S2E15
This week I discuss methods of increasing your ability to interact with the liminal and the imaginary.
Note: I set some homework.
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In (+) Through The Looking Glass
āLetās pretend that youāre the Red Queen, Kitty! Do you know, I think if you sat up and folded your arms, youād look exactly like her. Now do try, thereās a dear!ā Alice got the Red Queen off the table, and set it up before the kitten for it to imitate: however, the thing didnāt succeed, principally, Alice said, because the kitten wouldnāt fold its arms properly. So, to punish it, she held it up to the Looking-glass, that it might see how sulky it wasāāand if youāre not good directly,ā she added, āIāll put you through into Looking-glass House. How would you like that?ā
Through the Looking Glass, by Lewis Carroll Chapter One
I caused a few frowns and murmurings amongst close friends last year by posting on twitter about seeing things in the mirror. Specifically, seeing a woman sewing a shoe made of rough fibers that looked exactly one like one discovered in a cave in North America thought to be 9000 years old. Yāall might think Iām a crazy man too. But I donāt care. I refer you to the two shows Iāve done on experience.
I started with the Carroll quote as I really like the term ālooking glassā to describe all phenomena that can be produced by scrying, or doing mirror work. As the outcomes can be so much more than whatās most commonly described as ‘psychomanteum work’.
Iāve seen all sorts of trippy shit in the polished copper mirror we have. Itās so simple Iāll tell you how to do it right now:
- Sit in a dark quiet room with only one little source.
- Have the mirror tilted away from you so you canāt see your own reflection or the light source in itās surface.
- Stare into the mirror and in the gloom things will begin to cohere.
Thatās basically it.
Youāll see psychedelic colours, fast expanding geometric forms and shapes that have wild leaps of logic. Once you get through the veil all the things seem to tune in.
If you get good at it, you can watch it just like TV. It comes so naturally to me that itās impossible not to intuit that folks have done the same thing for millennia in polished stones and reflecting pools.
If you want to get better at mirror work, journeying or have tried lucid dreaming in the past here are two exercises:
Exercise 1: Homunculus Hands
In a darkened room, hold your hand up in front of your face with fingers relaxed. Have a light source behind your hand. This can be a candle or a window letting street light in from outside. But sure that its full brightness is covered by the hand.
Stare at it until you are well aware of the sensation of the image having been āburned inā. Iām sure you know what Im talking about a bunch of optical illusions are also activated in this way. Once satisfied. Close your eyes and drop your hand to your side. You should still be able to see your hand as it was in front of your face. As you recognise the outline of your hand – in your minds eye – try and close your fingers that are in the after image. Try opening them again. Try twisting your hand around at the wrist. These are all super familiar motions that your brain knows how to do and I think that you will be surprised at how quickly you can manipulate your hand in the liminal.
At some point youāll realise that your hand is both on your lap, and being manipulated in this āotherā space, the dexterity of your ghostly hand should feel natural like its actually there.
Iām not suggesting youāll be able to do it straight away but your mileage may vary. However, if you make it a practice. Do it nightly before bed – itāll come. The more control you develop in manipulating this 3rd imagineal hand will translate across the imaginal realms.
I think this technique works very well alongside the manipulation of the platonic solids in the mind’s eye you find in the early mystery cults: Spinning them around, turning them over or changing the viewing angle like a 3rd person video game camera
Build up these tools and your dreams can become fantastically liminal spaces.
Once you feel comfortable and confident that your hand can exist in this space – try this.
Exercise 2: A Bed Time Walk
Before going to sleep, lay on your back with your eyes closed. Regulate your breathing and try to feel everything: The sheets, the bed cover, the feeling of the pillow case against your hair etc.
Be as present as possible.
When you know where you are, in your minds eye pull back the covers, sit up, turn sideways and imagine putting your feet on the floor.
We all know that reality is a spectrum, but once your feet are on the floor it should feel quote unquote real as when you were manipulating your hand in the first exercise. The next challenge is to stand up, get out of bed and walk out into the liminal. Once you can do this you’re away. Who knows what’s outside the bedroom door.
Go for a walk, see whatās around. Hell, leave the flat and walk around the neighbourhood.
Things might get a little weird – thatās normal and even better.
Anyway, thatās it for this week. A big hello any and all new subscribers, i appreciate you listing. Iād love for all yaāll to try this and report back your successes, failures, frustrations. Iām interested.
The script above is the original script. It may differ from what ended up in the audio due to time constraints and editing.
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