lizard brain

had an interesting conversation the other eve.

delved into creation myth and where does 'history' start.

also reading a book right now, Explorers of the Infinite.

Gets into the spiritual side of extreme athletes of all backgrounds

and disciplines.  Talks about those magic moments, visiting those

thin places, alpine tragedy, etc.  

Why is it that so many different pursuits lead to the same place?

That extra-body transcendental experience of disconnected nowness.  

Do we purposely 'go there?'  

If so, what do we seek to find there? 

What do we actually learn while visiting?

Anything? or just an escape?

So, you've torn it all down, shredded yourself to the core, as essentially you as you know how to be.  Focused survival mode, running on instinct.  Looping back to the opening about creation myth and also blurbs I've read about more evidence being discovered that supports these passed down stories and memories....Is something like Atlantis really just a myth?  Why couldn't there have a been greatly advanced civilizations previously, that are now gone due to cataclysmic events?

Like when the poles of the earth flipped, or extraterrestrial impacts, wiping out all but the hardiest survivors.  Forcing them back to the Earth, back into the caves, surviving on instinct and passing down their history thru memories and stories, now myth.  And if we've heard these stories, so many, many, many, many times through how many generations, is there a part of the semi-primitive old brain that has that knowledge stored in some way?

Visionaries, mystics, shaman, monks.....what are they really tapping into during those transcendent states?  Do we also catch a glimpse of that when we've torn it all down at the end of a long effort?  What's the difference between a full on emptied the well need to push on for 4 more hours or sleep in the woods bonk vs a monastic meditative days long fasting?  

Physiologically a similar experience, empty the body until the brain bonks, then do some exploring....guess it depends on your focus, and where you really want to go.