Response to Chapters 4 & 5

I agree with and am intrigued by Carl Jung's analysis and proposition relating to humanity's collective unconscious. It is amazing how similar these images and values are present in many different and unrelated cultures.

I have recently been reviewing and studying ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian laws in the Code of Hammurabi and the Egyptian Book of the Dead. In studying these two sources, I was ultimately shocked to realize the values of Egyptian people were so similar to our values today. The shared values and emphasis on being kind to others without causing terror, weeping, or uncertainty. A person's character and the way they treated others was very important to the Egyptians. The Egyptians understood that in order to find a satisfied sense of self, a necessary equality in society needed to exist. Their people would be whole and rounded.

Carl Jung felt that the unconscious process shaped peoples mental and spiritual growth. I completely agree. I think if we group our unconscious and make sense of our thoughts and feelings, we can relate better with others. We all share dreams, and we all share what Jung calls archetypes-primordial images that constantly appear, for example, the wise old man.
We are more primitive and similar than I thought. It is almost as though our creativity has been lost in keeping up with life, struggling to live.

Below the personal unconscious, where repressed feelings and thoughts developed during an individuals life, lay the collective unconscious, "the vast historical storehouse" of feelings, thoughts, and memories inherited and shared by all humanity.

1st Blog

Now that I have figured out how to post a comment on our class Blog I can finally contribute something. I am still waiting for the Hughes text so unfortunately my comments may be limited. I think our first class went well. It seems that we all come from a broad variety of backgrounds and I feel that this will help enhance the quality of our class discussions. I was surprised to see that the reading selections we discussed were of a philosophical nature as opposed to being simply about the drugs themselves. The stigma attached to drugs in our society seems to make it difficult for research or discussion of any substance to take place without being immediately dismissed as druggy nonsense.

1st blog

What an interesting way to start this class - I really think I'm going to enjoy the subject matter. I really found myself looking into the musical aspect of what Hughes talks about, including the hallucinogenic/drug induced thought processes that so many artists display(ed). I am a fan of the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and the like, and have many times considered how their personal lives and choices have affected the music they wrote, and these chapters made it clear that I'm not the only one. Some musicians write better when they are intoxicated or under the influence of something, take for instance Dave Matthews. His music becomes longer, more passionate, etc. when even the crowd knows he's drunk. But then some write their finest music once they get clean, perhaps after experiencing things others will never understand, or, an altered state of consciousness. I was very interested to read that Bob Dylan believes he sees things and then presents them to the world in a different way, which may very well be true, but will we ever know? No one knows what is in someone else's mind exactly at any point, and in some cases this may set us back, because we might never truly understand what someone is trying to express. I also found it pretty interesting when shamans are discussed and the hold they have on the people of their groups - even while under the influence of whatever drug it is, they are able to be coherant, and even freer to make decisions and diagnoses. I will definitely look more into the hallucinogenic mushrooms brought up, because I am fascinated with the ability of artists, musicians, shamans, whatever - to do these things (drugs, etc) that our culture deems inappropriate, sometimes immoral, and illegal - and create such astounding work, while influencing people's lives across generations.

Altered States

I just checked our the reference copy of this book in the library and haven't had enough time to fully review the chapters. But I have to say that a lot of the subjects in this book do intrigue me. The human mind - conscious and subconscious, shamanism, power and possession, myths, the story of Sybil Dorsett, etc. On the paranormal section, they actually mention the X-Files, one of my favorite shows. This being my first blog, I have to say this is definitely a class I will enjoy.

Rock and Roll and the Drug Culture

Many artists have attributed the Beatles as the major influence in their music careers. Likewise most of these artists cited the Beatles first use of drugs for experimentation as the source as to why they themselves started using drugs in the first place. A prime example of this statement would be the former lead singer of the alternative rock/grunge group Layne Staley of Alice in Chains. Though the Beatles never used heroin like Staley they did experiment with other drugs. Such as cannabis, Preludin, and LSD. These happened to be the popular drugs of their time period whereas for the 1990's the popular and drug of choice was heroin. He much like fellow Seattle grunge rocker Kurt Cobain became the poster children of the rockstar way of life in America in the 1990's. Sadly both of these artists lives were cut short by their addictions much in the way that Lennon's musical career was cut short by his addictions.

Layne Staley died of a drug overdose. Kurt Cobain due to his extensive drug use "supposedly" committed suicide by shooting himself in the face with a shotgun. While Lennon was assassinated for unknown reasons.

Altered States

It’s been a little more than a year since I started becoming interested in the notion that there is much more to our minds than we are normally able to perceive or experience. I’ve found all of what Hughes points to be well put together as well as strike some chord with another work that I’ve come in contact with. There are, of course, a few ideas that I find to be exceedingly interesting such as Shamanism and nearly everything in the third chapter.

Shamanism is something that I was originally open to, due to the fact that I’m not, by any stretch, what someone would consider a spiritual person. However, I was introduced to the idea in a class last year when we viewed Cabeza de Vaca, a film based on the personal journal of a Spanish explorer who was transformed, if you will, into a Shaman by his captors. Since then I have found myself playing more and more with the idea of shamanism and the abilities expressed by these people, so much so that I purchased The Way of the Shaman by Michael Harner, and hope to use it to help expand myself as a human being.

I found the passage about Joseph Beuys quite interesting. There is an almost storybook quality to his transformation into shamanism. I was especially intrigued by his interactive dialogue with a coyote. After reading it I sat and thought about the month that I spent living alone this past summer with my dog Leroy. It was not at all uncommon for us to have literal, verbal dialogue, which I would then question and laugh about later, as I surely thought I was losing my mind.

Aldous Huxley, in Heaven and Hell makes the point that our brains only let us experience what is necessary for survival, saying that even though our brains may have the power for much greater accomplishments it is the job of a filter to lock out all of the stimuli that could possibly hinder the survival of our species. This notion is brought up at the beginning of chapter three and almost gets as far as Huxley does. I think it would have been wise of Hughes to add that there are notions that suggest Shamans, as well as those aided by psychedelic drugs are somewhat able to reduce this filter and see more clearly, as it were. This would help to link some of the subject matter from the previous chapters to the following.

The question: “How many people am I?” is quite an interesting one. That one line describing a picture in the book drove me mad, as well as comforted me. I have found myself, on occasion, wondering whether or not there is another me. As though I’m living some real version of Fight Club, but I have yet to meet my alter ego. This is especially troubling when it comes to my dreams. I don’t have crazy, fanciful dreams anymore. For a long time now they consist of what seem to be memories of the present, for which I participated but have no formal memory of. They occur much more often than not, and are always in full color with faces. As though there is another me, and we are in contact through my dreams. It is for this reason that I’ve begun to write down nearly all of my dreams as soon as I wake up, to keep some kind of record on this “other Andy.

Ardeche - Lascaux - Chauvet Cave - Altamira

The amount of reading on cave art from Hughes only touches barely on what it means to anthropologists, archaeologists, and artists. Yes, it was widely assumed before 1995 or so that early humans made cave drawing as a part of religious ritual, hunting habits, or perhaps for aesthetic pleasure. The fact that there were no depictions of predatory animals at Ardeche basically gets rid of the hunting idea. It is also hard to believe that these cave paintings were for any artistic use either, because it is really hard to get to some of these locations inside the complex of caves. Sometimes a cave would expand underground for miles, and much of it has never seen daylight. The drawing of the shaman from in Altered States (the reindeer-looking man on its hind legs), is an artist's adaptation of what was drawn on a cave wall in Dordogne, France. Henri Breuil, the artist, said about the cave: "How the artists who drew it could have worked four meters above the floor was a problem which I had to solve myself and without a ladder... there is a small, projecting rock where one's right foot can rest; then, taking a firm hold... and making a complete half turn, it is possible to sit quite comfortably on the uneven surface... It is difficult to hold at the same time a lamp, one's paper and pencil and a drawing board for the retouching of a tracing, taking care at the same time not to slide downwards." (Art Across Time; Laurie Schneider Adams, pg. 33) I knew that reading the part about the shamans was familiar to me so I went back to an art history book of mine and found that quote. I think that's pretty cool, and whoever those people were, they had to be quite limber to pull off some of the drawings that we know of.

The other cool part about the cave paintings are the handprints and dots that we find. Hughes's suggestion was that these people (shamans or otherwise) had ingested some form of "psychotropic power plant" to create these masterpieces. Of course they don't teach this in high school or survey college courses. It is assumed that they were some way of communicating between people or tribes, but to think that this is where aestheticism began was something I had not thought of before.

When it comes to shamans or "psychotropic power plants," you need look no further than Hollywood. They are kind enough to give us creativity beyond normal boundaries. I'm sure all the guys in this class have seen the movie "300," and I'm hoping some girls have too, but if you recall with me, Leonitus went to the oracle at Delphi (forgive me if this isn't right, I haven't seen the movie since it was in theaters) to ask what he should do about going to battle. The oracle was a teenage girl, hopped up on drugs, and for Hollywood's sake she was floating through the air. We see these kind of thing at the Acropolis, also (back in the day when there were priestesses in the temple).

And as for Lennon being the walrus, everyone should check out "Across the Universe." Comes to theaters September 14th. Talk about being on drugs... see what The Beatles were really up to when Julie Taymor adapts 16 of their songs into a new-age musical. It'll be cool. I suggest a class field trip. http://movies.aol.com/movie/across-the-universe/25070/video/trailer/1849672

Chap 1-3, What a country!

The famed comedian, Yakoff Smirnoff used to say, "What a country!" This statement was yelled in a silly eastern European accent every time he was excited by something that can be done in America and not Russia. (For those not familiar with Yakoff work, check this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakoff_Smirnoff)
“What a country,” was my primary though as I read the first three chapters of Altered States, because the ideals expressed in every of the 40 or so pages are far off the grid of American popular culture.
I'm really going to avoid talking about this class in public because there might be protest. (Those of you that think that last statement was ridiculous need only read this link: http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Movies/05/17/da.vinci/index.html. (To save you time I was highlighting the fact that our country is the place in which a piece of fiction was protested because it challenged certain religions.)

Not to send this post off in an entirely different direction I'll get back to my central theme. Discussing topics such as paranormal activity and consciousness seem to be relegated to T.V. shows like the X-files and Grateful Dead concerts, both mentioned in the reading. Not to 300 level classes in academia.

More than anything I'm happy to find a class like this because many of the ideals listed in our first reading are counter to many you find in our American society. This creates a vacuum to what can and can’t be trusted. For every validated and studied observation within our book, there is a plethora of other bad information elsewhere.

When you think about figures like shamans, they challenge the roles we find in multiple areas of our society. First being the religious establishment.

Many in America have their own shamans in the form of ministers, rabbi and priest. (That reminds me of a good joke) These religions have very rigid belief systems. They have their own processes that explain paranormal activity, consciousness and even demons.

We also have a health care system that disagrees with singular human being possessing healing powers, unless he's a doctor writing a prescription.

I'm not trying to persecute these establishments because I believe our society does a lot to fuel creativity and innovation, both other topics also tackled in our reading. While we spirituality is relegated into one segment of the society, creativity seems to remain on the forefront. One could argue that America rewards a lot of the virtues discussed in chapter 1.

In closing, I keep on thinking about Yakoff because I’m excited about this subject area. I already love the text book (appearance and price) and can’t wait to read some more Huxley.

In Agreement

First of all, I have to agree with Kate ("Intial Thought"). I have always been attracted to the notion of the paranormal. A notion, which I believe, to have been the product of growing up with my stepfather being a Numerologist and the constant discussion of spirits, out of body experiences, "shaman-esque" individuals, clairvoyance, and dreams. Because of this influence, I tend to think of myself as open-minded when it comes to discussions involving the paranormal.

Second of all, I must admit that I don't believe I have a creative bone in my body. Generally speaking, I have tried different forms of creative outlets such as painting, writing and music. However, I always felt like my attempts were forced rather than naturally free flowing. Instead I tend to just enjoy and appreciate the creativity of others. I have to agree Mary Jane when she mentions Harry Potter (p.s. I also stayed up until 4 in the morning as I couldn't put it down! And I also cried- I couldn't believe it. And I also think this was the best of the series, brillant!). Not only was she able to come up with one story in a complete fantasy world, but her imagination took her through seven (considerably long) books.

Overall, the topics from the first couple of chapters were not all that unfamiliar to me, as I've touched on them in other classes before. What I really enjoy about that fact is that now it is being presented in a different way (usually it is just the facts and history of certain topics, not what they mean in conciseness).

Altered States

I just received the book this evening so I did not get a chance to read much of it yet. From what I can tell though it definitely seems very interesting. I am excited to learn more about the paranormal. I also an interested in the impact that animals have in our conscious mind. I love animals and believe in their spirits. A lot of animals act like humans. I am excited to read more of this book.

Initial Thoughts

At the risk of coming across as a nutcase in my first ever blog, I have to admit that the section that first grabbed my attention was the part on the paranormal in the introduction. I usually pride myself in my reasoning and logic, but I've had what could be considered precognitive dreams before. My logic chalks them up to mere coincidences, but the more fantastical part of my personality wants to believe that people do experience these altered states of cognition that allow them to tap into things we may not be aware of otherwise.

I've also found that almost all of my creativity is a product of my dreams, probably because I turn my overly analytical mind off when I'm asleep! Music is a huge passion of mine, and though I don't play or write as much as I used to, songs usually come to me in my sleep. There was discussion of John Lennon and the walrus, and Paul McCartney said that a lot of his songs came to him in dreams, as well. Maybe this is an example of the "daimons" discussed in chapter 2, but I don't necessarily like the notion of possession regarding creativity. To me it takes the creative power away from the artist and reduces them to a vessel, or a medium, for the art to come through. Some people may find this idea romantic, but I think it sells the artist's ability to use his or her own resources to create short.

I saw that there was a lot of discussion of shamans, and I thought I'd chip in. I loved the comparison between the shaman and the circus. The connection never would have occurred to me. Shamans are something we typically think don't exist in Western society; most people assume that they exist in more tribal cultures, but a huge part of our cultural fabric, according to Taylor, centers around this ancient shaman archetype. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that shaman-like figures are actually pretty prevalent in our pop culture. The most obvious example to me is Doctor Who. Here is this man, well, alien, who travels between worlds, times, realities, dimensions, can regenerate and resurrect in different forms, and whose primary purpose is to "heal" troubles on Earth to keep the planet from crisis. I'm sure there are dozens of more examples one could use. Although I'm finding some of the more technical terminology in the book a bit difficult to follow at times, I do appreciate that already it has inspired me to look at things I take for granted, such as campy British TV shows, in a different light.

Shamans vs Shamans

The sections on shamans and their practices I found rather interesting. After talking to my little brother about what I had read he said, "Oh yeah I love shamans. That's all I use in WoW (World of Warcraft - a massively multi-player online role playing game)." After further discussion with him it seems that most of the aspects of what a shaman would go through as of now a person playing the shaman in the game must go through as well.

He went on to further explain to me that shamans in this game though not experiencing the near death experience at a young age still have numerous likenesses. They both imbibe a powerful hallucinogenic drug. In the game he further explained, "Under the influence of this drink you see your spirit ally guide/ally a ghostly version of a wolf. You also see avatars of the elements." Confused by the "avatars of the elements" statement I asked him to explain this comment and he just sent me these links. The first is the elemental avatars. While the second happens to be a shaman entering the "Ghost Wolf" form. So in this game he explained to me that the shaman though having animal allies he has control over himself to turn himself into an animal.

Elementals - http://greywolf.critter.net/images/wow/miniatures/2006-07-06-elementals-fire-water-air-earth.jpg

Shaman using Ghost Wolf form - http://youtube.com/watch?v=rudky2_msp0

"Now the only other foreseeable difference is that this shaman has a mastery over the elements of nature," said my brother. He went on to say, "they use totems much like it said in your book as you told me Matt. Yet these totems they use are based on Air, Earth, Water, or Fire. They can be an offensive weapon to help the shaman, defensive, or enhancing."

"The shaman in this game can also go places the other characters can not much like the shaman in that book."

Now myself I wouldn't be surprised if the creative developers of this game (Blizzard Entertainment) used this book and other books just like as the basis for some of their research for their characters. The reason I say this is because they used the minute details that were found in this book from the hallucinogenic drink they take to see the spirit world. To the abilities they both have with some control over elements, animals, and the ability to restore peoples’ health.

So while they have their differences they are still very much alike. As an old teacher of mine once put it, "The more things change, the more they stay the same." As was true with real shamans it is true with the computerized ones.

Reflections, Chapters 1-3

Our dreams and protection
In both our dreams and the development of Multi personality Disorder, our bodies and minds appear to assume the role of protector. Multi personality disorder is a dissociative condition whereas a person becomes separated from objective reality. An individual may develop a Multi personality Disorder as an effect of a traumatic experience or prolonged abuse. It is amazing how human beings protect themselves from negative treatment and situations. In assuming the role of another, whether stronger and more secure or meek and humble, a level of security and comfort is reached. This level being a desired feeling or an overall feeling of well being. I think the same feeling of well being is sought after by those using mind altering narcotics.

" It is a desperate, completely creative, and wonderful survival mechanism."

" I consider myself to be blessed with Multi personality Disorder, not cursed. It was a gift from God to me, to ensure my survival in a world that was full of insanity and reason to survive." Pg. 44

In our dreams we are often bombarded with funny, scary, and unusual images which mean little or nothing to us. In reality, the images are thought to have been our fears, hopes, and desires in clever disguise. I think this disguise is another method of protection.

" In classic Freudian terms, the dream uses symbolism to disguise its real content, which is too painful for the subject to confront." Pg. 13

Maybe this is why, for the most part, a dream cannot be remembered in its entirety. If a dream cannot be remembered in its entirety, the memory may also be a method of protection.

Dionysus

I have seen those two theater masks in a vast array of different places throughout my life, but never truly knew what or where they stemmed from. I always had an idea that they were visual conceptions of Yin and Yang. I was surprised to find they were a symbolic representation of a Greek god.

The duality in Dionysus was fascinating. I believe that a certain amount of this same duality exists in every person. Is it not true that a person can turn from tragic to comic in an instant? People have the capacity to experience such overwhelming joy, and, at the same time, can feel excruciating sorrow and pain. It's my belief that this plays a large part in creativity--the never ending duel between feelings of happiness and those of grief. A person must find a way of balancing the two, a process individual to each person. That balance and the way of finding it is creative in itself. Maybe that is why these theater masks have continually resurfaced throughout my life. They represent not only Dionysus, but a universal fighting between and balancing of emotions.

As for the Shamans, I'm just not sure. The idea of traveling between higher and lower realities is very foreign to me. It's possible that I'm not grasping the concept entirely, but it still seems far fetched. Did the early shamans really believe they were moving from one world to the other, or were they just experiencing a different level of consciousness? An altered state of consciousness?

Altered States Chapters 1, 2, and 3

Things I found most interesting in my readings.

Power And Possession:

I found the the reading about Shamans to be the most interesting to me. According to Hughes, Shamanizing societies are, "a belief in the spirit force." What caught my interest about Shamans is that they are healers and are often poets, singers, dancers, and artists. Only select people have the ability to be a Shaman, and those are young people who have a near death experience through an accident or illness. While these individuals are at near death their spirits receive knowledge that will give them the power of healing others. It was intriguing to me the comparison of a Shaman to a circus, but what amazed me more was that rock and roll stars such as Little Richard, John Lennon were considered to be Shamans. Believing that Lennon was one of the most talented musicians ever it's hard for me to compare him to a healer of people. I have read stories that Lennon was addicted to drugs and listening to many of his songs I tend to think that his lyrics were not signs of him being a shamanic but signs of him hallicinating from self adminstered drugs. To my knowledge Lennon, Little Richard, and Bob Dylan never medically healed anyone. Not wanting to offened anyone, I feel that Shamanizing is alittle far fetched. Mybe I need to be more open minded or mybe I am interpreting this completely wrong.

Structures Of The Mind

My thought on Multipersonality Disorder (MPD) is that we all experience MPD at some point of time. It is very sad to hear the story on Sybil and her 16 different personalities, but I do believe that is a very rare situation. Many people have suffered MPD simply by life changes. It seems rather strange that the book states MPD symptoms appear only when therapy for this disorder begins and symptoms disappear when therapy ends and these personalitys are found when people are hypnotised. I do think that MPD places a role in the environment that you are in, attitude, and mood.

Due to this being our first blog for the class, and this being new material to me, I hope I don't come across as being too close minded.

Amanita Muscaria and Altered States

Amanita Muscaria, a mushroom I was surprised to find, appears in one of my favorite childhood games, Super Mario Brothers. Pictures of the Amanita Muscaria, also known as the Fly Agaric mushroom, can be found on Christmas cards, in children’s stories such as Smurfs, and many other places. It is, in fact, the most commonly pictured mushroom in western culture. Fly Agaric mushrooms are famous for their hallucinogenic properties; I wonder how could the Fly Agaric mushroom, a mushroom the FDA lists as poisonous and a hallucinogen, be so prevalent in our culture?

Effects of digesting Amanita Muscaria vary widely, they can range from nausea, drowsiness, sweating, twitching, auditory effects, visual distortions, euphoria, low blood pressure, and relaxation. It is best known for effecting mental thought. Amanita Muscaria dates back centuries to a time of folklore and mythology; folklore and mythology being the main basis for much of, if not all of, today’s children stories. The Fly Agaric was used by some, not all, of the shamans in Siberia, and there are many unconfirmed reports of its usage across the rest of the world: by Native Americans, in India, and the Middle East. It also has connections to Christmas, ethnobotanist Jonathan Ott believes that Santa Claus is based on Fly Agaric. He bases this on the the colors of the mushroom, red and white, the drying of the mushroom in stockings over a fire, reindeer under the influence of the mushroom, and that shamans would enter a house with a bag full of mushrooms. I find if hard myself to agree with this idea of Ott’s, but he does point to why it fits into the Christmas season.

Whether any of this was true or not, the idea that a hullucigenic substance can create a spiritual connection or transplant someone into an alternate state is still part of our culture today. How many cults have there been in the last twenty years where you hear about a leader believing he is connected to a god or gods, whether from a drug induced thought or one of his own, and he should lead his followers to death? (This is not true of all cults, as there are many which are not practicing any illegal or harmful acts.)

Many people besides spiritual leaders and creative artists go into “altered states.” Criminals in prison may go into an altered state to mentally survive; when giving a speech, someone may picture everyone in the room naked, that to is an altered state; athletes will go into an extremely focused state before a game. We all use “altered states” from time to time.

Perhaps Vincent Van Gogh got better with age or focused more on painting; then again, perhaps, his deteriorating mental health did. Does it matter? Does being in an “altered state” take away from the artist; did I write that paper or did the altered state? Did I paint that picture or was it the effects of a drug? Did I see Jesus in a taco or not? I don’t think you can know, though, I’d like to think I was the artist and not something else . :)

Blog entry about Amanita Muscaria and altered states, since my copy of Altered States has not arrived yet.

Under the Influence

I have found the subject matter that I have read in the first three chapters to be very interesting and engaging. I think, in essence, some of the best creative works have been produced through some type of an altered state of consciousness. Musical legends, such as John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, and Jerry Garcia, have all produced music that was created in some type of altered state, whether it be from drugs or drinking. However, some of the most and arguably, best tracks are those created under those specific circumstances.

In the text it states that John Lennon songs, such as "I Am The Walrus" and "Strawberry Fields Forever" showed some characteristics towards shamanism. Also, the song "Purple Haze" by Hendrix is thought to be referring to some type of drug. Some say that it was written about a specific strain of marijuana, others say that it was written about a type of LSD. In interviews, Hendrix said that it was not related to any drug use, but was created from a dream that he had. Regardless of whether it was taken from a dream or not, during that time period, the 1960's, drug use was heavily popular amongst the "hippie" nation.

I found it very interesting when Hughes mentioned Multipersonality Disorder as a certain altered state of consciousness. I was curious to whether other personality disorders such as Borderline Personality Disorder or an OCD individual would be considered an altered state.

Additional readings on Altered States

It was interesting to learn about the Fly Agaric, Amanita Muscaria, mushroom: it gets its name for its use as a pesticide; grows in countries througout the northern hemisphere; and some consider it good luck. This fungi though colorful causes side affects which included illness and rages along with hallucinations. Different cultures used it for religious rituals or just to get a high feeling from the two main drugs ibotenic acid and muscimol. People would even drink the urine of an affected person, just for the effect of the drug without the as manny side effects. Some such as Vikings would use it to control or block fear emotions.


The mushroom along with as well as drugs can result in people entering altered states of conciousness where they are not fully aware of their surroundings and even cause them to have visions of things not really there or themselves being in a different time or place. Charles Tart has done many studies regarding things such hypnosis, near-death experiences, and drugs cause altered states. He mentions how some people in altered states see things such as truth "far more superior" with more underestanding than in an ordinary conciousness. It gives a "wider perspective" of things.




http://peyote.com/jonstef/flyagaric.htm

http://skepdic.com/tart.html

http://www.paradigm-sys.com/ctt_articles2.cfm?id=22

Posted for ERIK

Charles Tart states on his website that an "altered state", whether it be drug induced or otherwise, play a very important part in allowing a person to "step out" of their "normal" realm of consciousness, and into one which permits the individual to appreciate what is sometimes taken for granted when in a "normal" state. I think all of the worlds great - and novice - thinkers, artists, and scientists have an ability to place themselves, on purpose or involuntary, into an altered state. This ability gives them the visionary fuel to create, discover, and push the boundaries previously set. Our human brain has the unique - as far as we know, unique - ability to alter our state of consciousness in order to satisfy our curiosity as to what we can experience. In my opinion, enlightenment is only achieved through some form of altered state. Tart also stated that altered state experiences expand one's ability to be flexible and less attached to the "absoluteness", as he put it, of our lives. After all, nothing is absolute, with maybe the exception of mathematics, but that is a subject I stay away from. It is true that the great painter Vincent Van Gogh was deeply depressed and more or less a manic person throughout his life. Some argue that his greatest work was done while in the manic states, but what caused him to be manic and tap his ability even more so than he was already doing? It is known that the paint used during Vincent's time period was laden with lead. It is also a fact that Vincent use to put his paint encrusted brush in his mouth a lot while pondering his works in progress. We now know the effects of lead poisoning and that it can take years of exposure to complete its wrath on the human body and brain. So, did Vincent unknowingly poison himself over the years? Did the lead and its effects on Vincent's brain somehow propel his creativity much like a typical "recreational" drug would have? Perhaps. It could also be said that maybe Vincent was a good artist that was perpetuated to greatness through the slow chemical alteration of his brain, which in comparison, is much different than a drug induced state that only lasts for brief periods such as those experienced from eating mushrooms. I think it takes a good deal of intelligence to bear fruit in the form of creativity from an altered state of consciousness. Many people use mind altering drugs and never produce a creative thought or piece of work. So, it must takes a special mind, one that is infused with passion and curiosity, to benefit from periods of altered states, in a creative and enlightened sense anyway.

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.

Altered States of America

Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan(RIP), and Steven Tyler have all said that they wrote their best work after they got "clean." Obviously they also wrote and performed when they were high so what made the difference? and can we as listeners tell? As someone else mentioned the creative high is very real and very addictive. There are those who operate on a different plane and seem to be able to create at will or with what seems to be little effort. Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys is bipolar but his condition was not formally diagnosed for many years. He created some incredible music in between locking himself in his room and existing only on fried chicken.

It is quite often mentioned that a fine line exists between genius and madness and many of our most creative people straddle that line. Some cross over and come back, some don't. I think alot of the performers who take drugs are attempting to continue the high that comes with the audience, the creation of the art, the feedback all of those things. If that is what drives you and it is not always there you may feel the need to replace it. I could go on but shan't.

As for the multiple personalities and bipolar and other such mind "afflictions", I believe we all have them. It's just that some of us never get to the point were the affliction takes over. Why? Darn good question. In my Writing class we talked about the inner voice. We all have "voices" in our heads. The proverbial angel on one shoulder, devil on the other, and all the other thousands of thoughts and ideas that run through our heads on a daily basis. Most of us don't give them a real hard listen. What makes a schizophrenic decide to listen? Again I don't know and do they have any choice in the listening anyway?

The brain is such a monumentally fantastic machine that we may probably never know all the myriad ways in which it works or doesn't. We constantly juggle multiple tasks, ideas, readings, people, thoughts and all in one little place inside our head. Makes mine hurt just to think about it.

The first blog is the toughest

I realize that not getting together last week and not being able to go over this blog assignment has made it rough on everyone. However, it's heartening to see that several of you have managed to at least set up an account, and that a couple of you have bravely jumped into the mix. Some of you haven't got the text book yet ("We are ...."), another bug in the ointment, and some of you just have no idea what to write, even though you do have the book (BTW, there's a copy on reserve in the library). The best way to do this is to probably go with your first reactions to the readings. Sheeda's made the connection to her own poetry, and has filled in some of the blanks about Lennon (nice going). Mary Jane makes the connection to Harry Potter (I'm a fan, too Mary Jane, and can't begin to imagine where JK Rowling gets her stuff -- Quidditch?? What an amazing imagination!!! She also uses semi colons, a great indicator of a book which young readers can begin to learn from), and makes comments on several of the issues which emerge from the readings. Remember that you don't have to talk about everything (with all the stufff that Hughes covers that would be impossible) but look for some really snappy quotes, ideas that you either agree with or strongly disagree with. Tell us ways in which the reading might have helped you to see something differently than you did before. What are some of the personal connections you have with the text? What questions do you have? What don't you understand? All good Blog fodder. The first three chapters ooze with information, so have fun and we'll talk face to face about this stuff on Wednesday. In the meantime, though, get the conversation going here.

Thoughts on Chapter Readings

Creativity is the feeling of thrill or fantastic sensation that happens when someone successfully comes up with a terrific idea, or produces some type of material object. The creator becomes high on their creation and there is a feeling of self-satisfaction. When a positive comment is given about the creator’s endeavor, they then step up to an even higher level of emotional thrill. In my opinion, this thrill of success is very natural.

Although my personal creations involved a thought process, I believe it is true that many artists have the ability to produce works of art in an altered state of mind, and thus creativity. For example, Jackson Pollack’s artwork or a child’s’ finger painting would be created in an altered state of mind.

I find it very true that creatively is advocated as a way of life and thus improves that quality of life. J. K. Rowling and her Harry Potter books reinforce this thought. Before J.K. Rowling created the Harry Potter books, she was on welfare and look at her now! Her last book, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, is by far – her best work! I was up reading it until 4:30 a. m. in the morning! Then I ended up thinking about it another hour, before I was able to sleep finally. The story was really intertwined to come up with that fantastic ending. Did anyone else cry at reading the book? I certainly did when Fred died!

I am not sure what my opinion is about shamans, but I tend not to believe in them. Although, I am interested in learning more about the Fly Agaric Mushroom used as a hallucinogenic drug. It is very interesting that a shaman can be conscious and in control, while dreaming. Perhaps people are able to create some of those fantastic stories in books, or movies that way.

It was interesting that the Halloween and Mardi Gras masks date back to Grecian times to Dionysus, the Greek god. I was aware of the masks representing comedy and tragedy in the Greek theater, but not with a link to shamanic cultures at all.

In the third chapter called, Structures Of The Mind, the brain is a quite a complex organ! After reading the chapter, I can see how neurologists are so highly compensated for their work. One thing that I find interesting is the left and right hemisphere of the brain. The left hemisphere specializes in language functioning, such as reading, writing and analytical functions, while the right hemisphere specializes in such things as musical abilities. I come to the conclusion that I must be left-brained, since I have no musical abilities at all.

The Multi-personality Disorder is very scary, but I do believe that it is very true of some people. I am a true believer that people with a Gemini Horoscope do have split personalities! This can be very emotional for any person that is a receiver of a Gemini’s emotions. It is hard to cope with two different personalities of one person, let alone more personalities, such as the sixteen personalities of Sybil that was mentioned in our readings.

I have one last comment. I must have been – in fact I know I was - “Dissociated” with daydreaming in my earlier years, because I would not be contributing to this Blog otherwise! Mary Jane Books