Principia Discordia

blog (http://burrrrrns.wordpress.org)
I couldn't decide if i should post this in B&B due to it personal nature or TFYS because of it's content or ????  If mods feel it should be elsewhere then please feel free to move it accordingly, it doesn't matter to me.
I'll be sure to keep these x-posts contained in this thread as to not clog up the board with possibly useless jabber about my breathing patterns or how my muscles twitch in rhythm with Rahzel's vocal chords. 

May 13, 2008

This is my first post to announce that i will be partaking on a sequence of events that will chronicle the experiments of the exercises at the end of the chapters of Robert Anton Wilson’s Prometheus Rising and throughout Christopher S. Hyatt’s Undoing Yourself with Energized Meditation.

Not only will i attempt to give an honest analysis of the experiments but I will also give a short summary of each book’s main points so as to give a background to the nature of the experiments. (maybe).

In the introduction of Hyatt’s book RAW mentions that very few people actually DO the experiments yet claim their lives have been changed by them. I’d like to put that to the test. A couple years ago I’ve read through both of them, saw the exercises, and skipped right over them. Now, if i DO DO the experiments will anything new happen? who knows…but like my wife says when making her beef stew, “I like to throw in a little of this and a little of that and hope for the best.” In the same way a little of this meditation, a little that experiment should at least give me hope for a head trip that is (at the very least) cheaper than drugs. (of course i won’t rule that one out totally ether).

I can talk a big show about this here and we’ll see if i keep going. These books are only two of many i own that have exercises in them. I wouldn’t be surprised if another one popped up every once and awhile for a taste of something different.

but lets not get ahead of myself now.
on to the stew…

Experiment 1

The first experiment works with tensions in the body and their corresponding thoughts associated with them. According to this exercise, pleasant and unpleasant thoughts correspond to various muscles (mainly) in the face, neck and throat. My results of this experiment have shown that my brow furrows with unpleasant thoughts and i clench my jaws with the pleasant ones.

Experiment 2

This is where one lies on the back and notates aloud all of the tensions inside the body. These exercises are to create awareness of tensions all throughout the body. The interesting thing about this one is that i could really feel my face muscles really twitch as if i was lifting a heavy weight.

Method 1

Method 1 uses a series of stretches, muscular contractions, breaths and other movements to destroy one’s tension spots. As a supplement to this stage of the experiments I’ll also be using Dr. Israel Regardie’s (one of Hyatt’s respected mentors) book The Lazy Man’s Guide To Relaxation. After trying this method this morning, I’ve found that my evening was much more peaceful.

I’ll be attempting these experiments and methods for the next couple of weeks for real solid results. If anything significant happens in the meantime I’ll be sure to pop in here and make a note of it. Also I hope to try out some of Wilson’s exercises as well so hopefully they’ll pop in here too.

Summary

Its important to note that Hyatt’s basic premise as stated in the introduction that

Quote“…biology is primary to culture, and that the problems assumed to be caused by biology are a result of biology’s distortion by culture.”

The premise, as i understand it, describes the sense of imprisonment that we automatically place ourselves in because of our willed biological submission to our cultural imposed standards. Our biological drives of territory and survival aren’t a bad thing but need to be expressed in a more natural way outside of dogma laced culture in which we find ourselves. we need to, in a way, reverse our polarities and see how culture is a relative point of view and biology is an absolute point of view instead of the other way around.

 :mittens:

I'm looking forward to this.  I did the Hyatt stuff for a while.  The face stuff was really nice, but the flopping over/straightening up stuff didn't go as well.

I shall be monitoring this thread.

I as well am curious.

It took me a goddamn year to find that quarter, I hope you have better luck with it.  :p

thanks for the support  :)

Quote from: LMNO on May 15, 2008, 03:15:01 PM
I'm looking forward to this.  I did the Hyatt stuff for a while.  The face stuff was really nice, but the flopping over/straightening up stuff didn't go as well.

heh, i peeked at that one (method 3).  i'm wondering about some of these  :| .  a funny part about the face stuff and repeating BA BA BA BA etc...i find myself chuckling to myself becuase of how much a monkey i appear to be.   (although i hardly doubt thats much of an accident).

Quote from: Professor Cramulus on May 15, 2008, 04:19:13 PM
I as well am curious.

It took me a goddamn year to find that quarter, I hope you have better luck with it.  :p

Different experiements ;-)

May 20, 2008

After practicing Method 1 for a week I’ve become very aware of areas where i have tensed up.  I’ve noticed that my shoulders, neck, eyelids (!), temples, lower back and ass cheeks tend to be more predominantly tense than the rest of my body.  Although, there is often a twitching that occurs as i lay down to relax.  Obviously holding up the shoulders and dropping them was my favorite, and the face thing.
The dreams have started again.  Last night i dreamed of the grim reaper. it wasn’t a scary dream just strange.  we kind of had respect for each other.  the previous night i dreamed i was with prisoners and proud of them for some reason or other. it was as if they did something that touched my heart…woke up teary.  again, strange.  i remember when i was little and used to dream of normal things like muppets and shit.

Method 2

1. Deep breaths while lying on the back. Become aware of the muscles used.

2. Stand up.  At the count of 3 drop at the waist using only the force of gravity.  Then exhale rapidly while dropping. repeat 10-20 times.

3. pull the knees up to the chest.  Then kick them out fast, dropping on to a pillow. proceed until tired, repeat. try holding the legs extended before they fall.  (uses isometric contractions i guess?)

4. Inhale … SCREAM!  (this was great, btw).

5. lie on the back and observe…then meditate.

Summary:

I really enjoy this one.  The dropping was very freeing.  and to end it with screaming…i felt like a hundred dollars.

These methods are meant to be continuations of each other.  My plan is to be altering days with each one.  I’ll begin method 3 next week.


So far, my take on it is this: as we go  about our lives i think the natural tendency is to get caught up in routines (unless of course you’re wealthy and can fuck all with jobs and children and spouse).  as our daily habits occur more frequently so do our muscles and minds.  This really seems to be the heart of the UNDOING part of these methods.  breaking routines…and then breaking conditionings and then….???

Quote from: Professor Cramulus on May 15, 2008, 04:19:13 PM
I as well am curious.

It took me a goddamn year to find that quarter, I hope you have better luck with it.  :p

I found about 3 dollars in quarters when I tried it.

You must have been doing it wrong.

Quote from: burnstoupee on May 20, 2008, 09:43:52 AM

So far, my take on it is this: as we go  about our lives i think the natural tendency is to get caught up in routines (unless of course you're wealthy and can fuck all with jobs and children and spouse).  as our daily habits occur more frequently so do our muscles and minds.  This really seems to be the heart of the UNDOING part of these methods.  breaking routines...and then breaking conditionings and then....???

And then your true buddha nature will be poomped into consciousness.

Routines are a red herring, I think. It seems to me Hyatt's referring to something more specific and more ineffable. Though I also disagree with Hyatt's premise of this neat little division between biology and culture. But, I haven't read any of his books so you might want to take that with a grain of salt.

More to the point, I'm enjoying your silly exercise romp.

In fact, I'm going to try method 2 when I wake up tomorrow. It seemed promising even before you mentioned how it affected your day.

Looking forward to moar brainspearmints to bastardize and co-opt.

:)

for what it's worth, i noticed my fish tank was low on water one day and instead of the usual "fill a pitcher with water, dump in fish tank" method,  i used a shot glass and made several hundred trips.  it was interesting the different ways your (my?) psychology reacted to this, it's hard to describe them all, but at one point i was laughing out loud at the absurdity of it.

i highly recommend attempting some normal, everyday tasks in as mundane a manner possible.  that is, if you're into that sort of thing.

also, can someone please explain the quarter?

Chapter 1 of either Prometheus Rising or Quantum Psychology.

"What the Thinker Thinks, the Prover Proves."  Basically, convince yourself beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Universe is leaving quarters on the sidewalk for you to find.  You will eventually find more quarters than you ever have before.

correct and then you attempt the quarter experminet from the POV of 2 separate reality tunnels.  one is where you "believe" that  you found it via selective attention, and the other is where you "believe" you made the quarter "manifest in this universe." then you compare the 'selective attention' method with the 'mystical method'.

sort of the opposite of "there is no spoon" i take it?

Um... No.

Quote from: Netaungrot on May 22, 2008, 08:06:17 AM

Quote from: Professor Cramulus on May 15, 2008, 04:19:13 PM
I as well am curious.

It took me a goddamn year to find that quarter, I hope you have better luck with it.  :p

I found about 3 dollars in quarters when I tried it.

You must have been doing it wrong.

I did it with 5€ bills and it worked but only with one belief system. While trying to believe in chance I would find leaflets with bills printed on them. Providence and omnipotence did not work at all.

Quote from: Dido on May 25, 2008, 08:43:05 PM

Quote from: Netaungrot on May 22, 2008, 08:06:17 AM

Quote from: Professor Cramulus on May 15, 2008, 04:19:13 PM
I as well am curious.

It took me a goddamn year to find that quarter, I hope you have better luck with it.  :p

I found about 3 dollars in quarters when I tried it.

You must have been doing it wrong.

I did it with 5€ bills and it worked but only with one belief system. While trying to believe in chance I would find leaflets with bills printed on them. Providence and omnipotence did not work at all.

I found a few with the "selective thinking" frame of mind and then found a few more with the "universe obeys my mahadgicks" frame, but found the most when I fused the two together:

The "universe obeying my mahadgicks" is a matter of me using selective thinking in places where it's most likely for me to find them.

Quote from: Netaungrot on May 26, 2008, 02:08:51 AM
The "universe obeying my mahadgicks" is a matter of me using selective thinking in places where it's most likely for me to find them.

Tried that too. Nada. My belief system apparently does not like to be tampered with.

Quote from: Dido on May 26, 2008, 05:52:05 PM

Quote from: Netaungrot on May 26, 2008, 02:08:51 AM
The "universe obeying my mahadgicks" is a matter of me using selective thinking in places where it's most likely for me to find them.

Tried that too. Nada. My belief system apparently does not like to be tampered with.

Well, I already had loosened mine up quite a bit with all sorts of imprudent maneuvers.

You don't hail from a very small town, do you?

Quote from: Netaungrot on May 26, 2008, 07:30:26 PM

Quote from: Dido on May 26, 2008, 05:52:05 PM

Quote from: Netaungrot on May 26, 2008, 02:08:51 AM
The "universe obeying my mahadgicks" is a matter of me using selective thinking in places where it's most likely for me to find them.

Tried that too. Nada. My belief system apparently does not like to be tampered with.

Well, I already had loosened mine up quite a bit with all sorts of imprudent maneuvers.

You don't hail from a very small town, do you?

(http://www.theodora.com/wfb/photos/greece/acropolis_athens_greece_ert.jpg)

Yes. All Greeks are animists.

Quote from: burnstoupee on May 20, 2008, 09:43:52 AM
May 20, 2008

After practicing Method 1 for a week I've become very aware of areas where i have tensed up.  I've noticed that my shoulders, neck, eyelids (!), temples, lower back and ass cheeks tend to be more predominantly tense than the rest of my body.  Although, there is often a twitching that occurs as i lay down to relax.  Obviously holding up the shoulders and dropping them was my favorite, and the face thing.
The dreams have started again.  Last night i dreamed of the grim reaper. it wasn't a scary dream just strange.  we kind of had respect for each other.  the previous night i dreamed i was with prisoners and proud of them for some reason or other. it was as if they did something that touched my heart...woke up teary.  again, strange.  i remember when i was little and used to dream of normal things like muppets and shit.

I started dreaming about my death too when I started practicing Hyatt's Methods. At the beginning it was not frightening, more like: so this is how it is. It changed then to: finally it is happening, and I also became a lot less distracted (while awake, but I was extremely distracted to start with). I took both as indications that I was not doing it totally wrong.

I have always had an extremely talkative subconscious, but these dreams felt as if they had been designed by a different section.

DOGMA is AMGOD Backwards.
A great deal of the book discusses dogma and how it influences the individual into choosing arbitrary moral viewpoints resulting in useless and painful emotional dispositions. Hyatt shows how deeply rooted these ideas pushed by "dogma dealers" such as: parents, religion, monotheism, lawyers, friends, media...etc. actually reach. The three exercises are designed to rid the body/mind tension that accumulates by subscribing to these pointless and often dangerous concepts so that quieting the mind becomes easier. A quiet mind is an essential step toward changing oneself.

Superego Shenanigans
Taking an objective look at the conscience uncovers those creepy, ugly, evil aversions that lie opposite our moral stances. If we really go into them honestly it's possible to see how our real motivations are often arbitrary belief structures chucked at us by the afore mentioned 'dealers'.

   

Quote"The word Evil functions in such a way as to allow one group to justify its own atrocities and make them noble. By dealing with such a powerful metaphysical abstraction (one which is psychologically associated with pain, fear, trembling and survival), it's an easy step to the performance of an act such as "execution," with the sense of moral righteousness and vindication. It is not a man being executed, it is Evil."

Later in the book an article by one Jack Willis, MFT, D.C. (who?) adds 14 additional exercises (the 'other devices') that work to put the individual into situations that create a disruption to the superego. Activities like eating food for which you don't particularly like, being polite if you're a rude person and being rude if you're a polite person, .. .shit sculpture (I'm sure the wife would throw me out for that one)... place the person into a state of shame, guilt, fear (perhaps?), and anxiety. Working through these emotions help to rid one of the moral/immoral duality that seems to create internal conflict.

Do What Thou Wilt...
The amoral attitude intrigues me. There is a sense of personal freedom there that i can't seem to put into words. However, i see that there's room for great error too. Without a strong Will, one could become so seduced by one's thoughts and drives that one might end up in very uncomfortable circumstances.

But that's the Art, it seems. Will and Desire working together.

It seems to be about stepping away from those secure and comfortable places to which we're so accustom. If life itself is insecure, unknowable, the ultimate Black Swan, then why are we wasting time looking for that cozy, warm corner of comfort instead of venturing out into that cold uncomfortable chaos?

Bump.  How's the experiments going?

not bad -- i have an overall conclusion in mind as well as an idea about the 3rd exercise..i've just been too lazy to get it down. 

overall, however, i think they might tend to focus more on Prometheus Rising in the future moreso than EM.   i will get this down soon, though, it keeps nagging at me in the back of my mind. :)

Technique
The third meditation begins by having you stand and all of a sudden drop without forcing it, breath for 5 counts and repeat. then more facial distortion for reducing tension as well as stretching the head back. vomit if necessary. the next phase involves a little emotion manipulation. You start by thinking about your troubles while repeating a phrase like "what's going to happen to me?" or something similar. then after about five minutes think of something happy and wonderful while repeating a phrase that corresponds to that feeling of happy. repeat. next alternate between laughter and crying for about five minutes. last, roll up into a ball and tense every muscle in the body and hold for 3 minutes and then let go of the tensions while shouting in relief. meditate.

Commentary
I really thought the emotional aspect of the technique was pretty cool. The whole process seems to make "real life" worries seem trivial. (which the ARE of course.) The dropping is a little unpleasant but the tensing into a ball is so incredibly relaxing i often feel like just laying there and sinking into the ground.

Overall
I think the major part of these practices are to help the individual become more in touch with the living sensation of the body without necessarily trying to feel it. Some of the more physical exercises create certain involuntary reactions...twitches, vomits, burps, farts...etc. which familiarizes the practitioner with his own bodily functions. There is often a stigma attached to these reactions most particularly with vomit. Most folks i know HATE vomiting and may even be somewhat afraid of it. Although the more it's done the more it becomes less stigmatized and, in fact, more easily controlled. This is the point. The whirling dervishes, for instance, must have the most amazing control over their reactions from that constant spinning. An act such as that must heighten sensation to such a degree i can't even imagine. It all seems like a wacky Hatha Yoga.

There is something to say about this, though. During the meditation phase i progressively noticed a better ability to allow presence and thoughtless to arise. Thoughts don't seem so prevalent afterwards and i have to attribute it to the enhanced bodily sensation. There seems to be more emphasis on feeling rather than thinking--a non-dogmatic mental state.

Also, these sort of exercises, for me, illustrate the idea that what i do and what happens to me are really one process. Breathing being the obvious one since it's a process that happens of itself but also can be controlled. But involuntary functions such as heartbeat, blood circulation, growth all seem to feel like they're all part of one process in the same way that breathing is only on a more subtle level. I really don't know how to describe it better than using a word 'sensation' but there it is.

I think I'll keep up with the practice but i feel like i need to make certain adjustments to suit me better: some of the same and some different movements. perhaps I'll try whirling..(yeah right)..  I would expect the rest of the posts to pertain mostly to the Prometheus Rising exercises now that i can focus on them.