Month: October 2012

October 28, 2012

Binaural Eerie

We perceive our world through sensory input. What happens to that world when only one perception receives input? Soundscapes: a new idea, currently under development, as I experiment with the ways poetry, stories and other forms of creative writing can be conveyed using only our perception of sound.

The story is binaural, so I recommend wearing headphones for the full effect. In the spirit of Hallowe’en, I give you “Binaural Eerie” a trip through the experience of another world.

WARNING: There will be more of these.

Credits–

Sounds mixed by NIKOtheOrb using Audacity.
All sounds and effects from Freesound.org, voices recorded by NIKOtheOrb and guest.
“Laughter” at the end by FXProSound

Music From: BeatsRoyaltyFree.com, Title: Someone Knows; Artist: Pitbulljones

*Artwork from AshenSorrow Stock Art Resources

All music, sounds, and effects used with permission under Creative Commons License, public domain.

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October 25, 2012

Blowin’ In The Wind

“Don’t be afraid to be weak, Don’t be too proud to be strong.
Just look into your heart my friend, That will be the return to yourself. . .“

“Be yourself don’t hide, Just believe in destiny. . .”

“Don’t care what people say, Just follow your own way. . .”

“That’s not the beginning of the end, That’s the return to yourself. . .”

“The return to innocence.”

*Quotes from lyrics to The Return To Innocence by Enigma

*Image #4 is a photomanipulation of: Image of trees taken by NIKOtheOrb, “Cosmos8_0008” and “Cosmos1_0005” produced by Funerium and distributed through Resurgere stock.

October 23, 2012

Autumn Brewed

Music video for poem Autumn Brewed.
Collaboration with Nancy Pontius.
Poem/lyrics by NIKOtheOrb. Music created, produced and played by Nancy Pontius.
Song mixed by NIKOtheOrb using Audacity, (original track).

Other music video here (Sunday Afternoon Drive, featuring original song by Steve Ferguson).

More original songs by Nancy Pontius here.

Credits–
Sounds /Effects used (all from Freesound.org):
“Singing Bowls” by juskiddink
“Wind Through Trees” by Chris Castiglione
“Morning In The Forest” by reinsamba
“Light Rain” by Jeffreys2
“Wind Chimes” by ashassin

Images Used (all from Flickr.com):
“Nature Pictures” by Forest Wander
“Big Tree” by Nietnagel
“Golden Leaves” and “Big Sky” by Simon Wu
“Rainbow Forest” by Slack12

Motion Pictures Used:
All fall foliage in forest filmed by NIKOtheOrb
Animation, “Way of the Mantis” from Internet Archive

Much thanks to Nancy for this collaboration and her wonderful work and beautiful voice.

*All images, sounds, and video used through permission granted by Creative Commons license reuse, remix, and attribution, or public domain.

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October 22, 2012

Education In An Insecure Society

Current educational systems within society work to divorce the child from his or her natural will, whether that is curiosity or wonder or innocence. An educational system structured on nurturing and nourishing these aspects of humanity work to reunite humans with their connection to nature, animals and their mammal-ness. To become again a human being, rather than a “cog in the wheel” or “gear in the machine” felt by many in current society, and what was beget by the likes of John B. Watson, Frederick Taylor, Ayn Rand and Edward Bernays.

The educational system does not seem to be interested in providing paths inviting introspection or comprehension of theory of mind or even learning as a means to understanding. Education seems to have only a vested interest in preservation of funding, rote and memorization, grade fulfillment, bicameral thinking (linear grade promotion, success or failure, pass or fail, etc), homogeneous conditioning, etc. Frankly, this does not work and merely churns out workers, rather than evolving society/humanity as a whole. I mean, with current access of technology, shouldn’t this system be a lot farther along; instead, today’s educational system, for the most part, works against technology, rather than with it.

The educational system is but one part of the systematic deconstruction of human will, therefore, it becomes naturally normal humans will treat one another with impunity come what may and never change because such level of rudeness and offense is now hardwired into the human brain (socialization). Can this be changed? Even if an educational system built upon nourishing and nurturing, self-efficacy rather than self-esteem, ultimately, the change lies in the receiver of the tool (in the student), but that the instruments exist in the first place, that they are available to be utilized freely is an element of that change. In this way, the means to evolve can pass into legacy, can pass into the collective consciousness, if you will, available to any found wanting. Today’s child, even if he or she takes but a little from such teaching, may trigger a subtle reverberation within that causes him or her to behave differently in an otherwise routine circumstance. In this way, the “gene” can be inherited, and then improved in the next generation.

Playing Not To Lose

Today’s systemic educational system supports and reinforces human suffering (for the supposed greater good, and that greater good is really the continued protection of what has become an extremely insecure society). You see, it is a form of game theory. We are playing not for profit, or even to win, but not to lose. Not to lose is a third option, that is to say, not an opposite of winning. But a third option, along with winning and losing. To play not to lose, is to risk the possibility of winning and to avoid any chance at all of losing. Applied to society, we have become comfortable in not losing anything, which seems like a better alternative. This is an illusion. To play not to lose would beget suffering, as one becomes so intent on making sure the status quo remains intact that any opportunity to change one’s station in life (however that may be) is discarded due to fear that one may lose everything one has “worked so hard,” up until now, to possess (which of course would be measured in the value placed in things, or the value placed in being allowed privilege of access to things, i.e., money. That is money as social institution, rather than a utility). This can make us bitter, and leads to suffering, fighting, and acts of violence, etc. How to stop this kind of behavior? How to end human suffering? At least, breed it out? Realization, or a precursor, the means to embark upon a journey to realization. Social systems (the forefront, to be honest, for human conditioning—conditioning not in the indoctrination sense, but in the sense of humanity, the natural state of human being-ness) would have to reflect that kind of philosophy.

*Images: “To Imagine, To Create, To Learn” by Nicholas Raymond, “True/False” from FybridPhotos, and “Concrete Caves: Hall 1” by Gwynstock.

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October 18, 2012

The Beauty of the Wood

See all the colors,

the layers within:

 

the color of the blue sky in the green leaves,

and there is the color of the sun in the tree.

The leaves, the flowers, the root systems of the trees. . .

See then how all are connected to compose this environment called Forest.

 

See the motions of time—

By looking at a stream,

see when last the floods came.

 

Study the fallen tree,

and know of weather,

of climate, of wildlife and flora,

the health of the soil and what has happened to the tree.

 

Following track marks in the dirt,

know the ways of Animal.

By observing animals,

see how they think, see what they see.

 

And then,

ultimately,

communicate with and within this environment. . .

 

And know Us.

 

*Fractal image, “Infernal Autumn”, by Timmetrius

 

 

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October 17, 2012

Uncertainty Principle, NonDuality and Reality

That we are not able to quantify accurately “reality” is a bit farther than the Heisenberg Principle. See, the reason an uncertainty exists (and that includes the uncertainty associated with the probability patterns of “particles”) is because we (that is a conscious consciousness, that is to say an aware awareness, one that is aware that it is awareness and one that is conscious that it is consciousness) is due to that conscious consciousness as part of the probability pattern. I mean, are we not (if there are atoms et al) an amalgamation of atoms? We are fractals, we are like the trees and their roots in the earth. We are like streams and their roots in the rivers. We are synthesis incarnate, so to speak. We cannot be certain because we are part of the problem, hence we are the problem. Although, we can be aware that we are aware we cannot always be sure that that is what we are doing, because we are that which awares. We do not think, we are thinking. That is we are not THE state of to think (as if “to think” were the wheel of a car and the mind/brain the driver), we ARE think (in other words, we are the car, the driver, the wheel, the motion, the revolutions per minute, the vibrations, the frequency, etc.).

Perhaps, this is probably heading off more into the Observer’s Effect, rather than the Uncertainty Principle, but what I am trying to convey is a merging of the two. . . philosophically. Bicameral thinking is archaic, nay, even prehistoric.  Non duality is the way to solving problems. That logic and creativity are not at odds, but synergistic. It’s like the mind brain problem of neuroscience (although, I don’t think this is so much a problem anymore as science has been entering some incredible areas, such as anomalous cognition, consciousness as outside of the brain, multi-dimensional cognition, etc.) whence once was thought mind and brain were divided, it has come to pass that mind and brain are like two sides of the same coin. That consciousness is not the brain, but the brain does have some integral part. The brain thinks, so to speak, the mind knows.

And what of beyond the mind? What is beyond the mind? What of a singularity? The idea that there is a one consciousness, fractalized?

 

*Fractal image, “Fairy Tree” by Nirolo

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October 16, 2012

Nikola Tesla Was Onto Something Here

THE FRONTIER OF GLOBAL CONSCIOUSNESS

“To me, the universe is simply a great machine which never came into being and never will end. The human being is no exception to the natural order. Man, like the universe, is a machine. Nothing enters our minds or determines our actions which is not directly or indirectly a response to stimuli beating upon our sense organs from without.” ~Nikola Tesla, A Machine To End War

One of the most beautiful happenings to witness in this chaos-span called Life on this planet: a lightning storm. Oh, how utterly standard and mundane you may think, Reader. Ah, but perhaps you should think, as within that seemingly fleeting flash of energy-blast of heat many times brighter than our favorite star, the Sun, comes Fruition. Comprehend, mayhaps for the first time, as I did, the immensity that is a lightning storm ( and really oughtn’t we to say lightning storm, for is that not the true star of the “performance” of a thunderstorm).

Having spent some years researching and studying electricity (and, again, here lightning be the star of the show) as well as neuroscience (more electricity) so with the history, movement, evolution, and tomes of electricity coursing through my fevered and excited brain (fevered and excited at what new things I am learning and thinking and comprehending and awareness and consciousness), allow me to take you upon a Wonderland journey. Shall we begin?

First, imagine the reports of Nikola Tesla supine upon his couch in his laboratory beneath those great windows contemplating lightning, perhaps giving birth to new thoughts, ideas, inventions, and inspirations. Imagine Nikola Tesla engulfed in white plasma, yet unharmed, like some kind of mysterious, divinity-zapped Shaman. Contemplate this kind of power. An intense and great power that cycles (it has moods!) and can be harnessed. Contemplate, in a lightning storm, the power of efficient use of lightning (and here is where we can give a grateful nod to dear Mr. Tesla). What can be accomplished with its unleashed power, electricity (nowadays such a natural occurrence as electricity is leashed and has been since the days of Thomas Alva Edison. What absurdity, this? To leash the abundance of electricity?! Prior to the innovations of Edison, electricity was studied because its powers were so mysterious and so curious. But it was Edison who thought of how to leash it in order to profit from it. It was Edison, so I’ve read reported, that came up with the idea of charging people by the kilowatt hour. Up until then, electricity was merely turned on or off, like the valve of a water hose)? Can you see how all those great minds were as enamored with electricity?

Such beauty, this lightning. It’s the action: the interaction of cloud, ground (earth), particles, atoms, molecules, direction and current, all combining into this reaction called Lightning. How interesting its origins. Light-ning. Yes, light, progenitor of so many living organisms upon this planet. It is brighter than any other light seen on Earth, and enough to spoil the sun before the eyes. Now, as we meander further, think of the brain and the “lightning” that is said to occur there. Think of the unleashed power occurring there with every moment. Imagine, now, the “magick” from whence ideas come . . . awareness . . . Consciousness. Imagine lightning in the moment of conception, the first moment that seems not actually the first, but a continuation of the “first” moment the universe was conceived. Can you not see, dear reader, the similarity between these events? That we are as lightning as we are as consciousness as we are as universe.

Don’t you love the possibilities of this universe, this planet? Don’t you truly love what it is capable of, including growing humans?

“Life is and will ever remain an equation incapable of solution, but it contains certain known factors.” ~Nikola Tesla, A Machine to End War

*Image, “Plasma Earth III”, by Nicholas Raymond

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October 15, 2012

On Honesty

“You have this spot that you can’t see past. My grams and gramps had it, the spot where they were taught they were disconnected from everything . . .  and how beautiful they really are. And that there’s no need to hide, or lie. And that it’s possible to talk to someone without any lies, with no sarcasms, no deceptions, no exaggerations or any of the things that people use to confuse the truth.” ~Powder

Something that mainstream society has taken from the inherent faculties of human relationships and interaction is honesty. Mainstream society has replaced the innate characteristic of honesty with dishonesty, lies, and deception. In society, dishonesty is revered, rewarded, and esteemed as a self-defense mechanism, whereas a characteristic as simple as honesty is too often associated with simple-mindedness or the unfiltered naivete associated with innocence of childhood. This is almost ridiculous. That somehow once we have matured to adulthood, honesty must be traded for being jaded and bitterness, more “adult” traits.  Rather, we become extremely insecure, tall babies.

We have been conditioned to believe that we cannot be honest or we will be hurt and abandoned, ultimately by society (as society has taught us that we will lose our social base, our social network). Society assures us that the only way to be secure is to hide, even from ourselves. This is a fallacy and a delusion. The way to break from that conditioned habit of thinking is to first be honest with yourself. Once we accept that we are not our jobs, or our pre-conceived or insecure identities, we can recognize that we are really just afraid. And we are all afraid; a more protected and locked down society does not and will not alleviate that fear.

We are human beings, imbibed with consciousness. Honesty is one of the only ways to have lasting interaction and to know that we are conscious beings. We have nothing to be afraid of… and everything to gain by living.

This video is Part One of a Two Part vlog series.

Music: “Fluidscape” by Keven MacLeod, Incompetech.com
EDIT: motion backgrounds from Movietools.info were not used in the final production of the video.
Original artwork (the animated fractals) by Scott Draves and the Electric Sheep.
Time Lapse from Stock Footage For Free.
Body animation from “Body Story” by The Moving Picture Company, Siggraph collection.
Beach Sunset footage from Free HD Stock Footage on Vimeo.

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October 14, 2012

Reality Personified

“Reality is only a Rorschach ink-blot, you know.” ~Alan Watts

It’s these blistery October afternoons that remind us all how delicate we are. How fragile our beings have become, spent too many days denied the light of our inner sun. We must remember that we are more like the seasons: we Fall and we Spring, we die and we live, wane and wax like the Winter/Summer tide.

We are Consciousness contained in a moment, personified. Infinity beats in our willful hearts. We are Humanity, connected and amplified. We needn’t run from the inevitable convergene of our open minds. Breathe in, breathe out. Exhale. Inhale.

Fear is the illusion of misery’s child and we are innately flexible. Courage is not in a liquid escape hatch and awkwardness is not rejected by a rainbow of 3-dimensional dots, post script.

We are change. . .we embody it. We can change our minds, it is not a matter of expensive faith, it is simply the matter of course. Look inside. . . no monster lurks here. Only the power to alter ourselves. With power comes will and we can Will to change anything out there.

Reality is not set down on sheets of paper. Reality is realized in the minds of conscious beings. . . and we are consciousness. We are Woman and we are Man. We are Humanity fooled into thinking that we have to behave like apes, apeing our inherent ability at Honesty, Integrity, Reliability, Peace, Accountability. It’s only a difference of knowing that the game does not have to be rigged.

If Life is a game, why don’t we Play?

Why don’t we swing on the spiral playground, laughing at ourselves for being so silly as to think this wasn’t just a ride. We don’t have to grow old. . . we can live anew.

WHEEEEEEEE!

See the experimental music video inspired by this post, REMIX: Reality rePersonified, here.

 

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October 13, 2012

Natural Hair is Sexy and Beautiful

Mainstream society has made it so that too many of us black women believe that the only way we can be sexy and beautiful or even to be perceived as sexy and beautiful is if we have stick straight hair, or permed hair, or relaxed hair…as long as our hair is not “nappy” or “kinky”. This derogative connotation about black hair is even present within black communities and within black families. How many of us have heard women of color with straight, thin hair referred to as “You got good hair”? That can be funny, but on the flipside, it also means that nappy or kinky hair is bad.

Nappy or kinky is NOT bad, it’s our hair. It’s our natural hair in its natural and healthiest form. Natural hair has texture and feels good and it looks good…it is beautiful, and, dammit! it is incredibly sexy. It’s about time that we black women stood up and were proud of our hair and show it off. This is part of our aesthetic and our natural beauty and natural energy. It’s what makes us sexy, it’s what makes us beautiful women, as well as human beings.

Embrace you. Become what you are.

Natural Hair sites on the web:
http://blog.franchesca.net/

http://kinks-n-curls.tumblr.com/

http://naturalhairporn.tumblr.com/

Music featured:
“Enter The Party” by Kevin MacLeod incompetech.com

“Ambiment” by Kevin MacLeod incompetech.com

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