When I chose to go to live in Damanhur 26 years ago, one of the things that struck me the most was the importance everyone gave to dreams. Dreams as night dreams as a form of dialogue with oneself, or special insight or even as the ability to interact with different dimensions of reality; and even more dreams as objectives to reach. Around these themes we have developed a whole philosophy and practice, successful enough to have made of Damanhur a destination of choice for many that want inspiration on how to realize their own dreams.
A dream has more energy than just an objective — it is “juicer”, it tickles your imagination and you senses. And the greater the dream, the better. The formula for realization could be soothing like this: “an impossible dream and many concrete steps that take us there.” How to conciliate this apparently contradictory practice? Well, any impossible dream is in reference with something. So we can find which actions can allow us to move the first steps towards the next action, and the next and the next… As we see small parts of our dream become real, the reference points around us change and we too will transform in the process… an impossible dream is so big that allows us the space for self-growth and transformation without losing sight of the greater mission.
For instance, let’s consider three somewhat unusual examples:
If my impossible goal is to experience outer space, I may decide to:
1. Become an astronaut (then I train, pass the tests, study…)
2. Learn to Astral travel (then I train, study, pass the spiritual and technical tests…)
3. Become a developer of a VR technique so advanced that it can fully engage all of my senses (or wait long enough till it is created — while researching and studying and going to the Planetarium as often as I can…)
If my impossible goal is to find perfect love, then I may want to:
1. Engage in practices that allow me to know and love myself more
2. Become more social while also selecting the people I keep around me
4. Engage in a program at s gym, go to the hairdresser, eat more healthy, take time to rest… so that I feel better with myself
3. Allow for a transformation of my understanding of “perfect love” and record it as I go along. …
If my impossible goal is to create a new society:
1. I write my mission and constitution
2. Find people that share my dream
3. Find the place
4. Invest in the land or, if i cannot, I create a way to pool money with others, or write up an amazing proposal to get funding…
5. Build or transform the first houses
6. Go to live there – maybe start on weekends and holidays
7. Share my ideas more and more and invite people to come see and share
8. Be in service to others so that others will want to join me
9. Create and invest in local businesses and shared economy
10. Open schools for children
11. Attract healers or become one
12. Grow my food (at least a part) and exchange locally
… and any variations of this…
And what can we do together so that the dream of Street Wisdom as a tool for planetary, collective awakening can fully manifest?
Happy wanderings to all of you!
Author: Esperide Ananas
An expert in intentional living, Esperide speaks five languages and uses them all as she criss-crosses the globe helping individuals, organisations and groups change the world for the better.
Finding answers in Vidracco
Vidracco is a very small village, located at the entrance of Valchiusella, in the foothills of the Italian Alps. It has a long history: from its time as a Celtic settlement to becoming the seat of the Temples of Humankind, the underground work of art hidden in the mountain behind the village. The Temples, built by the citizens of the community of Damanhur, are visited by people from all over the world. So on the morning of the World Wide Wander, the group had participants from lots of different countries!
The sleepy streets hid unexpected surprises, like the Kung Fu class in a parking lot and the recently restored pottery shop on the main street of the village.
Gazzella, an Italian resident of the village said: “I’ve been living in Vidracco for very many years, but for the very first time I had the impression I was connecting to it in a different way. During the two hours of the walk, I went through different states of awareness, and different perceptions of reality around me. I felt the outside landscape was a mirror for my inner one, and they were both bringing light to my question. This was a confirmation than when you look for something and you sincerely want to find it, reality responds with very clear signs. I would love to do this again, together with many other people of the valley”
After the first phase, we were joined by Antonio Bernini, Mayor of the village who, having just officiated a marriage, came to share the Wander. This was his reflection: “Beautiful experience! Even though I believed I knew my village, I’ve discovered new aspects of it. Stopping, watching, breathing, touching, listening… And what we know, what before we believed to know, it reveals to be different. A real source of inspiration. Thanks to the beautiful initiative! We will join it again next year, and the years to come, ready to welcome many more people.”
The conversation at the end was very lively and heartfelt, as several participants shared their questions and the answers they found in the barking of the dogs, the flight of the birds or the many pieces of artwork on the village walls.
by Esperide Ananas