Have you ever wished that you could step into a time machine, and travel back in time to another place and era? If so, which decade would you choose to travel to? If you chose the sixties, then you should check out the latest version of "Hair" playing at the Met Theatre in Los Angeles for a limited engagement.
My husband and I recently attended a very special performance of "Hair". It was a benefit for the documentary "Arlington West", a powerful film created by artists Peter Dudar and Sally Marr about a war memorial located next to the Santa Monica Pier every Sunday. (See blog entry September 6 to see short video of Hair cast) The proceeds of the show went towards producing more copies of the film, to be distributed for free to students and youth as a counter military recruitment effort. The film seeks to show the side of joining the military that the recruitment officers neglect to mention.
When we entered the theatre, it felt like we crossed through a portal into the sixties hippie movement. We arrived a little early, but the small theatre was already filled with just a few seats left. The 30 member cast was on stage in full costume acting as if they were at a party. A few were kicking around a hackey-sack, playing the drums, and amiably hanging out. Many of the cast members were interacting with audience members, so that it was difficult to ascertain what was real and what was staged.
Throughout the entire performance, I sat mesmerized by the amazing singing, dancing, and acting from the talented cast backed by a fantastic band. Two of my favorite acts were "Hippie Life", and "Hair" which to me express the dissent and rebellion of the time. While the entire cast is wonderful, performers that really shone were James Barry who played main character Claude and Amber Allen who played Darlene.
The main point that I was left with after the show, was how the themes of protesting war and speaking out for nonviolence remain so relevant today. Didn't we learn any lessons from the Vietnam War? The sixties have passed, but the need to question the government and express dissent is still very much alive and necessary today.
In class we learned about different ways to alter one's consciousness. For me, attending the rock musical "Hair" brought me to an amazing altered state of consciousness that was completely drug free. My question is: what was the last drug free experience you had that altered your consciousness?
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13 comments:
The last time I really altered my consciousness was a few months ago when I was listening to my favorite album while sketching out a fashion portfolio. I was really "in the zone", so to speak, and I felt like I was floating in a whirlpool of creative thoughts and ideas. It felt like I was in another artistic world or imaginative dimension.
Great example Monique! Many creative people report similar experiences, where they feel "lost" in their thoughts and ideas as they work. I'm curious, how did your fashion portfolio come out? Was it some of your best work? Also, what is your favorite album? (Maybe I'll try listening to it to get my own creativity flowing!)
The last time that I seriously altered my consciousness was back in August when I went skydiving with my cousins. It was my second time doing it, but I was still very scared. It turned out successful and my parachute opened up perfectly (thank God). I loved the feeling of the air hitting me as I fell and the rush I got from my nervousness. I also loved drifting slowly back to reality, as I descended.
The last time I altered my consciousness was about a month ago when I was listening to music, while watching media player skins. Sometimes it helps me concentrate when I am in a quiet room while listening to music and watching random skins. I was really out of it and felt like I was in another world with nothing to worry about. I was trying to relax while trying to deal with problems and studying. It was a wonderful experience. After my altered consciousness ended I was amazed about how I could only see my thoughts rather than the media player skins.
Ummm honestly i dont care for altering my consiousness. I like being controled by myself, even if it is sad or painful. Personally altering my consiousness has been disorienting at best. This may be the product of having morning practices; where waking up and working out while in a semi unconsious state is quite uncomfortable. And the later effects are...ummm...Bad to say the least. Cow knows.
Phil's comment reminds me of an important point regarding altering one's consciousness, and that is that many people do alter their consciousness as a way to escape sad or painful emotions. However, avoiding painful feelings this way is not good for one's psyche as it is better to face painful emotions with a clear mind so one can effectively deal with the situation.
It really depends on the mood I am going for. If I am going to be designing for a Fall season with a lot of heavy,dark colors and more of a cold vibe, I feel that mellow or "depressing" music is great for inspiration. In that case, a couple of my favorite songs would be "Young Bride" by Midlake or "A Day Like Today" by Tom Mcrae. If I'm designing for the spring season and the mood is very young,hip,and sexy I usually listen to artists like Justin Timberlake or Will.I.Am. Their music is so fun to dance to, and the energy from the music is shown in my outfits. When I listen to Will.I.Am's new album, I automatically think of the club or beach and that really helped me get inspired for my spring collection, especially for the swimsuits!
okay, so I'm not too sure if this is a "correct" form of a state of altered concsiousness but i would have to say every other day. I alter my consciousness by taking an hour long jog or walk almost everyday and I listen to my ipod. It is then when worry about nothing. At this point it is just my music and I. However, I dont just listen to anything... the music on my ipod is totally differnt than what I listen to when Im studying, or hangin out. When jogging, I listen to songs and artists to whom I don't need to stop and ponder about... See i cant be listening to Immortal cause he speaks too much deepness for me to take along; but the artists also have to be upbeat.. I need something that will get me running quicker than slow...usualy a Techno rap mix. Thus, I would have to say that the alst time I altered my conscious was last night...
In addition to the music contributing to your altered state, I bet that you are experiencing a bit of a "runner's high" where your endorphins are released. Exercise is the greatest mood enhancer.
It seems that altering our consciousness moderately is a good thing. Sometimes it helps people focus and ignore outside distractions. That is why a lot of people go to isolated spots to study. Also at night people generally like to study. I don't know why but nighttime seems to have specials effects on us. It is common to alter consciousness to enhance mood, but there are downsides. One thing is that it makes time go by so fast that it can make us frustrated. I get annoyed all the time when time flies. I wish I could make time feel slower. One reason why I believe altering the consciousness is good is that when people get upset or stressed they over think the bad things and emphasize them way too much. When they alter their consciousness they think about the bad less. Not only does it help calm you down, it helps you think at the normal level. When people get mad their thinking is very limited. People generally do stupid things when mad or stressed.
The only example I can think of is sometimes when I come home from a stressful day Ill lay on a rug outside. I will just lay and think about how the day went, Things ive done , things i want to do. Eventually time will pass and i will feel as if im in a trance like state. It can last anywhere from five minuets to about 2 - 3 hours. Its basically a period of refelction that i will set out sometime during the day. Usually when im done i feel alot better than i did before. Its very peaceful and relaxation.
I think I change consciousness rapidly and constantly. It basically happens all the time for me. For example, recently I took a hard test in Chemistry and I panicked. Then I started thinking deeply and I felt like no one else was around me, but in reality there were 20 something other students taking it too. It kind of felt like a dream because when I finished I looked at the clock and I felt like I just woke up, judging on the rapid change in time. I noticed that usually when I'm in a trance like state it’s based on concentration. Frankly with that confidence and excellent concentration I did pretty well on the test.
I agree with Adam . Im in that same Chemistry class. Whenever we have a hard test to take I do second guess my self. But by just relaxing and taking a deep breath I can calm my self down. When I do change from a panic to a state of self confidence, my test grades improve. All of the altered states of Conciousness i have experienced were from myself. None were from any other substance. I can not talk from experience what it feels like to be in an other trance like states caused from substance
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