Seen the light
Many people talk of the light here in California. There is something about it. And it came to mind recently, that light has been a recurring motif for me here during the last few weeks of summer.
Firstly — the bright lights of Disneyland. What trip to America wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the happiest place on earth? I’d been dreading it. Give me a month in Asia, but mention a theme park and my soul flickers one last time as it takes it’s final exhalation and slowly wilts.
I hadn’t been before, but my husband had many happy memories of being taken as a kid, which clearly he wanted to re-live. We hoofed it down to LA in the wagon (no puking, so all good). My brother (Uncle Leo) flew in that night from the UK. After a 20 hr journey on 3 planes and missing his last flight (this is usual protocol for anyone in our family), he rolled into our apartment at 2am. Just 4 hours later, severely jet-lagged, with two very excited Chunkies, he was game for a full day at Disneyland. Hats off.
Better than Legoland
I thought it would be awful. Terrible. But in a totally plastic bright-light sort of way, I enjoyed it (a lot). This, of course, was because of the kids’ beaming faces and high pitched shrieks at everything in sight; but also down to my husband’s ultra-meticulous planning — which meant no queueing. Mr C is famed for organising fast-passes and memorising maps of theme parks, while we simply troop along behind, not noticing for one minute that the reason everything runs smoother than a mink bikini — is him.
Noiseless soundscapes
It’s oh, so quiet, in the magic kingdom — just the lull of Hawaiian music gently pumped across balmy skies. Or was that in my imagination? As it turns out, no:
‘Today, as you walk through Disney World, the volume of the ambient music does not change. Ever. More than 15,000 speakers have been positioned using complex algorithms to ensure that the sound plays within a range of just a couple decibels throughout the entire park. It is quite a technical feat acoustically, electrically, and mathematically’.
The night float with it’s illuminated glitter brought the day to an end. Uncle Leo made it from 7am to midnight with major jet lag and zero shut-eye. We were impressed. Sadly, they cancelled the fireworks due to high winds — which is just the excuse my husband needs to take us all to Disneyworld.
The full trip
After the plastic fantastic Disney experience, I felt like some inner exploration and reflection, so I booked a session under the Ajna Light.
There’s a story behind this — my brother had recently been living in Thailand and whilst there, forged a firm friendship with a chap called Guy Harriman. Guy started medical school in the ‘70s, then moved state-side to Sillicon Valley, and worked as a software engineer with Steve Jobs. Many years later, he ordained as a monk and moved to Thailand, where he designed and built the Ajna Light, based on a model that was 10 times as powerful (and 10 times the price). I get the impression Guy is a very clever man.
Shortcut to bliss
My brother described the light as a lazy man’s route to a meditative state. I’ve been practising Transcendental Meditation for a while (I genuinely think it has saved my mind), but a quicker route to potential enlightenment and greater creativity was appealing. The light’s main function is to open up your pineal gland using the latest high-power LED lights, flickering at specific frequencies to induce your brainwaves into a range of trance states, from light relaxation to the deepest meditative state.
According to Guy, it doesn’t actually alter your brainwaves, and is so safe it can also be used on children who experience difficulty sleeping, or have high levels of anxiety.
From the moment you go under, it’s intense. The only way I can describe it is one major, full-on trip. As soon as you start, boom! 30 minutes felt like 5. It was a pleasant experience, but I’m guessing you only realise the benefits after consistent use.
Someone else described it thus: ‘a psychedelic, hypnogogic, surreal theta-inducing chemical-free DMT experience’. And I was totally game for that.
Night lights and natural highs
In a bid to continue the natural tripping, my bro and I skipped off on a road trip to check out night-time bioluminescence in Point Reyes — my all-time favourite spot in Northern California.
The planets collided and times were fortuitous, as 2 spots became available on a tour usually booked up months in advance. I’ve always liked this serendipitous way of doing things.
I can’t really explain bioluminescence, other than to say it was a completely magical experience. First, we had the best guide— a salty old Californian sea dog who was so chilled I felt like he was lulling us to sleep in the Kayaks.
Looking for bioluminescence is a bit like those magic eye pictures. Once you’ve got it, the whole underwater world comes alive: giant bright blue fluorescent fish leaping high along the edge of the Island; a sea of illuminated sea creatures underneath your Kayak, darting in different directions; and what can only be described as magic dust everywhere beneath you.
We Kayaked back in complete darkness, listening to the double-breasted cormorants cackling like Velociraptors, perched atop Hog Island. I had no idea where I was Kayaking, or how I made it back to the other side in the dark, but suffice to say, with a fantastic group of people and the most beautiful scenery, it’s been a firm highlight.
I’ll never forget this summer — one where it never rained, and we got to see some of the most beautiful terrain on earth. As Peter Beren wrote in Galen Rowell’s book of stunning photography, California is ‘a bright shining promise with endless possibility’.
And I really have to agree with him.
Music
You Want it Darker — Leonard Cohen
I cannot get enough of this title track from his forthcoming album. Love anything showcasing a synagogue choir. Beautiful.
And the Anonymous Nobody — De La Soul
Good, but not great. Beautiful production, but it meandered off into weird directions for me. Funded through Kickstarter, I guess they could do what they wanted, so Amen to that. All in all, a good listen.
