Art/movies/books inspired by higher consciousness?

[endlessness]

The different kinds of art form serve several different purpouses, like entertainment, pleasure, expression of feelings and so on....

Some people probably wont agree with me but I find that there are different 'levels' of art and general human expressions. Its hard to define exactly what a higher level is, we dont yet have a enlighten-meter or something, but intuitively one can feel it sometimes.

I like watching movies, reading books and enjoying other art forms that bring something else to me, that are not just entertainment but that offer something unique and with tell-tale signs of a certain higher knowledge that the maker has or was influenced by... Like for example when you look at some typical stupid modern architecture around, and then you compare it with the feeling you get when visiting some special ancient temple or something of the kind

for anybody who feels the same way as me, can you suggest books/movies/art forms of this kind?

I will mention a few I think fit into this category:

Alex Grey's works
Shipibo artwork
Gurdjieff books
movies like: The fountain, one flew over the cuckoo's nest, waking life
etc

this is all probably quite subjective, I agree, but if anybody relates to what I say, do post

 

[restin]

one flew over the cuckoo's nest,

The movie is based on a book, which was written by Ken Kesey and was indeed very influenced by drugs. I am not sure about Kubrick although his movies are quite crazy that doesn't necessarily induce drugs.

books by Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg...

 

[endlessness]

just to note, I didnt necessarily mean that it had to be inspired by psychedelics, but a certain higher state of consciousness, whatever that means (which can also be through entheogens)...

so in the case of gurdjieff, for example, I find that by his writting style one can notice that he definitely knew something special, and was not 'just one more guru'.

as for ginsberg and co.. I have never really checked much about them.. I do know the basics, but some things turn me off the beatniks, for example the whole burroughs story, being junky, killing his wife and so on.. not very ethical, so even though he might have taken some similar substances as us, its quite clear to me that he somehow didnt 'get it'. do you think ginsberg and kerouac are different in this sense?

 

[grifter7]

Brilliant choice, one flew over the cuckoo's nest (film) was directed by Ki-Duk Kim, I so far have really enjoyed his work which consists of very little dialogue. He likes to work with mutes alot.
TThe film 3-Iron (bin jip) by the same director is worth watching and i too loved the fountain which was directed by Darren Aranofsky another of my favourite directors.

 

[maxfreakout]

the movie 'Jacob's Ladder' is totally deep and psychedelic

 

[GOD]

But what is higher consciousness ? Does it exist ?

 

[Nomada]

lower/higher bipolarity often bears a feeling of "virtuousness", that, in the context of today's zoo may come with an individually centered reality --egocentrism--, also accompanied by elitism, idolatry, sanguine fetishism and bad taste.

GOD, I think he means the productions of consciousness, temporarily or not, dismembered off the chains of the geist: a free mind. I certainly hope he means that.

I would feel the need of what I, in-between my subjective verbe, would call linguistic hygiene and would heed the call for integrated consciousness or alien sensibility or something of that short.

Nonetheless, and swimming around lots of other contingencys, the capability of detecting a "higher consciousness" from it's linguistic production remains a debate. Would you say beauty is held at the eye of the beholder?

A rock on the side of the road may just be everything one has always waited for. And then, has one waited for anything really? is beauty a conscious or unconscious production?

 

[endlessness]

But what is higher consciousness ? Does it exist ?

It is hard to define, thats why I made it explicit that it might be a subjective thing but that if it made sense for anybody, then their suggestions are welcome...

for me, as I mentioned, I feel that the expression of human beings are not all 'the same'... I feel that there are different levels of understanding of the world, though we cannot measure this.

so its not about 'knowing more' or having memorized more things.. maybe it has to do with a balanced development between the different psychological functions (so someone who has developed their body, mind/reason and emotions, and not just one of them)...

Or another way of looking at it, it seems to me the more we develop our own consciousness, the more we realize the unity behind multiplicity. I dont mean this in the fringe esoteric bullshit way of 'we are all one' and blablabla, but I do think that this affirmation is true in a deep sense.

Like all the cells in our bodies are unique and individuals but they work for a greater unity, but then sometimes some cells 'forget' this unity and start growing and reproducing uncontrolably (cancer). So humans also like cancer, have forgotten the unity and just grow and grow and accumulate, without noticing they are actually killing/hurting the collectivity. So maybe there is some sort of gradient, where one slowly gets more aware of how his actions affect others, how he is embedded in a greater collectivity, realizing the 'pattern of the system' and trying to act every time more harmoniously with the surroundings.

When I mentioned architecture, its one example where I feel this to be quite obvious, sometimes. I feel that everything we are surrounded by somehow affects us...

So I feel that when one expresses themselves in the world, in every action and in everything we create (like an art form or whatever), we leave implicit some sort of 'fingerprint' of what level of consciousness we are at.

So for example, some books I feel like, no matter what they talk about (so its not necessarily about the subject, but how it is expressed), they have a quite 'low' level of understanding, so maybe it just deals with quite crude human emotions, or its just some entertainment and so on.. Other books I feel like there is 'something else' to it, like the author really had a more intuitive and understanding grasp on reality, more knowledge of the consequences of his actions and how the words would affect the reader, and so on..

The same with architecture, sometimes you go into some place that is supposed to be a fancy modern avant-gard place, but then you see how its just some temporary fashion, something that catches the eye but that has no 'spirit'.. As opposed to when you go to some particular old temples (doesnt have to be old, just an example), and then you are awe-struck, you know this is not just 'fancy', but something of quite another level of 'understanding'

When I read some of the texts from early religion, I distinctly feel that those people 'Knew it', that they had a very very sharp grasp on their situation, on the unity, on the overall picture, and they tried to help people, but their message got distorted/misinterpreted by those of lower understanding


but as I said, I dont pretend to know exactly what is enlightened and what not, what is higher consciousness and what is not.. Nomada I am aware this kind of 'some people are lower some people are higher' ideas can be dangerous, but thats why I am careful with how I talk about it, with how I deal with it. Plus one of the key points I feel is that everybody CAN realize, so one cannot judge a person because we can all from one moment to the other, due to some event or whatever, become more aware. I know I have personally become more aware, when compared to myself some years ago, and I know if I would be judged by my understanding and actions of some years ago, it would not be fair to who I am now...

Also I specially dont want to force it on anybody, I can only talk about a certain feeling I have and I wondered if others might relate to it and a nice suggestion list could be exchanged.

 

[GOD]

Maybe focused consciousness is a better way of describeing it .

 

[maxfreakout]

Life can be broadly divided along experiential lines, to determine the fundamental categories of experience - you have 1.ordinary waking states of consciousness, 2.sleep/dream states of consciousness, and 3.Mystical/religious-altered states of consciousness


'Higher consciousness' could be defined as 'the state of intense mystical/religious consciousness' - so when you take drugs you enter into a state of higher consciousness, then when the trip ends you return to

or it could be defined as 'the state of beng aware of mystical/religious states of consciousness, from the point of view of the ordinary waking state consciousness'

the second definition corresponds to the meaning of 'being enlightened' - being in a permanent state of transformed consciousness

 

[endlessness]

the movie 'Jacob's Ladder' is totally deep and psychedelic

I remember it being quite an interesting movie when I watched it, but not much remains with me after a few years.. maybe I should watch it again

Brilliant choice, one flew over the cuckoo's nest (film) was directed by Ki-Duk Kim, I so far have really enjoyed his work which consists of very little dialogue. He likes to work with mutes alot.
TThe film 3-Iron (bin jip) by the same director is worth watching and i too loved the fountain which was directed by Darren Aranofsky another of my favourite directors.

thanks for the heads up, will check out this 3 iron film

Maybe focused consciousness is a better way of describeing it .

in what way do you mean 'focused'?

Life can be broadly divided along experiential lines, to determine the fundamental categories of experience - you have 1.ordinary waking states of consciousness, 2.sleep/dream states of consciousness, and 3.Mystical/religious-altered states of consciousness


'Higher consciousness' could be defined as 'the state of intense mystical/religious consciousness' - so when you take drugs you enter into a state of higher consciousness, then when the trip ends you return to

or it could be defined as 'the state of beng aware of mystical/religious states of consciousness, from the point of view of the ordinary waking state consciousness'

the second definition corresponds to the meaning of 'being enlightened' - being in a permanent state of transformed consciousness

I dont really agree with this 3-step consciousness.. I see where you are coming from but I think its beyond that..

I think for example even inside the psychedelic consciousness one can see big distinctions in the level of understanding of people.. some will take it quite crudely, others will instead really put their lessons in practice..

Also the same with waking consciousness.. One can notice (at least imo) that even people who have never taken psychedelics, some have definitely a quite developed conscience/consciousness, while others not, or when looking at myself I see that there are certain 'waves' of consciousness inside the 'waking state'. It seems to me to be not fixed, linear, in steps, but instead some kind of spiral gradient, where it goes back and forward but in a general tendency it grows slowly with time.

 

[magickmumu]

Movies by Jordorowsky are great.

 

[Brugmansia]

www.larrycarlson.com

Watch his video's while tripping with headphones on, you better fasten your seatbelt first.

 

[endlessness]

Wow Jodorowsky seems intense! Had read about him a few times but now I see I must def watch his films.

will try larry carlson also! thanks!

 

[GOD]

Mad-max , what about all the people who have made a special contribution to the art / literature world who werent high ? What about inspiration ? Theres at least one catagory missing from your list .

 

[maxfreakout]

I think for example even inside the psychedelic consciousness one can see big distinctions in the level of understanding of people.. some will take it quite crudely, others will instead really put their lessons in practice..

I agree, intelligence is definitely a factor of how people interpret and learn from psychedelic experiences, some people are more intelligent than others. But my point is that life consists of these 3 states of consciousness, there is no life 'outside of' being awake, being asleep/unconscious, and tripping. And these 3 states are all fundamentally different from each other

Also the same with waking consciousness.. One can notice (at least imo) that even people who have never taken psychedelics, some have definitely a quite developed conscience/consciousness, while others not, or when looking at myself I see that there are certain 'waves' of consciousness inside the 'waking state'. It seems to me to be not fixed, linear, in steps, but instead some kind of spiral gradient, where it goes back and forward but in a general tendency it grows slowly with time.

it isnt 'in steps', it is 3 distinct experiential realms of being alive, there is nothing 'in between' being awake and being asleep, tripping and not tripping

Mad-max , what about all the people who have made a special contribution to the art / literature world who werent high ? What about inspiration ? Theres at least one catagory missing from your list .

I am categorizing states of consciousness, 'inspiration' is not a state of consciousness, rather it is one specific thing that happens within states of consciousness

 

[magickmumu]

I don't believe there are 3 distinct realms of consciousness. I believe there are many.
Why should there only be three types of consciousness? it doesn't makes sense to me.

 

[maxfreakout]

I don't believe there are 3 distinct realms of consciousness. I believe there are many.
Why should there only be three types of consciousness? it doesn't makes sense to me.

the point is that these 3 can all be distinguished from each other, so all of life fits into one of these 3 states, awake, asleep and tripping. You can further sub-categorize them, but they are the most basic, essential elements of life experience.

If you think there are many, what others are there that are not included within these 3?

 

[magickmumu]

Tripping On what?

 

[maxfreakout]

Tripping On what?

any drug that makes you trip

i mean 'the psychedelic state of altered consciousness'