The Connected Universe

 This past weekend my wife and I were relaxing at home, and she took a break from her continual viewing of old episodes of The Sopranos since I felt like watching a video.

When it comes to philosophy, spirituality, & science, we both have similar views. Even where we don't agree, we have really in-depth discussions. I felt like watching something thought-provoking, so I put on "The Connected Universe". 

I have posted here previously about the theories of Nassim Haramein, who has attempted to formulate scientific theories that connect the micro (quantum) and macro scales, and describing the nature of the energetic unified field that is the fundamental base of reality.

This movie was very interesting, and featured the general ideas behind his scientific theories. However, I found it to be more of an inspirational project, especially compared to his more informative lecture that completely blew my mind open, "Sacred Geometry And Unified Fields".

By looking past existing paradigms and incorporating the patterns of sacred geometry into the logic behind his theories, Nassim has opened an avenue of study that can lead humanity into leaps of evolution in both technology and the human condition.

If I had to sum up his theories, it would be that all of space-time is filled with "vacuum" energy at the most fundamental scale. Information is interconnected at all points throughout this field, in an infinite array of Plank-scale feedback loops.

These cycles of increasing complexity lead to self-organizing principles and emergent features that we experience as - matter & energy > life > consciousness - in a unified (yet endlessly varied) dance of creation and destruction.

Nature Photography at Scotland Run Park

My wife and I both love the outdoors and nature, and try to get outside any chance we get. For me, it is like a mental and physical recharge, especially when I can just quietly observe the sights, sounds, and other sensations of the natural world around me.
 
We've been going to a lot of state & local parks to swim and/or hike. Recently we went to Scotland Run, a local park, to walk the trails there. We went fairly deep into the woods, and I ended up getting a poison ivy rash up my right leg.

Otherwise, it was a great hike and I got a lot of nice photos of the plants and wildlife. I uploaded them to my photo album:

Nature Photography

by Paul Micarelli

Wilson Lake @ Scotland Run Park

A tiny frog crossing our path

An orange fungus

 

I thought this moss was pretty cool. It was white with a branching structure.

This little caterpillar also had an intricate branching structure coming off its body.

I managed to capture this dragonfly resting on a branch.

This butterfly landed in the sand just long enough for me to snap a photo.

A closup of a large flower with little insects inside it.

A purple flower cluster over the cloud-reflecting lake surface.

 

My wife saw this and asked, "Are those beetles banging???"

A flower cluster 

Some of the freshwater snails on the lakebed.

Poconos 2019 - Flea Market Finds

Every year my family takes a vacation in the Poconos in Pennsylvania, where we enjoy being on the lake and relaxing, fishing, and swimming.

Unfortunately, this year my time there was cut short by the death of a close family friend. Before I left, I went to the Blue Ridge Flea Market with my family on a close to 100º day. I never really buy anything at flea markets, I just like to look at all the crazy shit people are selling.

A selection of my favorites are below, but the whole album is at this link along with some other photos from my time there.

Google Photo Album:

Poconos 2019

This was literally just an inkjet printout of John Lennon for $10

I thought this "The Commando" playset was amusing in it's cartoonish depiction of war.

Just a big rock with a dog's head mounted on it. Just when I think I've seen it all...

This cross-stitched (?) picture of King Tut's mask was actually kind of cool.

A stuffed turkey, and not the kind at the Thanksgiving dinner table.

An angel holding a chalice that I assume is meant for a candle.

Sometimes I look at stuff like this and wonder, 

did the person who designed this think they did a good job? Because they didn't.

A coat/hat rack made of hooves.

This one speaks for itself (to cats, especially).

Nature Photography at Wharton State Forest

Recently as part of our anniversary celebration, my wife and I camped out oat Wharton State Park.

Conscious Living for You:

Yoga in Wharton State Forest

Besides just relaxing and enjoying the outdoors, I took some photos of the plant & animal life I came across.

Nature Photography

by Paul Micarelli

Here are the photos I took while connecting with nature:

Atsion Lake in Wharton State Park

My wife and I were hiking a trail around the lake, and we started getting rained on about halfway through. Luckily we anticipated it, and wore bathing suits and had plastic bags to keep the few things we were carrying dry.

Wild blueberries growing around Atsion Lake that I was eating as we walked the trails.

Loretta spotted these caterpillars swarming a branch.

Can you spot the lizard?

Visual Brain Implants

Being a graphic designer & visual artist, the sense I value most is my sight. Not being able to see would a nightmarish scenario to me.

Technology now exists for cameras connected to brain implants that create partial vision in blind people, bypassing the eyes & optic nerves.

The Guardian:

Brain implant restores partial vision to blind people 

Not only is the prospect of being able to tap directly into the visual cortex amazing, but it opens up a whole new aspect of cybernetic augmentation which goes beyond the "normal" senses.

What if we could "train" the brain to experience light from connected inputs that could sense the spectrum outside the visible wavelength, or even other forms of energetic emissions like Wi-Fi signals? Is there a limit to how many different "senses the brain can process?

The next step is augmented vision & other senses that I predicted in my iThink concept 10 years ago.

Apple "iThink" - Upgraded

 I think this opens up the whole idea of consciousness into new realms that people really aren't prepared to venture into. Personally, I think it's awesome technology that , and like any other tool or tech, can be used for good, evil, or neutral purposes.
 

 Deep Dream Eye

by Paul Micarelli

"Strange Planet" by Nathan Pyle

 "Strange Planet" by Nathan Pyle is a clever comic using cartoon aliens to expose the absurdities in human behaviors and customs.

www.nathanwpyle.art/#/strangeplanet/

There's pretty much an endless stream of human weirdness to draw inspiration from. The Instagram page is a source of the newest Strange Planet comics.

Instagram:

@nathanwpylestrangeplanet

This one is currently relevant to me, since I spent last weekend at the beach aquiring star damage:

 

Bedtime... where I always need a hydration cylinder by the bed, & try to imagine pleasant nonsense:

Bodhi Tree

I love nature and being outdoors. Being outside and surrounded by greenery is like therapy for me. As evident from all of my nature photography, I love to observe all the details of the natural world.

In our backyard, we have this large tree that has a clearing at the bottom where I sometimes sit and meditate, to clear my mind and experience the wordless beauty of nature. When I first saw the tree, it made me think of the legendary Bodhi Tree, where The Buddha gained enlightenment.

The Buddha was a prince who became disillusioned with his privileged lifestyle and went off to seek spiritual realization. After pursuing all sorts of disciplines and practices, including intense self-denial and asceticism, he was exhausted and sat beneath a tree. Here, he "awakened" and came to the understanding of reality that he formulated as the 4 Noble Truths, regarding the unsatisfactory nature of human existence. To address this state of suffering we all face, he then prescribed the Eightfold Path, defined by the "Middle Way" or living in a balanced state between indulgence and self-denial.

Siddhartha Gautama, who would be called The Buddha (simply meaning "awake"), was not a god or supernatural being, despite later religious iconography & legends. He was a man who achieved mental discipline, moral clarity, and spiritual refinement through the act of paying attention and living in a conscious manner.

The tree under which Siddhartha gained enlightenment has many layers of symbolism. The tree is an example of both stability and growth - rooted firmly in the ground, but expanding upwards and outwards in all directions. In ancient cultures, "The World Tree" was an archetypal feature of mythology- in which the underworld, earth, and the heavens were all connected. Shamans and visionaries would travel throughout the levels of reality via The World Tree.

Plant life and trees are also sources of life force and sustenance, as in the mythical Tree of Life. The tree contains a connection to our primitive past when we were connected more deeply to the forests and wilderness.

In an abstract way, the tree also has visual similarities to the fractal pattern of the spine and nervous system, where the energies of our consciousness and perception flow. This is a more subtle link to the idea of the Buddha's back being up against the tree, as the energy of enlightenment propagates throughout his neural fibers.

Anyway, all these things come to my mind when I look at & sit under this tree in my yard. This picture is of myself at the base of this majestic tree, embodying the peace of mind and connection to natural rhythms that The Buddha taught about. There is no time when I feel more at peace and more connected than when I am quiet and relaxed, immersed in nature...

Bodhi Tree - Paul Micarelli

Spring Nature Photography

I have been working full-time for a print & sign company for a few months now... between my job, still working on freelance projects on the side for Paul Micarelli Design, and leading an active life with wife, I feel a real time crunch. As motivated and efficient as I am, it's very difficult to fit everything I want to do into my schedule.

On my free time, the one thing I always take time to do is to enjoy nature, especially now that the weather is nice. This past Spring, I took photos outdoors of plants, landscapes, and various creatures I came across.

I added them to my album of nature pics and included some below:

Nature Photography

by Paul Micarelli

 

CNjCS Promotional Video

I recently finished a video for CNjCS, (Connected Nj Consulting Services), a non-profit dedicated to providing health & wellness services (Yoga, Meditation, Sound Healing therapy, and more) for those with developmental challenges.

www.connectednjcs.support

I've come to know Debra Flagg, one of the founders of CNjCS, who was inspired by the difficulties she faced trying to find beneficial programs for her son. I created the logo for the non-profit (above). Debra is an awesome, deeply spiritual woman with a vision to help those who need people like her, to advocate for them and provide effective services.

So she asked me (through Paul Micarelli Design) to help her produce this video to help promote her cause. I filmed her intro and ending, and edited it together with her photos according to her direction. I'm sharing it to help bring attention to her organization and the meaningful work she is doing:

 YouTube:

Connected Nj Consulting Services (CNjCS) 

Health & Wellness for ALL

Book Review: "Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy" by Mircea Eliade

After months of intermittent reading, I finally finished the 500+ page comparative study of shamanic practices that was originally published in 1951.

"Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy" 

by Mircea Eliade

I first became aware of this work from listening to talks by the late, great Terence McKenna- who would reference Mircea Eliade when discussing the use of altered states of consciousness in shamanic cultures.

So, after receiving the book as a Christmas gift, I began the literary journey exploring the details of shamans and medicine men throughout history. Although I found most of the book fairly dry and mostly occupied with listing characteristics of belief systems and practices, there were parts of it especially near the end that were thought-provoking and helped open the veil of mystery behind the shamanic experience.

A shaman is a unique personality of a tribe or village, who has the unique ability to enter "ecstasy" through trance or altered mind states to contact the spirit world. This could be a hidden dimension of reality, a realm of light beings or souls, or maybe just a deep aspect of the mind. Regardless of the actual nature of the "place" to which the shaman is traveling, he or she uses this ability to transfer their presence elsewhere for the good of the community. Often, the goal is to contact or retrieve the dead, or to find information used for healing.

Many of the differences between shamans of various cultures were documented- but, to me, the similarities were much more interesting.

Often, shamans are initiated due to lineage, or because of some grave childhood illness or trauma that they emerge from recognized as having the shamanic gift. One common theme among shamans of all cultures is the idea of dying and/or being dismembered, then being reconstituted and reborn.

This shamanic process of traveling down to the serpentine labyrinths of the genetic molecules, having the self-identity annihilated, and returning with healing powers was vividly depicted by one of my favorite artists, Alex Grey, in his series below:

Journey of the Wounded Healer

There are many other characteristics that are shared across cultures and locales - the idea of passing over a narrow bridge to get to the other side that can only be traversed by the worthy, the ability to fly or become a "skywalker" (hence the name of the mystically-inclined Star Wars family), conversely the journey to the underworld or land of the dead, the experience of transforming into animals, and becoming impervious to pain or discomfort.

The shaman obtains these abilities through entering a trance or altered state by various means, including; drumming, dancing to the point of exhaustion, the use of psychedelic plants, sleep deprivation, and the use of secret language and chants.

After reading the book, I felt like one of the most important social functions the shaman performs is the de-mystification of death for the community. Death is the ultimate mystery, the state of being from which few, if any, have truly returned. The fear that faces each human being when contemplating their own mortality can be terrifying precisely because there are no answers. By claiming to travel to the spirit world or the realm of the dead, and bringing back information about it, it makes this eventual destination we all must pass through much less scary. It at least seems quantifiable and knowable in some sense, therefore lessening the fear of the unknown associated with it.

Overall, it would be hard for me to recommend this book to anyone other than those with a hardcore interest in shamanism or anthropological studies. Because of the length of the book, the amount of information present, and the specialized niche it represents, it would be daunting for the casual reader. However, I can see why it is regarded as such an important work in this area and has informed subsequent studies and research over the years.

 "Shaman's Mask" 

by Paul Micarelli 

Maple Seed Macro Photo

I added a macro photo of a maple seed pod (the 'helicopter' type of seed, that spins as it falls) to my album of nature pics:

Nature Photography

by Paul Micarelli

I love taking macro photography, because I can capture detail that is too detailed for the human eye to see clearly- and there is SO much detail in every aspect of the world beyond our level of perception.

Here is the zoomed-out image of the seed pod:

The Palace of Depression

Last weekend, I visited a local historical landmark that I knew little about, but ended up learning a great deal about it during my visit.

For my photo booth business, Fantasy Photos, I have been hired again this year to provide entertainment for "Founder's Day" in Vineland, NJ. This year, the event will be held at The Palace of Depression, so I was invited to take a tour of the site and take photos to use as backdrops for my photo booth. I ended up taking a lot of pictures and I've uploaded them into this album:

Google Photos:

5-4-19 The Palace of Depression, Vineland NJ

This unique site was originally built by George Daynor, an Alaskan gold miner who lost his fortune in the Wall St. Crash of 1929. After traveling across the country, Daynor ended up in Vineland, NJ with only $4. He used the last of his money to buy a plot of land without even seeing the property. It turned out to be a junkyard in the middle of a swamp, much to his dismay.

Defeated and broke, Daynor climbed into an old truck body and fell asleep. That night he had a dream in which angels appeared to him and instructed him to build a "Fantastic Castle," which was the original name of the site. He worked day in & day out for years, gradually draining the swamp, dragging out the trash, and building the eclectic structure made of random masonry and junk. Eventually, he turned it into a tourist attraction and gained nationwide fame. It even appeared in a short reel before movies, in which the narrator referred to it as "The Depression Palace". Daynor began to use this name instead, probably due to the level of publicity associated with it.

Unfortunately, Dayor perpetrated a hoax in which he claimed he had information on a couple that was being sought out by the FBI for kidnapping. After the hoax was revealed, George Daynor spent about a year in prison, during which the property was ransacked and fell into a dilapidated state. When he got out, he was too old and mentally feeble to restore the "Palace". The good thing that came out of this situation is the numerous photographs and aerial surveys that the FBI recorded as part of their investigation. These would prove invaluable to the later reconstruction efforts.

After the death of George Daynor in 1964, the site eventually fell into total disuse, and was torn down by the city of Vineland in 1969. The man who I met with on Saturday, and received a personal tour from, is Kevin J. Kirchner. He is the President of The Palace of Depression Restoration Association, and is responsible for rebuilding this local landmark to it's former glory. Kevin told me about visiting the original site as a child and being frightened by the larger-than-life George Daynor.

This has become a personal mission for him, and I was truly impressed and amazed at the effort he and other volunteers have put into restoring the structure and the grounds. They had nothing to go on except photos and excavations to uncover the original foundations of the building. It really is a fascinating place with an extraordinary story.

There are so many cool details that one can only appreciate by visiting the place and seeing in person with a guided tour.

The album I uploaded has a lot of photos that I took of the many interesting features of the site:

5-4-19 The Palace of Depression, Vineland NJ

This is the only remaining part of the original structure, the ticket booth:

The Wishing Well, with the location of the actual original well boarded up for safety reasons:

I had to take a pic of the "See/Speak/Hear No Evil" monkeys

Detail of the random masonry elements

A throne-like chair in the room where Daynor would read to those gathered around him.

A view of the outside of The Palace of Depression, 

which is still under reconstruction: