2E.
Processes Too Complicated To Explain.