Spiritual Awakening

It is a week after Shamania and at times I have experienced deep spiritual insights. Sometimes these can be overwhelming and fleeting (the feeling and content gone within minutes). These include:

(1) Buddhism has things right - for example by including both Hell and Gods (Heaven) inside Samsara, imprints on mind (Karma) and transition state to next rebirth (dependent on state of mind at death), idea of lack of inherent existence (where am 'I' located?) . Also, Douglas Adams in the Hitch-Hikers Guide To The Galaxy has it spot on!

(2) Could a combination of intelligent design and evolution explain the universe. A vast machine created with just the right conditions for us to evolve. So all the physical constants, dimensions and mathematics are the code that gives the phenomena. Evolution is the process of action in the running of the cosmic program. Of course this is not a computer program in the usual sense but rather more like an organic living system with many parts - galaxies, stars, planets, life, people, ideas, religions.

(3) All proper spiritual paths should agree on certain facts and overlap at some level, for example dealing with the need to know what is beyond understanding (miracles, hyperspace), origins (big bang, life), destinations (death, rebirth) , higher beings (God, Buddha, Mohammed etc). We could all benefit from a comparative analysis of religions and find a common peace between every human and living thing regardless of religion, race, origin or appearance.

(4) All dreams, ideas, film, writing occur in separate but connected realities (perpendicular universes linked by dimensions that are not of space not time) and can be generated and accessed by the mind. I may think that we are visited by friendly aliens and this would generate another universe by a hyper-quantum process which is separated via a void or null space. This implies that all is probability and only our actual universe is physically traversed (3 dimensions locked in 4 dimensions).

(5) Leading on from the above it is strange why our mind needs a brain to live in. There is a relation or link to other dimensions that we are unaware of and some form of tunneling process to get you there. To get out of this universe by force it would take the whole energy of the universe to do so.

(6) Analogies - Imprints of the mind (the soul transfer process between death and rebirth) are left on the collective subconscious like ripples on water or like the slight bumpiness in the cosmic microwave radiation.

A description of the process of life and existence and why it is important can be useful in our daily lives because it enhances meaning and provides the basis for ideas that can make the world better. We are not important but we could ensure that our actions are.

Outline for a new action philosophy

This planet is heading towards oblivion. We are destroying the world to make profit and even if we somehow manage to stop global warming by using reflecting mirrors in space or sulphate particles in the stratosphere there is still so much more to learn.

Below is an indication of what I may turn into a book or online publication covering our role in the universe:

Introduction - why we need to be more spiritual beings (precise and clear statement)
Role of nature and of man - when will capitalism end and mankind work with and not against the world?
Convergence - accelerating advancement of technology and our progress towards a singularity (2012?)
Emergence - AI and new ideas, ascension and transcendence of man
Internet - new Wild West and vulnerable tech to EMP (whoops - chaos to pre-industrial times), its power, danger and uses
Science and religion - common belief systems, science to quantum birth (anything happens and will somewhere, we imagine and it happens just not in OUR universe), conflict between evolution and intelligent design
Time and space - 4D closed system but other dimensions connect with consciousness, quantum tunneling and energy of universe = energy to leave universe
Reality - concrete physical universe, null space (void) between and within, other possibilities always out of reach (but probable), universe from quantum potential (idea) and as such as experiement
Humans as coincident - we exist as long as there is a physical world but mind is intangible and thought is at quantum level so it should be possible to tunnel/traverse higher dimensions to other realities (alive or dead, whether through free will or force)
Analogies - miracles (ascend and level of physical interaction at overlapping dimensions), science fiction (void, hitch-hikers), simplest things (if it can happen it will, there is no purpose except what we find, birth-life-death and rebirth, Samsara and Nirvana, heaven and hell and all the other realms)
Action and reaction - stable and unstable phenomena, laws of karma (action and reaction, positive and negative), life and death (we constitute new life with clean memory as a hyper-rule to stop eternal existence (Hell) and stagnation of variability

In all probability we are living in an experiment that is optimised by our descendents outside of normal universe and each iteration (universe) fine tunes all the factors required to transcend the bonds of physical existence. Yet this scenario does not exist until we pass go. If we fail then probability will start again (another of an infinite set of universes).

No aliens - levels of development and exponentiality (either we make it or we don't, one at the stars we make it so fast that the next race does not have a chance/is in a nature lab)

Conclusion to live life to the full, respect all others and prepare for life after life. We do not want to live the same life in perpetuity but to lose all personality by dissolution into the collective subconscious is not an option unless there is a get out clause.

Shamania review

Overall a great festival - shame about the bouncer and the heat. Even before we set the tent up Lesley was on the laughing gas and late on the Friday evening we both has some Trance Infusion. By then we were high on MDMA and feeling like we were part of a ritual gathering away from the trails and tribulations of normal life. If only Lesley would stop talking and dancing into my field of view when I tried to take pictures of other things. In fact I do not know why I didn't just leave her to dance when Gerry was on and explore other things.

Lesley bought some (strong) acid and we dropped it at about 11pm on Saturday night after some sleep. The music filled up the void and energy flowed in directions perpendicular to space and time. I felt the ground undulate and pulsate beneath me as I walked and the music merged into me flowing energy between us all (Man With No Name turned into Doctor Who).

If only we did not go back to the tent to get the Ketamine at 2am. I cannot believe that I lent my big torch to some people at 3am only to find that the other one (sonic screwdriver) had run out of battery and I could not see the orientation of the new batteries (hence battery leak and darkness). My girlfriend went out but they did not give back the torch. I had battery fluid over my fingers on acid in darkness. Then I looked up.

In the sky I saw some bright amber lights floating in triplets plus 2 more single ones. They looked like UFOs and were so beautiful (in fact there were hot air balloons). Then the whole sky and stars came alive and became the inverse exterior of a UFO. The whole sky was a flying saucer!

I should not have taken the Ketamine in Weirdigans over the Saturday night when the acid peaked. Some guy borrowed the cover and towel I was going to use to rest my head on. She was falling all over, laughing and being loud. She got a Brandy coffee and a normal coffee, switched them and I felt sick as the Ketamine came up. It freaked my girlfriend out when I blanked out and started shaking (and some guy offered poppers). She ran out, got Mickey and Gerry and all I remember of the next few minutes was Gerry filling up my entire existence.

Although I missed the opening ceremony and balloon launnches, I loved Shamania and was impressed with the level of organisation and smooth running of the event. Loved the music, people, fire and the balloons looked like UFOs in the sky on the Saturday night. Great location too - easily accessible for public transport as well as private vehicles (I do not own a car and believe in using public transport and lift sharing wherever possible). In particular the Fat Moon tent was visually beautiful and it was enlightening to be able to choose between so many things going on or just relax in one of the tea tents or at the fire. Thanks to the organisers for such a great event and being so proactive in doing so.

Some notes for improvement for next year - have a little bit more variety of music (particularly in the hours between 6am and 12 noon), for example dub/reggae, psychedelic rock, meditation music tent, directions to the lake for cooling off, and colour coding for security on duty. A timetable for the workshops and DJs/live PAs would be useful (even if it is just a posting on the forums a few days before or sheets taped to the tents or at the campsite entrance. Also, some showers would be nice (but maybe too expensive...)

piccies at http://shamania2006.blogspot.com/

Doctor Who - Doomsday

I am not reviewing the 2 parter scene by scene but am making a point for future stories in Doctor Who, Torchwood etc.

Void sphere - loved the idea of a null sphere coming from outside/between universe(s). Not sure if the void is Hell but maybe a Hell. Shame the sphere contained nothing but Daleks and even more Daleks inside a prison TARDIS. I would like to know if the void sphere protects the contents from eternal existence or just stops them from dissolving (becoming lost) in the void. Hope the sphere can be harnessed by Captain Jack and co in Torchwood to provide further insights into the void or travel beyond normal spacetime.

Existence outside universe - I do not think that Daleks left in the void for eternity would be able to remain sane (because of the organic parts). They would have to regenerate countless times by using the void energy (as the Doctor liked to see through his rose tinted spectacles) to even have a chance. It looks like anything within something else has a chance of surviving (like matter inside a universe) but may need some sort of energy field/dimensional stabiliser to cope (hence the sphere). In reality we do not know but the whole universe should include all parallel possibilities and the void would be what separates these parallel possibilities (maybe all parallels exist only in probability or imagination as ideas but can become real if the void is crossed). Hence the Doctor using the word 'Impossible' on several occasions (Satan Pit - Beast would have to travel the void somehow to enter our universe from the previous one unless he survived as quantum potentialities at the point of the Big Crunch/Big Bang).

Cult of Skaro - Daleks with names. Cool! Yet the Black Dalek survived using an emergency temporal shift. So Sek could appear anywhere past or future. When the Daleks do return it would be nice if a story portrayed the formation of the cult and explored their identity more.

Daleks verses Cybermen - This is really a misnomer because the Cybermen never had a chance to develop technology to rival those Daleks. Also it would have been interesting if a spoof was made where a Dalek is upgraded into a CyberDalek! By the way I loved the dialogue between the Daleks and Cybermen ("Pest Control", "Identify Yourself")

Bye bye Eastenders - Sad to see the end of Rose but at least she is with the whole family. Hope the future stories explore more of the world and are not largely set in the same part of London too much. Loved the way that the Doctor reacted to losing Rose. Yes he could have put her in the TARDIS or used the sphere but the outcome was so much more dramatic.

Runaway Bride - Oh dear now we have Catherine Tate in the TARDIS. Hope it does not become another comical farce like Love and Monsters. Maybe the TARDIS picked her up as a side effect of using all that Supernova power. Still it would be nice to have at least a couple of stories where that Doctor is on his own next season. We shall wait and see.

Please bring back one or two other Timelords and use more in depth plots. There is so much scope for Doctor Who and it would be a shame if it became a soap opera in space!

Doctor Who rocks

Wow how time flies! The second series of Doctor Who is nearly over and there is going to be a 13 part Torchwood series in the autumn and potentially a CGI cartoon K9 series too. This is in addition to the Doctor Who Christmas special and a third series.

Overall I think that the second series has rocked although the quality of stories has varied from the excellent "Girl in the Fireplace" and "Army of Ghosts" to the so so "Love and Monsters". Here are my marks out of 10:

New Earth: 6 (OK start but had a lot of repitition from series 1 - Cassandra, human zombies)
Tooth and Claw: 7.5 (Great Martial Arts, fast pace, decent plot, Queen Victoria)
School Reunion: 8 (Like the Scasis paridigm, monsters & K9, Mr Finch should be The Master)
Girl in the Fireplace: 9.5 (Loved it, all of it but the clockwork creatures were too stupid)
Rise of the Cybermen: 7 (Cool Cybermen, like the Micky story, a little slow & predictable)
Age of Steel: 8 (Cyber Jackie, Micky's role, but Lumic dying - a shame)
The Idiot's Lantern: 7 (Poltergeist TV, The Wire could have been a Gelf)
The Impossible Planet: 9 (best so far, love The Ood and just how powerful is The Beast)
The Satan Pit: 8.5 (The Devil cannot be killed by a black hole - an idea never dies)
Love and Monsters: 4 (Awful but I liked Peter Kay - but the plot stank and Absorby crap)
Fear Her: 6 (2012 Olympics but so much more could have been done with alive cartoons)
Army of Ghosts: 10 (Cyber madness and The Sphere - as Dr Who should be - well paced)
Doomsday: 9.5 (Very good again but more Daleks, why not Timelords, Davros or The Beast)

Yep only one story should be sent to the void for good. There is one thing to worry about concerning Russell T. Davis style of Direction - too much melodrama and not enough plot. Also, when are we going to have a pure historical story or one that is set entirely on the TARDIS. Alien worlds, more alien worlds please.