#altered states of consciousness

[secret-bug-pain-blog]

Whumptober Day 1 - Search Party

We researched West Virginian gun laws and hunting seasons for this one. Based on our estimates of the approximate time of year that Arc 1 of Amnesty takes place in, Pigeon and Pete would have been toting around guns around a month away from any time that it would be legal to use them.

We spent some time trying to pinpoint exact districts for this, and then realized that this is only one day out of thirty-one and it probably isn't as relevant as we were picturing, so we stopped doing that. If someone else here lives in West Virginia and cares about that, our excuse is that we do not live in West Virginia, or in America, and we also do not presently have a hunting permit or game permit of any kind. We also cannot legally use a gun right now. We can skin and flesh a pelt if needed, though. Call us up for for amateur taxidermy and butchering services and we'll see what we can do.

[spaceintruderdetector]

Flickers Of The Dreamachine (Codex, 1996) : Paul Cecil : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

[hauntedselves]

The Continuum of Dissociation

[Image description:

An infographic describing the continuum of dissociation and the theory of structural dissociation. From left to right (more integrated parts to less integrated parts), are:

Altered states - Altered states of consciousness: Includes things like daydreaming, normal absorption, 'highway hypnosis', flow states, meditative practices, and imaginary play

Primary dissociation - PTSD / single incident trauma: Where a person has what can be described as a 'Going on with normal life' part that does daily life, as well as a 'Trauma part' that holds the experience of trauma

Secondary dissociation - C-PTSD / complex trauma: Where a person has more than one 'Going on with normal life' part as well as multiple trauma parts that often are caught in defensive actions and patterns of trauma

Dissociative disorders - OSDD / UDD: Other specified and unspecified dissociative disorders are diagnoses given when a person does not meet the full criteria for a specific dissociative disorder

Tertiary dissociation - DID / polyfragmented DID: Characterised by two or more distinct personality states, and in the case of polyfragmented DID, a person has a large number of 'alters' or identities, each with their own sense of self

Outside of the parts model, but still within dissociation, are:

Dissociative amnesia: Where a person cannot remember important information about their life (more than ordinary forgetfulness)

Depersonalisation & derealisation: Where a person experiences feelings of detachment from their body or cognitions, including a disconnect from their self or environment

End image description]

[Image description:

An infographic describing primary structural dissociation.

In primary structural dissociation, there is a 'Going on with normal life part', which avoids traumatic reminders to function in normal life goals. Daily life functions include rest, play, socialising, relationships, and intimacy.

There is also a trauma part, which is engaged in survival / animal defences and is often in hyper- or hypoarousal. Trauma responses (defences) are: fight, flight, freeze, submit, and attach.

End image description]

[Image description:

An infographic describing secondary structural dissociation.

In secondary structural dissociation, there is a 'Going on with normal life part', which avoids traumatic reminders to function in normal life goals.

There are also multiple trauma parts, which are engaged in survival / animal defences and is often in hyper- or hypoarousal. Trauma responses (defences) are: fight, flight, freeze, submit, and attach.

End image description]

[Image description:

An infographic describing tertiary structural dissociation. It gives an example of a system, the collection of all alters (parts) within a person.

In tertiary structural dissociation, there are multiple 'Going on with normal life parts', one or more of which may be called the 'host(s)', who are engaged in daily life. Examples of going on with normal life parts are a worker alter, a caregiver alter, and a partner alter.

There are also multiple trauma parts, which are alters engaged in survival defences. Examples of trauma parts are a gatekeeper alter (who decides who fronts), fight alters (e.g. Ann, a 24 year old primar protector part, and Don, a 30 year old persecutor part), flight alters (e.g. Sally, an 8 year old trauma holder), freeze alters (e.g. Marcus, a 10 year old trauma holder), submit alters (e.g. Pia, an 18 year old trauma holder), and attach alters (may be called 'littles', e.g. Lily, a 4 year old and Jack, a 6 year old, both trauma holders).

End image description]

- Natasja Wagner

[manifestisnow]

Here is something slightly crazy that we thought you may enjoy.

Please feel free to share it out there. Give it time and wear a comfortable pair of earphones when listening to it. Relax and get ready to take off!!

[sidewalkchemistry]

in the tags, share if you would like to have more conscious & discovery-filled dream experiences. I might start a challenge in July on my blog to help people with that

[convexicalcrow]

Cub heard only screaming. He curled into himself in the darkness, hands pressed against his ears. The screaming didn't stop, though. He couldn't think. Couldn't process anything. Just curl into a ball and listen to the screaming as his skin seemed to spark with electricity.

-

Cub heard only screaming. Only this time, it seemed... No. It wasn't the Vex. They'd abandoned him. Cut off the infected vessel to save Themselves. Cub didn't blame them for that. No, the Vex wouldn't come back for him. Perhaps he should just let the screaming darkness swallow him. It might be a better fate than facing the Vex again.

-

Cub heard only screaming as skulk veins wound tightly around his body, holding him still. His limbs were in strange positions, though he wasn't sure if the pain he was feeling was physical or if his brain just expected the pain and decided he should feel it anyway. Veins wound around his throat and he was sure he felt them penetrate into his brain again. A heavy weight pressed down on top of him. Perhaps he was the cause of the screaming.

-

Cub heard only screaming. Everything felt like it was on fire. Felt like he was drowning in lava. The putrid stench of skulk was even worse when it was burning. Cub retched a little, knowing he'd never get that smell out of his nose. He felt wings on the back of his neck, but- no. It couldn't be the Vex. They'd severed a limb to save the rest. That was fine. The Vex could sacrifice him if he was too much of a danger to them. He'd made his peace with that long ago.

-

Cub heard only screaming. Only this time, the voices were muffled and indistinct. He felt like he was drowning, even though he could feel no water. He wasn't sure he could feel anything. Just... sinking. He was sinking. The mud had found him in the swamp and he was sinking into it. It was soft and quiet and he closed his eyes, feeling something embrace him as he gave up. The sweetness on his tongue was memories, right? His brain conjuring up what Vex magic tasted like as what felt like a pair of arms held him close, cradling him gently. His brain was fuzzy. Was that a kiss on his cheek? Didn't know. Too tired to think more about it.

-

Cub heard only laughter. Vex laughter. Memories again, right? That had to be it. He felt dazed and exhausted. Heard Scar's voice in amongst the laughter. Smiled. Maybe Scar had found him. That was a nice thought. He closed his eyes and drifted off.

-

"Cub? Can you hear me?"

"That you, Scar? That's nice. I'd like your voice to be the last I hear before I die."

"Oh you're not dying, not on my watch! The Vex won't allow it! Just hang on, okay? I'm getting help. We can get rid of the skulk. But I think there's some magic only you can perform. I'm not skilled enough with the Vexnos and the infinity stones. So don't you dare die on me, okay? Because I need you. The Vex need you. Jellie needs you. Just hang on and listen to my voice. I hope the Vex magic is helping give you a bit of energy back. I'm not sure if it can do that! But the Vex told me to do that. You've been through a lot! Just hang on though, Bdubs and Joe are on the way. I need their help for this final stage. Then we need you to do some magic with the stones, okay? Promise you'll hang on for me?"

"What...? I don't... Okay? Sure? I can hang on for you, Scar. I just feel so tired though. I dunno if I'm up for any magic. You do it. I wrote all about the stones in the grimoire. You can work it out from there, right?"

"The Vex said it has to be you. There's just no way for us to know the true extent of the corruption. Only you can do that. Just-"

Scar's voice fell silent, but not in a troubling way. Cub suddenly felt like he was floating, and maybe he could see the surface of the water, with light glistening through. He blinked. Vex magic pooled on his tognue and it was like ambrosia. His body was singing as Vex magic pulsated gently through him. Maybe he wasn't dying after all.

"Is that better? I hope it's better. I'm not as good with this magic stuff as you are. I just do glamours and bake cookies and make magic crystals! You know the deeper stuff that I dare not touch like the stones. Like Vexnos. I-I can't do that magic. You need to do it. So just. Come back to me, okay?"

"I'm here, Scar, don't worry. I'm not going anywhere."

[loneberry]

“Finally, we need to notice that a number of caves contain evidence for stalactites, especially of the undulating ‘drapery’ kind, having been struck, though we cannot always be sure that this was done during the Upper Palaeolithic. These stalactites emit a deep booming sound when struck. In the Réseau Clastres in the foothills of the French Pyrenees, they have been struck by someone standing on the far side; someone entering the cave with only a lamp or burning torch would not easily see the percussionist, and the sound would swell and resonate from the darkness in enveloping waves.

The effect of rhythmic sound, especially drumming and chanting, is widely recognized as a means of contacting the world of spirits.”

—David Lewis-Williams, The Mind in the Cave: Consciousness and the Origins of Art

A cave can be a giant drum! I’ve always been awe-inspired by the cathedral-like acoustics of caves

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Elliott Daingerfield (1859-1932). Moon Rising over Fog Clouds .

[Mikhail Iossel]

* * * *

"Every person, from morning till evening, is making invisible forms in space by what he says. He is creating invisible vibrations around him, and so he is creating an atmosphere." ~ Hazrat Inayat Khan, 'The Mysticism of Sound and Music'

[pink-lemonade-rose]

We must let ourselves be carried on the dream's mane and must not wake up - something all dreamers know - while the dream is dictating the world to us. How can we do this? We must write at the dictation of our master the dream, a pencil in hand, straddling the mane at full gallop.

Hélène Cixous, Three Steps on the Ladder of Writing

[shamanflavio]

Shamanism: A Journey Through the Mind, Body, and Spirit Connection

Shamanism, a spiritual practice that spans across various cultures and epochs, serves as a profound testament to the universality of human psychobiological experiences. Through the lens of Winkelman’s (2002) research, we can understand shamanism not merely as a cultural artifact but as a manifestation of innate brain processes, representational systems, and psychophysiological dynamics inherent…

[spaceintruderdetector]

The Electric Kool Aid Acid Test 4 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

[monotheistreal]

Delve into the profound realm of Shamanism with our latest video on Monotheist. Uncover the essence of Shamanic practices, rituals, and spiritual connections in this comprehensive guide for beginners. Whether you're new to the spiritual realm or seeking advanced insights, this video serves as a gateway to the profound wisdom of Shamanic traditions. Join us on a transformative exploration of self-discovery and healing. Subscribe to Monotheist for engaging content on spirituality. Like, share, and hit the bell to stay connected. Embark on a journey of enlightenment with us. #Shamanism #SpiritualJourney #MysticalWisdom #HealingEnergy #SelfDiscovery #AncientRituals #EnlightenmentPath #SpiritualExploration #Monotheist #InnerTransformation #trending #viral #explore #reels

[cavorta]

January 24, 2024 Interesting video (ca. 23 minutes) with good explanations: "The ONE Thing Every Occultist Needs To Master: Altered States of Consciousness" by Ivy the Occultist.

[sidewalkchemistry]

Who you are in states of peak bliss — when you're laughing til you're crying, when you're in inspirational flow, when you have frozen time with mindsets of gratitude — is who you really are. When you forget that and begin feeling lost, travel back in your mind and reunite with them.

[loneberry]

“Concepts of a tiered universe are, of course, not restricted to shamanistic religions. Heaven above, Hell below, and the level of anxious humanity in between appear in one form or another across the globe. Why should this be so? In the materiality of daily life there is, after all, no evidence whatsoever of hidden spiritual realms above and below. The answer to this question is, I argue, to be found in a set of widely reported mental experiences. These reports come not only from laboratory experiments but also from an extremely broad range of shamanistic (and other) societies. The experiences fall into two categories: those that are taken to relate to an underworld, and those that are interpreted as relating to a realm in the sky above.

In discussing the underworld, we may group underground and underwater experiences. In Chapter 4, I described the sensation of passing through a vortex, or tunnel, as subjects move along the intensified spectrum and into Stage 3 of deeply altered consciousness. Tunnel experiences also occur in dreams and near-death experiences. Often there is a bright light at the end of the tunnel. As we saw, Siegel notes that the first iconic images appear on the sides of this enclosing vortex. Here, I suggest, is the reason why so many peoples around the world believe in passing underground to a subterranean realm. The notion has its origin in altered states of consciousness and then becomes part of socially transmitted culture so that even those who have never experienced the far end of the intensified trajectory accept the beliefs.

At the same time, subjects often experience sensations of inhibited breathing, distorted vision, sounds in the ears, difficulty in moving, weightlessness, and a sense of being in another world. These sensations are frequently interpreted as being underwater. Both underground and underwater travel are widely reported shamanistic experiences.

It is important to remember that these experiences are the result of the way in which the human brain and nervous system are neurologically constructed and the ways in which they operate electro-chemically in altered states of consciousness. To this extent, the experiences are universal. The precise ways in which they are rationalized are culturally situated and hence differ in some ways from society to society: some people speak of entering caves, others of following the roots of a tree, and still others of going down animal burrows, rather like Alice. Similarly, and depending to some extent on the environment in which people live, others speak of diving into the sea or deep pools.”

—David Lewis-Williams, The Mind in the Cave: Consciousness and the Origins of Art

.

.

I almost gave up on this book because everything it says about Neanderthals is wrong. To be fair the book was written 20 years ago, about 7 years before the Neanderthal genome was even sequenced. Now it looks like Neanderthals may have actually been the creators of the earliest cave paintings, around 20,000 years before Homo sapiens arrived to Europe. Neanderthals cooked elaborate meals using spices. They bred with us. They even invented flatbread! To say Neanderthals lacked higher-order consciousness or the mental architecture to conceptualize a past or future is patently absurd. Hell, for all we know, an earlier hominin species, Homo naledi, could have engaged in “funerary practices” 335,000 years ago (palaeoanthropologists and archaeologists are still debating the implications of the 2013 discovery of the Homo naledi remains).

If you bracket everything The Mind in the Cave says about Neanderthals, the book is delightfully trippy. It offers a shamanistic theory of Upper Palaeolithic cave art grounded in an emphasis on the role of altered states of consciousness. I supposed I'm predisposed to chthonic experiences (considering my first dream book was Tiny Spelunker of the Oneiro-Womb* and I'm obsessed with water...). But now that I think of it--the book I'm currently finishing is titled Alien Daughters Walk Into the Sun; there most be something of the celestial in me too. (*The title was actually inspired by an article I read about the classified ad recruiting "tiny spelunkers" for the mission to retrieve the Homo naledi remains in the Rising Star Cave of South Africa...)

[pink-lemonade-rose]

For the Memory which their mother embodies, and which the Muses in turn bestow upon poets, includes not only the ability to recollect the past and preserve it for the future, but also the power to transcend the constraints of mortal time. In mythic thought, as Jean-Pierre Vernant has shown, Memory enables the poet to see beyond the mortal world to the timeless realm of the gods; thus music and song, which are the Muses' gifts, enable human beings to communicate with the divine, to forget the limitations of ordinary human experience and to dwell for a moment with the gods.

Penelope Murray, “The Muses and their Arts”