This essay is the second Appendix for my upcoming Kindle e-book entitled Messages of Gibberish and Truth: An Exploration into the Paradox of Creation, which provides a Metaphysical and Aesthetic theory in contrast to the prevailing patriarchal archetypes dominant in the modern-day. It describes a performance art project that may be utilized to express the ideas that are conveyed within the book.
The first Appendix contrasts patriarchal epistemologies with pre-colonized paths of knowledge. The following description represents a performance art in solidarity with the latter.
I felt I needed to express these ideas on epistemology within the first Appendix before engaging in a description of this particular piece of performance art so readers can understand the intention behind the production. While colonizer pedagogies emphasize words to transmit knowledge, it is important to understand that liberating teaching protocols utilize energy transference. As Lau Tzu said, “The Way that can be spoken of is not the eternal Way.” Though, of course, language is a useful tool, the use of language often confers a feeling of permanence or truth that is not reflective of a constantly changing real world. Energy, on the other hand, is felt in the moment. Its balances and imbalances define the physical and mental well-being of consciousness in the process of Experiencing. For this reason, I have chosen music as the principal medium for this performance, which is designed to utilize frequency as well as language to engage both physical and mental faculties in the process of healing and raising awareness. It is my belief that if properly applied, this “experience” can be used to break down stagnant energies within participants, then harmonize those energies in such a way as to promote balance and authenticity of self-expression. There is a method to this madness but the method cannot be described, it can only be felt.
The following paragraphs can only provide a loose outline of what such an experience may feel like, and what function it may perform. There are no rules, only guidelines. First and foremost, the intention of participants must be pure. History is replete with “rock stars” who use their positions as artists to engage in controlling behaviors over others. Music in particular, but art in general is a tool. As such it can be used for the purposes of colonization or liberation depending on the intentions of the participants. It is important, should you feel compelled to attempt this performance (which includes both artists and observers), to approach the project with the intention of liberation and the goal of decolonization. Without this foundation, cycles of generational trauma will continue. Please be wary of any who approaches such an endeavor with arrogance or a sense of self-aggrandizement.
Frankly, I am even hesitant to call this Experience a “ceremony” or “ritual” and prefer to think of it as a really good party. The point is to have a lot of fun! People really need to loosen up. Thinking too much about spiritual mumbo jumbo and esoteric philosophy is not conducive to a relaxed and stress-free mindset. Stay focused on the good times, and the rest will fall into place. While it is important to try to perform as best you can, mistakes can be observed as positive learning experiences. There is no sense in making this anything more than a way to celebrate life in a good way. Health and awareness benefits are a by-product of plugging in with friends and family while tuning into larger natural cycles that define organic existence on planet Earth.
The timing of these performances may be the most important characteristic behind the intention. Decolonization can only truly occur when consciousness is plugged into the natural cycles of existence. While I could write much more on this topic alone, suffice it to say that those indoctrinated into a linear calendar system with a historicity composed of Marxist or Hegelian dialectics may be the most fundamental aspect of the colonized mind. There is a good argument that the forces of patriarchy, thousands of years ago, sought to alter our perception of time and history for the benefit of the few. By breaking up our collective relationship with natural cycles, many of us have been led to believe in a sense of history that professes linear progress over cyclical time. Subconsciously, this places one’s allegiance with the powers that be to produce this “progress” rather than recognizing our place within larger cyclical patterns that emphasize balance. Pre-colonization, as well as among indigenous thinkers today, recognition of natural cycles has always been considered a cornerstone for understanding our place in the universe. Without this connection, we become subject to the whims of authority to determine when and how we work, and when and how we take time to celebrate and relax. Most of us today live in an environment where our time is managed by our employer or at least determined by the workweek. Life remains unchanged by the natural forces around us. Cultures with a strong connection to nature shift perceptions with the cycles of the year. Life changes drastically as they move through winter, spring and summer, and back to winter again. For the decolonized, life is embedded in this cycle. Liberated culture is connected to nature through this implicit relationship with cyclical time.
For this reason, decolonization requires a reconnection with natural time. For the purposes of liberation, throwing a party on the solstices and equinoxes with the intention of building family and community spirit may well get the job done. No long, involved “ceremony” is necessary. Making this change in your life, and surrounding yourself with good people on these special days of the year would in and of itself do wonders to dissolve the power of patriarchal institutions and result in healing the trauma bond that has afflicted so many with a bad case of Stockholm syndrome. Though the following description of a “really good party” includes details that may be helpful, just taking time out on these important dates to celebrate life and recognize your place in a larger cosmic cycle is a very important first step. If you include a friend who can sing or play guitar, or add a drum circle into the mix your party just got better. Oh, and don’t forget to dance!!
The Experience in Practice
Once the intention is established along with the desire to reestablish a relationship with natural time, the stage is set for producing a more involved Experience. The following is a description of my particular vision, but I encourage anyone interested to modify this outline in any way that follows your particular intuition and resources. At the very least, no two musicians will play the same music, and no two dancers will emulate the same moves. As long as some principle concepts are maintained, diversity of application is actually the goal. Some communities are punk rock, and others are classical. No two productions of this event will ever be the same. This is a process of evolution.
As explained in previous chapters, decolonized technologies are designed to make art, not war. My version of this “experience” utilizes technology very specifically toward this end. The entire event is, in a sense, a metaphor for humanity’s relationship with technology, and seeks to redirect that relationship from one of Power to one of Love. Ultimately, these “parties” can be multimedia affairs that include music, lights, video, and all the accouterments of any modern musical performance. It is important, however, that use of technology be used at the appropriate time.
Essentially, the entire affair begins and ends with “primitivism”. Thus the circle becomes complete. In simple terms, the Experience moves from “primitive” to “advanced” and then back into the “primitive”. I put these words in quotes because I do not wish to apply any value judgment to these experiences. Both are beautiful and functional in their own way. The healthy human experience is one of balance between these two forces so I look at them as yet another Yin/Yang division that, when balanced, creates an integrated wholeness including both our relationship with nature as well as the drive to push Further into Comfortability through the use of technology.
Within my vision of the event, multiple metaphors are occurring in real-time during the performance. One, as expressed, is the metaphor of technology. Another involves a description of human evolution as it moves through time. My version of events begins with a drum circle or didgeridoo performance to represent the beginning of humankind’s relationship with technology. While there are no rules to this Experience, my feeling is that once begun, the music never stops until the end of the performance. Many indigenous ceremonies utilize a ceremonial fire. Once the fire is lit the ceremony begins. It does not end until the fire goes out. Similarly, I believe that once begun, the music should be continuous throughout. At the very least, any silence should hold a very important space. Also, the volume should be attended to. Just as energy flows from Yin to Yang and back again, the volume of the performance should push the limits of loud and soft. Ultimately, the goal is to build the energy as Further as it can go through this process of weaving dynamics. Technologies are slowly added to the Experience in order to facilitate the building of these dynamics. The process can be compared to a sexual experience, and hence, the experience of creation itself, as the energy pulsates into a “peak experience” before dying down toward the end of the performance.
Included in the technology dynamic is the use of language. Language evolves in concert with technology as concepts inherently developed through language represent a more technologically “advanced” understanding of reality. As the Experience evolves from “primitive” tools to electronic music, so too the use of language can evolve from simple phrases, poems, or even guttural sounds, to songs witch include concepts related to a more detailed understanding of the Experience as a whole. One possibility would be to evolve from simple sounds to poems or improvisational “raps” to organized song structures with language that describes complex subject matter or otherwise enhances the Experience through logos. Again, each Experience will be different and each community will develop a different style based on community culture and the resources available.
As important as volume dynamics is rhythm dynamics. Just as with loud and soft, fast and slow create what could be considered the four corners of the Experience. Clearly, rhythm affects energy dynamics just as volume does. A simple, slow drumbeat could begin the experience. The idea is to repeat these patterns over and over as the energy builds to a “peak Experience” towards the end of the process. The dynamics of loud and soft, fast and slow repeat as more technologically advanced methodologies are added to increase the flow of vibrational energy. For example, the initial drum circle will rotate through the four corners before adding more technologically complex instruments into the mix. This provides a fractalization of the experience where the same pattern is repeated within the various levels of the process.
Finally, as described in previous chapters, both static and dynamic Comfortability should be added to the parameters. Much like the Apollonian and Dionysian conflation contained within Nietzschean aesthetics, this dynamic refers to the patterns expressed through the music. This dynamic refers to the process of moving between structure and improvisation. In the case of the drum circle, certain beats can be preordained to provide structure to the music, then used as a platform for improvisation. The static beats can also evolve from dynamic improv and then continue to change as the Experience dictates. The idea is to create a self-evolving system that becomes a real-time metaphor for evolution itself. As the energy grows along the Continuum, the pattern can include songs that have been pre-written. Performers can even use covers of their favorite songs or write new songs with lyrics that help Further the Experience by describing it using language and pre-set patterns. These patterns become platforms to improvise off of, then come back to “at the right time”. These dynamics have been utilized in the past by the so-called “jam band” scene influenced by the Grateful Dead. I would suggest listening to live Grateful Dead albums, live Parliament-Funkadelic, and other performers who have developed these dynamics for a greater understanding of how to implement improvisational techniques into the overall Experience.
Essentially, the Experience begins with primitive instruments, then evolves through the use of technologies that require smelting or metallurgy. Classical instruments and other stringed instruments could be introduced. Eventually, these instruments can be electrified and something more akin to a modern concert could be actualized. This might even build into a full electronic set where the music and beats are all synthetically produced. Ultimately, having pushed the Experience as Further as possible, the energy quickly dies down back into a drum circle to conclude the cycle.
One final dichotomy that can not be overlooked is the relationship between the producers of the Experience and the audience. Those artists engaging in the creation of the process represent the Yang or masculine energies while the audience represents the Yin or feminine aspect of the production. While it may be tempting to impose the process upon the audience, it is important to understand this dynamic should be balanced. The musicians should be as influenced by the crowd response as much as the audience is inspired by the music. Few, if any, musicians would be playing throughout the entire performance so there may well be many who flow back and forth from the audience to the stage. Perhaps the audience could be given shakers or drums to add to the music and further blur the distinction. Dancing not only provides energetic feedback to the performers but also provides actual physical benefit to the audience. It helps release tension and can open and activate the internal energetic system. For this reason, indigenous peoples have utilized dancing in ceremonies for millennia.
To recap the basic perimeters of my version of the Experience we have the four corners of dynamics listed here for a total of eight points around the proverbial medicine wheel:
1) Primitive / Technological
2) Static songs / Dynamic improv
3) Loud / Soft
4) Fast / Slow
A ninth perimeter, found at the center of the circle, is energy cultivation represented by the relationship between performers and the audience. This provides the foundational function of the Experience, as described in the Epistemology section above.
Just to add, I do not like using the word “should” and urge anyone interested to follow their own judgment about this concept. Again, the most important aspect of all of this is to throw a party on the four major changes occurring with the natural yearly calendar. Nonetheless, some of these “rules” provide an important framework for the overall concept and are important perimeters that convey this Experience as a real-time metaphor for our larger participation in creation itself. Consciousness works in a certain way. The goal is to magnify this Way in order to increase awareness about the process as well as our participation in it.
So for me, once the music begins, it should continue until the end, beginning with instruments that require the least technology and then slowly evolving to include more complicated technologies. From the initial drum circle, for example, we can add acoustic instruments of varying levels of complexity. Of course, this will be determined by your friend circle and the talents and instruments available. Every community will be different, so long as the general pattern of technological advancement is adhered to as well as a careful understanding of volume dynamics and pattern recognition. Everything happens at the right time.
As these Experiences evolve, I imagine each season will have its own feeling. Potentially, songs could be written specifically for their seasonal application. Fall songs about harvest, for example. Songs written about making it through hard times can be performed during the Winter Solstice celebration etc.
Of course, there are no hard or fast rules and songs should be performed that feels right in the moment, rather than through some rigid structure. While clearly the different seasons will have a different feel, and certain songs may fit those feelings, I would not advocate for a rigid setlist but rather depend more on improvisation to help “discover” the next song as musicians have the freedom to input different licks or beats that may lead into the next song. Obviously, certain medleys will work well as certain songs have similar musical keys or other similarities that blend well together. Performers would need to practice and develop techniques for such transitions.
While the principle characteristics of this Experience have been outlined above, I would like to conclude this description with some ideas that may be helpful for those interested in facilitating a production for the purposes of healing, strengthening, and decolonization in their community. First, in accordance with the fractal nature of the process, the moment when electronic technologies are introduced may be treated with special importance. In my mind, there could be a very definitive closing of one cycle, then the beginning of another electronic cycle. In the history of Rock music, there was that moment when Bob Dylan picked up an electric guitar. Many in the folk music scene felt this was a sell-out to the more raucous and popular electronic crowd, but the truth is that both Experiences provide a profound understanding of the human relationship with technology. Let’s face it, technology can be used to push the Experience Further, and so it should.
Much like a traditional set break, it makes sense to me, to begin with a drum circle or other indigenous musical jam, progress through a peak experience with acoustic music utilizing both songs as well as energetic improvisation to push Further into a peak experience, then completes the cycle by taking the dynamics back down to a minimal level with drums or other indigenous instrumentation. At the right moment, electronics can be added to the mix, and the new cycle can begin again. At this point, I could envision something like “Drums” often performed by Mickey Hart as part of Grateful Dead performances. Electronic effects are added to create a “next level” effect utilizing technology to push Further. Something as simple as a didgeridoo with a delay effect might begin the process of electrifying the Experience.
Eventually, much like the acoustic “set”, electrified guitars and other instruments can be included in order to build the energy back to a “peak” Experience, where the performers push the energy as “Further” as it will go in celebration of the changing of the seasons. This could include a fully electronic set where a DJ provides loops of music, perhaps recorded from the previous live performance, to fully integrate technology into the totality of the Experience. Of course, once the peak is achieved, the energy will die back down quickly back into the basic drum circle once again, signaling the end of the final cycle of the performance. Again, in my opinion, the music should not stop once begun, though the energy should include very dynamic “peaks” and “troughs” in order to maximize the effects of the Experience as a whole.
Similarly, visual effects can be added to the Experience to aid in the cultivation of overall energy through its progression through this cyclical process. Perhaps these performances could start during the day utilizing natural light, then special importance can be given to the addition of electric lighting as the sun sets. This process could be timed to integrate with the electrification of the musical Experience as well. Acoustic sets could be augmented with painted backdrops that evolve into multimedia affairs as the metaphor of technological progression evolves throughout the process.
I could very much envision the use of the science of cymatics in close association with any visual accouterments included in the process. It would be possible to create literal visualizations of the music through the projection of cymatic imagery in real-time. Performers might integrate tonal and atonal music into the Experience while manufacturing and projecting the associated cymatic imagery. In this way, the audience could witness the physical expression of the music as tonal and atonal vibrations produce a variety of patterns oscillating between form and chaos. Not only could this provide a visual component to the Experience, but the combination of visual imagery with aural stimulation provides an example of the use of vibration in producing effects in the physical world, thus emphasizing the energetic foundations of the metaphysic in contrast to the materialistic metaphysics of patriarchal systems.
Concepts of sacred geometry could also be incorporated into the visual side of the performance. These elements could be integrated into the cymatic aspects of the performance, as these sciences are deeply connected. Many cymatic patterns include elements of sacred geometry naturally, though multiple other geometric patterns could be displayed visually that incorporate concepts integrating energetic vibration with material creation. Such tools could prove invaluable to the overall pedagogy of the experience and be used as learning tools that express decolonized metaphysical and epistemological concepts. One could envision simple paintings expressing spirals, medicine wheels, and other symbolism during the acoustic set, then evolving into the use of cymatics as technology is introduced into the Experience.
Ultimately, while these performances can be used as a teaching methodology, they are actually also capable of functioning as a healing modality as well. Many cultures have utilized vibration as a tool to dislodge stagnant chi and tonify certain areas of the body. Dancing has also been used in ceremonies for millennia to augment the physical connection to music and aid in the circulation of internal energies. Dancers over a period of time can enter into a spiritual or ecstatic state which helps break down the ego and facilitates psychological integration. The actual physical impact of light and sound on the body can not be under appreciated and the conscious manipulation of the Experience to facilitate health and wellness is an important function of any ceremonial undertaking.
In the modern age, alternative healers have begun applying sound and its accompanying vibration to various parts of the body using a variety of technologies including tuning forks and other digital/electronic-based technologies to stimulate healing and reduce stress. Such modalities could be used as a foundation for techniques that can be integrated into this performance. Ancient Hinduism actually developed a system whereby different vibrations are associated with each chakra. There is, quite literally, a vibration-based science that could be explored within the context of this Experience. This science is thousands of years old and incorporates many of the concepts explored in the above paragraphs. Sacred geometry, cymatics, and a myriad of vibrational healing techniques can help to facilitate a decolonized pedagogy that can be applied throughout the performance for the purposes of not only healing generational trauma caused by colonization but teaching participants about the existence of an alternative path forward into the future.
Towards these ends, I have developed an idea I call the “chakra song”. While I would never think to impose a particular song or setlist upon an Experience that would be performed by others, this particular idea encapsulates the ability of the Experience to incorporate the sciences of decolonized cultures while utilizing both visual and audible technologies for healing and education. Within the traditional Vedic system, the energetic chakra system runs up and down the center of the human body which includes seven centers of energy corresponding to seven physical glands that produce hormones affecting our emotional health. When these energetic centers are relaxed and open, emotions are balanced and healthy. Conversely, stress within these energy centers creates imbalances that can result in physical and psychological diseases. Each chakra is characterized by its relationship with not only a particular emotion but also a color as well as a certain vibration corresponding to a note on the musical scale. There is also a corresponding symbol. These colors and vibrations can help to open and relax the chakra thereby facilitating health.
The function of the “chakra song” is to do just that. Essentially, the Rood Chakra begins with the note A, the color red, and also corresponds to the vowel sound Ay-Way. One could imagine using lights, vocals, and instrumentation, along with visualization of the traditional Hindu symbol or cymatic pattern to focus energy on the root chakra. The process simply continues up the scale as the Sacral chakra resonates with the note B and the color orange. The solar plexus is similarly affected by the note C and the color yellow. Eventually, the crown chakra is represented by the color purple, the note G, and the incantation I-My-Ing. For me, it makes sense to complete the octave with the next higher A note completing the cycle and representing the process of Generational Progression as it pertains to the correlation between the human energetic system, as well as the light and sound vibratory spectrums. Of course, this is just one idea, but conceptually it sets a foundation for ways that technology could be integrated to both metaphorically express some of the many concepts embedded within this Experience, as well as provide an actual benefit to participants as a practical application of the sound healing modality.
Conclusion
In the end, these are just some ideas for one potential Experience that may help heal the generational trauma created by our collective exposure to patriarchal colonization over these last millennia. Clearly, this is a long-term project. Many indigenous peoples discuss how one should make choices now that will positively impact families and communities seven generations into the future. Such long-term thinking creates a lasting benefit that results in sustainable cultural evolution. It also avoids the traps created through actions seeking only short-term gains. Such traps have become all too common in the modern-day. Making this transition from the current unsustainable environmental, economic and psychological dysfunction requires a broad view of where we are and where we can go as humanity evolves into the future. Necessary changes will not happen overnight but must happen if we as a species are to continue to inhabit Mother Earth in a good way, a way that can continue to allow her to provide food and shelter to our people for generations to come.
One thing is for sure, things will not change without individuals choosing to make the change. Many of us have been conditioned to follow. Now is the time to lead. The Experience described above is just one possibility out of infinite possibilities. If you feel attracted to it, perform it. If not, forge your own path to connect with the forces of creation that are larger than yourself. By all means, take some of these ideas and leave the rest behind if they do not help you move forward along your own path.
I do believe that there are fundamental differences in systems of consciousness. Everything in nature can be described through the perspective of Yin and Yang, so why should paths of knowledge be any different? Truth is not subjective, it’s just evasive. We all approach it from a different point of view. The ideas laid out in this book are not meant to be set in stone, but I think they provide an alternative to the framework of thinking laid out to most of us raised within a patriarchal system. As described previously, most of us have been raised within the archetype of the young man. We were taught to objectify and dominate. Perhaps outright aggression is currently out of vogue, but passive aggression is the characteristic personality trait of all participating in colonized culture. It’s time for the vast majority of us to do some serious adulting, time to create a new archetype of perception, a new paradigm, that allows for a different point of view. The metaphysics, aesthetics, and epistemology described in this book are but an introductory attempt at paving a new path. This Experience is just one possible tool to facilitate change.
I say new, but in reality, these concepts are as old as time itself. It’s not like I have made a new discovery. Many indigenous peoples alive right now participate in cultures that have embodied these concepts for many generations. We have a lot to learn from them. They are the masters. Clearly, however, the Yang has overshadowed the Yin on planet Earth for some time now. Things are out of balance, and it is high time for the pendulum to swing back the other way. It is not for us to simply copy the culture of others. We need to forge our own way into the future. Perhaps the ideas in this book are a modest beginning seeking to help facilitate the transition that lies ahead.
Perhaps there is more Gibberish than Truth in these words. That is for you to decide. This book has been my feeble attempt to describe the indescribable. Words should never be mistaken to hold the truths handed to you through your own experience. The irony is that I ask readers to please not take these words too seriously. Logos without humility is the way of the colonizer. Belief in the transcendent power of logic is nothing short of delusion. No one can escape the Paradox of creation. We cannot figure our way out of it. We can only accept it, recognize the patterns, and ride the wave…
In the Lakota Way, I have heard it said that “We make these ceremonies so that the people can live.” I offer up these words for any of you who might feel compelled to produce something like the Experience described above. Take these words to heart, know them to be true, and your Experience can change the world forever.