Atlantis

For 2 000 years, the legend of Atlantis has aroused many varied speculations. According to Plato (4th century BC), this story came from the archives of the Egyptian priests of the city of Saïs. Plato was the first writer to mention Atlantis in two dialogues: the Timaeus and the Critias. He sets the tragic end of Atlantis in the years 9500 BC.

In the Timaeus, Plato presents the tale of the fall of Atlantis as a true story. The philosopher then uses this event to develop a utopian vision of the ideal city, triggering many controversies: is his story actually based on historical facts, or does it simply serve as a background for a philosophical discussion?

Because of the lack of archaeological and geological data, the countless speculations on the myth of Atlantis are only based on the testimony of the Greek philosopher. Many possible locations have been suggested by the partisans of a real Atlantis: the Azores, Santorini, the islands of Cape Spartel, etc. None of these locations correspond to the words of the Egyptian priest quoted by Plato. Everything concurs to show that Atlantis is a myth.

Rather than waste time in a dusty debate about the physical reality of Atlantis, it seems more relevant to analyze the hypothesis of a mythical Atlantis in the light of the discoveries in cerebral physiology of a French physician and researcher: Doctor Francis Lefebure. His discoveries have allowed him to understand scientifically certain cerebral mechanisms related to dreams, but also to mystical visions and out of body experiences, allowing the direct apprehension of the invisible or subjective worlds of consciousness.

What is the meaning of the word myth? Are myths simple fabrications, resulting from the speculations of primitive minds? Or are they connected to a profound layer of the consciousness of humankind? Here, objective and subjective reality are confronted. All psychic or spiritual experiences fall within the subjective domain. Dr Lefebure wrote: “A person looking for objectivity will be disappointed. On the contrary, a person looking for subjectivity will, one day, realize that his or her experiences are objective”. Remember the example of Einstein, who discovered the law of complex relativity while dreaming that he was sitting on a sphere, contemplating other spheres rotating around him. This seemingly trivial dream triggered a revolutionary discovery that still influences our knowledge of the macrocosm. The most well-known subjective phenomenon is the dream. It is subjective because we are the only witnesses of the contents of our dreams, and we cannot bring any proof of what we perceive when we dream. If several persons described the same subjective phenomenon, it would become objective. If many more people lived mystical experiences, they would become an objective reality. But, the “world of the spirit” will always be part of domain of subjective phenomena, unconnected to matter. The subjective universe of the “experiences” does not belong to the objective domain of today’s science.

So, why deny the mythical ? It is much more interesting to let it inspire us and to allow grace and poetry to descend into our material world. The exercises proposed by Dr Lefebure can actually allow us to realize this kind of experience. Practicing rhythmic thinking increases our personal energy. Then, it is up to us to decide for what purpose and in what manner we want to use this energy. Thanks to the practice of Phosphenic Mixing, we can direct our energy. It is by placing thoughts within the phosphenes that one can direct one’s dreams. This is a simple exercise that consists in visualizing an image or a concept inside a phosphene. By repeating this process a sufficient number of times, one can quickly produce dreams or consciousness extensions that are related to this image or concept.

“The shortest route from one point to another is not the straight line, but the dream”, says Jean-Jacques Beineix.

One can also use a visual medium to improve visualization and to become even more inspired by one’s theme of meditation. If you wish to work on the theme of “Atlantis”, for example, you can place a fish tank near your bed. Leaving a little bit of sand and a half buried statuette at the bottom of the fish tank can, in a simple manner, conjure up impressions of Atlantis.

Consciousness extensions often produce images of deep-sea landscapes. As it is difficult for consciousness to adapt to this unfamiliar environement, the brain tends to graft familiar images to the underwater environement: buildings, for example, mixed with the sea bed, give the impression of an engulfed city. It is very probable that the ancient Greeks also perceived images of engulfed cities in their dreams, which are probably the basis of the legend of Atlantis.

Account of experiences realized by the manager of the School of Dr Lefebure:

“Back in the 90’s, a phosphenist had offered me two terrapins and a fish tank, to enliven my office. I decided to decorate the fish tank with sand, peebles and a few statuettes.

In the evening, I would spend a little while contemplating the terrapins moving in the fish tank.

Result:
Imbued by the phosphenic rhythms, I experienced several dreams during which I was flying over the ocean. Then, I decided to try to enter the water, delving towards the bottom of the sea. Suddenly, I found myself in an unreal scenery. I was perceiving the sea bed and an engulfed city simultaneously. I was swimming between the buildings, surrounded by fishes. Most of the buildings were covered with seaweed, but I could still make out their structure.

Practicing rhythmo-phosphenism generates rhythms in the brain that allow a form of communication with the unconscious (called astral in esoterism). This universe is mainly composed of perceptions of rhythms but, in order no to upset the personality, the brain translates these perceptions into images. In the case of my underwater experience: the perception of an underwater environement (unfamiliar to me as I have never practiced scuba diving) and an urban environement, more familiar to me, as I lived in Paris.

It is interesting to note that my brain had taken the care of covering the builidings with seaweed, in order to integrate them better to the underwater environement. The possibilities of the brain are truly unbelievable.

So, what if Atlantis was but a myth stemming from the psychic experience of an Egyptian priest?

This would shed a new light on the myth of Atlantis, and would shift it from the domain of fantasy where it is confined, to the domain of subjective reality. Thus, everyone could contact a certain "Atlantis", buried somewhere in their imagination.”

(Daniel Stiennon)

It is important to understand that during out of body experiences or extensions of consciousness, the brain interprets abstract sensations with images. Energy being purely abstract, the brain needs to invent concrete forms to interpret it.

These images are completely personal, and decyphering them is tricky and not very useful. It is better to consider these experiences as a kind of an inner cinema, that can be enriched by practicing Phosphenism. What really matters are the exchanges of energy that take place during the night. As they are completely abstract, it is difficult and even potentially dangerous to interpret them improperly. It is better to remain very reserved and to enjoy these magnificent dream experiences in a simple but safe manner, and to remember that their true nature is connected to planes of consciousness that are beyond us.

This nocturnal world is THE paradise lost. Growing up to adulthood severs us from it, much to the despair of the child who still remains in us. Nevertheless, parallel to our everyday lives spent overcoming the difficulties of material life, we all have the possibility to find a way back to our childhood dreams, and thus to lead a double life, at night, in the mythical world of dreams.

American comic books depict super-heros with unbelievable powers, and are a pertinent representation of the duality between day and night, material world and spiritual world. These heros usually present a duality: an absolutely average character, a little bit awkward and limited like every human being, at night turns into an alter ego with super powers, to whom nothing is impossible. This is a representation of the human condition: a difficult material world, full of frustration, opposed to a sublime spiritual world, limitless, where thoughts can create anything.

You too can become the hero you dreamt to be as child. You can enjoy fully the inner cinema of consciousness extensions and wake up transformed every morning.
With Phosphenism, you can discover the power that lays dormant within you.