July/August 2000
Articles on the theme "Exploring and Adventure"
The Way of the Adventurer
by Bob Gonzalez
The inspiration of the classical Greek
adventurer, Odysseus -- whom the Romans called Ulysses -- as portrayed in
Tennyson's poem "Ulysses."
Exploring with Wonder
by Kathy Houston
The adventure of life. Exploring it
with the wonder and imaginings of a child.
A Spiritual Adventure
by Rev. Pat Cross
Making a new start at any age -- an
exploration and adventure in consciousness... the ultimate eternal adventure.
Exploring the Adventure Within
by Ron Graham
The adventure of becoming One with
the universal mind of God.
Life's Adventures
by Linda Bothwell
From birth to falling in love, to Self-realization
Exploring Body/Mind Healing
by Ernesto J. Fernandez
An approach to healing that helps define
the best 'road map' and the best forms of treatment.
Exploring God as Process
by Rev. Pat Palmer
God as not only the source of everything
that is but also as the unfolding of every event that occurs.
Why Explore?
by Patrick Plaskett
How exploration helps us see the world
and ourselves differently -- and get more out of life.
Exploring the Self
by Edwina H. Holloway
The greatest adventure of all, the
excavation of our true Self.
A Learning Adventure
by Rev. Cydné Battreall
The story of a mother and daughter
in the adventure of a lifetime.
The Lure of Adventure
by Charles Larsen
What exploration and adventure consist
of. Achieving a state of mind to experience them.
Other Feature Articles
Natural Health Q & A
by Kim Gillespie
Concerning cocaine and drug abuse.
2000 & Beyond!
by David Findlay
What is... Sustainable/Organic Agriculture?
by Robert Roman
What sustainable/organic agriculture
is and why it is superior to commercial agriculture.
Minerals from Mother Earth
by Judy Power
Features stones for July and August:
jade and charoite.
Why Explore?
Patrick Plaskett
How would you like to go bungee jumping? Perhaps you would prefer to visit Venice, or Paris? Humans have a peculiar need for exploring and adventure.
Whether we feel the need to visit a remote continent, or go to Disneyworld, or simply rent a new video for Friday night, we need new vistas, new input. New situations and new places can be a lot of fun. Why? Curiosity is built into our beings, and it yearns to be satisfied. We may be interested in the secrets of the far corners of the universe, or in the secret lives of movie stars, but we are all curious. We may be interested in visiting cultural centers of the world, or finding an untrodden path in a pristine forest, but we all love to immerse ourselves in a totally new environment. This feature of seeking adventure and new places is part of our nature.
Where does that need come from? We're not the only animals on the planet that seek exploring and adventure. Many animals have needs similar to our own; we can learn much about ourselves from the observation of the other creatures on earth.
Many animals have a need for plenty fresh sensory input while they are young, or while their nervous systems are developing. Stimulation is like food for their developing bodies and brains. I'm reminded of this by our six-month-old kitten Natasha. She can be found in every corner of the house, perched upon any platform, ready to follow the movement of anything in sight and race after it. Any box left open will soon have a cat peering out of it. She needs this type of activity to develop into a healthy cat. On the other hand, there is the case of our seven-year-old cat, Twink. She is stretched out on the upper shelf of my computer desk as I write these lines. She hopes that everything will stay pretty much the same, and she hopes that her high perch will keep her clear of the younger cat who seeks the fun and adventure of a game of tag. Twink is a mature cat, preferring the routine and sameness of a nap after dinner. The mature animal is past the point of craving fun and adventure.
Humans, on the other hand, like fun and adventure long past their formative years. Some of us are fond of the adrenaline rush that we get from white water rafting as long as we're physically capable of it. We like challenges. We like new places. Not long ago, a typical American family would load the kids in the station wagon and go exploring for their two week vacation every year. We might even scrimp and save for that vacation to Europe. An older couple might look forward to retirement so that they can buy a motor home and start touring the country. Surely not all people feel this way about travel, but it does indicate the value that many of us place on such activity. Why is this?
There is something about immersing yourself in a new environment that is refreshing to the spirit. When you are in a new place, you can no longer react exactly as you did before. You may be challenged. You may have to make new decisions, or think in different ways. The new places you choose may be a matter of taste, or a matter of how much change you feel comfortable with, but certain aspects of the quest for adventure remain constant. You may have to challenge yourself mentally or physically. Whatever situation you put yourself into for adventure, whether it's a situation of personal challenge or simply taking in new information, it takes you out of your routine. You can no longer respond to the world around us exactly as you did before. You're no longer on automatic pilot.
Anything that can take you out of your routine is a potential opportunity for personal development. We can find relief from the tendency to become callous and jaded from the sameness of day-to-day living. If our environment is the same today as it was yesterday, we have no reason to respond to it any differently than we did before. There is no change, no growth. There is no reason to stand back from ourselves. We can't discern ourselves from the routine that we find ourselves in. A new environment or situation can remind us that we are not our responses. Our experience of adventure can remind us that what we do in our lives can be a matter of choice, rather than a matter of identification. It can be something far greater than mere sensationalism.
What do you do to experience life differently? For me, there is no greater removal from my regular routine than primitive camping. Out in the woods, where you set up your tent and build your fire, there is no refrigerator to go to for a cool drink or television to set yourself down in front of. In fact, nothing that you do is going to be done in a habitual manner. Many people marvel as to why anyone in civilized society would subject themselves to the hardships of outdoor life voluntarily. We do it to not only experience the glories of nature directly, but to experience most fully the only things that we can bring with us, which are our wits and our consciousness. I'm sure Thoreau would understand.
Whether you pitch your tent in the middle of a forest or look for a good restaurant in a new city, the new environment will make a demand upon you. This demand we will find enjoyable, for we feel very much alive when we can extract ourselves from routine and use our personal talents of perception and adaptation. The next time you find yourself in a strange place, take it as an opportunity to watch yourself as well as what's going on around you. You could return to the workaday world as a slightly different person. You might even enjoy yourself more. It could help you enjoy life regardless of where you are.
Patrick Plaskett is a member of the Florida Association of Professional
Hypnotists and holds a bachelors degree from USF. He is available for appointments
at the Center for Healing in St. Petersburg FL. (727) 381-9101.
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