Monday, March 1, 2010

The Sound Of One Hand Scratching



I find myself in many different mental states over the day and across the week. From centered, mindful, peaceful, quiescent times, to aggravated, scattered, mind numbingly frustrating times. They all have particular characteristics that I think are worth exploring and describing.

Radio Head
Radio head is the state where I am perennially running some mind bending tune through my mind. Its a state that comes and goes, but sometimes stays for days and even weeks. When this happens, I am in a supreme state if shit.

Monkeys on Acid
Monkeys on Acid is the worst state of mind that I experience. Its the typically out of control, cant find my way back home, mode where every act of mental alertness designed to bring a more calm and comfortable state of mind, just brings more chaos as the efforts are actually just short applications of mental censors and heavy handedness.

Totally Norbal
My usual state of mind. Sort of here. One foot somewhere else.

Look But Don't Touch
An epherial (made up word that feels like what this is) state of mind, where I have deep and penetrating insight, with metaphorical references that quickly emerge and build tantalizing models of insight and wisdom. Very fragile and rarely able to bring any of it back.

Flowin In The Wind
Flowing in the wind is a convergent state where I am not bothered at all with extraneous thoughts ideas or disturbances both from within and without. Typically I am watching or being the witness to something, but in such a tight flow that I don't experience the typically watching the watcher kind of mindfulness.

I find this state of mind very nourishing and am glad when I find myself in it.

One moment one mind
One of the highest states I experience, usually after waking up from a dream where I remember the dream and am recollecting to my wife. There is a such a calmness in my demeanor, no mental racing whatsoever,

Also, I trust my mind such that as I describe what my experience was, I don't try to rush ahead for fear of forgetting it. Its all right there. And it comes out simply but with a grace and presence that adds the feeling of authentic depth to the moment.

Sadly, it only lasts a few minutes.

Sipping The Light
The highest peaks I have ever experienced, where I have the feeling of things being granted to me. Often it is accompanied by a calm but spectacular insight, usually with a kind of inner vision and story telling quality.

I have experienced this only a few times, each time lasting a few hours to half a day or more, and has always been life changing.