When I land a Prime Time TV series, the theme music will have to be The Seeker by The Who!
Basing myself in Bali, I’ve begun diving into exploring the region’s mystical mysteries. Beneath the relatively thin veneer of modernity (including motorscooter-clogged roads, gaggles of Eat, Pray, Love tourists, and Aussie Spring-Break seeking partiers), there’s an incredibly strong traditional culture, steeped in ceremony and prayer. In fact, while Bali has been called the “Island of a thousand temples”, there’s at least one unofficial estimate of 1+ million temples on this 2,200 square mile island. If the power of prayer can concentrate and manifest, Bali is certainly a good candidate.
In addition to meeting with local Balian (traditional healers) whose practices (such as acupressure and massage) seem to mask deeper spiritual connections, I’m beginning to learn about the role of black magic, which is as normal here as it is abnormal back at home.
In the pursuit of historical references, I’m currently dissecting the autobiography of Alfred Russell Wallace (Charles Darwin’s contemporary) to determine whether his interest in mesmerism (aka hypnotism, seances and related) began during his travels in the Malay Archipelago in the mid-1800s.
I’ve also just finished The Intention Experiment, Lynn McTaggart’s fascinating account of the deep scientific research in this arena. She was a keynote speaker at the recent Science and Nonduality Conference, and also was interviewed extensively for the 2004 film, What the Bleep Do We Know?!
There’s more, of course, and I plan to post updates more regularly. In the meantime, here’s one Balian who I’ve recently learned about via an upcoming documentary. He’s a bit more … extreme … than those I’ve met personally (though I hope to meet him, too). But don’t let his approach distract you. There *is* something deeper going on here, all-to-easy to dismiss in light of the rather bizarre behaviors exhibited.
