[Skroller]

INTRODUCTION

The transmutation of awareness is here. The new alchemy is welcoming you to explore its possibilities. You don't need any occult training or even faith in a deity. This is not an apocalyptic crash course, or a pretext for the Geula. There are no mentions of aliens or 2012. This is a simple invitation to accept what we have become.

THE NEW ALCHEMY

Transmutation is the key word characterizing alchemy, and it may be understood in several ways: in the changes that are called chemical, in physiological changes such as passing from sickness to health, in a hoped-for transformation from old age to youth, or even in passing from an earthly to a supernatural existence. During medieval and Renaissance times, alchemy spread through the Western world, and was further developed by Kabbalists, Rosicrucians, astrologers and other occultists. It functioned on two levels: mundane and spiritual. On a mundane level, alchemists sought to find a physical process to convert base metals such as lead into gold. On a spiritual level, alchemists worked to purify themselves by eliminating the “base” material of the self and achieving the 'gold' of enlightenment.3

The new alchemy is a transmutation of wavelengths: sound, light, thought, matter. Whereas ancient alchemists transmuted cheap elements into gold or silver, searched for an aqua vitae or Philosopher's Stone as a catalyst to cure every disease and malady, we now seek a new consciousness to free ourselves from the mass media controlled vision of the universe. We do this by combining the aesthetic of ancient hermetic traditions with other transcendant rituals: music and dance.

Pagan festivals use music, specifically drumming, entheogens and mantras in their rituals to conjure Alpha state brain functioning. This is the state your mind is in when in deep meditation or hypnosis, and the unconscious mind is at its peak productivity.2 These civilizations use the trance dance to have out of body experiences and vision quests, to see the future and commune with the gods. Now, in the new millennium, these ancient traditions have survived all history to remind us of our divinity. One example of this ancient tradition is found in the modern underground dance movement. From raves, to Burning Man, and other festivals, these rituals are summoning realities beyond our own current state.

MOVEMENT

Early uses of dance may have been as a precursor to ecstatic trance states in healing rituals. Dance is still used for this purpose by cultures from the Brazilian rainforest to the Kalahari Desert. The devil dances of Sri Lanka or “yakun natima” are a carefully crafted ritual with a history reaching far back into Sri Lanka's pre-Buddhist past. It combines ancient “Ayurvedic” concepts of disease causation with psychological manipulation.

From a Hindu point of view, the whole Universe is being brought into existence as the manifestation of the dance of the Supreme Dancer, Nataraja. In the Hindu scriptures, every god has his or her own style (lasya and tandava respectively represent two aspects of dance) we read about 23 celestial beings called Apsarases who dance to please the gods and express the supreme truths in the magic of movement.4

The Kung people of the Kalahari desert are a hunter gatherer group whose culture goes back at least as far as the Pleistocene period. They have been known throughout time for their healing ritual, the trance dance. Num is the basis of the healing dance. Though the word num has been translated

by others as “medicine,” I believe that translation is too limited. Certainly one of the things num is is medicine. But its meaning seems far broader, more profound. A clearer translation is “energy.” During the dance the rhythmic singing and clapping of the singers along with the rhythmic dance, the small steps and more energetic stomps of the dancers brings on the onset of num. It begins in the pit of the stomach and as the singing, clapping and dancing intensifies the num begins to heat up. Eventually the num begins to boil and evaporate rising up the spine and allowing the healer to reach a state of kia, or, an altered state.6 It is during this state when healers do a laying on of hands to administer the num and harness its healing properties.

Today the movement of bodies and sounds of the drum beat resonate throughout warehouse walls, nightclubs, and dirty basements. Over time, the ancient tribal drum sound has grown larger, with sound systems pushing a million watts of energy to millions of people across the globe. The dancers move to the rhythms, their bodies undulating in orgiastic ecstasy. The sound of the bass drum, boom boom boom boom. It repeats and permeates your senses, as a mantra that lulls your conscious mind to rest.

Dance raises energy, as such, music and chanting, prayer and ritualistic movement all have purpose in the dance. This energy is raised with a purpose, it is guided through the higher level of consciousness to activate realms of thought and energy not apparent in today's consumable culture. The dance is a therapeutic gateway to your own mind. Arm movements and gesturing are used as a form of communication, and to manipulate energy. Humans are not the only creatures to communicate through dance. Much of the animal kingdom uses dance as a form of expression, communication, and during mating rituals.

ENERGY

Light shows, lasers, and video displays are all used in combination with sound to overstimulate the brain. The environments of sensory overload are used as a catalyst to open the channels of consciousness.

If external stimulus is applied to the brain, it becomes possible to entrain the brain frequency from one stage to another. For example, if a person is in beta stage (highly alert)2 and a stimulus of 10Hz is applied to his/her brain for some time, the brain frequency is likely to change towards the applied stimulus. The effect will be relaxing to the person. This phenomenon is also called frequency following response.

The easiest way of applying stimulus to the brain is via ears. Other senses could be used as well, and vision is actually used quite often (often in addition to hearing). However, humans cannot hear sounds low enough to be useful for brain stimulation, so special techniques must be used. One such special technique used is called binaural beats.

If the left ear is presented with a steady tone of 500Hz and the right ear a steady tone of 510Hz, these two tones combine in the brain. The difference, 10Hz, is perceived by the brain and is a very effective stimulus for brainwave entrainment. This 10Hz is formed entirely by the brain. The frequency difference, when perceived by brain this way, is called a binaural beat.1

The prevalence of the DJ in dance culture has introduced other forms of morden alchemical practices to the dancefloor. The DJ starts with one record of varying tones, rhythms and frequencies, and mixes the sounds together with another record. This is an application of binaural beats and basic alchemy. Rather than turning lead to gold, the DJ utilizes the mix to transmute music into dancefloor energy, which fuels the trance dance. The sound is poured out via the speakers and the dancers move accordingly. The DJ watches and responds to the fluctuations in energy on the dancefloor. The art of mixing records keeps the music flowing, uninterrupted, futhering the heights of the energy.

These methods, in conjunction with visual stimuli, are used to enhance the trance dance and entrain the brain into states of ecstasy. It is clear now that, through manipulation of our brain waves, using sound and light waves with dance, we are able to create our own awareness.

ENTHEOGENS

“Nomenclature has been a problem.… The word “psychedelic” is etymologically innocuous, literally meaning “mind-manifesting,” but it is dated, tagged to “the psychedelic sixties” when recreational use of drugs took over, and thus clearly inappropriate when speaking of shamans, Eleusis, and the Native American Church. We need a word that designates virtually nonaddictive mind-altering substances that are approached seriously and reverently, and the word “entheogens” does just that.”5 -Houston Smith

The shamanic tradition has undoubtedly existed far longer than such religions as Christianity, Judaism, or Islam. Shamans across the globe have been using entheogens in their rituals for over a millennium to gain access to the spirit world. The word entheogen is derived from two ancient Greek words, entheos and genesthai. Entheos literally means “in God”, or can be more loosely translated as “inspired”. It was a term that the Greeks used to describe poets and other artists. Genesthai means “to cause to be”. Therefore, “an entheogen is that which causes a person to be in God.”

The Incas in Peru used ayahuasca, the Aztecs in Mexico had magic mushrooms, and the Hippies in the USA had LSD. Hindus have soma, Rastafaris have marijuana, and Ravers have ecstacy. In fact, there are not many cultures in the world that cannot be associated with some form of ritual involving the use of entheogens. Traditional forms of shamanic rituals have become less prevalent today due to the extinction or elimination of most of the cultures that practiced them, but similar rituals have emerged and continued the Shamanic tradition in today's society.
Traditional Shamans used entheogens combined with song, drumming, or dancing in order to help them enter into trance states. They believed that through these rituals, they were able to communicate directly with the spirit world. People are still performing Shamanic rituals such as dancing and sweat-lodging when they go to raves or live concerts. Much like traditional Shamanic rituals, raves can last for hours on end and push the body to its outer limits. It is during these peak-experiences that one is more likely to go into a trance state. The music played at raves is even called trance music. Rave music is also very drum-heavy, much like traditional Shamanic rituals.7

An entheogen alters the users' state of awareness, allowing him or her to perceive their world in new and different ways. The most common feeling associated with these altered states of consciousness is a profound feeling of sacredness; a connection from one's spirit to the universe or in other words, a spiritual union with God.

As we all know, our society is run by the all-powerful corporation. Consumerism is the method of control that keeps people sedated, suggestible, and highly profitable. Our capitalist society allows and promotes the usage of drugs such as caffeine, nicotine and alcohol. These are all drugs that keep people vulnerable and addicted. When it comes to drugs that expand our consciousness or empower us however, society tries its hardest to prevent us from gaining access to them. Obviously, this is because it is harder for institutions to control what people will do or think when their minds are free from the systems of control. Our society's refusal to recognize the beneficial nature of entheogens can be compared to 17th century theologians refusing to look through Galileo's telescope.

CONCLUSION

Humans are now realizing that the synchronistic occurrences in our daily lives are becoming more than coincidence. We see the future in our deja vu, and we greet each other in our dreams. Psychedelic culture has awakened enough souls to their cosmic awareness to multiply the effect of their wisdom exponentially. This has been culminating over many ages, through the gamut of human experience. There is no unseeing of the universal mind, it does not require an explanation, only that it has been perceived. This is real. You are here, experiencing everything at once. This is timeless travel. Welcome to the new alchemy.

[Pauldo]

Is this whole post your own writing or someone else's? 

[Skroller]

I was bored last night, so I wrote an essay.

[Pauldo]

where's the footnotes?  Oh I'll give ya an A anyway.  ;D

[Skroller]

There aren't really footnotes, just a list of references.  I forgot that references go in parenthesis in the article, rather than as a footnote.  Also, I included a table of frequencies relative to brainwaves and stages, but I can't post that on here with correct formatting, so I just left all that out.

But all that really isn't necessary to get the point across.

[Pauldo]

thought your intro was best.  reflective of my own beliefs.  keep flexing your brain on us

[HARDKORNATE]

I dare you to post this on MNHate.

[Skroller]

I dare you to post this on MNHate.

i posted it there when i posted here.  i guessed nobody noticed because they are too busy being self-important haters.

[HARDKORNATE]

I dare you to post this on MNHate.

i posted it there when i posted here.  i guessed nobody noticed because they are too busy being self-important haters.

No, you posted it in the poetry section, which is like posting in the trash – noone will read it.

Repost that bitch in general.

[assclown]

I dare you to post this on MNHate.

i posted it there when i posted here.  i guessed nobody noticed because they are too busy being self-important haters.

So since we've lived in the same place Skroller, and you're still living there, which room do you have? Our's when we lived there was up the stairs, to the left all the way and to the right. Right across from the other bedroom [so yeah, we were opposite side to the bathroom].

I just wonder if  you wrote that in that room ha ha ha, cause it would make sense, all that boogie woogie we did in that room! =]

On any note, neat, I had no idea you were really even a part…of…this….weird…….i won't say more! I've seen you on here, but yeah! Werd!

Anyways, I decided to start the hating on the vibe. I figured somebody needed to start it after that … well, dude I don't like smiled at the end.. Think he has a crush on you 😉

-d

[Author]

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