Thoughts I've thunk while sippin' at a cup of tea and reading something provoking, often get dropped here for the benefit of humanity and my own hubris.
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We spend our lives enjoying one psychological attack after another. One of the more disturbing is the fact that reality just isn’t real. Every now and then the fabric of reality ripples with an unfelt breeze.
But we can’t prove it. Reality is nothing more than a nagging doubt. In a way, it would be nice if the fabric would just rip, so that we can say, “Ah ha!” and deal with that fact. But at least for me, I’m no Neo, and reality does a pretty good job of maintaining its perception of completeness— of realness. But let’s get back to this idea of rippling it…
The other day, while standing in line at my grocery store, I was thumbing through a copy of the January 2004 issue of Shambhala Sun, and read the article entitled, Astonish Yourself by philosopher Roger Pol-Droit who came up with a series of exercises designed to ripple reality.
I just loved them, and want to start playing with them… and I want to extend them. And this is where you, gentle reader, come in. After looking over the list, help me come up with other exercises.
These experiments really don’t shatter reality, but shakes your perception— essentially nothing but mental games to play on yourself. Here is some of the experiments on his list:
- Repeat a word about a common object, like a button, until the meaning of the word disappears and the button become more real now that it isn’t clouded behind our labels.
- Drink a glass of water while urinating to basically remove your guts.
- Try on new, odd or interesting combinations of clothes just to change your perspective and routine.
- Count to thousand.
- Dream vividly of other places.
- Practice make believe.
- Pretend that the world will only last for 20 minutes… and be astonished when it doesn’t.
One of my favorite experiments of his is running through a graveyard… you know, stretching our comfort zone of “respect for the dead” by that whole flaunting the fact that you can move in the decomposing faces of the unmoving. Logically, you know there isn’t anything wrong, but it doesn’t feel right before you do it.
Now if I can just find a graveyard…
© 2004-2005, Howard Abrams • Except where otherwise noted, all original content is licensed under a Creative Commons License (see details).
Hmm… I definitely recommend sitting down for the “Drinking while urinating” experiment.
Comment posted on Wednesday, 7 January 2004Ah yes, reality. Hmmmm…… Personally, I prefer drinking a beer while urinating vs. water. Alcohol more quickly accomplishes, versus water, the intention of the exercise through both its diuretic and sensory altering qualities.
Costanada (sp) readings would be great reality shakers for most, living them really brings it all to life. The jist is really that all of reality is in your control. To ripple it simply means to look outside oneself and while there to look back in from a distance or different perspective. We all get far to caught up in our pursuit of self most days to even think about what reality “really is”. That is the joy of life. We have, in some way, chosen our current manifestation. We all also hold the power to ripple it everyday. Other days it is rippled for us. HA! I must laugh at this topic (I don’t know if this goes to your site or not so I tread lightly). I have thought, like Pol-Droit, about this many times; first in very non-mom&pop approved ingestions (see Costanada) and then restrospectively looked upon the unshrouded, unbiased broken mirrors upon the floor along with their empty but intriguing frames left behind. Comparing them to the works in construction is a mind bender. The reality is indelible but the introspecition immense. I think that Blake may have said it best “If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite.” Ours is but a stop on the continuum of reality.
I am still caught upon and laughing at the “ripple” because I love the reference. My wife, at my urging, agreed to choose the Grateful Dead’s “Ripple” as our wedding song. Why? It’s repose speaks so well of our perception of life, of which marriage is such a big part. The repose says,
“Ripple in still water When there is no pebble tossed Nor wind to blow
Reach out your hand if your cup be empty If your cup is full may it be again Let it be known there is a fountain That was not made by the hands of men”
Although GD’s philosophy is considered shallow by most, the reality is eloquently stated here. It won’t be “rippled” unless you toss the pebble or create the wind. Alas, we can all help each other in the quest by “reaching out to fill the cup” (that is what I consider your web site to be - the cup). The fountain trully is that of life and is ours only to drink from. Ours is an interesting plight of reality. We can see more when we choose to or we can simply cuddle up next to the fire of our own making and get comfortable. No ripples. I like stormy seas!
Reality is what we want it to be visa-vie our controlling the controllables of our destiny. It is warm and soothing and we don’t seek to change it. However, be careful if the flue becomes clogged with soot….
Comment posted on Wednesday, 7 January 2004I just read the Shambhala Sun article today. Thanks for writing about it, I’d had my eye on the January issue for several weeks and had come close to buying it several times, but after reading your post, went out and got it Friday. I can’t wait to try a few of these experiments, they’re refreshing … so creative and original. Haven’t come across any ideas like this before. I’m going to link to your post on my blog later this evening, can’t use trackback, so I’ll just let you know this way. I’ve been trying to come up with other ideas for you, so here goes. Here are the four I’ve come up with so far:
Pretend you’ve decided to live in a one room, simply furnished, cabin for three months, to get away from it all. Everything in your house that wouldn’t be in your cabin no longer exists. Don’t use the television, your shelves of books, the food processor. Even if you’re at work or out with friends, act as if you’ll be going home to your one room cabin.
Go to the grocery store and choose only foods of one color (red or green might work best). Find as many different foods as you can, imagine the other foods aren’t there. Then for one day eat just those foods you’ve bought, for every meal.
Walk somewhere you’re very familiar with, but imagine that you are lost.
Or, alternately, go to an unfamiliar town or neighborhood and start walking. Don’t bring a map. Try to get lost.
Good ideas, Anita. And for those of us just joining us, you might want to check out Anita’s further comments on this article.
Comment posted on Saturday, 10 January 2004| Excerpt: | In a moment of synchronicity, after I wrote on Thursday about the need for imagination in guided imagery, I went over to Howard Abrams' site and read his January 5th post about Astonish Yourself, a Shambhala Sun article that is overflowing with imagi... |
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| Weblog: | Chantlady |
| Tracked: | February 20, 2004 06:22 PM |
| Excerpt: | Random thoughts that spilled after trying one of Roger-Pol Droit's philosophical experiments. |
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| Tracked: | March 8, 2004 11:29 PM |
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