Superb work, Ted. Many thanks. A lot of this chimes with the Yoruba musical traditions which manifest in Afro-Cuban music, particularly in the regla de ocha and the attendant use of the drum as a conveyor of divine force.
In his biography on St. Paul, historian and biblical scholar N.T. Wright speculates, an idea not original with him, that Paul was engaged in a Merkabah style meditation on the throne chariot of Ezekiel while on the road to Damascus before his encounter with the risen Jesus.
"There were ways of payer—we hear of them mostly through much later traditions, but there are indications that they were already known in Saul's day—through which that fusion of earth and heaven might be realized even by individuals. Prayer, fasting, and strict observance of Torah could create conditions either for the worshipper to be caught up into heaven or for a fresh revelation of heaven to appear to someone on earth, or indeed both. Who is to say what precisely all this would mean in practice, set as it is at the borders of language and experience both then and now? A vision, a revelation, the unveiling of secrets, of mysteries...like the Temple itself, only even more mysterious...The more I have pondered what happened to Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus...the more I have wondered whether Saul had been practicing this kind of meditation." pgs. 49-51
Of course all this is speculation, but it seems to be a matter of historical fact that something happened on that road that not only changed Paul's life entirely, but must be rated as a contender for the most significant event in the history of the world. It's importance and influence is likely also understated due to the fact that it cannot be secularized.
Thanks for the wonderful writing. It's a fascinating read and I've appreciated your other writing too, especially on dopamine culture.
"That which can't be counted doesn't count" is the unspoken dogma that dominates the modern world. But Einstein cautioned, “Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted.”
I commend you for not being ashamed to use the words "magical" and "mystical." I see bringing these words back into mainstream discourse as essential to human thriving going forward. When Nietzsche pronounced "God is dead," he pronounced the death of the story of God as the overriding unifying myth of Western civilization. This myth was replaced by the myth of science, technology, and progress. Now we've reached a stage where science is dead as that unifying myth. Not in the sense that science is bad or invalid, but that we are seeing the limits of what it can see and do for us. I would point first and foremost to increases in mental illness and deaths of despair - despite astounding scientific and technological progress - as empirical evidence supporting the "science is dead" proposition.
The story of God was the thesis; the story of science the antithesis. The next phase must be the synthesis. I think your writing here advances this ball down the field in this respect. This is important work. Nicely done!
How much is this all affected by orality vis. literacy in a society?
Jewish mysticism emerges from a literate culture based in the written word (like Ezekiel, the only prophet who was also a priest). The Merkabah folks would have memorized huge swaths of text from many individual scrolls,‘plus the Hebrew canon of Bible and rabbinics. Are such heroic mysticisms different depending on literacy in a culture?
Is the mystic/musician/magician always esoteric? The story always seems to involve a priestly execution of precise rituals, requiring great insider/secret knowledge.
It’s true that Jews didn’t study Ezekiel until later in life - same with Kabbalah. This is because of the anti normative pull of mysticism - one has to be very rooted in the religion to do it and not go “off the path.” Is this always the destiny of mysticism? Is the hero’s journey always against ethical or social norms?
Note: This is why Hasidism had vociferous opponents when it emerged in the 18th century -- the critics didn’t disagree with Kabbalah, they just thought it wasn’t for the masses and would cause them to abandon religious practices/morals.
Thank you for this, especially the 8 points. This is affirming as I continue what feels like a spiritual journey through music. The democratization of our quests and the belief in ourselves as heroes both individually and collectively has the power to evoke change. But, there will be many perils and plenty of resistance--internally and externally.
What about the Sumerians, which pre-date "Judeo-Christian". They had a system of scales, and used chords and thirds, among other bits of knowledge. They played lyres, harps, and lutes, and they later used drums and wind instruments.
Ptolemy noticed that people watching a fire through the spokes of a turning wheel experienced a feeling of joy and ecstasy. We now know that this was due to brain entrainment, and the cause was essentially rhythmic (although a visual rhythm in this case). Not much research was done on this until the 1960s, but this example testifies to the fact that it was identified long before neuroscientists got involved.
Very beautiful Ted. For me, my horses four hooves were my chariot. My sweet gelding was the song of heaven on earth. He allowed me to visit places I would never have experienced. He allowed me to transcend my mundane life.
I'm remembering a movie that really does express the hero's journey more accurately, Hidalgo, which wasn't very popular. (Spoilers ahead): But the protagonist starts as a drunk, is called to take part in a horse race he doesn't want anything to do with, faces great perils, including people trying to torture and kill him, meets a rather mystic woman who helps him in secret, and close to the end, his horse nearly dies, and the only thing he can do, which he doesn't want to do, is sing the prayers of his mother's people. He has a vision of his ancestors supporting him, his horse is healed, and he wins, and gets sober and changes his life for the better. It's actually a pretty good movie.
Superb work, Ted. Many thanks. A lot of this chimes with the Yoruba musical traditions which manifest in Afro-Cuban music, particularly in the regla de ocha and the attendant use of the drum as a conveyor of divine force.
In his biography on St. Paul, historian and biblical scholar N.T. Wright speculates, an idea not original with him, that Paul was engaged in a Merkabah style meditation on the throne chariot of Ezekiel while on the road to Damascus before his encounter with the risen Jesus.
"There were ways of payer—we hear of them mostly through much later traditions, but there are indications that they were already known in Saul's day—through which that fusion of earth and heaven might be realized even by individuals. Prayer, fasting, and strict observance of Torah could create conditions either for the worshipper to be caught up into heaven or for a fresh revelation of heaven to appear to someone on earth, or indeed both. Who is to say what precisely all this would mean in practice, set as it is at the borders of language and experience both then and now? A vision, a revelation, the unveiling of secrets, of mysteries...like the Temple itself, only even more mysterious...The more I have pondered what happened to Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus...the more I have wondered whether Saul had been practicing this kind of meditation." pgs. 49-51
Of course all this is speculation, but it seems to be a matter of historical fact that something happened on that road that not only changed Paul's life entirely, but must be rated as a contender for the most significant event in the history of the world. It's importance and influence is likely also understated due to the fact that it cannot be secularized.
Thanks for the wonderful writing. It's a fascinating read and I've appreciated your other writing too, especially on dopamine culture.
"That which can't be counted doesn't count" is the unspoken dogma that dominates the modern world. But Einstein cautioned, “Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted.”
I commend you for not being ashamed to use the words "magical" and "mystical." I see bringing these words back into mainstream discourse as essential to human thriving going forward. When Nietzsche pronounced "God is dead," he pronounced the death of the story of God as the overriding unifying myth of Western civilization. This myth was replaced by the myth of science, technology, and progress. Now we've reached a stage where science is dead as that unifying myth. Not in the sense that science is bad or invalid, but that we are seeing the limits of what it can see and do for us. I would point first and foremost to increases in mental illness and deaths of despair - despite astounding scientific and technological progress - as empirical evidence supporting the "science is dead" proposition.
The story of God was the thesis; the story of science the antithesis. The next phase must be the synthesis. I think your writing here advances this ball down the field in this respect. This is important work. Nicely done!
Brilliant and insightful. Some questions:
How much is this all affected by orality vis. literacy in a society?
Jewish mysticism emerges from a literate culture based in the written word (like Ezekiel, the only prophet who was also a priest). The Merkabah folks would have memorized huge swaths of text from many individual scrolls,‘plus the Hebrew canon of Bible and rabbinics. Are such heroic mysticisms different depending on literacy in a culture?
Is the mystic/musician/magician always esoteric? The story always seems to involve a priestly execution of precise rituals, requiring great insider/secret knowledge.
It’s true that Jews didn’t study Ezekiel until later in life - same with Kabbalah. This is because of the anti normative pull of mysticism - one has to be very rooted in the religion to do it and not go “off the path.” Is this always the destiny of mysticism? Is the hero’s journey always against ethical or social norms?
Note: This is why Hasidism had vociferous opponents when it emerged in the 18th century -- the critics didn’t disagree with Kabbalah, they just thought it wasn’t for the masses and would cause them to abandon religious practices/morals.
Thank you for this, especially the 8 points. This is affirming as I continue what feels like a spiritual journey through music. The democratization of our quests and the belief in ourselves as heroes both individually and collectively has the power to evoke change. But, there will be many perils and plenty of resistance--internally and externally.
What about the Sumerians, which pre-date "Judeo-Christian". They had a system of scales, and used chords and thirds, among other bits of knowledge. They played lyres, harps, and lutes, and they later used drums and wind instruments.
Hoofbeats propelled chariots. Some current meditation mp3s contain droning hums combined with beats.
Also, the cultures that produced handprints on cave walls could also have had chanters before vocalized words.
Nice symbolic insight with the chariots there
Ptolemy was the first to study entrainment? Can you explain that a bit?
Ptolemy noticed that people watching a fire through the spokes of a turning wheel experienced a feeling of joy and ecstasy. We now know that this was due to brain entrainment, and the cause was essentially rhythmic (although a visual rhythm in this case). Not much research was done on this until the 1960s, but this example testifies to the fact that it was identified long before neuroscientists got involved.
Very beautiful Ted. For me, my horses four hooves were my chariot. My sweet gelding was the song of heaven on earth. He allowed me to visit places I would never have experienced. He allowed me to transcend my mundane life.
Can’t wait for whole book!
Amazing Ted. Thank you.
Those ancient raves were off the chain!
The concept of going on a journey and coming back with a song sounds a lot like "icaros" which shamans learn by taking ayahuasca.
No doubt they were trippin' balls.
🎸So looking forward to this installment 🎸
I'm remembering a movie that really does express the hero's journey more accurately, Hidalgo, which wasn't very popular. (Spoilers ahead): But the protagonist starts as a drunk, is called to take part in a horse race he doesn't want anything to do with, faces great perils, including people trying to torture and kill him, meets a rather mystic woman who helps him in secret, and close to the end, his horse nearly dies, and the only thing he can do, which he doesn't want to do, is sing the prayers of his mother's people. He has a vision of his ancestors supporting him, his horse is healed, and he wins, and gets sober and changes his life for the better. It's actually a pretty good movie.
Love this book, looking for to the last chapter.