Sunday, April 27, 2008

Use Dreams to Inspire Your Art

Have you ever awakened from a dream so inspired that you immediately had to write down a new idea for a play, draw a picture, or write a poem? If so, youre not alone. While dreams can be useful for solving problems and sorting priorities, they also have inspired countless artists working in the literary, visual, and performing arts.

The first step, of course, is remembering and recording your dreams. Keep a note pad, drawing pad, or tape recorder (whichever best suits your form of artistic expression) on your nightstand to record the most interesting or creative dreams as soon as you awake. If you rise during the night, record any dreams or dream fragments at that time, too.

TheB4D most important thing to remember when using your dreams as sources of creative inspiration is to write down all the details before you forget them. Save the development of the idea for when youre fully awake. When recording information about your dreams, be sure to include the following: date; descriptive title; underlying theme; characters present (known and unknown); setting; story; and emotions felt.

After your dreams are recorded, you can adapt them for your art in various ways. Obviously not every dream is packed full of artistic genius, but when the rare dream of profound insight and deep revelation does find its way into your nightly mindscreen, youll be ready for it.

To use your recorded dreams to their best advantage, you need to look beneath the surface for combinations of ideas and dream symbols. The dreaming mind has a way of solving problems by combining ideas in unexpected ways. Without the censoring apparatus imposed during the day, your mind is free to explore new connections. Look for these unusual combinations of ideas to find the unifying link. Can that link be adapted for your art?

Next examine the symbols present in your dream. Beyond the literal meaning of words and images, you may find funny, clever, naughty, touching, or terrifying symbols that can be used artistically. Dont be afraid to explore these symbols or use free association to link the symbols to your art.

If youre occasionally able to use dreams to inspire literary (poetry, prose), visual (paintings, sculpture, photography, etc.), and performing arts (film, theater, music, dance, etc.), then youll be in good company. Some of the most famous works of art were inspired by actual dreams or by the process of dreaming. Here are a few of my favorites that you also might want to investigate in your pursuit of artistic excellence:

Poetry and Prose

Kubla Khan, poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Frankenstein, fiction Mary Shelley

Book of Dreams, nonfiction by Jack Kerouac

Paintings

The Dream, 1910 by Henri Rousseau, French

Der Traum (The Dream), 1921 by Max Beckmann, German

Persistance de la Memoire (The Persistence of Memory), 1931 by Salvador Dali, Spanish

El Sueno (The Dream), 1940 by Frida Kahlo, Mexican

Dreamer on the Ark, 1998 by Sakti Burman, Indian

Films

The Wizard of Oz (1939, Victor Fleming); Family classic, American

Spellbound (1945, Alfred Hitchcock): Thriller, American

Wild Strawberries (1957, Ingmar Bergman): Psychological drama, Swedish

Belle De Jour (1967, Luis Bunuel): Erotic drama, French

Akira Kurosawas Dreams (1990, Akira Kurosawa): Collection of short films, Japanese

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So start recording your dreams and adapting them to your artwork. Do it tonight while its still fresh in your mind. Its never too late to let your nightly dreams help your life-long dreams come true.

Copyright 2006 Leslie Halpern

Central Florida entertainment writer Leslie Halpern wrote the book Dreams on Film: The Cinematic Struggle Between Art and Science (McFarland & Company), an analysis of representations of sleeping and dreaming in more than 125 movies. She also is the author of Reel Romance. The Lovers Guide to the 100 Best Date Movies (Taylor Trade Publishing), which reviews date movies and suggests romantic ideas inspired by these films. Visit her website at http://home.cfl.rr.com/lesliehalpern/leslie_halpern.htm Both books are available at http://www.Amazon.com and http://www.Barnesandnoble.com

Dreams Meaning - Exact Proven Scientific Translations

There are too many dream interpreters and too many methods of dream interpretation, but none of them can assure you that they have really translated the exact meaning of each symbol that appeared in your dreams. They may somehow tell you what the symbol may mean, without explaining to you anything about the way they found their answers and without completely trusting their interpretation. Everyone is confused in this matter.

When I was searching the dreams meaning, I had great difficulty in finding the method that could really help me. I looked for all the existing scientific methods because I understood that each psychologist gives importance to our dreams. The dreams seemed to be an important source of information, but I couldn't translate their language in order to understand their messages.

Many people want to learn the dreams meaning because they believe that their dreams can make predictions and give them important information about many things they want to learn. When I started to study my dreams I wanted very much to discover this part too. I never looked for popular dream interpretations, because I understood that they were subjective and baseless. Of course, one may find some remarkable translations of the dreams symbols that really correspond to their real meaning because they are the result of observation of many people.

Lets suppose that some people from a village care about their dreams and that each time that someone in the village sees a certain object in their dream, something terrible happens to the village. Then they relate that object as a sign of bad luck. This way, many popular interpretations are valid. However, we never know if these popular interpretations are really the result of many years of observation and the result of the comparison of many dreams and many similar facts or events, or if they are just someones opinion.

So, we cannot trust these interpretations, even though some of them can be really helpful, if they are really the result of the observation of many people and the comparison of many dreams and facts related to them, because this is the way that a scientist discovers the symbolic meaning of a dream. This study when done by a scientist is very serious; its not the result of two or three comparisons. A scientist has to give us explanations. He cannot just say that this thing means that and expect us to accept his statement as if it were undoubtedly true.

Many psychologists and psychiatrists tried to translate the strange language of dreams, but until today, nobody knows for sure who discovered the truth. Some people believe that one of them is right, whereas some follow another one, and some dont give any importance to their dreams. Dream interpretation is not something that we could specifically define and its not something that people consider important. Most people usually completely despise the dreams they see when they sleep.

So, it is an obscure matter.

I couldn't accept this situation though and I studied the dreams intensely, searching for the correct interpretation until I found it. Τoday we know for sure which is the exact translation of the symbolic language of our dreams, which I have proved like a scientist in my scientific ebook about this subject, continuing the research made by the famed psychiatrist and psychologist Carl Jung, who really discovered the exact translation for the dreams symbols!

However, Carl Jungs method is very complicated, and he can scarcely be understood. Besides, he accepts ignorance in the end of his trip inside the human psyche, while I had indications from the unconscious that produces the dreams showing me that I should continue the research beyond the point where Jung accepted ignorance and stopped it.

My discoveries were amazing, so amazing that nobody believed me when I started telling everyone what I found inside the human psychic sphere. Thats why I had to write a book, explaining to everyone what exactly is hidden in the human psychic sphere, after explaining them how we can translate the exact symbolic meaning of our dreams.

I greatly simplified Jungs complicated method, discovering for myself many meanings he could not find. Moreover, I realized that our dreams are more than very important, because they can cure us from the craziness we inherit in our psychic sphere. They can show us anything and help us solve any problem!

Its also true that we can predict the future interpreting our dreams, but the visions we see are not about the things we desire to see, they are very serious. We see dreams with visions only when theyll help us understand something very important or when theyll help us avoid a big danger. Its not true that we cannot change our destiny if we can predict that something bad is going to happen to us. If we follow the wise orientation the unconscious gives us in our dreams, we can certainly avoid what is bad and find the path that wil2D47l lead us to peace and psychic health.

Prevent Depression and Craziness through the scientific method of Dream Interpretation discovered by Carl Jung and simplified by Christina Sponias, a writer who continued Jung's research in the unknown region of the human psychic sphere. Learn more at: http://www.scientificdreaminterpretation.com and http://www.booksirecommend.com

Click here and download your copy of the Free ebook

Beating Depression and Craziness

What is a Paradigm Shift?

A Paradigm Shift is when a significant change happens - usually from one fundamental view to a different view. In most cases, some type of major discontinuity occurs as well.

Thomas Kuhn wrote about Paradigm Shift during the early 1960s, and explained how "series of peaceful interludes punctuated by intellectually violent revolutions" caused "one conceptual world view to be replaced by another view."

In laymen terms, Paradigm Shift is a popular, or perhaps, not so popular shift or transformation of the way we Humans perceive events, people, environment, and life altogether. It can be a national or international shift, and could have dramatic effects -- whether positive or negative -- on the way we live our lives today and in the future.

Paradigm Shift: A Summary

In today's society, we've all witnessed a major shift already. When we look back upon "counterculture" (More information here: http://psychcentral.com/psypsych/Counterculture), we trace some of the origins to the definition of "Paradigm Shift."

During the counterculture era (1960s-1970s), younger generations opposed authority and were very much at odds with society's accepted belief systems and standards of living. In the counterculture movement (fueled by the Vietnam War), social conservatives were deemed "social repressionists."

The enlightening Paradigm Shift exploded into innovative ideas about religion, society and spirituality, notwithstanding traditional Western ideologies.

In today's society, we see a shift toward a more blinded-oppresionistic view; breed by censorship. The ironic juxtapositions between the Paradigm Shift of nearly half a century ago and society's youth today are chillingly revelational.

Youth's opposition to authority may n5B4ot have always been in the best interest of humanity; however, it was the Paradigm shift that led to revolutional changes that improved racial tensions and relationships, opened communication lines to outside nations, and ended the Vietnam War.

The end result included varying degrees of negative and positive transformations that allowed people to open their hearts and minds to multicultural diversity; and promoted liberty and freedom -- on the flipside of the shift, there was increased promiscuity, higher divorce rates, higher drug use, and imposed socialistic views and applications of welfare systems.

Today's Paradigm Shift

In lieu of recent times; however, a Paradigm Shift has been evolving. Have you been paying attention? Youth -- today, is seemingly under the hypnotic spell of invisible censorship. What is "invisible censorship?" Local news stations often report half-truths, or biased news reports in relation to national and international events; including: environmental, global, and political reports. Many traditional educational systems are imposing personal political views upon students; and incorporate these beliefs and attitudes into instructional plans. Other invisible censorship, is the fact that many events are brushed under the rug and are not given adequate media coverage as opposed to propaganda-style news.

So, in essence, what does this Paradigm Shift translate to with regard 503to human life and environmental habits? What could be the possible outcome of such dynamic and interventional metamorphosis?

Your thoughts?

2005 - All Rights Reserved
Paradigm Shift: A Summary
By C. Bailey-Lloyd

C. Bailey-Lloyd is a professional writer of poetry books, poetry and informative articles on many subjects. More in-depth biographical information can be found at Somewhere Along the Beaten Path at MySpace.com.

NOTICE: Article(s) may be republished free of charge to relevant websites, as long as Author Resource Box (above) is included, and ALL Hyperlinks REMAIN intact and active.

Live Up To Your Dream And Become A Famous Guitar Player

Most children have dreams about what they want to do when they grow up or what they are when they want to grow up. Many of these dreams include becoming a fireman, a policeman or even an astronaut. However, most of these dreams tend to fade as the children grow into maturity. One dream that many people still dare to dream is that of becoming a rock star or a musician of some sort.

The idea of playing the guitar in front of large, cheering crowds of fans appeals to most people even into the more advanced years in life. Unlike most dreams, dreams of being a guitar player do not often fade quietly into our memori79Bes but persist and sometimes even haunt us.

What if there was a way that you could turn this dream of being a guitar player into more than just a dream? What if you could make your dreams come true? Would you be interested in earning fame and fortune for playing your guitar music to adoring fans? Almost everybody would have to say yes but then again, many people think it is still impossible because it is too late or they think that learning to play the guitar now will be difficult or even impossible.

Fortunately, you do not have to spend decades, years or even months learning to play the guitar. There are some guitar guides that will allow you to pick up the guitar and begin playing real music within a matter of days and in some cases, even hours. How good you get and becoming famous as a rock star will be strictly up to you but you can now learn to play the guitar quickly and easily.

Dare to dream. Do not give up on your dreams only because somebody else thinks they are impossible to attain. Find a good guitar guide and get started playing the guitar today.

To learn more about guitar playing, grab your copy of "Play Your Guitar In 48 Hours Or Less!" immediately before it's gone for good... http://www.GuitarGuide.com

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Monday, April 14, 2008

Spontaneous Human Combustion

and Electrical Discharges in the Subtle Body

Plasma is often described as the fourth state of matter, after solid, liquid, and gas. It is also sometimes described as an ionized gas i.e. a gas in which the energy level is so high that the electrons escape from the atoms. This results in soups of charged particles which are overall quasi-neutral.

Spontaneous Combustions in Space Plasma

Plasma tends to separate into different regions according to temperature, density and other physical properties. When this happens a "double-layer" or plasma sheath develops around these regions and a "plasma cell" is formed. A double layer is a structure in plasma that consists of two parallel electrostatic layers with opposite electrical charge. The two thin sheets of charge cause a strong electric field and a correspondingly abrupt change in voltage (or electrical potential) across the double layer. The charge distribution in a double layer is therefore very similar to the charge distribution in a capacitor. To that extent, a double layer acts like a capacitor.

Plasma cells moving relative to one another induce electric currents in each other, generating filamentary currents and forming electrical circuits. Prodigious amounts of electrical energy developed in one plasma cell may be carried over many billions of light years through these filamentary currents to burst suddenly (as an electrical discharge) from a very small and localized region. Nobel laureate Hannes Alfvén had proposed that, "...X-ray and gamma-ray bursts [in space] may be due to exploding double layers." Furthermore, since the double layer gets energy from the entire circuit, the explosion can be far more energetic than expected from the energy that is locally present.

An electrical discharge in space is a sudden release of stored electrical or magnetic energy when the electromagnetic stress exceeds some threshold. In space plasma, cells containing different types of plasma develop double layers that play the role of energy-storing capacitors which can discharge their stored energy suddenly. These discharges are localized and are usually accompanied by violent processes such as rB68apid heating, ionization and the generation of prodigious amounts of electromagnetic radiation.

Capacitors

In electrical circuits, energy is stored in capacitors. The capacitor is important for its ability to quickly store and release electrical energy. Some of the highest energy experiments in the world are performed using large banks of charged capacitors to produce intense discharges.

A capacitor is made of two conductors separated by an insulator. When charge is placed on one conductor it attracts charge of the opposite polarity on the other conductor. As a result, an electric field is set up between the conductors and a reservoir of electrical energy forms. As the charge on the capacitor increases, the electric field between the conductors increases, placing a growing stress on the insulator. At some critical point, the insulator breaks down and the capacitor "short circuits," releasing the stored electrical energy. Such breakdowns may destroy the capacitor. However, if the charging rate is slow the damage may repair itself as fresh insulating material (for example, air) rushes in. If the current is strong or the insulator weak, current will pass between the conducting plates, either steadily or in bursts.

Many natural systems on Earth form capacitors as well. For example, the Earth's surface and its ionosphere are two conducting layers which are separated by air – hence this system acts as a capacitor. A bolt of lightning is an electrical discharge within this system.

Capacitors in the Subtle Body

According to plasma metaphysics, the same phenomenon that occurs in space and on Earth can occur within our subtle bodies. It holds the view that our subtle bodies are composed of magnetic plasma or "magma" which generates filamentary currents that are also found in space plasma (see this author’s article on Acupuncture Meridians and the Cosmic Spider Web) and the low density magnetic plasma spheres that interpenetrate Earth (see this author’s article on Acupuncture Meridians and the Terrestrial Spider Web) .

Plasma metaphysics observes that the center of the magma or bioplasma body (coinciding somewhat with the lower abdomen of the biomolecular body) contains a pool of the highest density charged magnetic plasma of heavy particles (originating from the fiery core of the subtle counterpart body of the Earth). (This is normally identified as "kundalini" or "Earth qi" in the metaphysical literature.) It is separated from a pool of lower density magnetic plasma of lighter particles of an opposite polarity near the head (this plasma can be identified loosely with "prana" and "Heaven qi" which mainly originates from the subtle counterpart body of the Sun). As noted above, plasma with different characteristics self-organize into "cells" with double-layers around themselves. Hence, a double layer deve5B4lops within the torso of the bioplasma body separating the two types of plasma. This double layer operates as a capacitor.

Various types of instabilities have been seen to occur in double layers in laboratory plasmas. Unstable double layers generate oscillations across a wide frequency spectrum and are therefore often described as "noisy". A lack of plasma stability may lead to a dramatic change in configuration and is often referred to in the literature as an "explosion" (and hence "exploding double layer"). These types of explosions were first observed in mercury arc rectifiers, used in high-power direct-current transmission lines, where the voltage drop across the device was seen to increase by several orders of magnitude. Just as exploding double layers in space cause a burst of energy, drawing energy from the connecting circuits, it is not inconceivable that the double layers in our magma or bioplasma bodies would do the same, drawing energy from the circuits identified as "meridians" in Chinese acupuncture.

In Chinese Qigong studies, qi is said to accumulate in specific areas – identified as "qi vessels" (also sometimes called "qi reservoirs"). There are eight of these qi vessels; four of the most important vessels lie within the torso – including two at the lower abdominal region. These vessels act like the capacitors in electrical circuits which store electrical charge, according to Dr Yang Jwing-Ming – an auth5B4ority on Qigong. From the perspective of plasma metaphysics, these vessels are plasma cells containing different types of plasma with double layers around them which act like capacitors.

A capacitor can supply a large burst of power during a brief period. For example, in cameras, a capacitor is discharged quickly through a flash bulb, lighting the bulb brightly for an instant. In "capacitor discharge welding", a bank of capacitors is charged and then the discharged current is applied across the joint between the work pieces. A high temperature phenomenon, accompanied by blinding light, seals the joints. This type of welding method has also been used to shrink objects.

How does it Happen?

Ordinarily, a coherent magnetic plasma (or "magma") body is protected by a transparent or translucent (double-layered) membrane around the ovoid which protects the body because it provides a resistance to the currents in the magnetic plasma spheres that interpenetrate Earth. (These currents are often described as "ley lines" or "dragon lines" in the metaphysical literature. In plasma metaphysics they are identified more formally as "Birkeland currents" i.e. currents that arise from charged particles coursing through magnetic field lines. The first complete map of "Birkeland currents" in the Earth’s polar region was developed in 1974 from satellite-borne magnetic field observations.)

However, a magma body can become fragmB68ented due to an undisciplined wandering mind. This happens when plasma with different physical properties and pulsating at different frequencies within the body separate into different regions forming plasma cells. Forces are generated from the separations which cause a pressure to develop on the membrane. This results in stresses and strains which can rupture the protective insulating membrane and reduce its resistance to the external currents. This allows strong currents in the environment to "leak" into the magma body in an uncontrolled manner. The charge from the currents accumulates within the capacitors in the lower physical-etheric body. As the charge builds-up, the electric field between the conductors increases. When the threshold is reached an electrical discharge, lasting only a split-second, occurs in the magma body. If this magma body is the lower physical-etheric body it can impact the physical-biomolecular body, causing it to suddenly combust. (The dominant left brain's discriminatory and analytical thought processes in human beings, associated with the acquisition of language, are primarily implicated in the fragmentation of the plasma body. Other animals, on the other hand, have not developed the neural processes associated with left brain activity to any significant extent comparable to humans.)

In spontaneous human combustions the burns are not distributed evenly over the body - the extremities are usually untouched by fire but the torso suffers severe burning. In many cases, the torso is completely destroyed, the bones being completely reduced to ash. This is not surprising as the most important capacitors in the lower physical-etheric body can be identified in the torso. An uncontrolled huge electrical discharge from any of these capacitors can cause a spontaneous combustion of a significant portion of the physical-biomolecular body – radiating out from the torso.

The energies of our subtle (high energy) magma bodies far exceed anything the biomolecular body can withstand. In spontaneous human combustions the rate of total body burning is much faster than in the hottest crematoriums. Almost no fire damage is done to other objects in the vicinity of the body. Often the victims’ clothes are untouched by the fire. Hence, it is highly localized – just like in situations involving electrical discharges in space plasma or a bolt of lightning. The evidence also points to a situation where the fire starts from "within". The lower physical-etheric body is an extension of the physical-biomolecular body and is capable of generating a highly energetic burst of energy at high frequencies resulting in a highly localized ‘subtle fire’ that appears to erupt from within the physical-biomolecular body.

Electrical Discharges during Meditation and Prayer

"'Real Yoga' is as dangerous to an impure and undisciplined body as a maB68tch to a cask of gunpowder." – Annie Besant

In the meditative state of one-pointedness (also known as "hot" meditation or "active" meditation under the Newberg-Aquili model) or in qigong exercises, a person opens himself or herself up to absorb energy from the environment. Ruptures in the membrane of the magma body of an undisciplined person reduce the resistance of the magma body to external currents. If unsupervised by a teacher, a prodigious amount of current may leak into the magma body of the undisciplined and unsuspecting meditator. This energy will accumulate in an uncontrolled manner in the torso. When the electromagnetic stress exceeds a certain threshold, the current is discharged in a brief moment and a spontaneous human combustion occurs in extreme cases. In order to reduce the risk of this happening, meditators should go on to more energetic exercises in a gradual manner under the supervision of a more experienced person.

"Your body must be able to withstand the high voltage of this energy. Some of the delicate sinews of your body may be damaged if the voltage is too high for you to bear." – Osho (formerly known as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh)

Uncontrolled surges of electromagnetic energy during meditation or prayer can damage the cells of the physical-biomolecular body. If it is close to any vital organ such as the heart, it can cause death. If it is near the brain, it can cause a breakdown of neural processes which may result in insanity. It can lead to spontaneous combustion of certain parts of the body. It is important in these cases to interrupt or absorb any flows of charged particles (or currents) from the body.

According to Osho, a modern mystic, the use of wooden platforms for meditation had no other purposes than the fact that they were poor conductors of electricity. Deer and leopard skins were also frequently used for the same purpose: so that electromagnetic energy that is released during meditation does not damage the internal organs of the physical-biomolecular body. "A man can be killed by this electric shock," said Osho. "Therefore, the sadhak [or Yoga practitioner] puts on wooden sandals and slept on a wooden platform."

Can it Happen to You?

EEG studies show that the hypnotic state is not a form of sleep. In fact, it is a form of focused altertness, with increased attention in one area and reduced attention in other areas – much like the meditative state of one-pointedness.

You may not feel like you are in a trance or in hypnosis. For most people they simply feel relaxed. Scientists say that people who lose themselves in a movie, a book, or a day-dream are probably experiencing a mild form of self-hypnosis. In fact, all of us pass through brief periods of hypnosis every day just prior to falling asleep and once again immediately before waking-up completely. Hence, the same risk of a spont5B4aneous human combustion or damage due to uncontrolled electromagnetic discharges from the lower physical-etheric body will exist when you are absorbed in a day-dream or TV program; or when you are just waking-up or going to sleep – as when you are meditating.

For most people, however, this risk would be low as generally our subtle bodies, composed of dark matter, only weakly interact with our biomolecular bodies, composed of ordinary matter. For unsupervised regular meditators who deliberately interact with their lower physical-etheric body in a persistent and forceful way (and whose subtle bodies are generally fragmented and pulsating at different rates), this risk may be higher.

The Borderline - "Gray" Matter

Based on our current understanding of interactions between dark and ordinary matter, electromagnetic interactions are generally ruled-out. Nevertheless, there is no reason not to posit a class of objects which are on the borderline between dark and ordinary matter, such as the cosmic filaments discussed in the author’s article Acupuncture Meridians and the Cosmic Spider Web. These gray matter objects, at the threshold between dark and ordinary matter, are generally invisible. However, ordinary matter which condenses around them gives out detectable radiation. Alternatively, gray matter objects may experience temporary falls in energy levels which enable them to emit lower frequenc5B4ies associated with ordinary matter. Or a combination of both may occur. (Hence, gray matter objects can cross the borderline between ordinary and dark matter intermittently or under special conditions.)

Objects in the lower physical-etheric plane are such gray matter objects. According to the metaphysical literature, the lower physical-etheric plane is an extension of the physical-dense plane. Hatha Yoga, general Qigong practices and Chinese acupuncture are associated primarily with the lower physical-etheric body. Electrical discharges from the lower physical-etheric body can therefore impact the physical-biomolecular body electromagnetically, intermittently or under special conditions.

© Copyright Jay Alfred 2007

Jay Alfred is the author of three books on a new field called "plasma metaphysics". The books include Our Invisible Bodies, Brains and Realities and Between the Moon and Earth. Plasma metaphysics is the application of plasma and dark matter physics to the study of our high energy subtle bodies and their corresponding environments. These bodies include the "bioplasma" bodies and "astra2E9l" bodies found in the metaphysical literature. Plasma metaphysics provides an internally consistent framework for the study of these bodies against the backdrop of modern physics. The books are available at Amazon online bookstores.

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Simple Life

A Simple Life, a Complicated Man: Finding Balance with Red Snow Fence

Cahuenga Press has just released Red Snow Fence by Harry E. Northup (Cahuenga is a cooperative press and Red Snow Fence is the 15th book they have published since their inception in 1989). The collection includes poems written from October 2002 through September 2005.

As I read Northup’s poetry I would have felt like a voyeur were it not apparent that Northup’s generous heart was inviting me into his private conversations about poetry, film and love, those most universal and thus most intimate themes. This is the delicate balance of Red Snow Fence, that tilted structure that holds the cold, harsh realities of the world at bay in order to allow us to live in a protected place. Artists like Harry E. Northup, gifted and yet generous with his gift, embody that structure. A constant theme in the book is his quest for a listening, open community of souls, willing to participate in a shared exchange as in past periphery:

communion requires depth,
mystery, respect, a listening to one
another

As I read and listened to his day-to-day life with his wife (poet Holly Prado) and his cats and his work, I could not help but weep at the simplicity, at the clarity of love, of passion and compassion that he embodies - just a man writing in the middle of the night with a cat on his lap and wife sleeping in the next room as in the night:

the night has always been a friend
& i am with cats, my wife sleeps
& i write, no longer alone

The book also chronicles his trials and triumphs as a working actor in Hollywood and in that world of material rewards, Northup reminds us that while some find only modest success and most grow bitter, there is something more important at stake in the reason heart:

& in 2 or 3 are there caring and comfort
& in most a desire to work, an uncaring
for films & directors i hold dear

& in hemmingway was the theme
of continuing life with grace & dignity
even though physical damage &
damage to the psyche has taken place

& the spiritual pain has an inner
indefinable reason to hope
& it is why i read & why i write

While the first two thirds of the book is grounded in the physical daily realities, the last third of Red Snow Fence takes us on a journey of night visions which seem to me to be part memory, part premonition. I was struck by the beauty in these abstract images and in awe of an artist who could go from the basic reality of everyday world to the surreal terror and hope and spiritual soaring of these poems. In particular, I responded to recluse of light, perhaps because the visions reminded me of my North Dakota roots, so similar to the earlier images of Northup’s native Nebraska:

seclusion, green valley & then a
rolling disc, giant wheels turn
golden wheat, grain elevator, moon
full & golden also, an eye above a
dark ship, pushing in the darkness

For me, it felt like passing memory but also spiritual awakening. Truth is buried deep within our subconscious and waiting for us just beyond our imagination at one and the same time. The simple truth is that Red Snow Fence by Harry E. Northup has deeply affected this reader and writer of poetry and will resonate with me for a very long time.

Sanora Bartels received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from North Dakota State University. She has studied with various mentors, including Cathy Colman (Borrowed Dress”) in her Unleash the Writer Within workshops and her Master Poetry Class. She has been a featured reader at several venues, including Skylight Books in Hollywood, Midnight Special Book Store in Santa Monica, The Rose Café in Venice, CA and Projectile Poetry. Two of her poems, Elegy and Untouchable, appeared in the 20th edition of Wordwrights! magazine. Sanora is a co-founder of http://www.LAwritersgroup.com and co-runs a weekly writers’ group with her business partner, Nicole Criona. She is a graduate of the University of Southern California with a Master of Professional Writing degree. Her chapbook of poetry is titled The Order of Things.

The Power of Images and Symbols

Ordinary Images Constantly Influence Our Lives When the woman claimed she didn't have "images" because she didn't "see pictures" when she closed her eyes, I was very pleased. That's because it's always fun to take a group of imagery workshop participants through an animal exercise in which I ask everyone to close their eyes and imagine that a baby animal is right outside the room. Then when I suggest that the door opens and the animal enters, the smiles begin. Every single person, even those who don't "visualize" things in their inner landscape, have a great time.

After several minutes, when they open their eyes and share what happened, it's amazing to discover how many animals have been invited into that room. From common kittens and puppies to elephants, lion cubs and eagles, there's not a single person who doesn't know the color and size of the animal that has crept, crawled, jumped, flown, or slithered into his or her imagination.

But how could the woman who doesn't "see" pictures know what her animal looked like? Well, it's because we have five different senses. Every time she played with a childhood pet or stared with fascination at giraffes in the zoo, her brain (this complex and amazing mechanism that makes us the most evolved being on the earth) was busy absorbing not only sights of the animals, but the sounds, smells, and touch as well. Even taste could have been incorporated into animal memories if, for example, she had a pet rabbit and bit off a piece of carrot before feeding the rabbit. Therefore, although the majority of people tend to have visual memories and images, she is as capable of "knowing" about animals as the next person. We all have a huge rolodex of images from which to draw when we encounter a new dog whose degree of friendliness we have to determine quickly.

Obviously, however, our animal memories are only a tiny fraction of all our images. Our senses have laid down thousands and thousands of images that have been stored during other experiences - images that have become the building blocks of our personalities, perspectives and coping styles. Even images buried so deeply that we are not aware of their existence create the lubrication of change and the glue of habit.

In fact, every single thought contains an "image," though we may not label it as an "image." Even complex concepts like courage, generosity, love and peace all have images associated with them. When we laugh at a joke, it is because jokes embody images. When we take part in a political discussion, images influence our convictions. The truth is that we cannot not image -- or surely we would never find our car in a parking lot, remember the face of an old friend or understand a novel.

Unfortunately, much of the time old, unconscious images encourage old patterns of thought . . . leading to old behaviors . . . and giving us old results. Even when we realize we must respond differently to a new challenge, the images stored in our minds become the blueprints we draw upon. If our images are basically positive and self-affirming, our new choices will add to our self-confidence and sense of well-being. If our images are negative and self-defeating, our decisions are likely to lead to further self-defeating behaviors that are harmful to our bodies, minds and spirits

Becoming Aware of Our Images Fortunately, there is a way to change our images, as more and more people (both the general public and the scientific community) are learning. In the past ten to twenty years, the ancient techniques of "imagery" and "meditation" have been shown to be highly beneficial physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. For example, patients are increasingly taught to use imagery as an adjunct to medical treatment to help reduce pain and enhance the body's natural healing mechanisms.

Further, "guided imagery" scripts or exercises can reinforce the life-affirming images of which you already are aware. These techniques can also help you create new images that can lead to new patterns of thought, new behaviors and new results.

Incidentally, other related techniques, such as hypnosis, biofeedback and yoga, are also becoming popular. Perhaps you've been thinking of trying one of them, but can't decide which one is best. What is the difference between them? The short answer is "nothing important." All of these methods are:

  • Used by a growing number of people to reduce stress, create optimal health and enhance a sense of well-being.
  • Positively affect the autonomic nervous system.
  • Involve a focused mind and an altered state of consciousness or "self-forgetfulness", similar to the awareness of being "in the flow" or in the zone that artists and athletes sometimes describe.
A longer answer about their differences centers around the purpose for which they are being used. Relaxation, meditation and yoga have no specific "goal" other than achieving a sense of physical, psychological and spiritual well-being. Self-hypnosis and guided imagery tend to be goal oriented, such as changing a habit, controlling pain, or discovering some hidden aspect of the psyche. Bio-feedback is used to teach people how to relax or achieve a certain state of mind.

If you experiment with several of these techniques, you will most probably find one or two that seem to work best for your needs. Out of any of them can come images that can change your life.

Both Common and Simple Symbols Can Have Powerful Effects While images may represent our experiences much like a shadow represents the object that casts the shadow, symbols represent ideas. For example, consider the universally shared symbol of wisdom, the owl -- never mind that owls have very low bird brain power! Advertisements use any of thousands of symbols to remind us of a quality or experience connected with the product being sold, from flags that equate patriotism with purchase of a U.S.-made car to happy crews on sailboats that imply freedom of spirit.

Other symbols are part of affirmations and metaphors that catch our attention because they resonate with our experience. One of my favorite comes from a poster that simply had a turtle with the words, "Behold the turtle. He only makes progress when he sticks his neck out."

Some Images Can Become Potent Symbols While there is power in universally shared symbols, there is perhaps greater power in those that grow out of personal experience. I can illustrate this with one of my own symbols.

For many years I had flying dreams. If I were outdoors when I left earth's gravity, I would float over the landscape and could look down on beautiful, dark green trees. Why these dreams no longer occur, I don't know and I miss them. But there was another kind of flying dream I'm glad I no longer have. In these I would be inside when I started flying and often there would be other people watching, and perhaps pursuing me, as I gracefully flew higher and higher in the building. Almost always I would want to leave, but would be prevented by a locked iron grid or bar over an exit door or skylight.

When I explored the meaning of this dream, I realized that I had given my right to freely make my own choices — the right we all possess — to others. First it was to my parents and teachers. Then it was to anyone I thought would judge me, which was just about everyone. How could I get past the locked doors and windows? Easy. Own my own key! For several years, I hung a large old iron key over my desk to remind me that I had the power and right to make my own choices.

You, too, can learn to access your own internal store room of thousands and thousands of powerful images.

Arlene F. Harder, MA, MFT is Founder and Editor-in Chief of the websites Support4Change.com and ChildhoodAffirmations.com She has been a licensed psychotherapist for more than 20 years. Her specialties include healing imagery and reflective meditation techniques, and she is certified by the Academy for Guided Imagery. She is a co-founder of The Wellness Community-Foothills in Pasadena, California, and the author of the book Letting Go of Our Adult Children: When What We Do is Never Enough, and the upcoming book Questions to Ask Yourself When You Want Your Life to Change. Arlene can be contacted at arleneharder@support4change.com and can be found at her blog, http://www.support4change.squarespace.com