Wandering the Way

[pilot]

Hi Tao Bums

 

Ascetics and neo-hermits can wander the mountains only so far before their solitude betrays them to others alike. Be they a mirror, or something completely unknown, I still offer a smile of understanding before parting ways. Inside that recurring moment, however friendly, hostile, or indifferent, Tao Bums happens.

 

Time, energy, and opportunities are sparse within a single lifetime. Death as the advisor (impermanence) reminds us of their value in living here and now, and in being honest to ourself and others. With that in mind, I do hope to contribute and learn, and perhaps get connected with others on the Way. I'm Canadian with a European background who started internal arts in the teens. But really, it all started with a normal realization of Awe (whatever you may or may not call it), and the immediate logical inconsistency of why others who surely also share this do not care to pursue it.

 

the rest is personal, but I do hope to see you around!

 

pilot

[WallaMike]

Dear Pilot:

Sounds like you've "taken off". Good luck and good landings. I share your confusion about why others who share this do not care to pursue it.

So, you're interested in psychonautics? Is this where you get crazy and do naughty things? Sounds, like something I'd like (humor alert). Please explain what this is about if you're so inclined.

[pilot]

So, you're interested in psychonautics? [...] Please explain what this is about if you're so inclined.

Hi WallaMike,

thanks for the welcome! I heard the term psychonaut and have liked it ever since as a better way to describe anything to do with exploring oneself, states of consciousness, or anything that falls in what the term implies, spirit navigation.

 

It is unfortunate that the term is generally linked with exogenous substances; sure, it's interesting and I have nothing against that method other than not personally advocating it. But it is an inclusive word that goes beyond loaded or potentially misleading terms such as lucid dreaming, trance, NDEs, etc.

 

taoist texts also speak of it so often it is hard to miss. the tale of the fox who became immortal is a nice one. Sure, it was free, but to what end. On the other hand, we can barely sustain lucid living without blocking ourselves or falling into another daydream.

[WallaMike]

Thanks for your nice reply. I was thinking I should have looked up psychonaut on Google before I made my remark, to let you know that I was really interested in the topic. Just from how the word is made, I thought it had to do with navigating around in the inner psyche.

 

So, I checked on Google and while my idea was generally correct, I was surprised to see how much it also related to, may I say, botanically induced states. I have similar misgivings to yours about that.

 

One of my many projects I'm working on is to develop a vocabulary that can be used in communicating about or doing interior exploration. Our (English) language is just not set up well for this, but my idea is to consistently use specific words to describe common interior experiences so that a common base is set up to explore from.

 

As an example, we say we "fall asleep". I think this is related to that many/most of us do have some sort of a feeling of movement as we "drift off" to sleep. Thus, some times when I can't fall asleep, I will try and induce a feeling of a gentle falling and sometimes it actually works.

 

I have also noted that when I'm just starting to drift off to sleep or sometimes when I'm in the zone in meditation, that a feeling of a "space" opens up inside that I become aware of and sometimes I'll see things like faces, sailboats, houses, etc. Psychologists call this the hypnagogic state. Some serious meditators call it the "subtle" realm. I call it Cool! Anyway, at other times when I can't fall asleep, I will try and relax and "open up interior space" and this works even better than inducing the drifting/falling feeling.

 

In other words, I try and find similar experiences with others and put a particular consistent name on them so that we know what we're referring to. Thus, if someone puts a twist on the basic idea, they don't have to start from scratch, but can say: "Last night I was opening up interior space in my mind and at the same time visualized I was drifting down a tunnel. This worked better for me than each alone." (An aside: Both of these maneuvers can be considered "subtle plane" manipulations, so not surpring if they worked better together).

 

Well, perhaps more than you wanted to know, but I thought as a fellow psychonaut that you might be interested. My ultimate goal is to be able to develop a vocabulary such that people can more easily learn interior techniques from reading about them.

[pilot]

WallaMike,

that's a great endeavour, a vocabulary for inner states. I can see how it would be useful in teaching the specifics of a method. this would be useful for any internal art as well since the subtleties and fine points that make any practice work are often omitted from regular books.

 

here's one example I created way back from Robert Monroe's Ultimate Journey book. I found his book and his idea of belief system territories inspiring even if a good majority of his experiences sound more like lucid dreams. It is unfortunate that even his TMI research bordered on dabbling the paranormal however unintentional (the batteries of cars in the parking lot regularly getting drained incident).

 

I may know a bit of what you mean by 'opening interior space' as it does feel like an expanded awareness where the darkness gains depth and size relativity of objects/perception loses meaning. Monroe may have called it Focus 12 as he describes it in the same way. For me it happens on the rare occasion during meditation (standing or sitting) and I seem to have no control over its onset or termination. Another person has described the same thing at my dojo at one time.

 

Interesting though that you can actually induce it and link it to hypnagogic imagery; that's very close to inducing a lucid dream directly! The "falling" sensation I have used once (by instinct, not willingly) and it helped me cross into sleep; I imagined standing in embracing the tree posture which naturally relaxes the mind and was able to let go into a lucid dream.

 

well, there's a lot of techniques and still much to learn and explore. in the end everything should connect to everything else just so long as we develop the basics properly.

 

happy navigating and look forward to hearing more from you WallaMike

[Gauss]

Welcome!

 

I cultivate in Falun Dafa and hope to be able to share some of my experiences with you.

[pilot]

Gauss:

thank you. I have heard about Falun Dafa and about how it incorporates zhan zhuang and sitting meditation as well as chi kung if I'm right.