August 27, 2010
- Rene Daumal on Transcending the Intellect -
A moment comes when the voice that says, ‘I” must jump from the intellect to a more interior, more real life, and this new life sees that it is different from the intellect. Then it must put the intellect into service. But there is a period of transition between the two, when one feels a disgust at the emptiness of ordinary discussions (those that one has with oneself and with others, and I include the most brilliant philosophical ones). They will no longer do, but one has yet to find a new language at one’s disposition.
(via tumblr buddy Crashingly Beautiful)
thanks to this
I happened to go on amazon
and find a sweet hardback copy
of Daumal’s “A Night of Serious Drinking”
for four bucks! Thanks Luke!
So that’s how you feel right now? I wonder how that will effect your blog?
Comment by Ted — August 27, 2010 @ 11:45 am
Very good. I want to read some more too!
Comment by speedbird — August 27, 2010 @ 1:50 pm
I mean, seriously, this guy is talking about nothing less than the root of all art and magic, right? (And presumably why a lot of weblogs go really strange towards the end ;D)
Also, that is a truly excellent title for a book.
Comment by speedbird — August 27, 2010 @ 2:02 pm
Actually, I’ve been feeling this for a while now. Its part of why I started posting quotes (rather than going strange and closing this down for good). I realized having only words wasn’t going to get me anywhere real, but also that giving up on words was probably not a good idea either… :)
Comment by Ian — August 29, 2010 @ 12:37 pm
I find myself drawn to music and lyrics, when ordinary words fail. Not singing (well, sometimes!), just quoting. (Hence my splurge on one of your recent posts.)
Y’know, sometimes I play vinyl. And having just read a book about the history of ritual magic, I realise that this is exactly what I’m doing: I cleanse myself, go to my little altar prepared just so, and set about opening my mind by reading aloud from an arcane, irreplaceable, black plastic disc…
I feel a little bit scared now. But the written word can be the same thing: I calm my mind, and read a passage which works on me in a different way to ordinary words, which takes me to a better place…
Comment by speedbird — August 29, 2010 @ 1:33 pm
Yeah, I’ve been feeling lately that written words are like drugs. I was sitting in a coffee shop, reading a book, and realized all of a sudden that I’d lost touch with my surroundings and was completely in the story of the book. A common occurrence for me (and I’m not the only one, I’m sure!), but not something I’ve ever noticed while it was underway.
Taken this way though, everything is ritual magic, every time we do something hoping for a specific result, in a way, is “magic”.
Comment by Ian — August 29, 2010 @ 1:43 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVNhJdleVjc
:)
Comment by Ian — August 29, 2010 @ 2:10 pm
>> everything is ritual magic
I was getting at the (alchemical?) sense of working on the ‘self’ (poor choice of word, perhaps!). Which I guess books do! But to be fair when I put on an LP I’m pretty sure I’m not calling upon anything as lofty as an angel or demon to assist me. As I understand these things anyway, though I’m sure the Inquisition would have had their own view :)
Comment by speedbird — August 29, 2010 @ 3:11 pm
Depends on what you mean by “angel” and “demon”… :)
No, I know what you mean, I’m just being a smartass… But I think you’re right, it is a kind of alchemical “work on the self”, we just have to figure out how to cultivate it so it sticks…
Comment by Ian — August 29, 2010 @ 6:46 pm