Soul talks in Carcassonne

''Ça cogne dans les neuronnes comme un boulet dans les murs de Carcassonne''
-Loco Locass

I've spent the last two nights in the small city of Carcassonne, not too far from Toulouse where I am heading in a few hours.  I came here because I remembered how my brother had been impressed when he came through, many years ago.  Carcassonne is famous for its impressive Medieval Cité.  It was founded around the fifth century, changed hands several times throughout history, and was restored in the mid-19th century so that it still stands seemingly whole, entirely fortified, castle and all.  Today, it is inscribed on the list of the UNESCO's World Heritage Sites.

There is not much than that here, however.  And I have visited enough castles by now that I've sort of become a bit immune to the feelings of awe that initially ran through me as I held these historical monuments in contemplation.

So I found out that I didn't come to Carcassonne to witness its famous Cité.  It turns out, that I came here to meet and exchange with a man that would validate and enrich my experience of life on Earth.

Y. picked me up from the train station on Monday afternoon, after he finished his day of teaching electronics at the Lycée.  On his couchsurfing profile, he'd listed 'meditation' as one of his interests, so I had asked if he'd host me, and ''perhaps we could have a little sangha going on'' while I'd be there.  He is sixty-something and lives by himself in a little apartment at the outskirt of town, surrounded by vineyards stretching far into the horizon.  I was pleased he'd accepted to host me, for I thought I'd be a good transition back from Torri.



Upon walking into his place I noticed a certificate of 'master in alternative medicine' hanged on the wall.  I put my bags down in a corner, accepted the cup of tea he offered; quickly and directly, I then asked, ''Do you do a combo of acupuncture and herbs and everything, or what is this?''
''Non,'' he said, ''it's meditation''.  I looked a him with a inquisitive smile, and he added: ''You know about the chakra system?''

(A really good book about the chakra system and developmental psychology is: Eastern Body Western Mind, by Anodea Judith, Ph.D.)

Morning walk along "Le canal du midi"

Within five minutes, Y. and I were talking about consciousness and subtle energies, and about the habits and dangers of so-called logic (i.e. our so-called democracy is based on a perpetuation of the belief that we are reasonable/rational creatures, even though it has been demonstrated, with the advent of psychology - thanks Sigmund - that it's the unconscious that generally drives human beings.)

We talked about the difference between reflecting and thinking... (Note: the conversation was in French, so the words and nuances were actually somewhat different.)
''Thoughts just come in, and our job is to stay open to seeing them without grasping.''
''Oh,'' I said, ''do you mean like when I feel that the words write me, or come through me, instead of me writing them sometimes.''
''Oui, it's kind of like that,'' he acquiesced.
''And reflections are the type that bounce back and forth in your head without leading anywhere, right?''
''That's it.''

And so we chatted, energetically, about energy and the challenges of integrating the lower animal parts of us with the higher spiritual ones.  "Our job is to help the lower energy centers (first three chakras), and to get help from the three upper ones."

I asked about the method he uses to meditate.  He explained that focussing on the third eye (or rather, the place where the pineal and the pituitary glands ''connect'') brings a level of concentration that can be used to synthesize with others.  As long as one remains centered into one's self and one's own energetic field, such a transfer of energy has the potential to help others find their own center as well.  It brings harmonization... and healing.
(I am paraphrasing a longer and more complex conversation, but I think it's fairly accurate.)

''But what about the heart?'' I said.  ''I thought that integration, and thus healing, happened at the heart center?''
He paused to think a bit.
''Yes, the heart is the center.  But perhaps most of us are not evolved enough to reside in that place yet.''
We both fell silent for a moment.  It was good.

I spent two days at his house, sharing meals and conversations.  We talked more, about travels and languages.  About the relationship between etymologies and metaphysics, between metaphysics and political systems, about work, the human condition, and the dual nature of evolution-devolution.  We talked about the [needed interplay] of globalization and decentralization, and about the hidden reality of a very few individuals actually holding the strings, behind our governments, behind the media, behind mainstream culture.

I remembered I want to create a play inspired by Plato's allegory of the cave.

How I love this Life!  Bless!

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