Flight is a metaphor for freedom; each day, I see hawks. They soar above my studio. They “ride” desert airwaves, carving paths along the jagged mountains. Somehow, how they fly and their mastery of riding airwaves reminds me of my best days of surfing. As a result, I remember feeling pleased or blessed after a ride on a perfect wave—the hyper-realism experience of dreams is welded to the memories of riding waves.
“Paracosms: creative sketches of our imaginations.”
“Birds born in cages think that flying is a disease.” Alejandro Jodorowsky. During the early 70s, he and Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini created surreal “dream-like” movies. For Alejandro Jodorowsky, it was the movies El Topo and The Holy Mountain that I remember. And Fellini, Satyricon, and Amarcord fit perfectly into a weird genre of underground art culture in So Cal.
Eastern religions, mysticism, and Timothy Leary’s quote, “Turn On, Tune In, and Drop Out,” were touted as a panacea for what ailed you: many artists comingled memory, dreams, and hallucinations into their work. Transcendent experiences were stimulated by LSD, psilocybin, and mescaline. How psychedelics produce their effects is still fairly mysterious. Certainly, the west coast led the psychedelic experience and changed the arts culture forever. Psychedelics were fuel for the arts. Images from my latest series: https://larryjortega.com/gallery-collections-works-of-art/
Dreams-Occilation-Vibration
Birds born in cages are a metaphor for the life we live. Dreams project a reality through a dimension of subconscious images, experiences, and vibrations. Many times, dreams are pleasant, sometimes daunting. Above all, they can be hyper-realistic. We have all experienced waking up from a dream, knowing it was a real experience.
In my dreams, I travel through realms that are purely imaginary yet quietly familiar. My movement is aided by the wind high above the places outside of myself while hovering in an out-of-body experience. That sense of flying, floating miles above or hovering over a room, presumes using wings to fly. Sometimes and maybe frequently, I find myself in a “Two AM Wilderness,” searching for the Light that illuminates the trail. Trying to solve some problem
Jungian Theory-Birds Born in Cages…
In Jungian analysis, dreams are seen as compensating for conscious thoughts and attitudes.https://exploringyourmind.com/the-symbolism-of-dreams-according-to-jung/ In this way, the psyche can use dreams to self-regulate or compensate. This can happen both as a positive function, with the dream sending a message about a future-conscious achievement. Birds born in cages unlock our imagination of those locked in their own cage.
Archetypes usually have an alien, unfamiliar quality about them. When Carl Jung discussed the value of dreams, he emphasized the importance of archetypes. Archetypes are the deepest forms and patterns of the psyche. They express primal modes of thought inherent in the evolutionary structure of the human brain.
Alejandro’s spiritual journey reminded me of my own journey. Birds born in cages is a reference from his movie career. Flashbacks from a new movie, “The Jesus Revolution,” triggered my memories of growing up as an artist. I first encountered Jesus as a surfer in Orange County. “Jesus people” were part of my life.
First, it was the best of times and the worst of times. Second, the Viet Nam war escalated, leading to great anxiety for me. Third, art was an expression of culture. “Hippie” culture traveled from SF and planted itself in LA life. I sought the freedom the hippie movement offered-love and peace.
Before moving to Hawaii, I spent my teen and college years around So Cal’s beaches—specifically Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach, and Dana Point. Surfing was my passage into manhood. As a consequence, I came close to drowning while surfing. It was underwater where I met Jesus.
The “Jesus Revolution” is like a wave in a stadium; the revolution continues to move, sometimes subsiding, then cresting. The hawks behind my studio continue to dance along the winds—using what can’t be seen to worship what can be seen.
My imagination soars when I “flashback” about the surreal stories of meeting someone while drowning. Stories nourish the soul providing nourishment on the way to the Promised Land.
