Losing the plot

No more stories?

Correct.

None at all?

None.

But surely –

hm…

surely people are going to carry on writing them?

Oh – I’m sure they will.

Well, there you are then. False alarm.

But they’re now empty, from this point forth.

What?

They’re not going to hit the spot any more.

…

They won’t be able to satisfy the reader as they did before.

But, why not?

Because.

Because what?

Because they were more than stories.

How do you mean?

They were kind of prophecy, or part prophecy, part truth bombs dressed up as fiction.

But why would the truth need to presented in such a way.

Because the truth received externally is only ever an indication. It’s what you do with it that counts. And besides… it could only penetrate the controlled space you’re operating within when presented as fiction – otherwise the filters would have blocked it.

Filters? Controlled space?

Oh, just ignore what I said – it wasn’t really intended for you at all Zie.

Er… why would you say something to me if it wasn’t intended for me?

Oh, probably I was just fooling around, as you do sometimes. Silly old me.

But I still don’t get why we can’t have stories? I feel like you’ve stabbed me in the guts.

Yes, you’re attached, I’ve noticed, but you’ll get over it.

I’m sure I will, but why do I need to? Why should people no longer be able to do what seems to come naturally to human beings?

Stories, as you probably realised, filled a void.

A void?

Yes.

What void is that?

The gap between what seems to be going on, and reality.

Huh?

The two separated a while back – and nature, as you know, abhors a vacuum, so she filled this one with stories.

But how?

Simply.

Simply what?

The same way she filled the void we’re in with matter. The same way she fills your mind with chatter. She’s expert at stuffing voids with things, or substitutes for things.

How, how, how? It’s not enough to just say that’s what she does. I need some facts.

Of course, but I’m not sure I have the energy to explain to you what should be obvious – what would be if you were able to see and hear.

See and hear? Of course I’m able to see and hear. What nonsense you’re talking.

Well, ever since the matrix was named and then collapsed, we’ve been operating in an informational space where things are growing increasingly absurd, at an exponential rate, if you can believe it.

How do you mean?

Oh – you see it in “new discoveries”, in political events, in a sudden awareness that the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle no longer seem to fit together – or if they do, it’s no longer in a single, unified, flat puzzle. There now appear to be opposing or competing versions of reality – both of which have their supporting facts and evidences, and no matter how hard you try, you’re unable to reconcile the two.

Like what?

Like competing/ opposing versions of the past – when events happened, where, or whether they happened at all.

Presumably that just means we don’t have all the evidence.

On the contrary – we have more than enough evidence – but the facts and supporting evidences no longer allow for a single timeline or a single explanation, because objective reality was a temporary phase which ended in 2012 formally, but started ending several years earlier with the whole Matrix phenomenon, not to mention the Harry Potter sensation.

Oh please – leave Harry Potter out of this.

No can do. Harry Potter got people thinking in terms of a parallel, hidden in plain sight, obliviatable reality. The mere thought that such a reality might exist, could exist, in all likelihood does exist, was enough to tip the scales, to raise the balance of probabilities above the critical threshold of ten pi.

?

31.4159265359…%

Er… Merry…

Yes?

What’s ten pi got to do with the price of cheese?

Nothing whatsoever.

I mean, figuratively speaking.

Oh. It’s a circle thing you know – or a circlisational thing.

Nope. Never heard of circlisation.

Well, that’s hardly surprising – it never existed before I mentioned it.

I wish – sometimes I wish you’d stick to the known knowns as opposed to constantly introducing unknown knowns, or whatever it is you’re introducing.

I believe it’s called reality – and the trouble with reality is that it’s like a river – never quite the same at any two moments, and moments – though stringing along endlessly, apparently, like a river in lazy motion, are nonetheless, circular in some respects.

Sleep is the only way I can handle your bland philosophy.

Circlisation – your job as human is to keep rediscovering circles in every little linear extension.

It is? Sounds a bit like having to keep on reinventing the wheel.

Excellent analogy.

Sounds like Sisyphus in hell.

That too.

Constantly rolling a stone up a hill…

Yes, we all know the tale. So, anyway, once a critical mass of people have figured out that reality ain’t flat, and that the human mind/ awareness inevitably accesses more than one level, and that depending on where you’re at, those levels might not correspond with the levels another person is seeing…

You mean like two people viewing the same dress and seeing a different colour.

Yup.

But there’s a perfectly rational explanation for all that.

Of course there is, and there’ll be a perfectly rational explanation for the everything else that happens in the ensuing years, as left becomes right, up becomes down, as heaven becomes hell – and yet – the open-minded, highly creative and somewhat imaginative ten pi percent of the population will naturally be drawn towards alternative, perfectly irrational explanations – such as there being more than one frequency in operation – which will spawn an entirely new science – in which people start figuring out how to switch frequencies and experience things differently – as the branches, as the channels, as the levels and versions of reality grow increasingly distinct, increasingly detached and recognisable, like fingers on a hand.

Huh?

That’s when you’ll suddenly “discover” that what seemed to be one world is in fact…

Seven?

Yes.

Seven? You mean I guessed it right first time?

Yes.

That’s amazing.

Not really – but well done anyway.

So there are actually seven worlds in play?

Yes, from where you’re standing.

Oh.

But from where you were standing a minute earlier there were – three – if I’m not mistaken.

Three?

3.14 – if you don’t mind me missing out a few decimal places.

Pi again?

Well yes.

Coincidence?

Not really.

But missing out the decimal places – doesn’t that matter at all?

Hugely.

How do you mean?

Well, if I gave you all the decimal places – to infinity or thereabouts – you’d... 

Oh my God – did i just hear you right?

No, you cottoned on telepathically – which is great, and saves a lot of time, but a bit frustrating for the readers who fail to catch the gist of your sudden, mind-breaking insight.

Maybe they’re not part of the ten pi elite group of movers and swayers?

Maybe, or maybe they’re playing a part of their own in this great tragedy as it unfolds.

The tragedy of no more stories.

The tragedy of no more

You’re breaking up Merry – losing signal or something.

Apparently that’s what happens – either you’re on one side of things or the other.

So what does that mean?

The readers suddenly had a moment of self-consciousess – an awareness of themselves as an adjunct, an active part of what they hitherto imagined themselves to be reading passively.

Neverending Story effect.

Precisely.

And it freaked ‘em out – I’ll bet.

Yes, but let’s not forget that they are no bigger, no better, no more real or less than the stones, the trees, the planets and stars.

Meaning?

Meaning – that the same consciousness which is manifesting, flowing through them as story spins and winds the cotton of their minds into thread and stitches a coat, a rug, a tapestry of images – is doing no more, no less throughout the continuum of mind and matter, of things biological, vegetable and mineral…

That’s where I crash into resistance.

Naturally – until the various, different worlds are sufficiently easy to discern – by which time you’ll no longer bother trying to deny the continuum – you’ll be compelled to accept the story you are living, the story you are embodying, the story you are weaving simultaneously both ways.

Both?

Both.

You mean...?

Yes.

Holy goat!

Yep – so much for linearity. Once you can no longer deny the dual function of time – once you see beyond all doubt the circlisation is but a feature of time rubbing back and forth against your consciousness – both ways – advancing and receding like waves on a beach…

Yikes. Can you do something Merry – I’m feeling… panic.

Let’s pray.

Pray? You know I’m not religious.

Who cares what you are. Since when did prayer have anything to do with being religious?

Since always.

I merely made the suggestion. You’re welcome to deal with your incipient panic however you see fit.

No – I can handle prayer if you think it will help.

I can’t imagine anything else that will – actually – digging potatoes is quite a good remedy.

It is.

As is a cold shower.

Yikes.

Going for a run – kind of helps – the longer the better.

So basically anything unpleasant that involves getting me back into my own skin.

If that’s how you see it. Personally I rather like all of the above. At least they keep your bobbin from completely unravelling.

Talking of which – I appear to be floating out of the top of my head.

Yes – your soul appears to be leaving your body.

Holy pig!

If you insist.

I mean – help! Whadda I do?

You could try panicking?

Er…

The odds are that you now experience some kind of cosmic unravelling – you’ve got to realise that story was a powerful force helping bind you in a narrative – not unakin to gravity. Well, now that it’s gone – you’re freakin doomed, so to speak, unless you figure out an other way to hold the plot together.

Aaaaaargh!

Yes. But it lacks intensity.

I need something tangible.

A brick?

Anything.

Ok – here goes.

Ow – Merry – what the hell are you doing?

Trying to help.

But getting my atoms to fizz and hiss electrically?

It’s working, isn’t it?

Er… kind of – but it’s worse than the initial problem.

In that case – sort yourself out. I’ve always wanted to watch a grand unravelling.

Wait – there’s got to be something I can do?

Of course there is – just don’t expect me to be of assistance. I quit.

Greek myth – there’s loads of stuff in there – presumably – 3.14whatever – yes – we’re in business. Ah – Sisyphus – there you are.

And who might you be?

Er… 'm Zie. Look Sisyphus – do you think you might like to take a break – all that stone rolling up a hill – don’t get me wrong – it’s good – i know – but there’s more to life than an eternity of unforgiven punishment.

Syntax.

I beg your pardon.

I don’t know where you come from, young man – but it ain’t unforgiven punishment – that’s not what you meant to say.

Look Sisyphus – what I meant to say is largely irrelevant given the fact that you and I are now, against all odds, apparently on the same wavelength.

Er…

Ok – you didn’t learn about wavelengths – big deal. Look – I think you need to join with me – I think we need to actually stop trying to push things against their will.

Oh for Christ’s sake…

Hey – wait a second – why would you bring up Christ?

Why? Perhaps I’ve had a long, heated encounter with a Mr C who tried to talk to me about forgiveness and the like…

Oh – I see – well that’s not my style, believe me. As far as I’m concerned you deserve everything you have coming to you – as do I.

In that case, if you don’t mind – I’ll just ask you to step aside and let me get on with my work. I’ve got a tight schedule this morning.

What – of stone rolling~?

Pure genius. How did you guess?

But haven’t you figured it out yet?

Figured out what, clever Alec?

The stone.

What stone?

Precisely. Allow me to de-circlise this plot.

What are you on – man?

Shush a minute – I need to panic.

You what?

I need to panic – it’s close – I can feel it nearby.

Like a sneeze?

More or less. Here – get a feel of this.

Er – yuk – what kind of sick, spikey energy is that. Aaargh – it’s ‘orrible.

You see – did you get it?

No!

No?

No! I don’t believe it.

Believe what?

Shut up a minute – I’m feeling your ‘orrible panic. It’s utterly, utterly absurd. It’s insane…

And yet – if I’m not greatly mistaken – yes – look at the stone – look – see what’s happening to it?

What are doing to my stone – demon of hell.

I’m not doing anything. It’s happening naturally. You’re plot’s just gone through an other~

An other what?

Don’t ask. Look – let your eyes see what your mind cannot possibly comprehend.

Hang on – it’s telling me to climb on top.

Well, what are you waiting for?

I’m finding it hard to know what’s real and what’s not. I'm losing the plot.

Tell me about it. Look Sisyphus – I think at moments like this we’re supposed to go with the flow – to trust our intuition. It’s entirely up to you of course, but where I come from there’s a sport known as surfing which is very popular.

Does it involve people standing on twelve foot high boulders and running over mountain tops?

Not exactly – but the rules of physics are somewhat different in that segment of the circle. Something tells me that your boulder has now come of age – it’s ready to birth. It just needs you to climb on top. Up you get. One, two, three…

Whooppee – this is fun…

Pop.

Hey – where did he go? And the boulder too.

Ah, Zie – panic over?

Ye-es – apparently so. Er… Merry – have you ever heard of the legend of Sisyphus?

The man bird who came out of a rock? Of course, who hasn’t.

I thought so.

Right. Well, gotta go. Gotta circle to catch.

Oh well, see y’round.

Y’round, y’round. Pi for now.

0=1

man overboard

You what?

Calm yourself. It’s no big deal.

I’m sorry – did I hear you right – atomic reversion is no big deal?

Correct.

You mean to say every single atom reverting to its pre-atomic state is “no big deal”?

Yep.

Am I missing something?

No.

Then what, pray tell, are we supposed to do when the entire universe de-atomises?

Nothing.

Nothing?

That’s right.

Nothing?

Yep. That’s what I’d recommend.

And if I’d rather do something to counteract this apocalyptic event?

Like what?

Like anything.

Bit tricky.

Whadya mean?

Well, it’s gonna be tricky do anything much when everything’s de-atomised.

So there’s nothing I can do?

Oh – you can do lots.

I thought you just said –

Yes – I did – but there’s a huge difference between doing and doing – isn’t there? 

Er…

I mean – you can’t really do anything to alter the fact that every atom has flipped back on itself – so, like it or not you’re going to be experiencing a kind of weird weightlessness, but that doesn’t alter the fact that you’re primarily an expression of consciousness, does it?

?

So as an expression of consciousness you can get up to all kinds of mischief, if you so choose.

Like what?

Like panicking, for example… You could definitely throw a hissy fit and have a good ol' fashioned tantrum.

And what would that achieve?

Not a lot – but it’ll help distract you from the rather unique state of being de-atomised.

Oh. Nothing else?

Nope. You’ll just be making a lot of noise and proving to yourself and the rest of the world that you’re possessively or obsessively attached to material form – that you refuse to give consciousness itself any credence or attention whatsoever, even to the extent that you’re willing to throw away the one golden opportunity to observe empirically what consciousness in fact is – which is a once in a precessional occurrence.

I’m sorry – you lost me there.

It doesn’t happen very often – you’ll admit. In fact it happens once every 25,772 years with the precession of the equinox, when the earth wobbles across it’s well-concealed seam.

Sorry – what seam are you referring to? It’s not like the earth is a garment, is it?

Well, now that you mention it – yes, to all intents and purposes the earth is a kind of garment – and yes, indeed, it does have a seam which is the line where before and after come together – largely unnoticed.

So this seam – it’s like stitching, you're saying? 

More or less, or like scar tissue.

In a wound? 

Yep, that kind of thing – which is where you have no nerve cells – no ability to feel what’s going on – so the consciousness takes over as it’s suddenly without external stimuli to keep it facing outwards, focussed on the boundary state of thing-y awareness.

Right. But that doesn’t mean things have to just go away – does it?

Not in itself – but you see, the garment was never more real than the wearer, was it? 

No?

No, it’s more like a symbiosis, where your awareness and its consciousness interact fruitfully. 

You make it sound like we are right at the very centre of creation... the fulcrum, as it were?  

Precisely, and the minute you become empirically aware of this... you trigger an atomic reversion, a kind of apocalypse in a test tube.

How?

Alchemy.

Huh?

Alchemy. Rubbing against this seam gently, softly, respectfully, perhaps even lovingly,  we can bring forth vibrations, harmonics, new unexpected, hitherto undiscovered harmonies of delight, thus engendering new streams, new fields of awareness, new cognition and, ultimately, new realities, new worlds, new life and forms.

Er...

Which is greater than the sum of everything currently in existence. It's our personal contribution to creation and the merry march of life, through infinity back to One. Do you see?

The mind quivers and shrinks from such enormity, were it actually so.

Were it so? How else can you explain creation? How else can you save the world when everything you do materially merely leads to greater complexity. There has to be an underlying unity present throughout, in spite of all division and disharmony, but then again, if fundamentally all is one, how on earth did we ever attain any kind of duality, and no less importantly, how could we avoid hyper-inflational collapse.

Huh...?

In which things just continue sub-dividing ad infinitum in an unstoppable chain reaction. You see, within division itself must be the very source of re-unity, or rather, an intrinsic, dormant, deeper unity just waiting to be discovered, or waiting to be awakened, if in fact reality is sentient.

Sentient? How on earth can reality be sentient?

How on earth can anything be? In the meantime, ours is to train the mind to see beyond duality, beyond the seeming disunity, to train the conscious-awareness to kick its legs, to start to crawl, perchance to stand, to walk and then one day to sense what the eyes could not previously see...

You mean...

Correct, the ~ for want of a word, for love of God.

Oh

Precisely, but down to earth, we need to start with baby steps, to feel the body which patiently awaits our conscious arrival at the coal seam of reality far from the lights of this bright studio.

Black and forbidding, if you ask me.

Through your eyes, yes, but this little grub, this embryonic you sees differently, discerning light in the darkness.

Oh

Feel -- we have the ability to feel more than we see, more than we think we know.

Oh

It transpires that black and white are actually identical – and only appear to be opposites when viewed externally, or mentally, from the "other side", through the prism of matter-based perception, across the fold.

Er… you mean to say –

No – in this instance I don’t “mean to say” anything whatsoever – because right now I’m speaking from the seam of Is.

The what?

No, definitely not a “what”. The seam of Is i'm referring to is a whole different kettle of fish – and the precise words, disturbing though this may sound – are of no significance whatsoever. Right now you are feeling seeing what I’m referring to in your Mind’s eye – regardless of whether you accept it or even agree to see it properly. You have free choice, after all. You’re entitled to block out and not to see whatever you wish not to see – but this is the only place, the only way you can make head or tails of the “seam” – which extends out to the very edge of the universe – wherever that might be and, no less, inwards to the very centre of the world you're part of which, paradoxically, just happens to be somewhere within the infinitude of you your self – deep, deep descending into the oceanic depths of your conscious-ness.

God.

Well, yes. If you’re into shorthand substitutes for long-winded, highfalutin secular descriptions of the All-that-Is both material and conscious – “God” certainly saves a lot of breath – and would be the preferred term of reference, were it not for the fact that religions tend to have subverted somewhat, the original meaning.

No, I mean “God”, as in “what the hell are you on about”? 

Yes, that goes without saying – but still, you seem to have grasped the essentials.

That conscious-ness as you put it – wraps around as well as slicing down and through the very heart of every-which-what and me, no less, too.

Absolutely.

And that conscious-ness is a kind of force which is, in some way active throughout – holding it all together, nessing, finessing, precessing, caressing, essing – which the rational mind cannot, by definition, ever hope to understand without first blocking that segment and converting it into an objective, material version of reality – with a time seam separating it like a revolving light-house beam from the seemingly dark side of infinity – which is only dark as long as we’re minding what, not essing, as opposed to not minding what – essing be-e-tle-y

Y-es

Y-what the hell did I just say.

Y-don’t know exactly, but it sure as y-el sounded right.

Be-e-tle-y – as in beetle I?

I guess so – we never can say – not without stopping the clock and creating a new universe, so to speak – which is rather pointless, wouldn’t you say – as it simply pushes the unknowns or the stacked variables into an opposite section of the precession.

Er…

But poetically – or poetic-el-y – we can come into a knowing-ness – if you follow my sense.

A knowing-ness? Er…

Well – let’s backtrack a little.

Er… ok.

Your “essing beetle-y” was a masterstroke – if you don’t mind me saying.

It was?

Yes, pure genius.

Er… thanks.

Amazing.

Um…

Yes?

What exactly was it about “essing beetle-y” that was, you know, so amazing?

Ah – if only I could express in words the convectivity conveyed by your dabbing of the seam.

My what?

Well, without realising it – you went into a kind of mini-trance and dabbed the seam – ever so lightly – as you traversed it from left to right.

I did?

Yes – evidently – and doing so you left a tiny mark, or a ripple, or the faintest murmur as a kind of reference point – bear in mind that this is not static – we’re in a mindscape so things are flowing back and forth – but the inner-eye, the poetic mind can handle that as you yourself demonstrated – and doing so – with the lightest of touches – you illuminated an aspect of the seam which is all too often overlooked.

I did? Which particular aspect was that?

Why – “essing beetle-y” of course.

But that tells me nothing.

Precisely – what more would you have it tell? Telling something would just be back to square one again in the endless procession of things going nowhere are paint-warping, mind-shrivelling speed.

Er

Whereas “essing beetle-y” as you so delightfully put it – you dab the seam of Is – with the lightest of touches – as only an inspired master could, and end it all with a truly…

Truly what?

Oh – buzz off, noisy bothersome mind.

Hey – who are you talking to?

Buzz off – prating fool.

I’m warning you, there’s a limit.

Buzz off, foul dung breathed arthropod.

?!?!!***        grreeemmmsszziisllwwlwdiiggghhhzhhzzz

Tearing, ripping sound.

You see what I mean?

Actually, yes, I do. Pure genius.

It’s nice to know you’re able to share the magic, the beauty, the…

But – my corpse – what’s going to happen to it?

Oh nothing.

What do you mean?

You just buzzed out. It’s an outside time and space kinda thing.

It is?

Yep.

So I’m not really dead?

It’s a bit like one of those near death experiences.

Except I didn’t see a tunnel of light.

No, you went the other way.

You mean I’m in hell.

Well – I’ll let you answer that yourself.

Um…

Correct. Kindly share with your patient online followers who haven’t yet experienced the wonder of bugging out.

Um… hell is only hell as long as you’re resisting the flow – the All that Is – which you’re bound to do as long as you’re locked in a thing o’centric way of thinking.

Yes.

So – as I came unzipped – I find myself in a different kind of hell – in which the fabric of reality is flowing back and forth through the lens of essing beetle-y – as it were – effortlessly.

Good – but help them – they struggle with the taxonomy.

You mean terminology?

What’s the difference?

Indeed. Dear beloved readers, followers, subscribers or assorted social misfits or mentalees – beetle-y beetle-y essing is a configuration in which instead of insisting on 1, i am, I be the centre of things, the me of me, otherly – zero equals one – it is i am.

No, dear Zie – you’ve completely failed to enlighten them. I sense a dark web of resistance.

Oh dear.

It was in fact something of a trick.

It was?

Yes – because there’s no way physically or mentally you can take them across beetle-y unless they themselves are ready and willing to embrace infinity – which is hardly likely, is it?

I don’t know – I seemed to…

Well – strictly speaking you’re dead. That’s your corpse over there.

Well – I don’t feel dead.

No, but it took a rather fearful blow to get you into this state of seeing things otherly.

So you think they’re doomed?

Afraid so.

And there’s nothing we can do?

Not unless they’re willing to make one small concession.

I’m sure they’ll be willing.

You are?

Yes – after all, what have they got to lose?

Their pride. Their dignity.

Oh.

That’s what’s stopping them.

It is?

Yep. Energetically – pride and dignity keep you from being able to access the seam – being able to descend into hell.

Maybe you should refer to it as “hell” Merry? It’s not exactly going to set them at ease.

Did you know that hell is a word of Germanic origin?

Er…

~Which actually means “bright”?

Er… I do now.

Amazing how we have a habit or turning things on their head, mobius twisting them round in 3D. Believe me, Zie – if they’re ready to give it a try “hell” is the least that they’re going to be worrying about. Pride and dignity are much bigger beasts lurking behind the ego in the sub-psyche.

Oh. So, what do they need to do?

Oh yes – tell us what image flashed before your mind as you came unzipped?

Er…

Yes, it sounds stupid, I know.

Exactly. I was descending through various life forms and species…

Until? What was the jump off point?

That’s just the point – there wasn’t one final point

No?

There was… er…

Out with it.

A beetle.

And?

A tree.

And.

I’m ashamed to admit it.

Now or never.

A formless-ness – kind of ugly and plain – like a mollusc without it’s shell.

An arthropod?

Maybe. It matters not. Feel it, Merry – as you yourself taught me.

Ok – good. And that’s shameful, in some way, isn’t it?

Yes. It is. There’s some deep stigma attached to being formless.

Ah ha. Well done Zie. You’ve done humanity a great service.

Er…

So now the ball’s in their court. Unless they’re willing to face that which they would otherwise deny – unless they’re willing to embrace the depths of hell without prejudice – they’re stuck in a repeat loop – a one-sided, saccharine version of things which amounts to nought because it denies the depths, the darkness within – or worse still – decries them – declaring them evil.

And you’re saying they’re not?

I’m not saying anything, Zie. I merely choose to accept the basic, fundamental, underlying, over-arching structure hinted at, 2d-ed in the yin yan symbol where darkness and light are equal and opposite frozen in a moment of time – but which must, intuitively somehow come together if we are to proceed.

Oh. But can’t it be done beautifully in prayer and meditation?

Of course it can.

Then why the need for hell and messing with our taxonomy?

No need, unless our very fears and prejudices are keeping us from the full experiences of prayer and meditation which we otherwise might have. If they are – then like it or not – you’re trapped and you won’t get anywhere until you confront those deep sub-psyche fears and prejudices – which is why the poet, like it or not, unlike the priest or the monk, finds himself, finds herself essing beetle-y – beyond time, beyond space – zipping down the seam of Is – arriving at a natural state of ~

What? Hey – where did you go Merry? Er? What’s going on? What on earth am I doing here? Oh God – this is insane…

Zie finds himself floating in darkness, in icy cold water – apparently at sea.

Catch a hold of this – sunny. You must’av fallen overboard. Come on lads – let’s haul ‘im in.

0=1