Without a doubt 2013 has been my most productive year to date, having covered much more than what I originally intended.
We began our annual pilgrimage from the thickets of Ancient Egypt with a look at the extraordinary life of Omm Sety (aka Dorothy Eady) and ended it most emphatically with a three-part series on the Aradale Mental Asylum and evolutionary milestones in mental health. Between these two pillars were intellectual bus stops encompassing everything from the mechanisms of consciousness, abnormal psychology, and lucid dreaming to transpersonal psychology, esotericism, and some great exercises in self-reflection and self-development.
More specifically we looked at the alchemical symbolism of sol niger or the black sun, the mechanism of lucid dreaming and techniques for how to achieve this state of consciousness, and the integral mechanisms of consciousness as mapped out by the alchemical Splendor Solis series. That was dutifully followed by the mysterious discoveries of parapsychologist Thomas Lethbridge with a pendulum, the swift completion of six scientific experiments to determine the relationship between mind and matter, an examination of the concept of linear and serial time, and the efficacy of contemporary neuroscience in elucidating the cognitive mechanisms underlying primary and higher-order consciousness (through the book review of The Universe of Consciousness). In the second half of the year we delved into Carl Jung’s interpretation of alchemical symbolism, dramatized mind-matter interaction through a theatrical play, scrutinized the history of the concept of dissociation, critically examined the book Switching Time which transcribes a contemporary case of Dissociative Identity Disorder from the point of view of the health care professional, implemented some exercises in dis-identification promulgated by Assagiolian psychosynthesis, entered the esoteric worldview of the spiritual teacher and healer the Magus of Strovolos, and looked at a wide array of self-development and transformational exercises completed at the Mesa World Retreat last month.
In all, there were two major highlights; the “Transpersonal Psychology” writing competition in which I awarded beautiful, hand-made crystal trophies to the three most inspiring pieces on a psychic opening (i.e. shamanic crisis, past-life memory, peak experience, life myth) and the extensive research project I completed on the precognitive faculty entitled, Dreamscaping Without my Timekeeper: A Critical Investigation into Precognitive Dreams (2013). The first was an opportunity for me to give back something to individuals who were courageous and conscientious enough to transcribe, analyse, and most important of all share their experience with others. Through this endeavour I wished to draw attention to the wider notion that we are never alone in life; there are both tutored and untutored ears about, ready to listen, to empathize, and to provide assistance tantamount with their personal and professional aptitudes. The second was a by-product of my interest in mind-matter interaction, allowing me to explore the empirical validity of precognition on a cosmopolitan scale. Both were immensely enjoyable and rewarding to mediate.
Having put the past year to rest it’s time to look into our crystal ball and see what’s in stall for Down the Rabbit Hole in 2014. To begin with I wish to announce that I have been pencilled in as one of the five principal speakers at the Jung Society of Melbourne for 2014. In a presentation tentatively titled “Precognitive Dreams and the Collective Unconscious”, I will compress the principal findings of my research on precognitive dreams so that they become part of a larger discussion on the empirical validity of Jung’s collective unconscious. It is scheduled for mid-June and I will advertise the exact date when it becomes available. I have also applied to present this research at the EUROTAS “Metamorphosis” World Conference to be held in Chania, Crete, on October of this coming year.
Also on the horizon is: a YouTube interview where I philosophize about Western culture and lifestyle; more articles on mind-matter interaction, psychology and mental health, spirituality, and esotericism; another major competition and research project; and hopefully the long-awaited publication of my first non-fiction works.
To sum up, please feel free to e-mail me if you have a specific request (perhaps a topic or subject you wish to see discussed) or wish to offer constructive criticism. I am open to communion and the establishment of a vigorous rapport with others at all times!
Best wishes for the New Year,
Paul Kiritsis
