1958 performance for the queen. My parents married that year., she from England and he of an Irish born father( this piece written by an Irish composer for a 19th century opera).
I dreamt I dwelt in marble halls With vassals and serfs at my side, And of all who assembled within those walls That I was the hope and the pride. I had riches all too great to count And a high ancestral name.
But I also dreamt which pleased me most That you loved me still the same, That you loved me You loved me still the same, That you loved me You loved me still the same.
I dreamt that suitors sought my hand, That knights upon bended knee And with vows no maidens heart could withstand, They pledged their faith to me. And I dreamt that one of that noble host Came forth my hand to claim.
But I also dreamt which charmed me most That you loved me still the same That you loved me You loved me still the same, That you loved me You loved me still the same.
I dreamt I dwelt in marble halls, And each damp thing that creeps and crawls went wobble-wobble on the walls...
Orwell's take on it
I dreamt I dwelt in marble halls, And woke to find it true; I wasn't born for an age like this; Was Smith? Was Jones? Were you?
So every generation has a new take on this. One sees the coldness of the old mansions in a time before central heating, the next generations are socialists. Nowadays it is perhaps so outmoded that it is just a love song again that no one ever heard of and not a well known opera. Parody shows more about the person doing it than about the object as does every commentary, analysis. Everything exists in and of itself freely as in the history tedtalk about ancient civilizations linked below. We bring to something what we see. This is deeply philosophical.
more relaxed and grounded today. Last couple of weeks been odd. Moving on to second of three volums of Tirumandiram. Problem with reading it is it changes me so I gotta go slow. 2 weeks ago I read 40 pages at a sitting. Physically not at all difficult but this stuff is weird. Fantasy books talk of magic books but essentially once you transform yourself to a certain point after many years then the magic book works, othefwise it is just a text like any other. Now I go slow with it, like with meditation or something like that or medication. So those 40 pages changed my nervous system and I am just getting used to a new state. Chill, be happy. Don't space out. It is like the saying ' fools rush in where angels fear to tread' or the sorcerer's apprentice. Here Mickey Mouse playing the part I have been feeling recently. Tirumular and other Sddhas are the sorcerers in my case.
I recall the story of Vivekananda and Ramakrishna. V. says "Oh God I'vde lost my body" and Ramakrishna just laughs. I remember the weird sensations I had from just my first year doing yoga and soham !antra with beads where my head felt weird disconnected from body while sitting at computer in office 25 years ago. Yesterday I was being rational, distanced but emotionless, sort of dissociating, without connection to my current experience. This is being in your head chakras too much. I started connecting again about 8 pm amd the energy has been flowing since then even in sleep very intensely. My rationality howevr has allowed it to balance out, be observed, not get emotional overwhelm. So maybe my head chakras were blocked and now energy is free flowing and both parts can work better togethr in harmony. This stuff can be a bit frightening but I suppose it heals and brimgs us up to higher levels. I thought of the concept of enlightenment again and perhaps the 8th chakra is that beyond the head. Once the foundation in body, head is stable then no. 8 can open up. My idea is that it is like a pyramid or iceberg with lower chakras broader, more exxperienced, evolutionarily perhaps and for example getting past selfish childhood, animality we open our hearts but that takes lots of work and energy. Then over time head chakras grow slowly and maybe it all ties into being one stable system without blockages between the parts, a single foundational experience of being in this body from toe to crown and this is the foundation to open no. 8 which is outside and connects us to some wondrous reality beyond comprehension. This is why I see headtrip enlightenment as super dangerous, like why some people are psychotic, schizophrenic as they dissociate, disconnect. We need our bodies, our hearts. Thoughts must be still in samadhi and feelings also so this is only possible if body balances brain, instinct and mind still each other and then we can move forward, expand body- mind consciousness, with our feet on the ground firmly rooted. In short Siva without Sakti is lost.
like R.E.M. lots of lyrics and videos are strange.Studied at music or art universiity. One notices however that the emotional content of the singing and lyrics is shallow although intelligent. I noticed recently my head chakras getting very active and having pain in facial nerve. I would become rational, distanced, unenotional. When my heart chakra gets warm I get sentimental. I never noticed the difference so obviously as this last week. When a switch is so clear, timewise and intense one sees what the mechanisms are. Now it seems a lot of blockages are getting cleared and the energy simply flows around like with taoist microcosmic orbit.Suppose you are thinking hard rationally then you are all in your head. If being affectionate the heart expands. I guess this is the difference between being in love, very heart centred with occasional sexual sensations, desires, and a passionate physical relationship. In the latter one works simultaneously with the partner on opening oneself up completely at all points. The energy flows orgasmic like in this sense, evenly around the body, clearing over indulgence on intellect, emotionalism or passion in a smooth flow. I think of ecstatic poets like Walt Whitman or William Blake and the ecstatic/spiritual/erotic connection to nature/ God. Lots of years of work and the spiritual experience continues to develop. I have wondered about different enlightenment experience of people being very head based(nirvana, nirvikalpa samadhi)Integration into body, society, nature seems critical to me though hard to accomplish. Aurobindo' s idea of bringing energy or golden light down sounds relevant. Ramana Maharshi stressed compassion, heart but seems very rational whereas Aurobindo had a broader worldview. I wonder if there is any right or wrong here. Perhaps every person has an individual path to enlightenment based on their personality/horoscope. I for one have no visions, mental phenomenon like sounds. Others abound in them. The soul it seems is filtering through this physical instrument greater realities just as it does our humdrum daily llife. One size fits all can' t be. Perhaps everyone needs their own religion, approach.
And She Was
Hey!
And she was lying in the grass And she could hear the highway breathing And she could see a nearby factory She's making sure she is not dreaming
See the lights of a neighbor's house Now she's starting to rise Take a minute to concentrate And she opens up her eyes
The world was moving she was right there with it and she was The world was moving she was floating above it and she was And she was
And she was drifting through the backyard And she was taking off her dress And she was moving very slowly Rising up above the earth
Moving into the universe and she's Drifting this way and that Not touching the ground at all and she's Up above the yard
The world was moving, she was right there with it and she was (Hey, hey) The world was moving, she was floating above it and she was (Hey, hey, hey)
She was proud about it, no doubt about it She isn't sure about what she's done No time to think about what to tell him No time to think about what she's done and she was (Hey hey, hey hey, hey)
And she was looking at herself And things were looking like a movie She had a pleasant elevation She's moving out in all directions oh, oh oh
The world was moving, she was right there with it and she was (Hey, woo hoo) The world was moving, she was floating above it and she was (Hey, hey)
Joining the world of missing persons and she was Missing enough to feel all right and she was
And she was And she was And she was And she was And she was Hey! And she was! And she was And she was!
Take Me to the River
I don't know why I love her like I do All the changes you put me through Take my money, my cigarettes I haven't seen the worst of it yet I want to know that you'll tell me I love to stay Take me to the river, drop me in the water Take me to the river, dip me in the water Washing me down, washing me down
I don't know why you treat me so bad Think of all the things we could have had Love is an ocean that I can't forget My sweet sixteen I would never regret
I want to know that you'll tell me I love to stay Take me to the river, drop me in the water Push me in the river, dip me in the water Washing me down, washing me
Hug me, squeeze me, love me, tease me Till I can't, till I can't, till I can't take no more of it Take me to the water, drop me in the river Push me in the water, drop me in the river Washing me down, washing me down
I don't know why I love you like I do All the troubles you put me through Sixteen candles there on my wall And here am I the biggest fool of them all
I want to know that you'll tell me I love to stay Take me to the river and drop me in the water Dip me in the river, drop me in the water Washing me down, washing me down.
Road to Nowhere
Well we know where we're going But we don't know where we've been And we know what we're knowing But we can't say what we've seen And we're not little children And we know what we want And the future is certain Give us time to work it out
Yeah
We're on a road to nowhere Come on inside Taking that ride to nowhere We'll take that ride I'm feeling okay this morning And you know We're on the road to paradise Here we go, here we go
We're on a ride to nowhere Come on inside Taking that ride to nowhere We'll take that ride Maybe you wonder where you are I don't care Here is where time is on our side Take you there, take you there
We're on a road to nowhere We're on a road to nowhere We're on a road to nowhere
There's a city in my mind Come along and take that ride And it's alright, baby, it's all right And it's very far away But it's growing day by day and it's all right Baby, it's all right Would you like to come along You can help me sing the song And it's all right, baby, it's all right They can tell you what to do But they'll make a fool of you And it's all right, baby, it's all right
There's a city in my mind Come along and take that ride And it's alright, baby, it's all right And it's very far away But it's growing day by day and it's all right Baby, it's all right, yeah Would you like to come along You can help me sing the song And it's all right, baby, it's all right They can tell you what to do But they'll make a fool of you and it's all right Baby, it's all right
We're on a road to nowhere We're on a road to nowhere We're on a road to nowhere
We're on a road to nowhere
Once in a Lifetime
And you may find yourself Living in a shotgun shack And you may find yourself In another part of the world And you may find yourself Behind the wheel of a large automobile And you may find yourself in a beautiful house With a beautiful wife And you may ask yourself, well How did I get here?
Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down Letting the days go by, water flowing underground Into the blue again after the money's gone Once in a lifetime, water flowing underground
And you may ask yourself How do I work this? And you may ask yourself Where is that large automobile? And you may tell yourself This is not my beautiful house! And you may tell yourself This is not my beautiful wife!
Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down Letting the days go by, water flowing underground Into the blue again after the money's gone Once in a lifetime, water flowing underground
Same as it ever was Same as it ever was Same as it ever was Same as it ever was Same as it ever was Same as it ever was Same as it ever was Same as it ever was
Water dissolving and water removing There is water at the bottom of the ocean Under the water, carry the water Remove the water at the bottom of the ocean! Water dissolving and water removing
Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down Letting the days go by, water flowing underground Into the blue again into silent water Under the rocks and stones, there is water underground
Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down Letting the days go by, water flowing underground Into the blue again after the money's gone Once in a lifetime, water flowing underground
You may ask yourself What is that beautiful house? You may ask yourself Where does that highway go to? And you may ask yourself Am I right? Am I wrong? And you may say yourself "My God! What have I done?"
Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down Letting the days go by, water flowing underground Into the blue again into the silent water Under the rocks and stones, there is water underground
Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down Letting the days go by, water flowing underground Into the blue again after the money's gone Once in a lifetime, water flowing underground
Same as it ever was Same as it ever was Same as it ever was Look where my hand was Time isn't holding up Time isn't after us Same as it ever was Same as it ever was Same as it ever was Same as it ever was Same as it ever was Same as it ever was Letting the days go by Same as it ever was And here the twister comes Here comes the twister
Letting the days go by (same as it ever was) Same as it ever was (same as it ever was) Letting the days go by (same as it ever was) Same as it ever was Once in a lifetime Let the water hold me down Letting the days go by
And the Lady Don't Mind
Last time she jumped out the window, Well, she only turned and smiled. You might think she would say something, But you'd have to wait a while.
Well the lady don't mind. No, no, no, the lady don't mind She just turns her head and disappears, I kinda like that style
Little boat that floats on a river, it's drifting through a haze She stops by whenever she wants to, well, there she goes again
Well, it's no trouble at all. No, no, no trouble at all Well, what she does Is all right with me, and I kinda like that style
Come on. come on. I go up and down. I like this curious feeling. I know, I see. It's like make believe. Cover your ears so you can hear what I'm saying. I'm not lost but I don't know Where I am. I got a question. All right. All right. This is what we like. Who knows, who knows, What I'm thinking
She says love is not what she's after, And everyone knows. Each time she looks in the mirror, She lets her feelings show.
Well, the lady don't mind No, no, no, the lady don't mind. Well, what she says is all right by me, And I kinda like that style
Uh-oh. Uh-oh. Here we go again I don't know, I don't know, What I'm sayin'. Hey man. Hey man. I sure don't feel the same She likes to say what she's feeling Hey. Did I get a big surprise. I know you think so. Come on. Come on. She says anything. Who knows, who knows, What she's thinking.
What causes people to continually relive what they most want to forget, and what treatments could help restore them to a life with purpose and joy? Here, Dr Bessel van der Kolk offers a new paradigm for effectively treating traumatic stress. Neither talking nor drug therapies have proven entirely satisfactory. With stories of his own work and those of specialists around the globe, The Body Keeps the Score sheds new light on the routes away from trauma - which lie in the regulation and syncing of body and mind, using sport, drama, yoga, mindfulness, meditation and other routes to equilibrium.
Deep slow breathing can increase vagal nerve activity, indexed by heart rate variability (HRV). HRV is also associated with better decision-making. This research examined the effects of two breathing patterns on HRV (Study 1) and on stress and decision-making performance (Study 2). In Study 1, 30 healthy people performed either a symmetric breathing pattern (equal ratio of inhaling/exhalation timing), a skewed pattern (exhalation longer than inhalation), or watched an emotionally neutral film (sham), following a baseline period. Both types of breathing patterns significantly increased time and frequency domain HRV parameters, while viewing the film did not. In Study 2, 56 students were randomized to perform 2 min of the skewed vagal breathing (experimental group) or to wait for 2 min (controls), before performing a 30-minute business challenging decision-making task with multiple choice answers. Stress levels were self-reported before and after the task. While controls reported elevations in stress levels, those in the experimental group did not. Importantly, participants in the experimental group provided a significantly higher percentage of correct answers than controls. These studies show that brief vagal breathing patterns reliably increase HRV and improve decision-making. Limitations, possible mechanisms and implications for business decision-making are discussed.
Visible is also the facial nerve. I feel both of these intensely now. This seems all connected and to chakras and organs and breath. They talk of mantras and music. I feel chakras while doing mantras. Vagus nerve slows heart so I guess when yogis consciously slow the heart it is over the vagus nerve.
A mythical beast with a combination of reptilian and serpentine traits, the Dragon features in the legends of several cultures the world over.
Although the dragons of the East and the West have quite similar physical characteristics, their symbolic representations are drastically different and, in a way, indicate the cultural differences between these civilizations. The most notable difference between the Asian and European dragons is that while the European folklore has portrayed the dragons as evil, fearsome and malevolent creatures, the Asian cultures regard them as benevolent beings.
European dragons: The European dragons are depicted as fire-breathing, winged beasts living in underground lairs or in rivers. They were believed to guard great treasures and were often associated with heroes who try to slay them. For instance, there is the all too familiar tale of the venerated military saint, Saint George killing a dragon. Thus, according to the European myths the dragons are symbolic of sin, wickedness, and ferocity. However, the Welsh folklore contains some notable exceptions to this view.
Asian Dragons: In the Orient, dragons symbolize wisdom, longevity, sexuality, fertility, procreation, and regeneration. They are seen as mythical beings having magical powers and symbolize water in the Asian cultures. The dragons of ancient India have been the Nagas’, serpents that existed in the underworld and harbored enmity with the Eagle-Man God, Garuda. These creatures were considered the wise and benign guardians of the life-giving properties of water.
Japanese Dragons: The Japanese dragons are considered to be water deities. These huge, wingless serpentine beasts with clawed feet are related to rain and water bodies.
Vietnamese Dragons: According to Vietnamese mythology too, dragons bring rainfall and are symbolic of life, growth, existence, and prosperity. Similarly, in the Korean culture also dragons are regarded as bringers of clouds and rain and are associated with water and agriculture.
Chinese Dragons: The ancient Chinese regarded the dragon as the most potent of all symbols of energy and good fortune. They believed it to be the harbinger of incredible luck, prosperity, abundance, consistent success and high achievement. It was said to represent potent propitious powers, especially control over rainfall, floods, and hurricanes. The dragon is still a very popular symbol that stands for valiance, heroism, boldness, self-confidence, power, excellence, perseverance, nobility, vitality and happiness. It brings about physical as well as spiritual well-being and strength. It is related to the spring season and is representative of auspiciousness and new beginnings.
Together with the Phoenix, the dragon symbolizes perfect balance. The dragon is a symbol of Yang and the phoenix of Yin and their union is representative of good luck, success, love, and enlightenment. The Chinese dragons are often depicted with a pearl under the chin. Generally, it is said that the pearl symbolizes riches, prosperity and great fortune, while some mystics believe it to represent wisdom, enlightenment, and truth.
While most of the other cultures view dragons only as an essential part of their folklore, the dragon symbol is still deep-rooted in the Chinese culture. It is a revered figure that continues being identified with excellence, success, and affluence.
American Dragons: The dragons in the modern North American and the ancient Mesoamerican mythologies are mostly serpentine in form. The US and Canada have a common dragon, the ‘Horned Snake’ that is not a bad creature and is believed to come to the aid of young women. The Mesoamerican dragons are important gods in the Aztec and the Mayan cultures. Most notable among them is the Feathered Serpent, the Quetzalcoatl or Kukulkan. The benevolent dragon is credited with creating the Earth and everything else on it. It was believed to devour evil people and could control the weather and the rain, just like the Chinese and many other Asian dragon.
