Some reflections on Burning Man 2007
By Ramona Mayhem
Purpose: noun, verb, as defined by the APA, CMS, & AMA
1. the reason for which something exists or is done, made, used, etc.
2. an intended or desired result, end, aim; goal.
3. determination, resoluteness.
4. the subject at hand; the point at issue.
How was it? A common question upon return by the wary, the non-believers, the skeptical, & the fascinated, curious parties who are polite enough to ask but do not venture to find out for themselves
There is a lot of banter back and forth within the burner community as to who belongs to which culture or that, and a lot of questions from people who have never been. What does it mean to be a burner? Why does one burn? Are you a tourist or a citizen? An observer or participant? What burns within each and all of us whether as an attendee at t.e.i.t.d. or not?
I struggle to put my feelings into words, to express the beauty of what IS when it has already become past tense. For one, long, glorious week beautiful friends, are all in one place and for the rest of the year they stretch all over the globe: New York, Reno, Portland, Santa Barbara, Seattle, Bellingham, Alaska, Northern Idaho, Olympia, L.A., Colorado, Ireland, Japan, Texas, San Diego & Francisco, Australia, Israel, Lebanon, Nebraska, France, Port Angeles, WA
How does one bring the big feelings from the playa back home? Better yet, apply that energy efficiently and compassionately? What is realistic and what is real? New friends, old friends, connections with people youd never expect and yet he/she conveys a sense of acceptance you are constantly striving for at home? Is it the freedom of no roads across the open playa on an old squeaky cruiser that needs air in its tires? Is it the incommunicable kindness of a stranger upon hunger expressed to a friend and he, overhearing, pulls out a favorite raw food protein bar and gifts it at midnight? Is it the ability to express living in a form so sincere, so unencumbered by distracting obligation that one actually has the strength and determination to take care of others? All of these are mere fractionated thoughts in the whirlwind of weathering playa storms and the often dehydrating neediness of others. Focus, Intent, Dreamz, Nectar, & add a little moisture in the experiential mix and we've got a mighty fine clay with which to build-- our visions, our thoughts, our collective health.... our selves. As gifts to others.
With the physical, emotional, and psychological torrents of Burning Man in mind-- thoughts include the collective un/conscious of it all--there may be 47,000 people sprawling with dis-orderly conduct out of their RV's and Art Camps, but the experience is shared on a very real, physical, visceral level (dust, heat, need ice, dust, dirty porta-potties, gale force winds, dust)with the radical fact that all people came together on PURPOSE. There is a reason why each and everyone has arrived, there is an intention behind the arrival, whether it be the escapist avoidance of the default world, a witness to the frenzied, fiery talent, or the cathartic expression of self-renewal through costumed personas and/or art projects. What is apparent is this city offers the opportunity to figure it out, whatever it is, from inside ourselves! We unleash our hearts with a calculated recklessnesswithin an environment where people so outlandish and expressive exist together in a concentrated pod of energy--the only thing holding you back from joining in is your ability to let go.
I was staring at my bookshelf the other day and my eyes came across Surfing the Himalayas, by Frederick Lend. Curious, I reached over and opened to a random page. The words on the page corresponded with various feelings I have of the burn. The principle characters, Master Fwap and his somewhat unwilling yet captivated student, Frederick, explore ideas both internal and external to the human psyche. Though a fictional recount combining many of his actual Himalayan adventures, Lend lends his ideas via Master Fwaps sentient wisdom conveying enlightenment and laughter, much like the Burning Man landscape lends its tabula rasa to the willing participant. For example--
(exerpts):
"The members of the Atlantean mystery school discovered the importance of keeping themselves aurically pure and clear from the thought forms, desires, fears, and negative emotions of others. They observed that most individuals, without consciously realizing it, absorb a great deal of psychic energy from the people they casually associate with, and an even a greater amount of psychic energy from the people with whom they have strong emotional connections."
(I would suggest that many go to the burn to become aurically pure -- arriving with the hope of purifyingvia environmental challenge, playful enhancement and shock values, costumed personas, sweat un-lodging thru intense dancing, laughter and surrender. One is then surrounded and absorbed into the lovely freedom and expressive nature of this landscapein a healthy way if desired, and allowed to learn much from and of self and through others.)
"The energies and mental states that we psychically pick up from the people we are emotionally close to or those with whom we physically interact build up on our subtle body, in much the same way that dirt builds up on our physical body during the course of a day. If they aren't cleansed from our subtle body each day through the practice of meditation, they will accumulate and eventually become extremely toxic...
(Unlike most of the populated world, the energies and mental states we psychically pick up on the playa from those around us are generally positive. One is cleansed through a solid week of letting go of the daily patterns of the default worldno clock but the rising and setting sun, having an otter pop for breakfast, bicycling in a white-out in anticipation of getting lost, hugging people with an open heart because it feels good, sensing when it is important to let someone elses trip eclipse your own so that she can feel safe again, a happy and healthy hedonism, and the ever present Burning Man mantra, Radical Self Reliance.)
"every person's mind acts like a radio transmitter: it constantly transmits the essence of their thoughts and emotions into the earth's aura. Now that the earth's population has grown well into the billions it has become very difficult even for individuals with a highly developed psychic facility to perceive things clearly."
"...perform this experiment. spend a few minutes by yourself... observe your mind. You will probably notice that you are neither thinking as much as you were before, nor are you thinking the same types of thoughts that you were earlier, when other people were around you."
(Bike out to the deep playa and apply these words. Spend considerable quality time counting stars and kissing your new BFF. Bike to the other side of the playa where the blinky lights beckon. Then throw yourself with joy and ecstasy into a throng of several thousand people wearing glo-fur grooving to deep bass funk beats and dirty disco. Hop on art car and go on a flight to Pluto. Circumambulate the city at five miles an hour at sunrise. Find Irish bar and have a splash of heritage for breakfast in the warming sun. How does it feel? What bliss are you transmitting now? Feel free to get back to me on that.)
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The weather has turned, my freckles fading, Ive moved into a new abode, and my bike tires finally got air. Upon return I miss my peeps especially so, I miss playing dress up and feeling as though being so bright was ever so normal, and I cant wait to hear the thump thump of the playa elusive Bassnectar-licious. I commit to wearing more color than ever. I feel so much love for the three broke dudes. You three are simply, supremely, the absolute best ever. I love you three so much its ridiculous. Shout outs & Squeezes to Annapurrna, Raquelisimia, Katie, Jaya, Gaia, Cosmic, Frommers2, Tantric Dan & the Mystic crew, Swinging Bed woman, Raquel my desert mermaid sister, DJ Diem, Gnome camp, & BRC diner for that half cheese sandwich on my way home when I was falling asleep on my bike! Kudos to Torsten, Ashram Galactica & the entire Boogie Universal crew. And Sue, a burner at heart whos never been. Yet.
YAY!
So how was it?
Burning man IS a purposeful, present experience helping me learn to live more fully & freely in love. A place to shed accumulated fears and disappointments. Upon return I strive to give and receive with unprecedented openness. (so difficult, so true) For many of us, cleansed by the silty dust, the sweat & tears of ecstatic dancing & laughter, we have further developed our purpose. We know in each and every one of our hearts we must follow our bliss.
Much love and respect,
Ramona Mayhem
