Date: Mon, 26 May 1997 17:50:26 +1000 (EST)
From: Kath Williamson <bigk@it.uq.edu.au>
Subject: Faith and Spirituality

From: Scotto <scotto@asylum.org>
i have yet to really feel "connected" with the "group mind" that apparently manifests to other ppl at these things. i feel exalted in my own self, certainly; ecstatic dancing is a kind of celebratory ritual for me, something i find incredibly useful and incredibly spiritual, but it also has a solitary side, in that those people are in separate universes, save for the friends i came in with.

I'd like to suggest that it's important to find the psychedelic tekno parties. Tekno is not a homogenous culture. Find the gatherings held by and populated by your fellow freaks. Once you've found the psy parties, you then need to find the gatherings where most of the people there are using psychedelics (and I'm NOT including ecstasy here) with the intent to explore this very illuminating method of trance magick. It's this exchange of collective "high" energy which may prove to be outstandingly potent in the manifestation of the "group mind", and the higher people are prepared to go, the "madder" and more diverse, the resulting energies can be.

The more magickal tekno activists understand the power of the gnosis of trance, and may use lots of tricks and techniques to "direct" the energy of the dance in a certain direction. Sound is the most obvious one but artists have buried crystals under dance areas, used static visual art or computer generated visuals, or the most recently, I've found myself dancing on a black floor covered in a 22 pointed star - the artist is perhaps a Qabalist - and this is the first time I've found myself "dancing" in orgiastic communion with others. Meditative rituals often open and close gatherings.

It's incredible to be in an environment with a couple of hundred other playful crazies, possessed by the sounds, as you writhe and shake wildly in unison with dozen or so other people who have suddenly found their minds in the same sonic whirlpool. I'm sure we're all "seeing" or "understanding" the experience in many and varied ways but there is a moment when powerful energies - lifeforces and spirits and understandings - are created and exchanged and shared with those around you.

Hugging is great, and I try to do it all the time :-) but don't mistake these simple acts as the ultimate manifestation of this collective mind. A vibe of openness and friendliness is the LEAST that that these gatherings can achieve - that's the bottom line. Socializing in the conventional sense is not really necessary.

One psychonaut's mind is good but a lot of them together can be a potent experience when exploring those indescribable states of being.

kath
*Eris told me to do this*