Study: Notes for an Outline on Sex and Cosmic Consciousness

The perceived antipathy between spirituality and sexuality is a cultural construct, and a quite artificial one at that. In truth, there exists no such antipathy, and rather, conversely, the two realms are so intimately connected as to be considered mere divisions of the same human experience and imperative, namely, Transcendence. This is why it strikes me as hilarious when people (as they continually do!) accuse me of committing a gross hypocrisy by writing passionately on the subject of Cosmic Consciousness and illustrating the same articles with photos of lovely—and invariably voluptuous—women. Such persons, who astonishingly remain legion, are still operating within the confines of the woefully anachronistic cultural structure of ‘proper’ social and even personal attitudes as they existed over a hundred years ago. Times have changed immeasurably since then, and much of that change is fully embraced by society. But why does sex continue to exert such a fiendish, frightening hold upon the minds of the masses? This one exceptional human endeavor, which should by now be enjoying its greatest period of freedom and self-expression, still exists in the collective consciousness as some sort of eternal taboo, and more than anywhere else when it is suggested that it might indeed bear a positive relationship to our spiritual lives. Spirit and Flesh. The ageless dichotomy.

Well, the simple truth is that culture’s ongoing expression of this so-called dichotomy is the biggest hoax ever perpetrated on modern man. And who’s behind such an enduring hoax? You guessed it. Organized Religion. Our good friends, the fundamentalists. Pagan cultures, on the other hand, have routinely had healthy attitudes toward sex. In fact, it has always enjoyed the status of high ritual within these viable and progressive religious trends. Don’t misunderstand me here. I don’t mean to suggest that the prohibition of ‘good clean sex’ began with the tent revivals. It didn’t. The division between spirit and flesh is as old as the written word itself. My point is that while scientific progress has stripped away most of the untenable world-views and false ideologies of antiquity, it has made little headway in this regard where the realm of the Erotic is concerned. And it is here that the fundamentalist zealotry of the past 80 years or so has maintained the structural paradigm of ‘Fear of Sex’ at the foundational level of modern culture in general.

Western culture is so thoroughly immersed in its Christian heritage, that even many who know the myth of Jesus-as-God to be an intellectual and historical absurdity still discover that the weight of history and tradition psychically encoded within them produces a strange and conditioned sort of difficulty in renouncing it fully. This kind of cultural-historical narrative, encoded into the very fabric of our sociological ideology is what we define as ‘Structure.’ Structures function in such a way as to guide culture along unconsciously as these underlying systems dictate individual and collective attitudes that remain firmly entrenched in our internal makeup even though the tenets of the system itself may have become obsolete. In this way, structures work to create ‘residue,’ the dregs, if you will, of the obsolete systems. These residues act upon us symptomatically, and we find ourselves unknowing victims of symptoms for which the actual diseases have long ago been cured. In the case of sex and spirituality, for example, one need have no overriding connection with the religious institution itself to nevertheless maintain encoded feelings that sex is something unfit for cultural discourse, something shameful, embarrassing, inappropriate, in word; frightening.

By its very definition the unconscious is a realm resistant to access and influence, or manipulation. The dismantling of these unconscious structures, so necessary to right understanding of the world, requires a strong measure of philosophical self-analysis and a willingness to stay current with regard to the unfolding model of the Cosmos as revealed by the scientific community. It becomes considerably more difficult to lean on unsubstantiated belief systems in the face of the extraordinary discoveries being made in the worlds of Physics, Astronomy, and Cosmology, and it is precisely these discoveries that open our minds to new possibilities of thought and thereby to the erecting of more accurate structures upon which new and more progressive cultural models may be established. Such a future model will be erected upon the foundation of sexuality-as-ultimate-religious-vehicle. Transcendence will become the watchword of religious thought, and the immersion of self within the ultimate fantasy world of free sexual expression will become the primary means of experiencing that transcendence.

So, just what kind of transformation is needed to usher in this sexually utopian society? A re-ordering of education at every level of development is one idea. But education is slow. It is effective when combined with a legitimate enthusiasm for its subject matter, but it is also met with substantial force and potential resistance in the realms of the popular and environmental constancy. Much more effective is the idea of a youth movement to initiate sweeping change. Youth must become enamored of a new paradigm, and if they do so, the world can change dramatically and quickly. Popularity is the way of all major waves. It washes its protégés into fashion like a giant tsunami, obliterating every feeble strand of resistance with consummate ease and unbridled power. This new movement, then, must be one of spiritual enlightenment combined with uninhibited sexual experimentation in order to create the context for the next great evolutionary shift; Cosmic Consciousness. In order to reach this sacred plateau, the masses must cast off their fear, their anxiety, and their inauthenticity and enter a new mode of being. Sexual freedom is the real key to this state of enlightenment. Through a highly developed and fully legitimated sensual lifestyle, the connection between Sex & Spirit may be recognized for the sublime interplay that it is, freed entirely from the fetters of the puritanical past that has tried to hold Sex hostage forever behind the paper walls of sin and infamy.

We look, then, to a new and vibrant generation that understands human interplay on an elevated spiritual level; a new movement that realizes the connection between sexual experience and Cosmic Consciousness. A new era of Dionysian celebration—the celebration of life—must be erected, a sensual utopia of Jim Morrison’s ‘Golden Copulations.’ A free society can, after all, only be made up of free individuals. The raising of awareness consists to such a great extent in the casting off of outmoded tradition, and the time is now to bury the ruins of puritanical culture deeply and permanently. All ye illustrious young! Awaken and arise to the truth of your calling, your grand destiny. And don’t let anyone say it can’t happen. Young people are sharp. They can see clearly the ills of the world, and the solutions as well. As Bob Marley once said; ‘Youth always knows where it’s at.’

The Case for a Matriarchal World Order

This one is not even close, really. It doesn’t take any specialized training to see that we live in a volatile, unstable world, a world in which the excesses of the few beget the suffering of the many, and in which hatred and intolerance are the norm in collective human interactions. The history of civilization as reflected in the pathetic state of world affairs in this dreadful year of our Lord, 2008, confirms that much, and unfortunately, much more. The responsible party? Yep, it’s The Guys. The only rational conclusion one can draw is that men are idiots. They have done such a woeful job of creating any form of meaningful civilization that they ought to simply resign in disgrace, which is what they would do if they weren’t, well…Men. As an unsophisticated coterie of self-perceived Alpha Males, it’s not in their nature to admit their gross incompetence. So, not only do we live in the fallout of their idiocy, but we have no hope of their acknowledging that idiocy and handing over the reins to the obviously more qualified sex. When you think about it, haven’t the lads had more than enough time to prove themselves? How many centuries of Patriarchal bungling does it take before a light goes on somewhere? Let's face it, if guys COULD do this, they’d have done it by now. They’d have done it long before now.

But before you start freaking out, relax. I’m not suggesting that Hillary, nor far less, Sarah Palin should be running the show in America. Just because one is a woman, doesn’t mean one is automatically capable of political leadership. And in the case of Palin, it must be added that Republican women would also make terrible leaders, for the simple reason that Republican ideology is staunchly patriarchal to begin with. No, we must have a liberal, matriarchal, fiercely independent, and if possible, sexy Left-Winger to run the show. (Naturally, a Plus-Size beauty would be the ultimate, but so far, I can't find any big girls running for office.) This kind of liberalism would send the right message to the rest of the world. Just imagine, for example, if Californians had done the right thing and elected Mary Carey Governor back in '03.  By now, many of our political crises would have been well on their ways to resolution. A woman like Mary Carey is going to get what she wants, especially from men. Her very presence as a political leader would have brought in untold new revenues for the state, (you know, people pay just for the privilege of looking at her) and as for her overall agenda, just check it out.

Mary Carey's Platform:
1. Legalize same-sex marriage
2. Tax breast implants
3. Make lap-dances tax deductible
4. Wire the California Governor's Mansion with live web-cams
5. Create a "Porn for Pistols" program to reduce the number of handguns
6. Be a goodwill ambassador to attract business to the state
7. Make those drawing unemployment insurance do jury duty for their pay
8. Fight the attacks on the porn industry by John Ashcroft and the U.S. Department of Justice
9. Allow bars to stay open until 4:00 A.M.
10. Address the AIDS epidemic

Not too shabby. Far better priorities than any the boys have come up with so far. And what's with Schwarzenegger, anyway? How was he reckoned to be so far superior to Ms. Carey? Last time I checked, he had the same political credentials she had: None. His vocational experience was identical to hers; a film star who mostly showed off a great body in order to get over. On the up-side, her English was always MUCH better than Arnold's. Well, I don't know. The people have spoken, though why they spoke the way they did is anybody's guess. One thing's for sure. More than 5 years later, nothing's changed in 'Collie-fornia.'




A little further back, the Italians actually got this thing right, sort of. Remember Cicciolina? The Italian porn actress was presented to the parliament as a candidate for the country's first Green Party in 1979, and, after switching to the Radical Party, was elected to Italian Parliament in 1987, receiving the party's second highest number of votes. Not that Cicciolina can take sole credit for it, but it has been noted that during her years in office the Italian economy was sound and the country was free of conflict and of any major political tensions. She continues to be politically active, campaigning for sexual freedoms, a future without nuclear energy, and an end to the death penalty. She is also active in the fight against A.I.D.S.

Cicciolina performing 'Political Woman.' Cool!

Well, admittedly, these two pioneering women represent only the most rudimentary beginnings to the hopes of a future matriarchal world order, but the profound differences in their priorities from the trivial agendas of male politics are in fact radically powerful reflections of a far more sane and do-ably utopian vision of society than any put forth by 'the dudes.' And the ideas briefly outlined above are but a few of the basic, common-sense platforms that would be adopted and implemented by women in positions of political influence. Wouldn't it be too cool if this were only the beginning? If a new wave of porn stars, BBW models, dominatrices, strippers, and others from the sex industry become politically involved, the future could become bright indeed. Hopefully the girls will heed the call of a disintegrating world and become motivated to get down and get their game on. If they don't, I'm afraid to say it's 'Game Over.' You've had a lot more chances than you deserve, boys, and you've still fucked it up. Royally. It's time to get outta town.

A Study: The Evolution of Consciousness.

It is not likely that our universe is all there is to it. Prevailing trends in Physics and Cosmology lean heavily towards a model of reality that is far more deeply layered than we dare imagine, complete with multiple universes (perhaps an infinite number of them), parallel realities, wormholes, black holes, vibrating strings, higher dimensional ‘branes’ and dark matter, as well as the bizarre, imprecise machinations of quantum activity, which mysteriously guide the the workings of the world at the sub-atomic level. What we now understand about reality seems more wildly fantastic than anything we dreamt of in even the most outlandish creations of Science Fiction a mere 50 years ago. The more we learn, the more complex and beautiful reality reveals itself to be, and the more clearly does the idea of universal evolution reveal itself in our observations. Even more astounding than the evolution of living organic forms is the evolution of consciousness and universal energy. The fact that humankind came to evolve into a self-conscious being is the evolutionary marvel of marvels. It is this ability to think in the abstract that allows us a subjective comprehension of higher realities and the capacity for direct experience of those realities as well. Unfortunately, however, the majority of humankind uses its intellect as nothing more than a glorified calculator, determining the most efficient pathways to the solution of mundane worldly exercises usually amounting to little more than the procurement of the daily bread. This disparity, more than a mere curiosity to my mind, between the totality of our evolutionary potential and the real life choices we actually make, is the subject of this brief essay.

It would appear as if this very fact of Man’s evolutionary acceleration has given him exceptional tools for both progression and regression. While those given to wonder and philosophical inquiry recognize the fact that humanity is even now in a unique position to take an unprecedented leap toward collective Cosmic Consciousness, the masses who are not so disposed are intent upon making little of the salient matters of human development, and seem actually determined to remain earthbound in the most pejorative sense of the term. As a result, we find our world inexplicably mired in trivial pursuits and all manner of needless conflicts attending to greed, intolerance, base materialism, and mindless self-absorbtion. We look on in astonishment and often in hopelessness at the folly of life lived in the blind following of these cultural ‘norms.’ And while it may be said that Western culture offers a considerably wider variety of lifestyle alternatives than is found in the East, and certainly in the underdeveloped societies, it in no way follows that these alternatives are progressive. The problem is that virtually all operative choices in our culture are based on a faulty foundation, that is, the myth of uber-capitalism. Rampant capitalist culture has set us back, in an evolutionary sense, to a degree we don’t even yet fully understand. And the vast majority of our species shows no indication of any impending epiphanies that might lead to enlightenment.

What is needed is an awareness of the concept of transcendence. Transcendence, after all, is what EVERYONE is going for, but it’s a tricky devil to get a hold of. Our deepest innate human need is for transcendence. It is the recognition of the fact that every decision we make, right down to the color of our socks, is a decision made in the face of our inevitable death. Because of the fact that we have evolved to the point of finding ourselves travelling along the plane of self-conscious awareness, the fact of death is now a problem. At the very least, it is a limitation, and in the minds of most a relatively severe limitation. But like it or not, it colors everything we do, whether consciously or unconsciously, and it is the wise person who recognizes this and understands that it is precisely this sense of ultimate limitation that we seek—at the deepest core of our being—to transcend. And this sense of transcendence is so necessary to our inner completion that to remain without it is to remain incomplete and, by definition, far short of our human potential. We call this alienated, incomplete mode of being ‘inauthentic.’

Still, our cultural models reflect no awareness of any of this. More than ever, in fact, the cultural model—certainly in America—is that of base materialism masquerading as the ‘Christian Society of our Fore-Fathers.’ This mottled and self-contradictory attempt at cultural modeling has left us with the kind of insipid and untenable discourse that characterizes our nation. People don’t know if they’re supposed to become mindless religious zealots or mindless atheistic materialists, and in the long run, there’s not as much difference between the two as you might think. What is certain is that you don’t get transcendence in either camp. So, what do we do? How do we even hope to propogate a message of sanity based upon transcendence and a grasp of the evolution of consciousness to a world buried up to its neck in the quicksand of the global marketplace? All we can do is live the life. We’ve got to show ‘em what we’ve got. We’ve got one powerful thing going for us; Higher Awareness. And if we can demonstrate that awareness in our lives, it can’t help but have an impact. So we’ll do it. We’ll keep preaching the power of sexual freedom, and the transcendence that provides. We’ll look to the New Physics, which keep bringing us closer to God with every new discovery. We’ll point them to the humanities, because without The Arts and the appreciation of them on a grand scale, the world is going to keep churning out useless M.B.A.’s with their brains wired and their minds closed until it atrophies and hurtles into the Sun. We’ll continue to open ourselves, until untold numbers of us have achieved Cosmic Consciousness and understand the eternal nature of The Cosmos and our relationship to it. We’ll see ourselves accurately as the universe manifesting itself through our Being, and as people tire of the endless drudgery of inauthenticity, there will be an example before them, a people with light upon its collective countenance and a whisper on its lips; ‘Transcendence,’ these will say, ‘is everyone’s.’



Join me in upcoming posts for more in-depth discussion on the concepts of Cosmic Consciousness and the Evolution of Consciousness. J.T.

Music of the Spheres: A Primer

To listen to Jazz or Modern Classical music is to experience something on the cutting edge of Man’s knowledge. It is to grasp something of the discoveries of the New Physics, a sense of joy and revelation brought about by a transcendental glimpse of extra dimensional space-time and the certainty that there is a mysterious and benevolent force behind the everyday reality we so easily take for granted. If such a description sounds overly ‘lofty,’ it was meant to. This is what good music is all about. It is why composers dedicate their lives to composing it. Our culture is so busily engaged in all manner of creating and preserving homogenization that people actually lose sight of any notions of individuality and the unique types of experience that should accompany it. This is especially true in the higher arts, which are created with a purity of purpose that seems to categorically exclude them from the canons of heavily promoted materials that inevitably come to the attention of the masses. And so we recognize a defective and dehumanizing system of reference through which the most significant music (and art in all its forms) is the least likely to be discovered by the world community at large. This is an especially disheartening thought when we observe the depth of hopelessness and dissent in our world today. On a planet inhabited overwhelmingly by alienated spirits, the fact that the experience of such revolutionary and evolutionary music will remain forever unknown to them is more than a sadness. It is a tragedy.


Olivier Messiaen

What this means is that we are charged with the responsibility of discovering the true treasures more or less on our own. Having been an Avante-Garde art junkie from a young age, however, I can definitely turn you on to you a few 'fer shurs' that'll help you start getting your heads into the right space. Understand that much of this music is difficult, and definitely makes demands on the listener. Much of it is atonal, polytonal, and/or polyrhythmic and if you're not hip to that experience, your first encounter with such sounds will be like stumbling inadvertantly into a maze. You don't know where you are and you can't see the way out. And here is exactly the point at which you get a chance to grow. What you do with the opportunity depends on what sort of growth you’re open to and interested in. Keep in mind, I’m not suggesting that the function of art is to produce any kind of ‘wave of enlightenment’ within the ranks of humanity. I’m merely pointing out that the real thing, produced by the true artists, has that potential. So far, humankind doesn’t show a hell of a lot of interest in being led in such directions. Their loss…Big Time.


Pierre Boulez

But let’s talk about these more difficult forms for a moment before I leave you with some listening suggestions. These modern forms of music as exemplified by Jazz and what I call Experimental Classical music follow very closely the developments of Science and Philosophy. Physics and Cosmology have made almost incomprehensible leaps in our understanding of the true nature of the universe during the past 100 years or so, and Philosophy has almost kept pace with its rapidly evolving methods of Critical Theory, which have brought us to the point of actually being prepared to use its tools of discovery to grasp something of the absolute truth with regard to the human experience. In much the same way as quantum mechanics allowed us to glimpse what the universe is really like at its foundational, subatomic levels, modern music translates the soul of these kinds of extraordinary discoveries into sound to which we respond at our own deepest foundational levels. And as Quantum Physics presents to us a world that can only be described as the ‘controlled chaos’ beneath the surface of things, modern music also presents us a world of controlled chaos; a world that is utterly unpredictable UP TO A POINT. This qualification is key both in science and in the world of new music. For what we hear is the appearance of wanton anarchy, but which, upon further inspection, is found to be ordered in certain quirky but definite ways.


Miles Davis

Many people feel a sense of discomfort when they are first exposed to music that strays so far from the comfortably familiar sounds and rhythms of our everyday media music. If this is your first reaction, it’s important to suspend judgement here and open yourself up to the newness of fresh experience. This music is cerebral in the coolest sense of the word. It is music that must be absorbed consciously, meditated upon, listened to with real ears and with heart. It doesn’t work as background music AT ALL. That being said, much sophisticated Jazz does swing, and swings hard. It will move you physically even as it shreds your brain with wonderment. Experimental Classical works, however, are for the most part aimed squarely at the spirit by way of the intellect. When listening to these types of works, the ticket is to just chill. Relax, burn one if you like, and just luxuriate in the experience, even if you find it uncomfortable at first. You will soon find these elaborate and immaculate structures of sound working a unique kind of magic on you at levels far deeper than that of ordinary waking consciousness. And far deeper than the stuff on Video Countdown this morning, too. Take it in your own time until you begin to fully appreciate the level and quality of craft that goes into the composition and performance of such incredible works of art. If you're turned on by the kind of accomplishments that only come with the total dedication of the human spirit to the cause of artistic expression, these forms of music will take you higher than perhaps you've ever been before. If you've never thought of art and music in those terms, there's a whole new world waiting for you. May you dive in and snag a glimpse of the real deal. After all, it was done for you in the first place.


John Coltrane performing: "Transition"

Pierre Boulez: "Structures For 2 Pianos-ChapterI"

Olivier Messiaen: "Mode de valeurs et d' intensites" Performed by Gloria Cheng.

Miles Davis: "Pharaoh's Dance"