2010.01.29 07:00 - Night Winds, Day Dreams, and Serendipity

The Guardian for this meeting was Eliza Madrigal. The comments are by Eliza Madrigal, who was joined for this session by Archmage, Eden, Widget, and Zen. It was a crackling session, with all of us sparking one another and the view in the end showing real cohesiveness one might not have noticed minute-by-minute. Fittingly, Eden arrives 'sparkling'...

Eliza Madrigal: Hi Arch :)
Eliza Madrigal: All well?
Eden Haiku: Good morning Eliza.
Archmage Atlantis: Hi, Eliza - we seem to be fated to see each other wherever we are these last few days:)
Eliza Madrigal: Oh, Hi Eden! You are a cloud.... on sparkle?
Archmage Atlantis: Good morning, Eden :)
Eliza Madrigal: ha, true Arch
Eden Haiku: Hi Arch
Eden Haiku: Sparkle, yes.
Eliza Madrigal: What is cute... is that even though you are a cloud, there IS something sparkling around you, too!
Eden Haiku: :)
Eliza Madrigal: I wonder if someone has a topic this morning?

Packing is a *great* meditative exercize...   

Eden Haiku: I'm deep in the question: what do I really need?
Eliza Madrigal: MMM, it does seem an essential question
Eden Haiku: Sorting out my suitcase...
Eliza Madrigal: What are your thoughts about that so far?
Eliza Madrigal: packing is a great metaphor to work with!
Eliza Madrigal: Your situation is unique, Eden, in that you can't really predict when you might be able to do laundry and such?
Eden Haiku: I know carrying lots of stuff is out of fear of lacking something.
Eliza Madrigal nods... fear of 'what if'

Archmage frames the session with a magical word...   

Archmage Atlantis: Serendipity was my thought when you asked for a topic Eliaz, ....., no doubt it relates to your topic, although how I wonder?
Eliza Madrigal: hmmm...
Eliza Madrigal: Serendipity is the effect by which one accidentally stumbles upon something fortunate, especially while looking for something entirely unrelated.
Eliza Madrigal: (from wiki)
Eden Haiku: Serendipity:I love the word. It is a bit like synchronicity is it?
Archmage Atlantis: Perhaps "fear of lacking something" is in contrast with being open to the unexpected?
Eliza Madrigal: Yes! That was what I was playing with... what is the difference... and neither can be 'depended on' in a smaller sense, and yet play out continually in a grander way
Eliza Madrigal: Yes, Arch... hm... Trust again perhaps
Eliza Madrigal: Where/in what do we rest...
Eden Haiku: Like finding yourself without a sharpener for your eyeliner in Chnadigahr?
Eliza Madrigal giggles... yes what then!
Archmage Atlantis: No one can prepare for every eventuality.......
Eliza Madrigal: Right, we can't fortify ourselves... though we often seem to try

Eden shares a 'tangible' dream...   

Eden Haiku: I had this dream last night:
Eliza Madrigal listens
Eden Haiku: Walking in a desert
Archmage Atlantis: Just as no one can know what good things may come their way, perhaps even because they weren't prepared .......
Archmage Atlantis: listens to dream
Eden Haiku: Then running so fast so light a real pleasure almost flying but still touching the ground

--BELL--
Eliza Madrigal: I can almost feel that, Eden!
Eden Haiku: Then...
Eden Haiku: As you just said Arch, you can't prepare for everything...
Eliza Madrigal: Hi Widget! Eden is sharing a dream...
Eliza Madrigal: [7:14] Eden Haiku: Then running so fast so light a real pleasure almost flying but still touching the ground
Eden Haiku: I realize there are people coming
Eden Haiku: They are Talibans, with firearms pointing at me ...
Widget Whiteberry: brb
Eliza Madrigal: Hi Zen (I'll give you a note so you might catch up) :)
Eden Haiku: As i'm still far and very fast, I can retreat
Zen Arado: Hi All
Archmage Atlantis: Hi, Zen
Eden Haiku: Than I have to face them: there isnot way out.
Archmage Atlantis: There's more to the dream
Eden Haiku: Hi zen
Eliza Madrigal: Hm, you have to face your fears perhaps ...
Eden Haiku: And i come back as a man and talk with them in a friendly way.
Eliza Madrigal: hm :)
Eden Haiku: Things unexpected that happen and serendipity...?
Widget Whiteberry: hmmm, I'll read up thread
Archmage Atlantis: Hmmmm....yes, hmmmmm is the appropriate response
Widget Whiteberry: ty! 

Eliza Madrigal smiles..... To me it sounds like an integration of our discussion yesterday, in a way
Eliza Madrigal: We talked about unpredictable acts of kindness....
Eliza Madrigal: and Happiness
Eliza Madrigal: and also, gender & enlightenment... PLUS, Eden is packing 'lightly' for her journey....
Zen Arado: flying is a very common dream theme
Eliza Madrigal: Maybe a wonderful signal of great pleasure and swiftness...
Eden Haiku: Yes it was mainly a good feeling
Eliza Madrigal: grounded yet groundless :)
Eden Haiku: Ahh!

Zen Arado: do you attach significance to dreams Eden?
Archmage Atlantis: The gender aspect, that I have hear before from others.......having been male in one lifetime, female in another......and the difference in power, influence, and perspective
Eliza Madrigal: At the first line I felt that feeling, when dreams and rl cross over and you *feel* it... like wind or flying... or bursts of color
Eden Haiku: What about serendipity for you Arch?
Eliza Madrigal wonders if there are wind bursts in SL....
Eden Haiku: As part of the texture of life yes Zen
Widget Whiteberry: what happened next in your dream?

Archmage Atlantis: For me, serendipity lately has been finding something that was packed away in the move to where I live now last year that I had forgotten about and can use :)
Eden Haiku: I was left talking with the Talibans:)
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Zen Arado: in Arabic?
Zen Arado: I used to teach Arabs
Eliza Madrigal: :) Gorgeous language... would love to speak Arabic in a dream
Zen Arado: mostly Yemenis
Eliza Madrigal: or in rl of course...
Eliza Madrigal: Serendipity seems to suggest a 'larger universe'/Being conspiring... like one stumbles into a more precise pattern?
Zen Arado: perhaps the more we are aligned with 'the present
Eden Haiku: ah good question Zen.i see the dream is connected with another dream years ago. Funny how dreams connect through time.
Zen Arado: the more serendipity we experience
Eliza Madrigal: Hm, yes in that way it does seem syncrhonicity, too...
Zen Arado: I am a bit 50/50 on dreams
Zen Arado: should do a study by writing them down
Eliza Madrigal: Always, so far, when I have dreamt of winds, something has changed or broken through somehow, in RL...

--BELL--
After the bell, Widget shares the dream's potential to see through separations...

Archmage Atlantis: Eden's dream seems like it would carry meaning, even if fleshed out as a short story or a poem.....
Widget Whiteberry: I learned to write my dreams - when I recall them - as in first person, present tense. Then to consider that each aspect of a dream is a 'part-of-me.'
Eliza Madrigal: It IS funny how dreams connect through time, Eden, definitely..
Eliza Madrigal: Oh, she poofed!
Eliza Madrigal: Oh, that's helpful Widget... so no judgement... able to see from many angles
Archmage Atlantis: I'll have to take your word for the poof, Eliza, I never did see Eden.....only in the text :)
Widget Whiteberry: yes, and if all I dream is part-of-me, then there are no scary 'others'
Eliza Madrigal: Ah! :) She was a sparkling cloud before
Widget Whiteberry: no anything others
Zen Arado: interesting
Eliza Madrigal: Does that translate into RL for you Widget?
Widget Whiteberry: wb Eden
Eliza Madrigal: Welcome Back, Eden :)

Zen Arado: wonder if you could have a dream 'alt'
Zen Arado: Hi Eden
Widget Whiteberry: sometimes I see meaning, something to learn about how my mind works
Eliza Madrigal: Ah, and you are here as your usual lovely self now , Eden :)
Zen Arado: in the flesh :)
Eliza Madrigal: dream bodies....
Zen Arado: this is a dream too....
Eden Haiku: Yes, back on my computer..Eliza . Much easier to feel the conversation with visuals
Archmage Atlantis: Zen, what do you mean by a dream alt?.....another internal personality that dreams?
Eliza Madrigal: Yes!! "feel the conversation" is an interesting phrasing considering our topics today...
Zen Arado: I tend to dream about things I would like to do but can't
Eliza Madrigal: So spooky lately :)
Zen Arado: like having a dream but you are not the person in the dream Arch
Zen Arado: if that makes any sense....
Zen Arado: don't think it does

We think of our blissful friends in Malta...   

Eden Haiku: I was redaing the chat logs with the retreaters from Malta. Could almost feel all the excitement but then it is not the same as seeings all the avatars in the pavilion.
Zen Arado: I dream about driving cars now that I can't do it in RL
Widget Whiteberry nods
Eliza Madrigal nods
Zen Arado: retreat must be nearly over
Eliza Madrigal: I used to dream of flying more before SL
Zen Arado: ?
Eliza Madrigal: Yes! You really can *feel* their excitement, Eden ... and see the cliffs overlooking the sea....
Eliza Madrigal: today is the last official day
Eliza Madrigal: though most are leaving Saturday :)
Eden Haiku: Eating icescones meditation!
Eliza Madrigal: !!
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Zen Arado: nice
Eden Haiku: Will they be connecting again today?
Eliza Madrigal: I almost hope not... hope they just soak one another up....
Eliza Madrigal: If so it seems they show up at the 1PM :)
Eden Haiku: Yes, they seem to have a lot of good experiences.
Zen Arado: haven't seen them yet
Eden Haiku: Neither I.

Lia's 'daydreams'...   

Eliza Madrigal: I'm curious to know if they are talking about daydreams, too...
Eliza Madrigal: Just before they left there was a session with Lia
Eliza Madrigal: which was very interesting.... just watching daydreams, etc... seeing them play out like stories
Archmage Atlantis: Where are the session logs stored, if I were to want to read them?
Zen Arado: my mother was a terrible daydreamer
Eden Haiku: Whatever happened to the one-shoed man story Eliza?
Eliza Madrigal: Arch, you've not read the wiki? Let me give you a link or two
Archmage Atlantis: I've been reading a lot of the history and logs.
Eliza Madrigal: hahah Eden... yes I think that one continues
Widget Whiteberry: I would like those links, too
Widget Whiteberry: the malta links
Eliza Madrigal: http://playasbeing.wik.is/Chat_Logs/...tching_the_Sea
Archmage Atlantis: Please do, I may not have gone to the relevant part
Eliza Madrigal: (this is yesterday's)
Eden Haiku: Oh yes, this log about Lia experimenting these interesting daydreams of pure joy, how very interesting!
Eliza Madrigal: http://playasbeing.wik.is/Chat_Logs/...xt_on_the_wall
Widget Whiteberry: ty
Zen Arado: but daydreaming not a good activity?
Eliza Madrigal: (this is the day before)
Eliza Madrigal: :)You are most welcome
Eliza Madrigal: Ah, let me find the daydream link.... sooo fascinating    

Eden Haiku: Lia's experience seems to be quite brilliant and rewarding.
Eliza Madrigal nods
Archmage Atlantis: Not generally approved of in US culture, but it has it's place :)
Eliza Madrigal: http://playasbeing.wik.is/Chat_Logs/..._-_Happy_place
Eden Haiku: Never heard something like that before (Lia's)
Eliza Madrigal: Even in meditational communities, as well as schools of course, we discourage it, it seems
Eliza Madrigal: ... but considering that it seems so natural....
Widget Whiteberry: so, in retreat, people are still using SL? Everyone carries a laptop?
Eliza Madrigal: Seems many brought their laptops to this one, Widget!
Eliza Madrigal: Also when we were in Princeton we came...
Widget Whiteberry: hmmm, my desk top would be a packing challenge
Eliza Madrigal: The Cali retreat did not have access at all
Eliza Madrigal: heh, me too Widget
Eden Haiku: Thnkas Eliza. Yes, Lia calls it her 'happy place'. It seems like an inner sanctuary to me. Very nice. She's sharing some very precious tool she has I think.

--BELL--

Zen Arado: daydreaming is going away fro RL into the past or future
Widget Whiteberry: Zen, or into the 'not here.'
Eliza Madrigal: There is rich ground here perhaps... if one doesn't steer things into past or future... and just watches... Isn't this what we do when figuring something out, like a math problem or what to buy as a present, etc

Archmage Atlantis: Someone told me he and his friend were talking to each other on their laptaps at home, in adjoining rooms........that was amusing until I remembered we did the same sort of thing at work.....A private conversation in a public space I would say was the work motive
Zen Arado: yes though we all like to do it
Eliza Madrigal: hehe Arch... yes my girls skype each other from their bedrooms!
Widget Whiteberry laughs
Archmage Atlantis: :)
Zen Arado: you could use your Ipod Eden
Eden Haiku: :-) ELiza...
Eden Haiku: I skyped home from my Ipod yesterday, as I was at my hairdresser. She has wifi!
Eliza Madrigal: So interesting that you can do that!
Eliza Madrigal needs more gadgets
Zen Arado: they are great devices :)
Zen Arado: wish there were more wifi access points though
Eliza Madrigal nods
Zen Arado: I bought a little mic for mine
Eden Haiku: Zen and I are soon to be approached by the company people...WE advertize for them so willingly. But then we LOVe our gadgets don't we? ;-)
Eliza Madrigal: haha
Zen Arado: sure do :)
Eliza Madrigal: Well, maybe we will just learn to use our day and night dreams better... instant connections :)
Widget Whiteberry: can you access the non visual parts of SL with your ipods?
Eden Haiku: +Yes, we need the mike for it to be able to use SKype..
Zen Arado: not sure SL works on I pod
Eden Haiku: Non-Visuals yes. Widget.
Zen Arado: it does?
Widget Whiteberry listens carefully
Eliza Madrigal: Widget, you seem so techie. I'm surprised you're on a desktop like me
Eden Haiku: It does, I was on SL through Ipod when I was a cloud here in the beginning Zen.
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Zen Arado: ah I see !
Eliza Madrigal: ipod, or iphone?
Eden Haiku: iPOd.
Zen Arado: Ipod touch in my case
Eden Haiku: With a mike I can Skype and make calls...
Zen Arado: I have Kindle on it and can read my books
Eliza Madrigal sees Widget's wheels turning and I am picturing myself walking through Best Buy... daydreaming....
Eliza Madrigal: hehehe
Eden Haiku: Consumers daydreams...
Widget Whiteberry: well, sounds like I could treat the iPod like a small laptop
Eliza Madrigal: Kindle on Ipod?
Zen Arado: and Evernote of course
Eliza Madrigal: hm
Zen Arado: yup
Archmage Atlantis: Wait for the iPad
Eliza Madrigal: I have verizon as a phone service... think they just came out with something similar...
Zen Arado: and the text is very readable
Archmage Atlantis: It's a Kindle, and a Computer......the size of a book
Zen Arado: the Ipad is a bit big to carry around though....
Widget Whiteberry: does it have a usb connection?
Widget Whiteberry: I'm still on the ipod
Zen Arado: Ipod touch doesn't
Eliza Madrigal: (brb-one moment)
Zen Arado: I looked into that
Archmage Atlantis: Jobs just revealed it yesterday
Widget Whiteberry: I'd want to be able to sync up with my iMac
Zen Arado: you can't get a dongle
Widget Whiteberry: maybe in a generation or two

  Eden brings our topics together quite nicely... 

Eden Haiku: But then, if I had not ordered a new lpatop beacuse it rained last summer, I would never have stumble upon Sl (serendipity), never created Rrose (my twin), and never got to PabB(serendidipity)
Zen Arado: they want to to buy an Iphone maybe
Archmage Atlantis: So it's not on the market yet, don't know what connections it allows, or even needs
Zen Arado: and have to pay for contract
Zen Arado: I will buy an I phone eventually though
Eliza Madrigal: ... reading back....
Widget Whiteberry: I just play techie in SL
Widget Whiteberry smiles
Zen Arado: two threads - one about Ipad other about Ipod
Eden Haiku: The more technology we have the more greedy for technology we become, isn'it?
Eliza Madrigal: yes, serendipity.... gives one a sense of trust that whatever may seem to be going on/demanding in the moment, there is perhaps a more expansive and intricate framework to settle into
Zen Arado: yes I feel a little guilty sometimes
Widget Whiteberry: the more we want our tech to be useful to us
Zen Arado: am a sucker for gadgets
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Eden Haiku: serendipity.Thnaks for the spelling Eliza;-)
Zen Arado: I had a palm, 2 actually :)

Appreciating limitations...

Archmage Atlantis: Yes, Eden, my disability has given me some benefits in learning about SL that I would never have had time for otherwise......even difficulty can be layered with benefits :)
Eliza Madrigal: I think of technology like a wormhole of sorts... or a knothole... it makes things more tangled and confusing sometimes, before making things convenient....
Zen Arado: oh yes Arch..
Zen Arado: and it keeps changing...
Zen Arado: but that is impermanence I guess...
Eliza Madrigal: There was a book years ago, never read it but liked the title "Everything bad is good for you"...
Eliza Madrigal: gave me a bit of comfort as a parent to think that this stage of tech and the distance it creates (people skyping frm sep bedrooms)
Eliza Madrigal: is just a stepping stone on the way to perhaps greater community/intimacy...
Eliza Madrigal: if we as a society choose that...

Eden departs, Arch departs, Widget departs, and Zen and I give a few nods to Eckhart Tolle before saying goodbye as well...    

Eden Haiku: That was a lovely sitting. Thank you all. I will go back to my suitcase now ;-) have a nice day!
Eliza Madrigal: Bye Eden! Thanks for coming!
Zen Arado: only thing about Skype....it is only one to one...
Zen Arado: bye Eden
Archmage Atlantis: Some wll chose it, some will chose other ways
Eliza Madrigal: well, video wise it is one on one....
Archmage Atlantis: So it has always been

--BELL--

Eliza Madrigal: Glanced at wiki during the pause... read this:

Most authors who have studied scientific serendipity both in a historical, as well as in an epistemological point of view, agree that a prepared and open mind is required on the part of the scientist or inventor to detect the importance of information revealed accidentally.

Archmage Atlantis: Time to do chores :) - Fare well to each of you and yours......
Eliza Madrigal: Bye Arch :) Have a happy day
Zen Arado: Eckhart Tolle says that when we are living in the present more serendititous things happen to us
Zen Arado: bye Arch
Zen Arado: serendipitous*
Eliza Madrigal: Eckhart is one wise fellow :)
Eliza Madrigal: I've learned much from him that I didn't realize I picked up....
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Zen Arado: I am going through a an Eckhart phase again:)
Widget Whiteberry: what's that, Zen?
Zen Arado: lots of his teaching make sense to me now when it didn't before
Zen Arado: rereading 'The Power of Now'
Zen Arado: and listening to his CD's
Widget Whiteberry nods
Eliza Madrigal: :) Nice to see you today Widget :)
Widget Whiteberry: one of my work colleagues has just come in .... I need to go look at somethings
Widget Whiteberry: see you soon
Eliza Madrigal: Bye for now
Zen Arado: bye Widget :)
Eliza Madrigal: re ET: There is a download... "Finding the Purpose for your Life"... it has to be the funniest of his teachings...
Zen Arado: yes - I like his sense of humour
Eliza Madrigal: We so underestimate that quality... it can be a 'cutting through' aspect I think
Zen Arado: especially on the CD's
Zen Arado: yes - our self-importance is so funny sometimes :)
Eliza Madrigal grins
Zen Arado: anyway I better let you go
Eliza Madrigal: Okay, have a lovely day!
Zen Arado: you too :)
Zen Arado: bye
Eliza Madrigal: by