[PookztA]

I just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone that has…

…shared in a conversation with me,
…listened to any of the music I've ever played,
…danced near me,
…supported Mindoutpsyde,
…contributed to any Midwest Psytrance event,
…introduced anyone new to Psytrance,
…hugged another person for no reason,
…read this post…

Seriously guys and gals, I fucking LOVE each and everyone of you. If you don't believe me, or are wondering where this is coming from, just keep on reading…

Never in my life had I realized how lucky I truly am until recently (within the last 3 years), and it just keeps on growing. The following testimony is the product of yet another re-realization of just how fortunate I am.

I stumbled upon Psytrance thanks to my good friend Jeff-Z. My first large music event was MAGE2 (Midwest Annual Goa Experience), the one Psytrance party in Iowa that entire year. I thought I was going to a rave… I had never been to a concert, I had never been to a club, I had never even been to any large music event for that matter. Needless to say, the experience was so powerful that I continued attending various electronic music events with hopes of obtaining a similar experience to that of MAGE2, but it never  happened. This went on until, JeffZ brought me to my second Psytrance event, which happened to be an outdoor one, called Secret Fire 1 in Illinois. The experience was spiritual to say the least. After the event, and after learning more about Psytrance, and how rare the events were, I honestly thought it was impossible for my life to get any better. Then I began to to meet and learn about people within the Psytrance community.

Why do I get to listen to such significant music? I just wanted to experience a rave, so why was my first large music event one of the rarest electronic music events imaginable in Iowa and the greater Midwest at the time? Could it have merely been a coincidence? Why did I deserve to discover Psytrance in this way? Why do I deserve to be part of such an awesome movement? Why do I deserve to know so many outstanding, genuine, and intelligent, people?

As if things could get any better… then we Psyowans decided to try to spread the trance-dance experience and the Psytrance community farther by harnessing our inspiration from the events of the Audiognomes and Chilluminati, to create Mindoutpsyde: A Non-Profit Organization. Needless to say, the events we have done have been ridiculously successful thanks to the support of people like you.

Why am I so lucky as to have helped create such an organization? Why am I so lucky as to have the opportunity to improve the quality of life for others with these multi-cultural music and art events? Why am I so lucky as to be blessed with all of the help and support of so many great people?

As if things could get any better… then I met the girl of my dreams, who happens to be everything I have always wanted in a girl, and is without a doubt the best friend I will ever have. Believe it or not, she left her identical twin sister and the rest of her family behind when she moved from Fort Dodge, IA (3 hours from Iowa City) to Cedar Rapids, IA (30 minutes from Iowa City), on her own, in an attempt to get to know me better, as we had encountered each other briefly at a few previous electronic music parties… What makes this even more significant, is the grudge which I was holding against the female gender at the time, due to past relationship problems. Due to my lack of respect towards females, I treated Jessica like shit for the first 6 months that we dated. I treated her like a sex object, like a play thing or toy… I remember refusing to let her play even ONE SINGLE SONG (vocal house music) in my “Psytrance-only” house for our first several months together, which is just one example of how selfish and out-of-line I was. (Needless to say, she has helped me to evolve much since then, and in turn I have also evolved a great appreciation for all forms of music, especially other genres of electronic music, which provide equally powerful, life-changing experiences to those people with slightly different music preferences.)

Why am I so lucky as to have been pursued by such a beautiful, strong, and persistent girl, that put up with my shit for so long, after moving 3 hours away from her hometown, family, and friends just to try and get to know me?! Why am I so fuckin' lucky?!

As if things could get any better… but now, NEW people are stepping up and throwing quality Psytrance events! Recently our Iowa friend Blake Hansen (Banjankri) organized a mega-psytrance-house party called Festivus. It was a huge success, and tons of new people were turned on to not only Psytrance, but to Iowa's amazing electronic music scene as well! Another perfect example of this is Tyler Book's (ZeroSix) efforts with Trance Psyndicate, Eo Sumnium, and the Chilluminati. This man came out of nowhere, and has been consistently providing the Midwest with mind-numbing Psytrance events for quite some time now! Some of the most powerful trance-dancing experiences I have had have been at events he as either hosted directly, or played a major role in. Furthermore, Kevin O'Donnell (Ascension) is now stepping up to the plate! This man is an engineer folks, and he is using his intelligence and financial stability to put together his first Psytrance event ever.. and it looks to be more-than-promising to say the least! And let's not forget HardkoreNate… HKN just unleashed the biggest Psytrance party that the Midwest has ever witnessed! There had to be well over 600 people there, if not closer to 1000. HKN, you fucking ROCK! New folks, stepping up, providing our tribe with regular opportunities to gather, dance, socialize, exchange ideas, and enjoy life. This is what it's all about.

To be totally honest, I have tears welling up behind my eyes as I am writing this portion of my testimony, and I haven't felt like this in a long time.  I am so blessed, so fortunate, so god damn lucky to be part of what we are all an integral part of… my life would not be the same had I not met each and everyone of you, and I promise you that I will remember you forever.

I am sorry if I have ever come off as close-minded or cocky, or if I accidentally interrupted ANY of you during a conversation, or hurt ANY of you in ANY way, to ANY degree, as it was surely not my intention to disrespect you. This community is my life. You folks are some of the best friends that I will ever have, and ever need… (…and now the tears have actually come…). I haven't shed a tear in a long time, but to be honest, it feels good. Simply knowing that we all have a such a bright future together is the most reassuring and motivating fact that I have encountered since I grew the balls to finally tell my Mom that I love her and appreciate all of her efforts in raising me. (My tears lasted only a few minutes, ceasing during the grammatical editing of this testimony.)

I LOVE YOU ALL, THANK YOU FOR BEING YOU, AND THANK YOU FOR HELPING US (Mindoutpsyde) IN OUR ON-GOING ATTEMPT TO INCREASE THE QUALITY OF LIVES OF OTHERS THROUGH THE TRANCE-DANCE EXPERIENCE!

Amen for Neotribal Music Gatherings, and Amen for the Global Tribe.

BOOM!

P.S. – Yet one more reason I am so lucky to be in the Midwest is because of the extremely high number of ridiculously talented DJs that are present here. I have been to other Psytrance scenes, and I have heard their DJs spin, and it never ceases to amaze me how each and everyone of you DJs is so passionate about your music, always improving, and always perfecting. The DJs of the Midwest are headliners, without a doubt, it just so happens that Psytrance got big on the coasts before it did here, which is why we may sometimes not be taken as seriously as we deserve. Here is proof of the genuine nature of my statement: I have thousands and thousands of Psytrance tracks on my computer, but what did I choose to listen to for inspiration during this testimony? -A local Midwest DJ's mix… more specifically, Machi's new mix – Liquid Present (which is a great reason for all of you to visit the Music section of the forum), as I was in need of some inspiring melodies.  Just one more example of why I am so lucky… 😉

[Eklypz]

That is awesome and beautiful that you can feel so much gratitude. You have grown up so much since we met, been fantastic watching your transformation. I love you too and everyone has grown up so much. I remember so many of you just beginning to come to trance events been great to see you step into yourselves. Much love to all.

[PookztA]

much love back at ya Jeff, thanks for reading 🙂

[cosmicvibrations]

this was a really beautiful post… we love you too! I have plenty of thoughts on this but no time to type them out right now, for now I'll leave it at that.

:-*

[sot]

…. good one Abe.

This quote is from “Tom's Twelve Laws of Life” …
Abe, you seem to be on your way to making yours. 🙂

11.  YOU CAN CREATE PARADISE ON EARTH.  MANY PEOPLE DO.

….

Spend some time in solitude each day renewing your peace of mind.  Invest in good memories by managing your behavior so that you enjoy looking back on your life.

You create your Heaven by small acts of generosity to others, making them smile and feel better.

You create it by little acts of courage – doing the right thing when no one but you will ever know you did it.

By making promises to yourself and keeping them, which builds your self-respect.  You create it by telling the truth even if it’s inconvenient or embarrassing. It makes you careful about what you do, or what you commit to doing. And that brings credibility and trust. And most important, you will know you’re liked for who you are instead of for some lie you’re living.

You’re in Heaven’s neighborhood when you notice the amazing number of things in life there are to be grateful for, especially as your gratitude becomes a constant part of your being.

Humans are the most flexible beings on this planet, and you build Heaven by stretching sometimes to try something new or a little scary.

Your reward is learning that you are more than you thought.

And you can always stretch more.

As you become older your personal Heaven becomes a bigger influence on those around you. Your life will expand faster than your physical abilities contract.  You will laugh a lot more than most people, and enjoy more contentment and peace than you ever thought possible. And it just keeps getting better and better.  If you choose to follow this path, you’ll be in Paradise long before you leave this life.

[Nameless One]

I don't know you but that is such a great post!!

[damon]

This quote is from “Tom's Twelve Laws of Life” …

11.   YOU CAN CREATE PARADISE ON EARTH.  MANY PEOPLE DO.

….

Spend some time in solitude each day renewing your peace of mind.  Invest in good memories by managing your behavior so that you enjoy looking back on your life.

You create your Heaven by small acts of generosity to others, making them smile and feel better.

You create it by little acts of courage – doing the right thing when no one but you will ever know you did it.

By making promises to yourself and keeping them, which builds your self-respect.  You create it by telling the truth even if it’s inconvenient or embarrassing. It makes you careful about what you do, or what you commit to doing. And that brings credibility and trust. And most important, you will know you’re liked for who you are instead of for some lie you’re living.

You’re in Heaven’s neighborhood when you notice the amazing number of things in life there are to be grateful for, especially as your gratitude becomes a constant part of your being.

Humans are the most flexible beings on this planet, and you build Heaven by stretching sometimes to try something new or a little scary.

Your reward is learning that you are more than you thought.

And you can always stretch more.

As you become older your personal Heaven becomes a bigger influence on those around you. Your life will expand faster than your physical abilities contract.  You will laugh a lot more than most people, and enjoy more contentment and peace than you ever thought possible. And it just keeps getting better and better.  If you choose to follow this path, you’ll be in Paradise long before you leave this life.

Hmm sounds familiar ….  8) ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[Blaize224]

😀 😀 😀 😀

Abe, thank you!

I too feel very fortunate to be a part of this beautiful, growing community. My heart and soul thrive on the support, love, and experiences I gain through participating and being a part of Midwest psy culture. Through this community I have found inspiration to discover my artistic abilities, the opportunity to learn and grow with beautiful people, and the safety to open myself to a whole new dimension.

I strongly believe that each of us creates our own reality through the actions and decisions we make. So each of us has to chance to create and build happiness in our lives, if we choose to actively pursue this. The first step is determining what happiness means to you and how you plan to create it. Working towards your goals will then help you to build a positive reality for yourself.

What truly amazes me is that I see this pattern taking on a whole new meaning within the community. While individuals have their personal goals, most people I encounter and work with at these events seem to share the root goal of increasing positivity within their lives. The effect being a gathering in which, at least for me, reality seems engorged with possibility and strength.

My own personal reality has been fed by this positivity and I carry this with me always. The bond Derek and I share has grown through our being a part of this community. I find so much happiness here I yearn to find ways to give back and share what I have gained and learned from these beautiful experiences.

Our community gives me new perspective and insight. It gives me something to look forward to and to work towards . . . the chance to submerse myself completely into our psychedelic universe and bathe in the positivity of others.

Thank you everyone ~ what would my life be without you??

[Pauldo]

Love ya brother Abe.  We are the lucky ones to have you in our psy family.

[Ascension]

Very heart warming post Abe. It's been a pleasure to know you these years and I know our bond will only grow stronger with time! Thank you so much for introducing me to psytrance, it has helped me connect with so many awesome people!

[Energon]

Awwwww

[Veck93]

Great post, wonderful attitude, the world needs more of that. We each need more of that in our own lives too, a good reminder, thanks.
“Enjoy every sandwich”

[PookztA]

wow so many awesome replies! the testimony came out during the culmination of finals studying… the night before my last 2 tests, all the stress just kinda built up and came out in this way. thanks for reading it and thanks for all the comments guys! 😀

[Author]

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