LL Page for First Introductions to CI as Director of Media Relations and Outreach
PAGE LAYOUT: six items link, each has a photo, (described in parenthesis) that contains the — elements.
idea is to keep it simple, succinct, and easy to navigate in about five minutes. that’s all the time that I will have for someone to give me to take a look.
ABOUT LAURA LEE (press photos of me)
— my bio from the BOD page
— short clip of interview with FDG from radio show
—
ABOUT PAUL ROBEAR (photo of paul (our photos from BoD page)
OR: ABOUT LAURA LEE AND PAUL ROBEAR, DIRECTORS (photo of the two of us)
then side by side bios and individual photos
ABOUT DR. FELICITAS D. GOODMAN (Image of FDG with Rattle)
— role with CI
— anthropologist and leader in field of
— list of publications, books, articles with image of book
— photo on back of book
— photo with rattle in kiva
ABOUT THE CUYAMUNGUE INSTITUTE (photo of the buildings)
— founded in 1979, a 501-c-3 educational resource institute
— mission statement
— photos of CI facilities
— workshops, events, research, archival materials
ABOUT RITUAL TRANCE POSTURES (photo of paul doing a posture)
— define what we mean
— overview article by LL
— the lab studies on the altered state of consciousness
SAMPLING OF ANCIENT ARTWORK DEPICTING RITUAL POSTURES (photo of artwork, same posture as above)
Show photos of ancient art next to Paul demonstrating that posture
— Bear Posture, multiple images, with comment that found over span of 8,000 years all over the world
— Chiltan Spirits posture,
— Realm of the Dead, comments that found in graves in cyclades
— feathered serpent (explain name)
—
Recent ARTICLES FROM THE CI NEWSLETTER
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mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
to fill in with the verbage and the details —
LL Page for First Introductions to CI as Director of Outreach and Development
ABOUT LAURA LEE (press photos of me)
— my bio from the BOD page
— short clip of interview with FDG from radio show
—
ABOUT PAUL ROBEAR (photo of paul (our photos from BoD page)
ABOUT DR. FELICITAS D. GOODMAN (Image of FDG with Rattle)
— role with CI:
— anthropologist and leader in field of
— list of publications, books, articles with image of book
— photo on back of book
— photo with rattle in kiva
Dr. Goodman founded the Cuyamungue Institute in 1979 to continue her research into ritual trance postures after her retirement from Denison University. It was during her years at Denison teaching anthropology that she formulated and tested her theory that encoded in some ancient artwork is a key component to a ritual that led to an altered state of consciousness. That key component is the simple sitting or standing posture depicted in the art in a ritual that includes “sonic driving” or the fast, steady, non-musical rhythmic beat that has since been demonstrated to “loop” the analytical left hemisphere of the brain and give the non-linear right hemisphere free reign. The altered state supports a visionary spirit journey that she called “ecstatic” in the sense of the Greek “ex-stasis” or beyond the stasis of the ordinary waking state, and for the surge of endorphins that has been demonstrated in laboratory tests at the University of Munich Polyclinic. These tests also revealed that during the 15 minutes of this trance, stress hormones declined, and the beta brain waves of ordinary waking state were simultaneously joined by the theta waves of deep sleep dreaming. This explains how this state is often described as a “waking dream.” Dr. Goodman made the case that indigenous cultures the world over, from 36,000 years to the present, were versed in this healing, natural, beneficial practice and considered it sacred. >>>> .
ABOUT THE CUYAMUNGUE INSTITUTE (photo of the buildings)
Founded in 1979, The Cuyamungue Institute is a 501-c-3 educational resource organization located in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Mission statement is to carryon on the work and research begun by Dr. Goodman.
— photos of CI facilities
— workshops, events, research, archival materials. CI certifies those who have taken courses to learn the practice, and how to teach it. Conducts workshops and other events throughout the April-October summer season at CI.
MORE ON RITUAL TRANCE POSTURES (photo of paul doing a posture)
— define what we mean
— overview article by LL
— the lab studies on the altered state of consciousness
SAMPLING OF ANCIENT ARTWORK DEPICTING RITUAL POSTURES (photo of artwork, same posture as above)
Show photos of ancient art next to Paul demonstrating that posture
— Bear Posture, multiple images, with comment that found over span of 8,000 years all over the world
— Chiltan Spirits posture,
— Realm of the Dead, comments that found in graves in cyclades
— feathered serpent (explain name)
—
Recent ARTICLES FROM THE CI NEWSLETTER
Q&A/FAQ
Note from Laura Lee:
Here are answers to some of the questions I hear most frequently. I quote and paraphrase Dr. Goodman where I can, otherwise repsonding from my own experience and observations. I am most happy to continue the conversation by phone or email.
Is this a religion? No, it’s a spiritual tradition, but not a religion. Dr. Goodman pointed out that this tradition has none of the >>>> of a religion.
Does this work for everyone? Dr. Goodman was clear that all one needed was a healthy nervous system to make the transition from ordinary waking state to this non-ordinary state. From there, you only need the instruction on the proper ritual to activate the transition from the one to the other, and the willingness to let it happen. As this capacity in in-built into the very design of the human physiology, we need not make an effort, but to allow it to happen. We do have the ability to delay that process by staying focused on the mental chatter, or the outer, physical senses while observing what’s happening. One musician was very proud of being able to recount, afterwards, how he was keenly focusing on the sound of the rattle and could identify the various mixed notes made by each fragment within. I had to gently point out that no doubt he was correct in his analysis. However, that was listening with his physical ears, and we were asking him to allow activation of his inner, spirit ears. We know when that happens, as people often report hearing sounds from that alternate reality. It may be the sound of a flute or chanting over the drum or rattle. It may be the sound of wolves or singing way off in the distance, and is very real to the person perceiving it, though they know its not coming from their physical environment. Similarly, you know you are deep in trance when that same visual screen upon which we dream and imagine lights up. We know what we are seeing is not in the room with us as we are standing in a ritual posture, but that we have put one foot through the doorway to the Alternate Reality. The other indicator of deep trance is a temporal distortion. When we are deeply engaged in that inner journey, the fifteen minutes duration of the drumming or rattling (which is carefully timed) can feel like only a minute or two, or it can feel like three days. The most consistently reported indicator is that one’s “energy body” turned on, with cascades of electricity ……..>>>>
Why are mystical traditions associated with this type of experience?
You say this altered state of consciousness can be achieved without drugs or outside influences. Yes, no drugs or external agents are used. The stimulant or activator is the loud, fast, percussive monotone beat of 100 to 120 beats per minute. Brain mind science terms this “sonic driving” and acknowledges the widespread use of this in many ancient traditions to activate various trance states. The theory is that the left hemisphere of the brain, the seat of the intellect, “loops” and is occupied, so that the right hemisphere, the seat of the soul, can flex its muscle and take us into or towards that state of oceanic bliss and unity for which it is known, or some degree thereof.
What is the complete ritual? We don’t know how every culture used it, . we have clues from which we can deduce. Dr. Goodman helped translate some of the ethnographic and other documentation of the 488 indigenous cultures studied in the National Insitute of Mental Health Grant that her mentor, Erika Bourgninoun got to.
How did Dr. Goodman formulate the ritual?
What were the steps that led Dr. Goodman to her theories?
What is the function of the postures? What do they add to the process?
How can such a simple ritual produce such a profound experience?
How did the first people happen upon this ritual?
Why was this not brought forward into advanced cultures?