IBOGA

In the past few years, the public’s interest for iboga has considerably developed. There are now many Internet sites on the subject. It is at the same time considered an hallucinogenic drug that is banned in certain countries, a cure for addictions (heroin, cocaine, alcohol) and an initatory plant used by the Bwiti tradition in Africa.

Frenchman Jean-Claude Cheyssial has directed two documentaries about iboga: the sacred root, in 1995 and the night of the Bwiti, in 1997. More recently, Vincent Ravalec, Mallendi and Agnès Palcheler wrote together Sacred root, iboga initiation, in 2004. This book contains constant warnings: ‟Iboga is not a recreational drug…” These warnings match the ones contained in The night of the Bwiti: ‟One must know that taking iboga generates a pain that is even more difficult to bear than the addiction itself…”

It is indeed impossible to classify iboga as a recreational drug. Opposite extreme of entertainment, it does not invite the individual to escape from reality, but instead produces an encounter with the self, with one’s unconscious, and with the Ancestors of african spirituality. Using it is a ritual. It always accompanies a rite of passage: death of the old self and rebirth. Giving up one’s addiction can be considered such a process. It is as such that it creates a passionate interest in the scientific community who wonders what mechanisms take place in the severance from drugs.

In 1998, Anderson made the assumption that iboga, when ingested as a shamanic practice or as psychotherapy, induces a state that is related to the phase of REM sleep of the foetus and that is characterized by its plasticity, allowing the integration of traumamatic experiences.

Michel Jouvet, a biologist specialized in the REM phase of sleep developed the following hypothesis: dreaming appears to be a kind of ‟neurological programming” of the brain. Dreaming is responsible of the brain’s ‟software”; it reconfigurates and reinitializes the system. As such, it is the caretaker of our habits, our needs, our individuation.

This metaphor is used in iboga seminars: testimonies mention changes in programming, files being deleted. A person who attended one of these seminars after a difficult separation with the person he loved, described that, at the end of the seminar, it felt as if the neurological connections related to this ordeal had been erased, as if the event never took place. This seems to account for a renewal of neurological connections, a kind of fresh start.

Another interesting property of iboga lies in the possibility of manipulation of the imaginary material whether by the therapist, the Nganga or the participant. It is always possible to stop on an image, to ‟rewind” and think about an alternative. The experience can be directed at all times. There is no loss of consciousness.

The frame of mind of the individual who takes iboga plays a very important role. For the people of West Africa, it constitues a rite of passage. The sacred root allows people to release themselves from all psychological and social blocks accumulated during childhood, to communicate with the dead and to obtain a direction in life.

For a person coming from a different culture, different visions will take place.

Here the testimony of a Phosphenist who attended a seminar in the french region of Ardèche. The description of his experience refers to the works of Doctor Francis Lefebure. You can find more information on the website www.phosphenism.com.

Saturday night:

First dose of iboga

Each participant is given a spoonful of powdered iboga by the Nganga Mallendi. The taste is truly disgusting, extremely bitter.
A few minutes later, I am starting to feel vibrations in the whole of my body, in the chakras located in the palm of my hands and in the sole of my feet.
When the Nganga approaches to give us another dose, the vibrations amplify and my field of vision starts to change
After the third dose, I feel and intense vibratory state and I close my eyes. I see a gigantic phosphene though I have not focused on a source of light. This phosphene starts rotating then takes the shape of a rotating cogwheel. I understand that this first vision is a symbol of the chakras. I start feeling extraordinary fast and powerful rotations in my whole body.

The visions:

I have noticed that there are three types of visions:
The first is the organization of the visual chaos, with my eyes closed. In the beginning, the phosphenic substance (a spontaneous inner light, it usually is perveived as a network of moving, colored lines that organize themselves in kaleidoscopic patterns) filled my field of vision and an image appeared. This image became sharper and sharper until it became as intense as a vision. It then reverted back to the phosphenic substance before reorganizing itself in a different vision. I was struck by the obviousness of the assumption of Dr Lefebure: the phosphenes are a gate to clairvoyance.
The second type of vision occured with my eyes open. A 3D animated image appeared in front of me. It was a very surprising phenomenon. The third type of vision took place on a medium, a wall or a flat surface that took the role of a screen. I noticed that these images had a similar theme.

The main visions:

I cannot remember all the visions, as so many passed in front of my eyes, but I can remember the following ones:
For a long period of time, I perceived urban sceneries, railways, motorways, as if I was flying above them. Then, stone houses started passing by, one after the other. I did not understand the meaning of these visions; I asked the plant for an explanation but I did not get any answer and the houses kept passing by.
Another episode made a strong impression on me, I was flying above a coastline lined with african huts made of straw. In front of each hut was a man armed with a spear. Then, a gigantic african mask started pulsing in front of my eyes. I went through it and I saw a kind of paper scroll filled with letters and signs above which a text written in an unknown language appeared. I heard a voice saying: ‟Magic words” in my mind, after asking the plant what was the meaning of this vision. Nevertheless, I still could not decipher this message. I wondered if I had been an African in another life.
I experienced a very beautiful vision of a gigantic volcano erupting. Red-orange sparks were projected high in the sky and were falling back in the shape of purple droplets. Spectacular!

A phosphene turned into the sun then moved away at an incredible speed until it became a tiny dot.
I perceived arabesques that conjured impressions of the aztec civilization.
I saw a 3D image of the iboga root, rotating in front of my eyes.
I experienced a rather strange vision. I felt that I was travelling to the remote layers of the astral and found myself facing the Keeper of the Threshold, He who bars the way to the Source, the Self. I had to combat this creature of a devilish appearance. At first, I felt that I would not prevail, that I was going to die. At this moment, a benevolent entity appeared, charged the keeper of the threshold and destroyed it. I do not remember what followed, but I understood that I was protected by powerful spiritual forces. This vision is an exact replica of a dream I had once experienced.

Saturday morning

Spiritual healing by the angels:

As extraordinary as it may seem, I saw with my open eyes, two angels as big as a hand, on each side of my solar plexus. They were healing this chakra with energy. It is important to note that this chakra had been violently damaged 2 years beforehand. Overcome by emotion, I cried of joy for a long time. I felt my solar plexus being emptied of all these repressed emotions.; I was filled with an immense gratitude.
I then felt the surge of Kundalini, from the root chakra to the heart chakra, accompanied by the following vision: in front of me, a stone wall half-opened, letting an extremely bright light filter through.

The following afternoon, I felt extraordinarily open, with a feeling of belonging and understanding.

Saturday night

Midnight, the second night staying up started. The iboga was mixed with honey and thus was much easier to ingest.

I had a very difficult night, I cannot remember very precisely what happened but I do remember feeling attacked on an energy level. My body was completely saturated with vibrations and I could not bear any more rhythms. I felt as if I was going to desintegrate. It was impossible to focus on the flame of the candles, it was unbearable! So, I spent a long time focusing on the ceiling to release the tension in my body.

After a while, I felt that my lower chakras were activated then, massive waves of energy rose from the lower part of my body and accumulated in my chest. I started to feel uncomfortably hot, my tee-shirt was soaked and I had to take it off. The energy was blocked in my throat and kept accumulating in my chest, provoking a sensation of extreme heat. I was almost panicking.
I do not remember how I managed this, but after a while I succeeded in letting the energy rise, little by little, into my throat and my head.

Towards the end of the night, our faces were coated with white kaolin and a mirror was placed in front of each of us. The purpose of this was to let us contact our ancestors. The first vision I experienced was not a face but an immense complex of buildings that I could not perceive entirely. It was very difficult to maintain this vision. As soon as I would move my eyes, it would disappear, replaced by my reflection.
Then, I saw faces. Some of them were fixed, as if drawn with a pencil, and others were animated like a film.
I did not succeed in interpreting any of these visions.

Sunday morning

Once the night over, I felt in an extraordinary state and I went out to admire the sunrise. I did a phosphene and I saw the sun dancing in front of my eyes and rotating. I witnessed the phenomenon described by Dr Lefebure. I then projected the phosphenes I did on the lawn, a process that triggered visions as sharp as the images of a film.
Later, I felt tired. the loss of voice that affected me was probably connected to my throat chakra being unlocked.
I realized that my heart was beating faster than 100 BPM, I seeked the Nganga Mallendi who layed his right hand on my heart. Very quickly, I felt a great heat surrounding my heart and descended progressively. Within a few minutes, my heart was back to a normal rhythm. Mallendi told me that I would not experience that kind of problem any more.
Sunday night, I could at last sleep again after staying up for two nights. The least I can say, is that I went through an immense ordeal and that I lived an extremely powerful experience. I often felt great despair. I also experienced great moments of joy and awakening.

This testimony constantly refers to the works of Dr Lefebure who demonstrated the role that light played in the evolution from animal to human. The discovery of fire was the utmost importance. First of all, fire became the center of the activities of the group. Then, it created a hierarchy in the tribes: those who had the knowledge (the keepers) and the others. This is the origin of shamanism.

According to Dr Lefebure, the explanation is simple. Taking care of the fire meant focusing on it permanently, it was doing phosphenes. When a thought is mixed with a phosphene, it acquires extra energy. It is the phosphenes that allowed the development of the higher brain. They are the foundation of religions. Check Phosphenism, a Scientific Explanation of the Origins of Religion (available for download on the site).

HYPNOSIS

From a conference by Dr LEFEBURE

The antagonisms between hypnosis and Phosphenism

‟Phosphenism is opposed to hypnosis for the following reason: during the presence of a phosphene, and even more if one is practicing Phosphenic Mixing, one is more lucid, much more conscious than usual. If you pray while focusing on the sun, for example, and if you respect the provided guidelines to avoid hurting your eyes, you will realize that your thoughts are warmer, more vibrant and feel like a cloud surrounding you. You are now in a state of hyper consciousness, feeling more awake than usual. On the other hand, hypnosis is, by definition, a state of partial sleep.

What if the difference between the lights that are used to produce phosphenes and the lights that are used to induce hypnosis? A good quality phosphene can be obtained by focusing on a 75W lamp, at a distance of 1 to 2m, during 30 seconds. A co-phosphene can be obtained by focusing on the lamp for three minutes.
If you focus on the lamp for longer, 10 minutes for example, the post phosphene is not as good. There is an optimal focusing time beyond which the process is impaired. Similar lights are used for hypnosis. But, instead of focusing on the light source for 30 seconds to three minutes, focusing time can last up to 20 minutes or even longer. The two processes are exactly opposed: Phosphenism uses short periods of focusing when hypnosis uses very long ones. Phosphensism produces a state of hyper consciousness when hypnosis produces a state of hypo consciousness.”

Are there any contra-indications to the practice of Phosphenism?
The same way there are contra-indications to certain pharmaceuticals (some medecines cannot be associated to other ones), there are contra-indications to the practice of Phosphenism. Similarly, some athletes cannot practice certain sports that would spoil the results they are trying to achieve. For example, boxers should not practice heavy body building as it would spoil their quickness, suppleness and efficiency.

1st contra-indication: Re-birth

Re-birth, being based on hyperventilation produces the hyperoxigenation of the blood and a low level of carbon dioxide. This causes a low level of calcium in the blood (alcalosis), and, in sensitive subjects, provokes tetany which first symptom is a tickling of the fingers.

In everyday life, one can observe that people with psychological problems do not breathe properly. Their breathing is limited to short inspirations and when they are surprised by a situation or shocked emotionaly, they breathe very little. That way, they provoke a repression. In martial arts, one learns on the contrary, to breathe out in order not to be subjected by a situation.

* Rebirth and holotropic breathing:

Rebirth and holotropic breathing are two methods of theraphy. Both use the same form of breathing: hyperventilation. Hyperventilation is produced by a large movement of the thorax (completely filling the lungs), breathing out through the mouth. Breathing out through the nose would be slower.

It takes a while before one can feel the effects that start with a tickling of the fingers, a precursory sign of the variation of calcium level in the organism due to the hyperventilation.

At this point, the objective is to overcome one’s fear. One can be afraid to die as the contractions can lead to a minor paralysis of the tongue and of the uvulva. This is one of the therapeutic effects: ‟to go beyond conscious and unconscious fears”.

In the practice of rebirth, the subject maintains a breathing cycle and then, at the end of the session, verbalizes what has been happening. In the practice of holotropic breathing, breathing follows a piece of music in a musicotherapy style. At the end of the session, the subject verbalizes his or her impressions and draws a picture summing what they have been through, often in the style of a mandala.

This breathing techniques take the subjects past their fears: unconscious (stress of birth) and conscious: fear of heights or speed… As these techniques untie psychological knots, the subjects feel better, relieved of stress after practice.

Many therapists use one of these methods as, if the right way to proceed is followed, results happen quickly and systematically. For a therapy, about ten sessions have to be practiced. Sessions last for one hour up to one hour and a half and are practiced in groups. These therapies are classified as short because of the small number of sessions necessary.

But the effects after practice can be heavy on a psychological level if they are associated with rhythmic thinking, a technique which amplifies mental processes. These techniques are very unsettling

* Dr LEFEBURE’s breathing technique:

Dr LEFEBURE showed the importance of the retention in yogic-mystical breathing (check THE PNEUMOPHENE or the breathing techniques that open the door to the world beyond). As he stated: ‟what is important is to create a thirst for air”. This thirst is created by retentions of various durations. The retentions between inspiration and exhalation, created a square-shaped cycle. He then transformed this square-shaped breathing into a circle-shape breathing (cycle-generating or spiritual breathing) with a constant thirst for air during the whole cycle and the whole session.

* Comparison between these different breathing techniques:

Spiritual breathing, or square-shaped breathing (which is easier to do in the beginning) is completely opposed to rebirth-style breathing techniques.

– Rebirth provokes a full and fast absorbtion of the oxygen and thus does not create any thirst for air.

– Because of the retentions, spiritual breathing slows down the absorbtion of oxygen, thus elevating the rate of carbon dioxide and creating an optimal thirst for air.

These two types of breathing are opposed. The first method is a psychotherapeutic practice, the other one a spiritual path.

2nd contra-indication: Hypnosis

The principle of Hypnosis is to induce suggestions by the medium of a certain state of consciousness.

Sophrology is a kind of ‟soft” Hypnosis, in which suggestion plays a large part.

This shows the point of dissimilarity between Hypnosis and Phosphenism.

Hypnosis cannot be dissociated of suggestion.

In his books, Dr LEFEBURE often talks of free prayers, i.e. self-designed prayers, not imposed by any group or ideology. Why pray? As a metaphor we can compare the principle with an hydroelectrical plant. The energy produced is proportional to the height of the falling water. The higher it is, the more energy is produced by the plant.

To pray is to admit that there are forces higher than yourself. It is putting yourself in a position of humility, in a state of receptivity. It is the contrary of self-suggestion which is self-assessment.

Self-suggestion makes an individual hypersuggestible (as its name implies).

Finally, and that is the most important, the state of hypnosis goes against all genuine yogic practices. Hypnosis only stimulates a very small number of neurons when initiatory techniques consist in creating many neurological connections in order to activate many cerebral functions.

Be careful: a person associating Rebirth or Hypnosis with the practice of rhythmic thinking can end up being placed in a psychiatric hospital. It is important to know that. Some things should not be associated together.

Can Hypnosis lead to an out of body experience or to astral projection?

Many people search for out of body experiences without knowing what they really are or how to produce them. It is thus very difficult for them to recognize these phenomena. There is a strong opposition between initiatory experiences and psychological experiences. The latter do not belong to initiatory techniques. It is extremely important to know what domain you are working on and what are its limits. It is also important to know what results you can expect from a particular technique and to make the choice of these techniques by yourself.

The brain is limited, certain things are impossible. It is necessary, in practice or study, to define the field you are working on. Sadly, many people only start a research to validate the prejudiced ideas they have. And when they are confronted with a disturbing phenomenon that forces them to ask themselves questions, they react by denying the phenomenon, sometimes pretending that ‟it’s dangerous” or being scared by it. This danger, this fear, is only the risk of discovering oneself. That kind of people limit themselves to the production of superficial phenomena which are often purely psychological.

This kind of influence or attitude is more of a suggestion than a genuine catalyst of experiences. It is common to feel sensations that only touch the surface of the ‟psychological layers” of the individual. Sometimes they are interpreted as an achievement, a contact with the deepest of selves. Most of the times, these sensations are only a very pleasurable illusion. Images are perceived and a few pleasurable sensations are felt but it does not go any further than this stage.

As an example, virtual reality helmets or funfair style simulators create many sensations and ‟experiences”. Depending on the images projected, you can have the sensation that your body is heavier or lighter, sensations of falling or going up, of being very small or very big or sensations of flight or floatation. In the end, these are only sensory games, as the images stimulate certain sensory organs. These are not psychic phenomena. You are stuck in a sensory dead end and you wish the sensations kept going, as they are very pleasurable. It is the same process that happens when you feel an itch: you scratch and this scratching becomes pleasure. You feel it is pleasurable to scratch. Physicians call this phenomenon ‟scratching ecstasy”. This too, is a sensory dead end that creates a pathological state.

Initiatory phenomena rarely happen during a session, but usually several hours or a day after practice. One must not confuse sensory games, which trigger a short pleasurable moment, with initiatory techniques that lead to real experiences outside of the period of practice, very often during the night, sending consciousness into the ‟cosmic planes”. Initiatory phenomena are way beyond self-created sensations. Very few people agree to follow through with the study of these unconscious layers of the personality. On the contrary, those who do, discover a new aspect of themselves and of the universe.

Out of body experiences are not rare phenomena. They have been practiced throughout the ages and lie at the core of all initiations.

WHAT IS A HAIKU?

This is the story of a style born of poetic contests in the Imperial court during the Japanese Middle Ages.

The Goncourt brothers introduced the ‟haiku” to the western world in the 19th century.
The incredible success at being able to transpose the ‟haiku” into other languages quickly made us forget that it is one of the classic traditions demonstrating the genius of the Japanese people.
This brief poem of seventeen syllables, including an allusion to the seasons, is a phenomenon which arouses questions going far beyond the cultural scope from which it originates.
The vogue of ‟haiku” written in English, Breton, French or Flemish often make us think in an irresistible way of those curious onlookers who, faced with an abstract painting, burst out laughing ‟I can do this any day!”

Some Westerners have contributed to our knowledge of the authenticity of ‟haiku” through their translations, such as Maurice Coyaud and more importantly René Sieffert, the latter having translated the works of Bashô, the master of the genre. Other translators endeavoured to study what became this poetic form when it was used in another language, along with all the mistakes and the misunderstandings which are thus generated, and here we think of Etiemble’s works.

But what do the Japanese think about this surge of enthusiasm for ‟haiku”? Many standpoints are available on the subject. First of all there is surprise and amusement, then sometimes a certain amount of emotion, as testified by an academic in the columns of the newspaper Mainichi: ‟Throughout the world there are people who compose poems in their own language that they call ‛haiku’ in imitation of the Japanese ‛haiku’. The term ‛haiku’’ is even listed in recent American and British dictionaries. We also notice poets from all over of America composing ‛haiku’’ verging on the melancholic. As is the present craze for ‛haiku’ in Japan, it would appear that a similar phenomenon exists elsewhere. It is quite a pleasing and moving idea that the Japanese ‛haiku’ may serve as links of friendship between people who know neither Japanese nor Japan.”

Turning from amazement to action, in a reaction inspired by their legendary practical mind, the Japanese started organising international contests of ‟‛haiku’ in foreign languages”, such as the 5th Festival of culture in 1990 in the town of Matsuyama in the province of Ehime.

Beyond the numerous questionings which can be expressed about ‛haiku’ from western sensitivity, beyond formula as brilliant as certain poetic writings such as: ‟astonishment of emotion”, ‟living herbarium of immutable truths”, ‟quest for flash of inspiration”, what is a ‟haiku”?

First of all it is a social practice. It is a style born of poetic conjunctures (uta-awase) which took place at the Imperial Court during the Japanese Middle Ages. During these literary contests, collective creations called ‟renga” (linked verses) were developed and the ‟haiku” originated from these. Bashô himself led ‟haiku” discussion groups during which he compared his experience with those of others and discussed his technique with his students. Any cultural activity, all the more if poetic, is a social activity in Japan. Within Japan today the ‟haiku” has schools, students, reviews (recently numbering eight hundred), trends, contests and millions of followers.

In ‟haiku” clubs, during monthly meetings, each member’s poems are the subject of debates, discussions, comments and a vote, bearing witness of authentic ‟literary democracy”. Everything is organized in a competitive manner, each composer aiming for absolute perfection. Other characteristics anchor the ‟haiku” much more in the specificity of a culture and reveal that it is said to be the epiphenomenon of more profound realities, more essential in the sight of fundamental considerations of the history of mankind.

The classical ‟haiku”, as it has been presented to us, is organized on a seventeen syllable rhythm. This is not due to chance.

In fact, the most ancient of all known Japanese poems, ‟the katauta”, were based on this rhythm at the beginning of our era. They reproduced the breathing mode on which oral literature was then built, before the introduction of a transcription using Chinese characters. These rhythmical expressions, balanced in a ‟question/answer” format, had a strong religious connotation. We also find such rhythmical expressions later in the poetry contests of the Middle Ages. The fact the ‟haiku” first of all appears as a poetic act must not make us forget that the Japanese have for a long time been connected with poetry, from which preoccupations about their relationship with the invisible world were not missing. Historic events prove this.

Some of the great names in Japanese history did not deign to attend poetic sessions and compose poems before a battle in order to gain the gods’ favours. However, Akechi Mitsuhide, who went on to assassinate the infamous general Oda Nobunaga in 1582, took part in a ‟renga” competition the day before his crime. Fujitani Mitsue, a philosopher of the 18th century, declared in a poetic art treaty that we should break the shackles of the words which held the gods captive. Thus, the gods are present in the instance of ‟the inversion of words” (logo), a phenomenon which consists of reversing the word or syllable order to reinforce or conceal the meaning of it. The gods of Shinto are thus compared to ‟the spirit of words” (Kodota ma).

Many poems in the popular tradition are considered as a magic formula where this ‘spirit of words’ becomes free by the recitation of such poems. Used for therapeutic purposes, these songs to the rhythm of thirty one syllables (seventeen syllables plus fourteen) still remind us of the relationship between magic and poetry, while other traditional civilisations claimed that all poetry is medicine. The seasonal reference any ‘haiku’ should contain is the sign that his author is ‟in harmony with nature”. This means that a compulsion to allude to a season in a poem is a kind of explicit recognition of the relative place of Humans in the Universe, where human events do not only concern human beings.

Over the centuries, the Japanese have listed, then classified, all the signs and all the characteristic moments of each season, and compiled glossaries which increase in importance with the passing of time.

These glossaries which contain more than 5,000 words pertaining to ‟seasons”, are what amateurs refer to before creating a ‟haiku” poem. These poetic almanacs (known as ‟saijiki”) are a real treasure of Japanese sensitivity. According to Inoue Teruo, a Japanese poet, they are a ‟very detailed collection of dates and customs commemorative of our people”. These poetic almanacs are the medium of a creation of which the ‟haiku” are only the visible result. They explain and illustrate fifteen thousand ‟haiku” of known authors and are a reference for any new writing. The discovery and study of these almanacs give a different perspective to the practice of ‟haiku” and enable a Japanese interpretation of the world.

Through the ‟seasonal vocabulary” compiled in these almanacs, we can witness a permanent recreation of the universe by the Japanese people. It is because of this that the ‟haiku” is much more than a literary event.

Because of its history and what it is nowadays in Japan, the ‟haiku” originates in ethno-poetry rather than poetry as envisaged by the western world.

An interesting exercise for anyone wanting to create a ‟haiku” or any other kind of poetry, is to practice what Dr Lefebure calls ‟Streaming Mixing”.

Creating a ‟haiku” under the influence of the phosphene:

Do a first phosphene.
Mix an image which symbolises and summarizes the subject of your study within this phosphene. During the presence of the phosphene, you will generally come across two or three ideas that are quite different from the first one.
Choose the clearest of them and mix this second image within a second phosphene.
During this, four or five new ideas will appear, in general.
Again choose the clearest of them and from it, make up a theme that you will mix with a third phosphene.
Then ten or twelve new ideas will appear and so on…
The flood of ideas is like a river flowing into the sea which is born from a small spring but never stops to get wider thanks to its tributaries.

GEOBIOLOGY

Geobiology can be defined as the study of the influence of the earth on living beings. A science, an art and a technique, geobiology studies various parameters stemming from the ground, the atmosphere or from forms that can be perceived by our sensitivity, like underground streams, geological faults, telluric networks, cosmo-telluric conduits, the sacred network, the Hartmann network, the Curry network… These networks form a more or less regular grid on the ground: in general, they consist in bands a few tens of centimeters wide that can sometimes be situated several meters apart.

For the past 50 years, physicians, doctors and diviners have detected a certain influence of locations on the growth or the behavior of plants, trees, animals and people.

The energies of the earth: telluric energy, cosmic energy

Everywhere on the planet, we are under the permanent influence of two massive energies that we cannot escape: telluric energy, which comes from the center of the earth and cosmic energy which comes from space.

The earth needs the cosmic energy to achieve the distribution of the universal force, without which we would not exist. This distribution is made through networks that can be compared to our blood circulation system. The radiation of the earth has an influence on the cells of our bodies. the earth is alive thanks to its electromagnetic field. Without the cosmic rays that surround it, there would be no life on earth.

For newcomers in geobiology, a sacred network is a network of energy fed by the sun when it is orientated on an east-west or north-south axis. 40 to 80 centimeters wide, it can reach 2 meters in certain places. It is called sacred because it can be found in all places of worship that were built before the 14th century. It connects them together. It is an extremely powerful network of positive energy.

The companions, builders of cathedrals understood perfectly these networks of energy and knew how to use them in their works. All the great cathedrals were built on sacred networks. The understanding of these networks dates back to much more ancient times as standing stones and dolmens are almost always set up on these networks.

Sacred geobiology is precisely the study of these ancient places of worship, built on telluric or solar networks. Like human beings, our old planet is also covered by many networks of energy. Our ancestors respected these networks and knew how to use them. Sadly, it is not the case today.

‟On a purely energetic point of view, it seems that the location – whether of a standing stone or any other temple or shrine – is originally a bad choice, if only the telluric reading is taken into account. These locations are not suited for human beings to live without harm to their health. Nevertheless, it is on locations where the vibrations are disturbed that the ancients used to raise standing stones or build churches. It was their work that allowed the transformation of the negative energy of a location into an extremely positive and regenerating energy.” (J.-L. Bovin, Mégalithes, Editions Mosaïque).

The geobiological study of sacred places confers them a new dimension. By dint of patience, intuition and open-mindedness, it is possible to make fascinating discoveries. All churches are different because of their location and the intentions of the people who built them. The architectural elements can generally be deciphered on several levels: telluric, biblical and symbolic, as the architecture of these buildings matches the architecture of living beings: it is interactive and complex. Appreciating a place of power, is feeling its vibrations in the whole of one’s being and letting them awaken something has been left dormant…

Doctor Francis Lefebure, a French physician and scientist, designed a method of development of personal energy that he called Phosphenism. Practicing Phosphenism helps feeling the energy of a location. This method is based on the systematic use of the phosphenes. The phosphenes are all the subjective sensations of light, i.e. those which are not directly caused by light stimulating the retina. They can be produced by focusing shortly on a source of light.

An exercise of Phosphenism applied to geobiology:

Choose a location where a megalith has been installed (dolmen, menhir or cromlech). If you live in Western Europe there are many megalithic sites to visit, some of them are very famous like Stonehenge or Carnac.

Sit down near that megalith, making sure you place your back against the menhir, the stone that constitutes the back of the dolmen or the central stone of the cromlech you have chosen.

Do a phosphene. You can use the reflection of the sun on water or a white cloth or focus on the sun through a piece of fabric for one to two seconds (make sure you take your glasses or contacts off, as they could have a magnifying glass effect and burn your retina). You can also simply focus on bright clouds or, if you are sitting inside a dolmen, focus on the sky through the main opening of the dolmen during one to three minutes.

Then, close your eyes and keep your attention focused on the subjective sensations that might appear.
Do another phosphene every time you think it is necessary (every 5 to 15 minutes, for example).

Stay in this position for at least half an hour. After roughly a quarter of an hour, you will start to feel the energy of the place.

FENG SHUI

Feng shui is a chinese taoist art that allows the revitalization of one’s environement by optimizing the circulation of the chi, a process that brings health, well-being and prosperity.

For ages, the Chinese have used it for the implantation, the construction and the lay-out of their houses and workplaces. There is a positive chi that ought to be stimulated and a negative chi that needs to be corrected.

In the Balinese tradition, houses are built according to the measurements of the head of the family. First of all, the most favorable day should be chosen for conceiving the house, certain days being more auspicious than others for this activity. Then, if he has the means to do so, the head of the family entrusts a traditional architect with the project, who calculates the exact proportions of the entrance, the thickness of the walls, the height of the ceiling… again according to the measurements of the head of the family, as if he was working on a made to measure suit. Finally, the location is chosen carefully so that there is an harmony between the occupants and the spirit of the place.

Today, feng shui is very fashionable. One’s dwelling can be harmonized by consulting an expert or by reading books. There is an appropriate location for every piece of furniture and principally for the bed. The bedroom should retain a yin energy as it is used for resting. Too much yang energy should not be brought into that room.

A great tool for optimizing the circulation of energy is the ba gua, a map that shows the principles of the Yin and the Yang, the eight trigrams of the Yi king than the five elements.

There is a scholarly way to use this tool, but most of the books of popularization on feng shui indicate a simple way to proceed: copy the ba gua on a sheet of tracing paper and place it over the floor plan of your living space, making the entrance and the north (the sector of career) meet exactly. It will then be possible to strengthen the chi in certain areas or to counteract the negative chi. Be careful! It is wrong to consider feng shui as a set of recipes: a mirror or a crystal placed in the sector of prosperity attracts riches; a plant with circular leaves, placed in the sector of relationships attracts love…
That is why one should first develop their sensitivity to energies. This pragmatic process allows the understanding of what truly functions and thus helps avoiding superstitions.

A good technique consists in working with the phosphenes. The phosphenes are all the sensations of light which are not directly caused by light stimulating the retina. The phosphenes can be produced by focusing shortly on a source of light. Dr Lefebure has demonstrated the influence of light on mental processes. Once a phosphene has been produced by focusing shortly on a source of light, it will persist for several minutes. The presence of the phosphene channels attention on the object of study – here, the layout of a house. It sharpens sensations and favors associations of ideas.

Example: if you wish to place a crystal to strengthen the chi in a domain of the ba gua. Pick up a particular place in your house or apartment. Do a phosphene and observe the sensations and the thoughts that come to your mind during the presence of the phosphene. Repeat this operation for every room and choose the one who has provided the most pleasant sensations.

There is another way to proceed. Instead of working on the circulation of the chi in the house, it is possible to increase the circulation of the chi within oneself. This process allows the regulation of the flow of the chi around oneself. Thus, thanks to the practice of qigong, it is possible to improve the feng shui of one’s dwelling or workplace.

Similarly, practicing Phosphenism regularly strengthens the nervous system, a process that stimulates the positive chi and allows to be less affected by the negative chi.

FASTING

The practice of fasting is ancient. Its healing properties have been known since the antiquity. Hippocratus prescribed fasting. Socrates and Plato used to find it essential for a good physical and mental balance. They used to fast regularily, sometimes for periods of 10 days. Pythagorus fasted for 40 days before passing an exam at the University of Alexandria and he required his students to do the same before accepting them.

Fasting is a natural process as animals refrain from feeding when they are sick or wounded. Fasting gives the organism a rest, regenerates it and detoxifies it. It is only prudent to prepare a period of fasting and to gradually revert back to normal feeding once the fasting is finished.

German scientists have measured the action of fasting on sleep and have found that it improves the subjective quality of sleep, that it brings more energy during the day and ensures a better emotional balance and a better concentration.

All traditional societies practice fasting. It is often associated to rites and precedes initiations.

Most religions mention fasting and recognize its spiritual value. It is mentioned more than 50 times in the Bible.

Dr Lefebure, a French physician and researcher, studied the spiritual aspect of fasting. In 1963, he had the idea to check the efficiency of initiatory exercises that had been taught to him, by using the phosphenes. The phosphenes are all the subjective sensations of light, i.e. those which are not directly caused by light stimulating the retina. This is how he discovered the importance of the rhythm of two seconds. He realized that when he swayed his head softly, a traditional initiatory exercise, it was this rhythm that dragged the phosphene, when a faster or slower rhythm would leave the phosphene fixed.

Thanks to this discovery, he studied what would happen with two phosphenes and designed the Cerebroscope, a prize-winning device. Thanks to this new medical protocol, he was able to observe unknown cerebral rhythms.

Three years later, he had the idea to check what would happen if one thought about a precise subject during the presence of a phosphene. He thus discovered the foundation of what would become his method: Phosphenic Mixing. Thoughts and phosphenes interact allowing the development of memory, intelligence and creativity.
Phosphenes, rhythms and thoughts, these are the basic ingredients of Dr Lefebure’s scientifically improved yoga: Phosphenism.

Dr Lefebure recommends fasting because it can provoke revelations. In his complete course of Phosphenism, he answers the following question:

‟What would happen if one associated a thought to fasting?
If you associate a thought to fasting, especially if this fasting is not excessively long, you can obtain very interesting results. All the persons who have tried fasting agree: during fasting, sleep is lighter and half-sleep is much more important than during ordinary life.

During half-sleep or light sleep, one frequently experiences directions about the exercises which are best suited to their nature, in the form of dreams, visions, or auditory perceptions… This process also takes place while one is awake. Many traditions state that fasting favors visions.

In the beginning, you can associate your usual exercises to fasting. The most appropriate exercises are Phosphenic Mixing and mantras. If you practice head sways, you will find that you are much more sensitive to nausea during fasting. To avoid any discomfort, simply practice small movements. Static tension exercises are not suited as they consume more oxygen. Breathing exercises, maintaining a slight lack of air are fully suited. You will feel this instinctively.

Mantras and Phosphenic Mixing combine themselves very well to fasting. You can also ask what exercises are best suited for you, during the presence of a phosphene. You will then receive exercises which are specifically adapted to your nature. (…) It will be easy for you to keep practicing these exercises when the period of fasting is over, as these exercises are suited for your personality.”