Dream Machine

The dreamachine is a stroboscopic flicker device that produces visual stimuli. Artist Brion Gysin and William Burroughs's "systems adviser" Ian Sommerville created the dreamachine after reading William Grey Walter's book, The Living Brain.

In its original form, a dreamachine is made from a cylinder with slits cut in the sides. The cylinder is placed on a record turntable and rotated at 78 or 45 revolutions per minute. A light bulb is suspended in the center of the cylinder and the rotation speed allows the light to come out from the holes at a constant frequency of between 8 and 13 pulses per second. This frequency range corresponds to alpha waves, electrical oscillations normally present in the human brain while relaxing.

A dreamachine is "viewed" with the eyes closed: the pulsating light stimulates the optical nerve and alters the brain's electrical oscillations. The "viewer" experiences increasingly bright, complex patterns of color behind their closed eyelids. The patterns become shapes and symbols, swirling around, until the "viewer" feels surrounded by colors. It is claimed that viewing a dreamachine allows one to enter a hypnagogic state. This experience may sometimes be quite intense, but to escape from it, one needs only to open one's eyes.

A dreamachine may be dangerous for people with photosensitive epilepsy or other nervous disorders. It is thought that one out of 10,000 adults will experience a seizure while viewing the device; about twice as many children will have a similar ill effect.

Eclipse

Entonces, su paso las puertas
abrieron
de par
de par
y los pétalos de un girasol ya cortado,
se postraron en suelo amarillo.

Fue al caer de los cielos el cuerpo
y vio alas ya muertas muy antes,
como pabilo hundido enervante
en la onda de un péndulo errar.

Poneos de pie mis amigos!
Una voz penetró corazones
Soy el ave del viento en lo antes,
soy la runa azarosa en lo vivo.

No me queman los mares, las sales,
he dejado a la piel un olvido.
Por la sangre da vueltas la llave,
Por la sangre se expía el impío,
En el texto se esconde dormido
“Los troyanos caen ya ante el engaño”.

Fue este el último viaje
hacia el centro
en que cambio yo el eco por ruido,
hoy la imagen caliente del rayo
me prepara la piedra y el manto.
Se aproxima ya el Sol delator
un planeta enlutado y dragones.
A los frutos los planta en macetas,
a los locos los lleva arrastrando,
¿como anda esta grieta entre el barro?
¿se levanta su hoz con mi voz?

Es eclipse de cal mi morena,
endulzante hoyo negro o en ratos
una flor que vaguea entre aires,
un roedor persiguiendo su cola

En tu olor es mestizo el cobarde
pues de hambre mastica dolores
Si es verdad y redonda esa puerta
Si es la ley que regrese otro vientre
Yo me voy derechito a tu lado
a tenderme una red sobre el nido
a la vos del sonido en el árbol
la crucé ya con todos mis ejes.

Ciro Casgo

The spears

A nomadic horseback warring tribe invaded the land of the Vanir. These tribesmen were fierce and came, according to Snorri Sturlusson, from Asia, and were consequently called the Aesir. Having realised that foreign invaders infringed their tribal lands, the Vanir, who were normally peaceable, was not about to relinquish their native lands without a fight. Thus the Vanir warred with the Aesir in defence of their sacred homelands. However, surrounding the land of the Vanir lay the homes of the Giants, mutual enemies of both the Vanir and the Aesir.

Realising that their strength lay in unity, the Vanir and the Aesir sued for peace, hostages were exchanged and each tribal member sealed the truce by spitting into a kettle. The Vanir sent to the Aesir as hostages: Niordr and his children, Frey and Freyja. In return, the Aesir sent to the Vanir; Hoenir and Mimir. Mimir, we learn, was Odin’s uncle, and something of a sorcerer. Even at this stage in his development, Odin too, was a sorcerer to reckon with.

The spit from the kettle, containing the entire wisdom of the two great races was turned into a man whom the gods of the Aesir called Kvasir. Kvasir was extremely wise. He went forth into Middle Earth, teaching mankind and paving the way for Rig, who would come after him. Kvasir's knowledge was legendary so much so that the jealousy of two dwarves; Fiallar and Gallar, was aroused. They slew Kvasir for his blood, which they blended with honey and brewed into mead. This mead was called the Holy Mead or Mead of Inspiration (Odhroerir/Odh-ruh-rir). Any person drinking of the potion would become wise. Any wise person drinking a draught would become all wise. However, as with most gifts, there was a price to pay.

The murderous dwarf s were caught and punished, not for the death of Kvasir, but for the murder of a giant and his wife whom they had killed as well. The giant killed was called Gilling and it was his son Suttungr who punished the dwarfs. The price of the wergild (form of compensation) was the mead of inspiration that the dwarfs had deposited inside three vessels: Odhroerir (Inspiration), Son (Offering) and Boden (Expiation). Suttungr secured the mead under a mountain and set his daughter, Gunlod as a sentinel to ward over them. Now, Odin had two ravens called Huginn (Thought) and Muninn (Memory) who reported to him the fate of men on Middle earth. When Odin realised the fate of Kvasir, he left his lofty seat in Asgard, called Hlithskjolf, and set off in pursuit of the holy mead.

Eventually, Odin encountered nine peasant giants who were cutting hay for a farmer. The farmer, a giant called Baugi was Suttungr's brother. Odin tricked the peasant giant farm workers into a quarrel, which concluded with the deaths of all nine. He then applied to Baugi for their job. In payment for his work, Odin asked Baugi for access to Gunlod ' s chamber. Baugi was reluctant, but when faced with a lost harvest, he agreed. Odin succeeded in his task after which Baugi took him to the mountain. However, no opening presented itself to Odin and Baugi and so Odin produced a gimlet or awl called Rati. Odin asked Baugi to bore a hole through the rock into Gunlod ' s chamber. Rati, like Rig, was an alter ego for Heimdallr who was later rewarded by Odin for his help. Once inside the mountain, Odin seduced Gunlod and was granted one sip of the Holy mead.

Odin did not swallow the drink, however, and was able to drain the contents of all three containers. Aided by the power of flight, Odin escaped from the mountain back to Asgard but was hotly pursued by Suttungr. The Gods, however, were expecting Odin' s return and were able to destroy Suttungr with fire. Odin safely discharged the mead into three containers. Despite the truce between the Vanir and the Aesir, the Vanir became very suspicious of Mimir's magical abilities, and promptly killed him. Mimir's head was then returned to the Aesir where Odin, lamenting his loss, preserved his uncle's remains with herbs and spells.

The head thus became oracular, and Odin set the token up over one of the three magical wells on the world Ash tree called Yggdrasil.

In other versions of the story, Odin turns Mimir's skull into a vessel to store or drink the mead from. All the versions agree, however, that some of the mead ended up in the well or in a vessel next to the well. The three vessels are now called: Heiddraupnir (light dropper) which was Mimir's skull, head or well; Hoddrofnir (treasure opener) a horn; and Odhroerir (exciter of the heart) which was probably another horn since horns tended to be found in pairs whereas there could only be one skull. The three wells each belonged to the three Norns or Wyrd sisters.

The first sister was called Urdr (norn of the past), the second Verdandi (norn of the present) and Skuld (norn of the future). Despite the obvious similarity between the words skull and Skuld, the well of the future was where Odin installed Mimir's head and the mead of inspiration. Skuld means: "I have killed and shall make recompense", as both Kvasir and Mimir were unjustly slain. The head of Mimir was an oracular devise and as such is connected to the well of the future. When Odin eventually took up the Runes, we learn that they too had oracular powers. Is there a possible association with the norn of the future, Skuld? The stage is now set for us to see how Odin became wise, then all wise.

The Havamal tells how Odin hung on the World Tree around which the whole of Germanic Cosmology revolved, for nine days and nine nights. He was given neither food nor horn to drink and was wounded with a spear. On each of the nine nights, he visited one of the nine branches or rafters of the tree. On each branch hung one of the nine worlds and in each of the nine worlds; Odin found one of the nine runes. Exhausted but wise, Odin returned from his ordeal and visited the well of Mimir. At this point the Sigdrifosmol takes up the story. Odin stood by the well, which was close to the precipice that overlooks the Germanic netherworld, Hel. He wore a helmet on his head and held the sword Brimir in his hand. He pledged an eye to Mimir to be allowed to drink and to swallow the mead of inspiration.

The general belief was his left eye but the sagas do not specify. Odin hid his eye in the well and took a draught of the Holy Mead. Odin now became all wise, one work led him to another, and one Rune led to another. Odin now had eighteen runes developed from his existing nine and there can be little coincidence that after this episode the Havamal proceeds to describe eighteen rune charms (Harvamal vs .146-163), After his nuministic experience, Odin broke a branch off Yggdrasil or the tree of life and fashioned from it his famous spear shaft, Gungnir. Since Gungnir is elsewhere referred to as being an ashen spear, it is logical to conclude that the Tree of Life is an Ash tree and indeed it is called the World Ash in other sagas. This was not the first spear in the saga however.

Odin starts his torment by being impaled upon a spear whilst he was suspended in the tree. This spear would seem to compliment the other, one to start the ordeal and one received as token at the end.

Giovanni Pico della Mirandola

13 de las 900 tesis que planteó Giovanni Pico della Mirandola en 1486, fueron consideradas "sospechosas de herejía". El Papa las vinculó con la magia cabalística y prohibió seguir adelante con el debate. Pico no tuvo mejor idea que escribir una Apología en la cual defendía esas tesis cuestionadas, lo que los doctos clericales consideraron un acto de soberbia y obstinación. Juzgado y condenado por herejía, Pico fue excomulgado, por lo que huyó a Francia, donde fue detenido y conducido a la cárcel de Vincennes.

Aqui un mínimo extracto de sus teorías, esta interpretación de la creación basada en el Génesis y el Timeo de Platón:

Cuando Dios ha completado la creación del mundo, empieza a considerar la posibilidad de la creación del hombre, cuya función será meditar, admirar y amar la grandeza de la creación de Dios. Pero Dios no encontraba un modelo para hacer al hombre. Por lo tanto se dirige al prospecto de criatura, y le dice: "No te he dado una forma, ni una función especifica, a ti, Adán. Por tal motivo, tú tendrás la forma y función que desees. La naturaleza de las demás criaturas, la he dado de acuerdo a mi deseo. Pero tú no tendrás límites. Tú definirás tus propias limitantes de acuerdo a tu libre albedrío. Te colocaré en el centro del universo, de manera que te sea más fácil dominar tus alrededores. No te he hecho ni mortal, ni inmortal. Ni de la tierra, ni del cielo. De tal manera, que tú podrás transformarte a ti mismo en lo que desees. Podrás descender a la forma más baja de existencia como si fueras una bestia o podrás, en cambio, renacer más allá del juicio de tu propia alma, entre los más altos espíritus, aquellos que son divinos.

"Se trepa uno a la nube y luego arroja la escalera que nos permitió llegar a esas alturas."

Wittgenstein

Parménides. "Sobre la Naturaleza", Fragmentos.

1 Las yeguas que me trasportaban, allá me condujeron,

a donde el ímpetu de mi alma se arrojaba.
Por la famosa ruta de los dáimones se lanzaron,

por la ruta que lleva a todas las ciudades

a los hombres que están despiertos.
Por allí me condujeron.

Hasta allí los hábiles corceles que arrastraban el carro

me llevaron con porfía.

Las Doncellas guiaban la senda.

Cada eje,ardiente en el cubo,

a ambos lados soportando las rápidas ruedas,

chillaba su flautín,

cuando las Doncellas del Sol,

abandonando la mansión de la Noche,

presurosas me escoltaron a la Luz del día,
con sus manos vigorosamente despejando el velo que las cubría.

Allí estaban las Puertas que dan a los caminos de la Noche y del Día.
Arriba el Dintel expandido a ambos lados,

abajo el Umbral de piedra.
Celestes Puertas cerradas por muy sólidos batientes,

cuyos cerrojos que van y vienen guardan la Justicia,

la de los muchos castigos.
A ella se aproximaron las Doncellas,

a ella dijeron melosas palabras,

ersuasivas, habililidosas,

hasta lograr que descorriera el cerrojo.

Las Puertas se abrieron entonces de par en par,

retrocedieron los goznes de los batientes

forrados de cobre y tachonados de clavijas y broches.
Por las Puertas adelante, por el ancha ruta,

guiaron las Doncellas el carro y las yeguas.

Y la Divinidad me acogió benévola,

mi mano derecha tomó en su mano,

hablando así me dirijió estas palabras:

¡ Oh Doncel cuyas riendas sostienen inmortales aurigas !

¡ Tú a quien hasta nuestra Morada atropellan los corceles !¡ Salud !
¡ No ha sido un hado funesto quien te arrostrara a este camino,

tan alejado de la común ruta de los mortales, sino el Orden Necesario y la Justicia !
Es menester que de todo seas informado,

ya del corazón inquebrantablede la Verdad bien redonda,

ya de las humanas opiniones, a las que es imposible otorgar fé verdadera.
Con todoes menester que las aprendas y con lealtad juzgues su valor

recorriendo en búsqueda, de parte a parte, todas las cosas a través del Todo".
. . .
2 "Además considera en tu mente con firmeza,

lo que aparece, y lo que no se ve,

porque es imposible cercenar el Ser del Ser que lo acompaña."

" Por todos lados, absolutamente, a través del Universo todo,

nunca el Ser se aparta del Ser, ni de nuevo se une a él."
. . .
3 No importa por donde empiece,

de nuevo otra vez llegaré hasta allí.
. . .
4 Vamos pues aún te digo

que cuidando del secreto iniciático que oyeras

entiendas que hay sólo dos únicos caminos para indagar:

uno, de que el ser es,

y otro, de que el no ser no es.
. . .
...porque te hago saber que es un camino

totalmente ignorante,

porque ciertamente

ni puedes conocer lo que no es, ni tampoco puedes nombrarlo.
. . .
5 .. porque es lo mismo ser y pensar.

Schikimiki