The Sleeper Must Awaken

[KwisatzHaderach]

Cheers!

Well I've been lurking around these forums in the Nursery section as some of you members may have seen. But I'm starting to get shallow roots, I wanna share knowledge amongst the other sections of the Nexus and really grow!

A little about myself. Foremost, I am an artist and secondly I am fulfilling my spiritual journey daily through active living. I try not to ever go into "auto-pilot" ever because it limits my personal power. If you would have known me 3-4 years ago, it would have been funny to associate spirituality with my typically rational mind. But after my first mushroom experience, which lead to my first psychological near-death experience (i.e. ego-death, though that word did not exist in my vocabulary at the time), I realized there was something deeper to everything. Originally, my limited psychedelic pursuits were in the name of art. And I really did see tremendous results in being able to visualize a whole piece before it was finished, or to be able to draw my resources from my minds eye rather then my physical eye. But then came the night that I took mushrooms with the intent of working on a painting when it went completely different. I literally talked to God for awhile. I stopped painting and started talking back. I distinctly remember a voice outside myself telling me I need to let more love and compassion into my daily life. Certain questions he would answer and certain questions I was left to answer on my own. But this was real progress! And now, it is the questions that drive me.

Through other events in my life, I've been found to come into contact with certain individuals that really inspired a reflection in me to pursue a higher standard of living either through yoga or meditation. The book "Remember: Be Here Now" also had profound effect in my spiritual efforts. Whenever I trip now, I keep that book handy in case I want to glance at a few pages of wisdom. And not saying that substances are the only answer, but for me and for others even on this website, they have become part of my path to enlightenment.

Recently, I have just come into contact with spice. After working on a tightening my relationship with mushrooms, I have begun to start work with spice. Primarily vaporized, now I am looking into changa and even the journey of ayahuasca is intriguing. But only once I am ready to really listen to aya's teaching and healing will I take that upon myself. I believe the psychedelic experience is all around us, everyday. But our limited human bodies do not have the tools to always tap into the divine consciousness. Through doses and integration one lives in peaks and valleys, constantly changing, constantly evolving. But all in good time, I do not abuse or rush any substances. First I must wait for the call, then the sleeper can awaken. Change awakens something in a man, and I'm always looking to shake the jar up.

But enough about me. I want to know about you all! Looking forward to meeting you all throughout the forums.

thankyou

 

[endlessness]

nice intro essay! I'll be happy to read more about you here and elsewhere in the forum from now on

I very much relate to having been a very rational/skeptic person (still am), but then having had very deep magical experiences under the influence of these substances, which made me gain some perspective and be more open.

I like that you seem respectful and that you consider integration an important part of this whole experience. I also very much agree with trying not to be on auto-pilot, but rather trying to be conscious and present in the moment.

see ya around!

 

[cellux]

Great intro.

I try not to ever go into "auto-pilot" ever because it limits my personal power.

Interesting. I always thought that personal development goes like this:

1. being on unconscious auto-pilot (vegetative state)
2. waking up (slowly becoming conscious of all that we were ignorant of)
3. resting back into conscious auto-pilot (enlightened state)

I thought problems related to the presence/lack of "personal power" are associated with stage #2. At stage #3, these problems don't exist any more, as there is no self onto which they could be attached to.

Or did you mean something else?

And I really did see tremendous results in being able to visualize a whole piece before it was finished, or to be able to draw my resources from my minds eye rather then my physical eye.

Oh my. I always wanted to be an artist (esp. a musician) but I am like a deaf and blind beggar, all I have is my brain.

I cannot count the occasions when I jumped into it again - OK, I sit down again with FL Studio, now I have the inspiration, something will come out of it, I feel it will NOW - just to see several hours later that I simply don't have the artistic talent to do anything.

It's so depressing to see a friend sit down in front of Reason and put together - just by playing with the devices - a song in 20 minutes which is absolutely fantastic.

For me, people with artistic ability are like gods.

My question would be: do you think that if someone doesn't have this ability ( "visualize a whole piece before it was finished" ), then it makes no sense to practice art (if would be just a waste of time)?

There are all these famous people in the world (artists, scientists). So many people dream of becoming just like them, but perhaps all these dreams are in vain because these people may have some not self-evident talent ( like "visualizing the whole piece before it was finished" ) without which creating anything is impossible.

How easier it would be if science could have a look at my brain and then put X marks besides those arts with which I could have a chance (based on my brain chemistry). And then I wouldn't waste so much of my time trying to do something which I was not built to do, creating a lot of suffering in the process.

Rant over.

 

[TrustLoveMan]

Interesting. I always thought that personal development goes like this:

1. being on unconscious auto-pilot (vegetative state)
2. waking up (slowly becoming conscious of all that we were ignorant of)
3. resting back into conscious auto-pilot (enlightened state)

Lol, with mushrooms and DMT I find it's more like

1. being unconscious on auto-pilot
2. waking up (destroying ego over and over)
3. coming back to conscious auto-pilot, wondering WTF your doing with your life, wondering how this is possible, wondering what the universe holds, thinking about life, death, the mind, the ego, wondering if you'll ever be the same again.
4. Your're the same again, lol. But, you have knowledge and power that you didn't have before.


And, I've tried to paint/draw whilst on chemicals. It's usually good until I forget what I'm doing and I start to doodle crap. I could be in the middle of the Mona Lisa and I'll start trippin and give her a mustache or something.

 

[KwisatzHaderach]

Hey thanks for the responses. I like the discussion we have flowing here. First I want to quickly expand upon the "auto-pilot" mode (being step 1 of "unconscious autopilot" in your steps Cellux). The only part I see in error with your setup Cellux is that at step 3 you say that there is no remissions into loss of personal power as there is no self. I think that diagram is more of a constant progression. Everyday we are a little ignorant, and we have to move past those things slowly. Just like a 1000 petal lotus, we must unfold slowly.

Auto-pilot mode to me, is when you're are not wholly in the moment. By not wholly living in the moment you can't take fully advantage of the cosmic energy/opportunities that are around you everyday. Like the motto, "there are no ordinary moments." Same idea. If there are no ordinary moments, then every moment that we're alive together is extraordinary. And by turning off "auto-pilot" you recognize that, and stop just going through the motions during certain actions. For example, I'm really bad at this when I go to work. It's almost like I'm a completely different robot at work. But by shedding autopilot, I still retain the things that make me me whilst doing my job. People recognize when you put love into you're work and reciprocate through appreciation/money/opportunities. Always remember, love makes love.

Cellux: Dude I totally hear you on the artist part. My efforts are in visual arts but you don't understand how many times I've tried to cross boundaries and start working in Ableton or something but like yourself, its very hard for me. Musicians really are the ultimate artists and there's a part of my artistic side that envies that.

And to you're question:

My question would be: do you think that if someone doesn't have this ability ( "visualize a whole piece before it was finished" ), then it makes no sense to practice art (if would be just a waste of time)?

I would say yes and no. I think yes that it may be a waste of time from the perspective you're coming from. Perhaps you may need to think of other ways to make money. But I think there is also a largely resounding no. The thing is, all people are artists. One of the gifts we were giving as part of our existence is to create. And that isn't limited to painting rock walls. Creation can happen in all fields, in all walks of life. So no I don't think it's a waste of time because there is something in it for you that you enjoy. Just remember your perspective, that you're making music primarily to have fun. Even if I spend like 3 hours behind ableton and I'll get is a beat, own it. That is YOUR beat. YOUR unique perspective on the situation. And that is priceless.

 

[cellux]

The only part I see in error with your setup Cellux is that at step 3 you say that there is no remissions into loss of personal power as there is no self. I think that diagram is more of a constant progression. Everyday we are a little ignorant, and we have to move past those things slowly. Just like a 1000 petal lotus, we must unfold slowly.

Unfortunately I can agree with that.

 

[eagleeyes]

Cheers! kwis.......that's a great story how the mushrooms helped your minds eye bring out the artist and spirituality from within......yup psychedelics have a way of doing that i've never done the spice' but would love to some day........i've aquainted with ayahuasca in the peruvian andies and would love to go back there and further my work with that .......best wishes to all in their spiritual and creative journeys and reaching their highest potientials via the medicinal plants fungi and substances....unfortunately deemed criminal in most places......