5. Movement, Breath and Symbolism

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The Seer’s Portal is an access point into knowledge and experience that would otherwise be unavailable. This knowledge and experience are accessible when the left body is allowed to convey what it perceives to the right body, while the right body acts only to render order and perhaps understanding to the left body perceptions. Most importantly, the right body must not attempt to alter or interfere with the left body perceptions.

 

This state can be achieved in two important ways. In the first case, the perceiver is awake and yet the internal dialogue of the right body is quiet – the seer is perhaps near a state of dreaming and in a receptive state called inner silence. In the second case, the perceiver is asleep and dreaming, and yet the internal dialogue is operating – the seer is perhaps near a state of waking and in a receptive state called Shamanic Dreaming. In both cases, the right body is in a position to witness left body perceptions.

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In the first case, where the perceiver is awake and the internal dialogue is quiet, we find that movement (or actions) is traditionally one of the initial components that aid the perceiver in reaching the Seer’s Portal by way of inner silence. The shamanic tradition described by Castaneda, prescribed a system of movements called the Magical Passes and a modern form, called Tensegrity. The Magical Passes include bodily movements and breaths as well as embodied symbolism.

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Two other traditions aimed at accessing those rarified experiences and esoteric knowledge are Catholicism and Yoga. Similar to the Magical Passes, Catholic actions and movements are filled with embodied symbolism (genuflecting, communion, making the sign of the cross, etc.), but very little physical movements like those found in the Magical Passes or Yoga. However, a Catholic Mass usually includes a number of songs to be sung by the congregation, and indeed, singing does exercise the breath, in addition to containing symbolic lyrics. On the other hand, Yoga (asanas) primarily incorporate movement, posture and breath, with very little symbolism. In this light, we can see that all three traditions include some form of movement, breath and symbolism, with Magical Passes incorporating a great deal of movement and breath control, like Yoga, but also a great deal of symbolism, like Catholicism. Yoga tends toward one side of the movement-breath-symbolism spectrum (substantially more movement and breath control) while Catholicism tends toward the other side of the movement-breath-symbolism spectrum (primarily symbolism with some breath control).

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A pictorial representing the composition of movement-breath-symbolism for each tradition might look something like Figure 1 below.

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   FIGURE 1 Composition of movement, breath and symbolism for three traditions

 

 

In Figure 1, we see that Catholicism (red circle) predominantly encompasses symbolism with some small amount of breath control and no significant movement/exercise. However, historically, and particularly during the lifetime of Christ and his disciples, walking was a regular and often strenuous form of movement and exercise. Yoga (green circle) predominantly encompasses movement and breath, with perhaps a small amount of symbolism in the movements. The Magical Passes (blue circle) encompass breaths and movements, and in particular, nearly every movement embodies symbolism. In this comparison, Magical Passes appear to be a practice that provides the most balanced composition of movement, breath and symbolism.

 

Each of these components, movement, breath and symbolism, can play an important part in enabling the practitioner to reach the Seer’s Portal. The details of how each component aids the practitioner are contained in our book. In general, the movements lay the foundation for enhancing perception by promoting growth in areas of the brain related to memory and learning. Memory is an essential element in perception ("The world is a huge screen of memories" - Abelar). The movements also act in concert with the breath to create a sense of calm relaxation throughout the body and mind. In addition, learning movements, breath sequences and postures, aid the development of the practitioner’s attention and volition – also essential factors in enhancing perception. And finally, symbolism speaks directly to the left body, in effect, activating it, teaching it, and drawing it to the forefront.

 

A balanced combination of movement, breath, and symbolism is a powerful technique that can lead the practitioner to the Seer’s Portal. Indeed, extended durations of learning and practicing physical movements and breath sequences (like those at a Tensegrity Workshop) tend to thoroughly relax the body, as well as quiet the mind of the right body, allowing the practitioner an opportunity to enter into inner silence. The embodied symbolism and bodily movements also aid in arousing left body perceptions. The combination of inner silence and left body perceptions places the practitioner at the threshold of the Seer’s Portal.

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