Synchromysticism

" Synchromysticism:
The art of realizing meaningful coincidence in the seemingly mundane with mystical or esoteric significance."
- Jake Kotze

October 1, 2017

Learning to Meditate to the Sound of Silence?

The Encouragement Stick
I've been thinking about practicing meditation for some time, so that probably is a meditation in and of itself I guess;-)
But I came across an article in 'Slow' magazine about learning to meditate to heavy metal music.
Sad to hear of 'Slow''s closure, by the way
I thought how Zen is that? 
Because I can't stand heavy metal music ... well most of it ... and I thought if I could learn to meditate while sounds I hate ring all around me, wouldn't that make me some kind of zen master of meditation?
Zen's Big Stick: The Kyosaku
To me it would be like getting constantly bashed in the eardrums by a big Zen "encouragement" stick.
But the article is about a lady named Kerryx who actually likes heavy metal music and teaches classes in a small, mirrored room with the lights turned down low and the sound turned up high.
Sounds like torture to me, but Kerryx finds it a soothing practice.
Kerryx recommends heavy metal bands like 'Bongripper', 'Corrupted', 'Sunn O)))', 'Boris' and 'Bohren & der Club of Gore' to meditate to.
I don't think I could tolerate heavy metal meditation any more than I could tolerate some asshole living next door to me playing their stereo full blast while I'm trying to sleep.
Not that I do have a neighbour who lives next door to me doing that, but be warned that if you ever moved next door to me and refused to turn your music down after a few reasonable requests, because all I can say is take a look at that 'Bongripper' album cover above for my "Plan B";-)
Maybe I should just put Glen Campbell's 'Everybody's Talkin'' song on full bore and try meditating to that on repeat, as I wouldn't find that so disturbing as heavy metal while trying to meditate.
Then again, I may just try for silence instead;-)
I saw that recent news article in my local paper pictured above about a ten minute song that you can download to play as the first song on your iPad/iPod shuffle list, as apparently your iPod/iPad always starts off with the song which is listed alphabetically highest on your track listings, which would explain why every time I set off in my car Coldplay's 'Adventure of a Lifetime' starts playing.
Riders on the Storm?
And as that article was next to a picture of Chris Martin's ex, Jennifer Lawrence I thought that was rather personally sycnchy for me.
Not to mention that I also wrote a post about seeing Jennifer Lawrence's movie 'Mother!' on my birthday -
FUTURE FOSSILS #41 – HANNAH YATA (ART, WILDERNESS, REBELLION), the Movie 'Mother!' and Being at the Crossroads
But I like the idea of starting my iPod on 'Adventure of a Lifetime' rather than a silent track, as it gives me a feeling that I'm off on an adventure, even if I'm just off to the shops to grab some milk and bread.
And besides I can always hit the skip button if I don't want a cold play;-)
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4 comments:

  1. Cade F.O.N Apollyon11:12 AM, October 01, 2017

    Just sayin' here...but when I first starting trying to meditate again a few years back, it eventually got so loud during these points of quietness, that I too started listening to music. Then after a while of doing that, even "the silence while listening to music" got too loud, so I cranked up the volume. (I always wear headphones) But yeah, it got to be like "a pissing contest with The Universe" to see who could get louder, then to see who could get quieter, and so on.

    That said...once, while in the middle of a sleep-deprivation stint...I fell asleep for 4 hours with my headphones on, and the music volume was @ maximum. When I woke up, is was a really strange sensation. Like I had somehow gone from complete silence to pretty fucking loud almost instantaneously, but was aware of both at the same time. I had been awake for over 9 days at that point. Finding balances in volume(s) is difficult. ;-)

    All that said, I've found that a good indoor and outdoor regimen helps, as does 86'ing a lot of the notions about what meditation is. I've found that most of the "standardized" crap is more "what meditation can be"...and less about what mediation actually is. You are unique afterall. I did goofy shit like sitting out in a field @ 3AM, it's raining cats and dogs, and I'm practicing poetry aloud or singing and using the trees and plants as my audience. /shrug

    Here's some music you prolly won't like. :P
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC4lOdiV2jk
    ^Simian Mobile Disco - Sleep Deprivation^
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N28FRdCs3k
    ^John Butler Trio cover Pharrell Williams 'Happy' for Like A Version^
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ko5ryBx65ZM
    ^Simian Mobile Disco - 10000 Horses Can't Be Wrong^
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7yRjD5yLv4
    ^Art vs Science cover Metallica 'Enter Sandman' for Like A Version^
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qc98u-eGzlc
    ^MESHUGGAH - Bleed (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)^
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdLSFzTrAmo
    ^Noisia -Diplodocus (Kill The Noise Remix) Full Version [HD]^
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeZlih4DDNg
    ^Vegan Black Metal Chef Episode 1 Pad Thai^

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  2. Brizdaz (Darren)6:58 PM, October 01, 2017

    That's pretty fascinating C.F.A, especially that 9-day sleepless stint.
    I'm flat out staying awake for 24 hours, never mind days at at time.
    I once met a truck driver who was bragging to me that he had been awake for 3 days driving his truck from Melbourne to Brisbane back and forward...and he looked like it.
    That was years ago when I was working at a big Swedish Furniture store...so I would imagine that the truckie has discovered Ice by now, or is dead, or both.
    The only meditating I've done with headphones was a Hemi-Sync Meditation program, which I found was pretty good, but in all honesty I just can't be bothered doing meditation sessions more frequently.
    It's like exercising, I know I should do it more often than I do, but I just never make the time to do it.
    I might get back to doing the Hemi-Sync stuff again now that you've jogged my memory with your comment C.F.A.
    And who knows, I might even do some jogging again sometime soon, too?
    But one step at a time I think;-)

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  3. Cade F.O.N Apollyon3:08 AM, October 02, 2017

    I'd never heard of hemi-sync till you mentioned it. But it did make me think of binaural beats, which I have listened to/are pretty cool to me personally.

    Looked up hemi-sync and I gave a video a short listen, but, meh....lotta talking and commands. Maybe another time. Thanks for mentioning it tho. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Brizdaz (Darren)6:20 AM, October 02, 2017

    It's the THE SHAMAN'S HEART WITH HEMI-SYNC® ALBUM that I listen to which I find pretty good
    http://shop.hemi-sync.com/products/273-the-shaman's-heart-with-hemi-sync%C2%AE-album/
    I actually downloaded it from iTunes and have it as one of the tracks on my iPod playlist...which I skip while driving when it shuffles around...for obvious reasons.
    I wrote a post about buying it in April 2016 called 'The Shaman's Heart'.

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