Whole Life Magazine

February/March 2013

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Books THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE SCREAMING ABYSS My Life with Terence McKenna & soul ART tHe BRotHeRHood oF tHe sCReAmInG AByss my life with terence mckenna dennis mckenna Not the Terence McKenna story some might expect, this is his brother Dennis' tale, an insightful and intimate portrait. Hardly the "ly on the wall" (though he did often beneit from that detachment), Dennis offers an exceptional view of a controversial life, reeking of the most personal involvement, of "my beautiful brother, my mentor and tormentor." Dennis relects the quieter and more observant path of a second son, younger brother of the wild, ranting mouthpiece of psychedelic mysticism, "the intellectual's Timothy Leary," as Dr. Tim himself referred to Terence. The brothers' profound experience during what is known as the Psychedelic Experiment at La Chorrera, Colombia in 1971 crystallized the mission of the Brotherhood of the Screaming Abyss, as they self-mockingly called themselves, that would deine the remainder of both their lives. Dennis' long career in ethnobotanical and ethnopharmaceutical research paralleled behind the scenes that of his very different brother in the spotlight; even his seemingly limitless appetite and capacity for psychedelics contrasted powerfully with Terence's comparative abstinence in his later years, a cause of considerable consternation among the psychedelic brethren. Fully leshed out in the raw organic stuff of experience, all the fantastic phantasmagoric and futuristic McKenna-isms leap to life, etched on the hardscape of childhood and youth in the American '50s and '60s. Likely the richest, brightest and most adventurous account of the exploits of a generation any of us will ever read, it unfortunately concludes with Terence's death in April 2000. But the story continues as Dennis and admirers alike avail themselves of the earlier experiences, expanding, preserving and embellishing. (North Star Press) —Mac Graham Dennis McKenna tHe HeARt-mInd mAtRIx How the Heart Can teach the mind new Ways to think Joseph Chilton pearce Strange Loops and Gestures of Creation, the original title of this book, perhaps better captures its spirit. Part cutting-edge research, part impassioned appeal for us to rise to the immanent evolutionary challenge, and 32 A&S.indd 32 mostly a rambling intellectual memoir, Joseph Chilton Pearce recalls and distills teachings of his many mentors and cohorts over his long career. The new title derives largely from the philosophies of Rudolf Steiner, but at least equal inluence has been drawn from Baba Muktananda, mystical physicist David Bohm, HeartMath and Monroe Institutes, Darwin, Blake, Mozart and many more. The resultant synthesis bears the imprint of spirituality, ield physics, evolutionism and eureka-genius creativity; as well as nurturant natural sexuality, child birthing and rearing, and more—but stands righteously proud in its own right: the evolutionary blueprint of possibility. Strange loops indeed! Pearce describes a fractal-like pattern evident in embryology, natural selection and species evolution, learning and cognition, out-of-body and near-death experience, cultural adaptation and advance/ decline—and likely all other natural processes. Physical properties as mechanically understood induce a generalized non-local ield, expressing the "intention" of the physical world that sustains and supports physical phenomena while directing them toward greater fulillment or completion. At the same time, the ield owes its very existence to the simultaneous physical process. One can't exist without the other; they reciprocally function to push evolution/creation toward new states, which then induce directive ields that "loop back" in a world of ordered chaos, of functional randomness. This endless cycle, if consciously and coherently incorporated, bears farreaching consequences: "Our entire modern world and mind-set would be undermined were we to fully acknowledge that our actual mind-brain-body system can be sustained through spiritually based action." Including, apparently, our needs even for food and fuel, as conventionally conceived. (Park Street Press) —MG mUsIC sAFFRon dawning The opening chords of Saffron's Dawning remind me of watching sitar master Shujaat Khan performing with pianist Vijay Iyer years ago in New York City—melancholy, relective, beautiful. Khan is one of today's most proliic ambassadors merging classical Indian music with newly formed styles, and his latest—recorded with vocalist Katayoun Goudarzi, saxophonist Tim Ries and pianist/composer Kevin Hays—pays homage to a man who has perhaps become today's most well-known poet—the 13th century Persian mystic Rumi. This understated collaboration introduces new musical motifs wrapped around the poet's universal prose: Ries chose a Hungarian lute to whirl atop tablas on "Nomad," and the seemingly odd choice works perfectly. Goudzari's recitation is a brilliant focal point dancing around the proliic performances heard on these seven songs. The 17-minute, piano- wholelifetimesmagazine.com 1/25/13 6:29 PM

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