Booth #5: ThoRns Grove - Where Books Eat YOU

[Thorngrub]

... well, yes, that is a good point, only, consider: The entire point of having something "pulled from his own mind/psyche" as you suggested, may in truth end up BEING ONE AND THE SAME THING as having concluded that all of creation is interconnected in the first place. I.e, it really does become simply a matter of one's perspective.

I suppose the question becomes, then: Just how important might it be to you to hang on exclusively to that POV generated by your unique and sober individuality whilst alive in this lifetime? I, for one, fully encourage the idea that "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" (hence suggesting to the careful reader to go ahead and consider seriously NOT "breaking open the head").

But this in no way precludes the possible wisdom and /or benefits of going ahead and "breaking open the head" anyhow, for the very & precise reason of ATTAINING a POV that is different from that which your sober (or "individualistic" / "seperate") state offers.

That is where I think the "benefit" lies in pursuing altered states of consciousness. It becomes a sort of corroboration or verification of perceptions and conclusions one may have come about whilst perfectly sober; and furthermore, one must not dispense with the possibility that such altered states of perception might, indeed, not merely "corroborate" one's own (sober) views, but rather, STEER them towards a more accurate arena of perceiving the reality we are immersed in.

[Thorngrub]

In short, perhaps these substances should ONLY be used sparingly and when necessary. (Indeed, IF necessary...) Abuse of such substances might only lead to excessive neurological damage, it seems to me. Wise and sparing use of such substances, however, seems quite safe, health-wise, so long as the body is given enough time to recuperate and/or restabilize itself back to normal.

[Thorngrub]

I mean, the most mind -blowing thing about the whole subject (as I see it), is the very suggestion that one's own unconscious part of the psyche - what Jung termed "the collective unconsciousness" - and which we may assume just so happens to take part in that "90% of the brain which remains unused" (as you pointed out sisy) -- why, the most staggering association here is the suggestion that this "unused" portion may in fact BE tied in to the remainder of CREATION ITSELF, i.e, the entire cosmos and all life thriving throughout it.

It is this perspective which forces the new question: Perhaps it is not "ALL" of the cosmos; but rather, maybe each paticular galaxy is the "summation" of all Life/matter for that particular galaxy.

IN OTHER WORDS.... (drumroll, please) . . . . : I think what the "point" of these psychoactive substances may end up being, in the long run, is simply the revelation (perspective) that it is OUR GALAXY which is the one true entity, here. Much like a man-o'-war or Jellyfish floating in the expanses of the Universe. And homo sapiens may very well be but one aspect (such as "the stingers on its tentacles", for instance) of this singular, and quite alive, entity.

[sisyphus]

The entire point of having something "pulled from his own mind/psyche" as you suggested, may in truth end up BEING ONE AND THE SAME THING as having concluded that all of creation is interconnected in the first place. I.e, it really does become simply a matter of one's perspective.

When we discussed this Thorn, I agreed with you because I had considered it myself. However, upon further reflection, I'm not so sure. I agree, of course, that ultimately the unexplored inner realms of the mind/psyche may be the same thing as the the entire "external" cosmos, or even some umbilical cord that connects us to a larger cosmic womb or something. Any thing's possible. However, Daniel P's declarative statements that exclude the possibility of his visions being pulled from within his own mind still seems narrow, still seems to be missing the point... Yes, it's a matter of perspective, but ya ever notice how some perspectives have more things blocking them? Personally, I think it's about considering multiple perspectives. Daniel P's may be right, but there may be other wider perspectives. For example, a marriage of the two views we are discussing: Daniel P's hallucinogenic visions draw on something that is paradoxically both external AND internal. Clearly you agree with this, but is Daniel open to it? Could opening his mind to this possibility aide his search for truth? To realize that he is not separate from everything, but apart of it?

[Thorngrub]

Well, at the very least we should think more about the curious fact that we allegedly only use a small percentage of our brain power. "The interconnectedness of all life" really does go a looooong way toward explaining just why we have such a majority of our brains (apparantly) not being used! *We're hardwired to the whole shebang obviously*

Man I'm letting that soak in, and I'll tell you what - - it's got me reeling, here. *For the first time* in my life have I been led to see, for myself, a perfectly reasonable explanation for that curious fact (that we only "use" a small percentage of our brain capacity).

Once you back up from the "big picture" of all life being inextricably connected - sharing 99% identical DNA - it really adds up to one more piece of the puzzle snapping perfectly into place.


But to answer your question, YES, opening his mind to this possibility should most certainly aid him in his quest for the truth.

Yet another good reason to contact him.


~ ~ ~

On a whimsical note:
When you typed "To realize that he is not separate from everything, but apart of it?, I couldn't help but notice the semantic difference between stating "a part of it" and "apart of it" . . . how merely overlooking a space can not only change the intended meaning . . . but practically make it the opposite! I just thought it was funny . . . . "a part"/"apart" ...

[Thorngrub]

.. . . there's a "connection" there . . . *more paradox*!

[Thorngrub]

[Fuzznuts]

Great book.

[Thorngrub]

Man, I'm diggin the hell out of it, right now (and I'm only maybe 60 pages in).
It is very rare for me to be able to say something is a joy to read.
This book is just that, despite - or is it partly because of - the tragedy of dealing w/his parent's imminent deaths - whatever the case -- the author deals with it w/such wit,
good nature, and grace - it really is amazing to read.

I love how the author comes across like your best friend. Swear to god I looked at the author's pic on the back inner sleeve, and I could almost swear that I knew him, once ! I'm like all "I know this guy", thinking real hard back to my years living in Boston and Portland, and New Hampshire. He just comes across - not to mention resembles - like such a close personal friend, reading his account brings the term "refreshing" into a new perspective.

I love how he makes all these wack suggestions at the beginning, to better enjoy the book. Like when he suggests that if you want to, just stop reading after Chapter 4. That way, at least you get to about page 109, and the first four chapters really contain the nutshell of what he's writing about, and that the rest of the novel kinda falls apart after that.

You get the impression he is so sincere - that I kid you not, I may just take him up on that advice. I know I've already gotten enough out of it, that is, to make my having picked it up in the first place, totally worthwhile, and I think I'm still on chapter 1.

Something tells me, however, that once I complete the first 4 chapters, I won't be able to help myself but to keep on reading. This is one of the most human books I've ever read.

It's rocking my world.


thanks sisy

[Thorngrub]

My favorite book.

[sisyphus]

I just finished reading this book that I had picked up at a library sale for 25 cents, and simply because of my attraction to bright red hair. It was a pretty quick read, and not the most amazingly well-written book I've ever laid hands on, but I thought the ideas in the story were fascinating. For the story, Page invented a small Finnish religious cult that did not allow it's members to own or look at any images or representations of reality. Here's a question on her website that sums it up:

Q. Is Envallism, the protestant sect in The Story of My Face, a real religious sect?

A. No. Or rather, not to my knowledge…

The latter half of the nineteenth century was a time of religious revival in Finland but Tuomas Envall was not a real person, and none of the sects that arose then were exactly like his. One of the inspirations for the book was a dimly remembered story someone once told me about a Christian sect in which photographs were banned. I was drawn to it by a mixture of horror (how fanatical!) and interest (a consumer culture such as ours is an image-saturated culture and sometimes I think this complicates life for us to a point that is harmful). A distrust of images has, at different times in history, characterised various religions and sects but when I began to research the book, I did not manage to trace the particular group I had been told about. On the other hand, I found many religious groups with far stranger beliefs, customs and prohibitions, surviving perfectly well in a so-called rational age. [See: The Religious Movements Page at University of Virginia] Actually, I think I would have been wary, in any case, of using a real group of people.

[Thorngrub]

My favorite Outlaw Punk Writer has penned this badass tale about the Predator, taking place on the Predator's home planet, "Midnight":



Can you say "kickass" ~ ?

If you ever got into the adventure stories of Edgar Rice Burroughs in younger days, this book will relight that inner flame on page 1. Hot stuff.

[Thorngrub]

Oh man O man, finally got this from the Zinger www.ziesingbooks.com/, we're talkin the legendary, 10 years in the making, 3rd installment in the infamous inspired-by & dedicated-to George A. Romero collections that began in 1989 w/THE BOOK OF THE DEAD, continued a few years later w/STILL DEAD, and finally has resolved itself into this massive, nearly 500-page hardcover volume of the sickest, most twisted, gross-out ultraviolent flesh-eating sexually depraved horror zombie stories imagineable. (Um, that would be not for the squeamish? m'k)

MONDO ZOMBIE is here at last, and lemme tell ya . . . it looks beautiful. Put out by Cemetary Dance www.cemetarydance.com * Note: If you intend to purchase this book, please do us all a favor and buy it from Mark V. Ziesing, rather than direct from the publisher. He just happens to be the friendliest, most reliable, coolest, hippest, downright down-to-earthest bookseller/publisher we have in the country. He lives near Shingletown, California w/his lovely wife Cindy, they run their business out of their basement garage, and if you buy books from them, you will be feeding into a karmic cycle that is sure to put forth mondo bonus points into the fate of the cosmos, which you happen to share & be an integral part of. Thank you

In any case, yeah I just got this puppy in the mail yesterday along w/a few other kickass items, which I may share w/you here after having my morning coffee, and if, perchance, work ain't slammed enuff to prevent from doing so.

[Thorngrub]

[Thorngrub]

Am currently working my way through this indispensable tome for serious creative writers.