Thoughts on Additional Readings

Charles Tart on his website discusses ordinary consciousness versus altered states of consciousness and though ordinary consciousness gives us "marvelous abilities", it lacks in giving us a wider and perhaps newer perspective on reality. Tart stated that there are pluses and minuses on both sides. For ordinary consciousness he used the example of being seriously ill and "miraculously regaining the great powers of ordinary consciousness" and "land mines from old wars cripple innocent children." Altered states of consciousness are likewise, with the good always comes the bad, insights versus delusions and misleading imagination versus genuine creativity. Altered states have proved to be source of inspirations for many artists including musicians, painters, writers, etc. Take for instance Vincent Van Gogh; he created his most beautiful and known art when he was in manic states of depression.

Then there is also using hallucinate drugs to enhance a state of consciousness. Take for instance opium, which may have been an influence on the Adventures of Alice and Wonderland, and I am sure we all saw the movie with the caterpillar sitting on top of a fly agaric mushroom. The mushroom has also been traced as a possible source of so to speak inspiration in the creation of the myth of Santa Clause. Shaman and Indian tribes would use hallucinate mushrooms for ceremonial purposes.

Whether altered states of creativity are drug induced or a part of ones own psychosis or perhaps even a thought process as Mary Jane says, I feel that most artists owe their creative genius to that state of mind. I envy those who can tap into that state and create such beautiful art, whether they are paintings, books or music. I loved Mary Jane's reference to J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter, by the way I cried to at the end too. What ever Rowling's inspiration, whether it was an altered state or not, I truly admire her creativity. How anyone can come up with names such as Hufflepuff, Slytherin and Griffendor is beyond me, but thumbs up for her creative mind, because what would we do without Harry Potter?

I hope I have done this first blog justice, but without having the book Altered States yet I have give this blog a shot in the dark.