Tag: Conscious Filmmaking

Do You Like What You See?

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An excerpt from award-winning author Brent Marchant’s new book, Third Real: Conscious Creation Goes Back to the Movies

“Our environment, the world in which we live and work, is a mirror of our attitudes and expectations.” —Earl Nightingale

When we gaze into a mirror, we expect it to reflect back to us an accurate representation of what we look like. We assume that it’s going to provide us with a faithful rendition of our appearance, right down to the smallest of details. In fact, we take it for granted, so much so that, unless we’re laughing it up in front of one of those intentionally distortive fun house models, we don’t even give it a second thought.

The same should be true when we examine the state of our reality. According to the philosophy of conscious creation, which maintains that our existence is a direct outward reflection of our innermost thoughts, beliefs and intents, such is the case with the nature of our existence, right down to the minutest of qualities, “flaws” and all. But, unlike our assumptions about the fidelity of a mirror’s reflections, we sometimes take issue with the idea that our world is truly an accurate depiction of its metaphysical source material, comparable though our reactions should be to our looking glass expectations and experiences.

So what accounts for this disparity? In most cases, this is attributable to not having a good handle on the nature of our beliefs. If we don’t know what they are or misconstrue their meanings, then we might not be able to recognize them when they take their extrapolated physical forms (i.e., the elements that comprise our outer world reality). And, because of that, we can become confused, frustrated or even agitated about what appears before us, potentially leading us to all sorts of misinterpretations and attendant pitfalls.

When this happens, this naturally begs the question, “What are we to do? “ As this excerpt’s opening quote and various conscious creation texts, like Jane Roberts’s Seth Speaks: The Eternal Validity of the Soul, state, the starting point is to take stock of the elements that give birth to our existence—our thoughts, beliefs and intents. We must then ask ourselves, “Do we like what we see?” If the answer is “yes,” great; if it’s “no,” then it’s time to consider implementing some changes. To do that, though, we need to work from the inside out, for what appears there initially will inevitably become manifested externally. And, if that doesn’t get us what we want, we need to go back and repeat the process—as many times as needed—a step designed to take us closer to the outcome we ultimately seek.

On the surface, this principle seems like common sense, one that most of us would probably view as reasonable and straightforward. So it should be a piece of cake to put into practice, right? Well, one would hope that’s the case, but, until we become proficient at employing it, this may not be as simple as it seems. For example, we may be unclear about the beliefs we hold. Or they could be hampered by conflicting agendas, such as those based on fear, doubt or contradiction, which can impede, undercut, distort or negate their effectiveness.

To resolve such issues, we must take out our metaphysical magnifying glass and scrutinize those thoughts, beliefs and intents to determine where refinements are needed. We must also be honest with ourselves with what we uncover, avoiding the temptation to retreat into fear or denial if they’re not precisely to our liking. Operating from a position of authenticity generally pays great dividends and should get us ever closer to the results we want.

Being able to see how our realities reflect our innermost thoughts, beliefs and intents may not be easy without tangible examples that show how they dictate our existence, so that’s where the power of film comes into play. For instance, through the experiences of a fictional character unexpectedly brought to life by his literary scribe (as seen in the offbeat comedy “Stranger Than Fiction” (2006)), a woman in search of a fresh start in the wilderness (as depicted in the heartfelt biopic “Wild” (2014)), a young lady’s quest to acknowledge her passions in a closed-off society (as explored in the English comedy of manners “A Room with a View” (1985)), a comedienne whose stand-up routine mirrors her everyday life (and vice versa) (as portrayed in the heartwarming domestic comedy “This Is My Life” (1992)) or an astronaut seeking to unlock the mystery of an enigmatic planet (as deciphered in the metaphysical sci-fi offering “Solaris” (2002)), we witness telling examples of these principles at work. Though the subject matter of each picture differs markedly from one title to the next, they all provide excellent showcases for how their respective existences come into being through the metaphysical input of those who create them, demonstrating this basic conscious creation principle at work.

For better or worse, mirrors show us the truth, whether in literal or metaphysically metaphorical contexts. We should have the courage to face—and accept—what we witness, as well as the fortitude and determination to change what needs to be altered. Indeed, should we faithfully follow these guidelines, we may find that our realities in fact do mirror—and reveal—what we need to see about ourselves. Let’s hope we’re paying attention.

To read more of Brent’s book, download a free PDF sample containing the front and back matter and the first three chapters.

A lifelong movie fan and longtime student of metaphysics, Brent Marchant is the award-winning author of Get the Picture?!: Conscious Creation Goes to the Movies (2007, 2014; 2016 New Age Nonfiction winner, National Indie Excellence Awards), Consciously Created Cinema: The Movie Lover’s Guide to the Law of Attraction (2014) and Third Real: Conscious Creation Goes Back to the Movies (2017), all of which offer reader-friendly looks at how “conscious creation” (also known as the “law of attraction”) is illustrated through film. He is also Featured Contributor for Smart Women’s Empowerment (www.smartwomensempowerment.org), Movie Correspondent for The Good Radio Network (www.thegoodradionetwork.com), and Contributor for New Consciousness Review magazine (www.ncreview.com) and The HAPI Guide (www.hapiguide.com). His additional writing credits include contributions to BeliefNet, Library Journal, New Age News, VividLife magazine and Master Heart Magazine. Brent also maintains a regular blog about the subject of conscious creation and the movies on his web site (www.BrentMarchant.com).

Arrival and All Eyez On Me About Tupac Shakur Release on 11/11

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mayan, 11:11
It’s no coincidence that some very interesting films are releasing this year on 11/11. Last year we purposely premiered Part 1 of the documentary film Time is Art in seven cities on 11/11 (learn more about how to support the making of Part 2).

ARRIVAL

The film is adapted by a book by Sci-fi writer Ted Chiang who also wrote a book called ‘Hell is the Absence of God’. The movie is about a linguist who attempts to communicate with aliens through their symbolic language. According to thousands of testimonies from people who have had contact, communication with other beings is mostly done through telepathy. There are also many people who channel alien writing or glyphs from angels and other non-physical beings through automatic writing. However, most of them have no idea what these writings mean.

Contact is one seriously hot topic. According to mainstream media outlets we continue to search for alien life yet thousands of cases of contact with individuals have been documented since the dawn of civilization.  For years people via the internet have been prophesying “contact” as the mainstream understands it, will happen in the form of a false flag.  Many believe official group contact will not happen until at least half the planet has raised their consciousness (and we are nowhere near the tipping point). Check out James Gilliand’s excellent presentation on the subject.

Apparently there are even leaked documents that suggest Hillary will use a fake alien invasion to save her campaign. Plenty of Americans have no idea how corrupt the Clintons are, therefore, I think its a little too early for that kind of desperation.

The film received 100% on Rotten Tomatoes from early reviewers.   Still, I’m always a little skeptical of the purpose of films about group ‘contact’, especially since most hollywood films are often used as some form of propaganda.

ALL EYEZ ON ME

This film is about Tupac Shakur who was most likely assassinated by the CIA (like many activist/artists throughout history).  His mother’s character, Afeni Shakur who was certainly “tapped in” appears in the film. She acted as her own criminal defense attorney after being accused of participating in bombings as a member of the Panther 21. His step-aunt and godmother, Assata Shakur is the legendary figure within the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army who now lives in Cuba, where she has political asylum. Assata was convicted May 2, 1973, of killing of a New Jersey state trooper during a shootout that left one of her fellow activists dead. She was shot twice by police during the incident and has long proclaimed her innocence.  Tupac’s family probably told him at very early age what was really going on behind the scenes which he wrote about in his songs.

Both of these films were made by people most likely also tapped into the 11:11 phenomenon. Numbers and numerology prove that the unseen has the power to connect millions of people all over the world, not only to the metaphysical realms but to themselves and communities that are awakened.

Let me know what you think of these films in the comments below.

Twin Flames, Filmmaking and a Baby

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trinity2016-4

by Katy & Joel Mejia (originally published in Echo World)

Twin flames, soul mates, or two peas in a pod, these are common expressions that come close to describing our relationship and collaboration. But why distinguish between relationship and collaboration? Isn’t a relationship ultimately a collaboration anchored by love? Perhaps it is important to distinguish that each part represents the yin/yang of completeness and provides a foundation for individual creativity while manifesting wholeness.

Let’s take a moment to acknowledge that dualism is the view that there are two sides to everything (often in opposition);  black and white, day and night, good and evil, male and female. It is a division that can lead to self described roles arbitrarily there because that’s the way things have always been done. One can take the view that our left brain masculine dominant culture is responsible for the major imbalances in the world today. There’s Hopi Indian prophecy that states, “When the grandmothers speak, the Earth will be healed.” These simple words refer to the time when the right brain representing the feminine aspect will become more present, and our culture will begin to listen to that aspect of themselves leading to a reversal of the path we are on in terms of the environmental destruction of the planet and the health of our bodies.

According to various mythologies and cosmologies, there existed a golden era where civilizations were in sync with nature and their connection to a divine source. These ancient cultures were also finely tuned to the cycles of the cosmos, observing the sky through their advance knowledge of astrology, leaving us clues to this mystery through their art and their megalithic structures. Approximately 6,000 years ago, the descent into a darker age allowed masculine energy to triumph over the dominant feminine energy that once characterized the golden age. Prior to that, civilizations all over the world prayed and performed ceremonies in honor of Goddesses such as Isis. To the Egyptians and perhaps even to prior civilizations,  she represents the feminine archetype for creation and the goddess of fertility and motherhood. In statues and wall paintings, she is depicted suckling Horus much like the depiction of the Virgin Mary with baby Jesus.

The evolution of the species towards a more co-creative existence inspired our first documentary film, ‘Time is Art: Synchronicity & the Collective Dream’ which premiered around the world last year. The film follows a skeptical writer who discovers synchronicity and ultimately her path towards enlightenment.  We are now working on the second part in the documentary series which is inspired by the Hopi Prophecy and teaching which essentially means, if we can get back in touch with our intuitive side, the right side of the brain, the feminine side and balance that out with the technical and left side of the brain, civilization can once again thrive. The planet can provide everything we need if only we could just stop for a moment and listen to her.

time is art, documentary film, movie

Evolving back to a matriarchal society does not mean women rule over men or that a politician is ethical just because she’s a woman, it means that there is a balance between the sexes and the way we live and co-create together.

“The separation between us and Mother Nature is a mirage.
It is reinforced by the false teaching that technology
has lifted us from the web of life.”
– John Hartke

Have you ever heard the saying, “a relationship can be for a reason, a season, or a lifetime”? We believe they can be all three simultaneously and individually. What doesn’t always happen is a collaboration with solid communication, problem solving tools, and a shared goal such as a feature film. We all have hang-ups, fragile egos, and patterns we learned from our parent’s often abusive relationships so it often feels like an uphill battle to maintain the peace.

trinity2016-3We also both believe that time is an illusion and that it works in cycles and not in a linear sense. Because of this understanding it is not hard for us to imagine that we have shared many past lives together. Katy had one past life regression that involved Joel and their young child. It seemed that we were the only humans on a deserted island and that we had escaped a catastrophe of some kind. Perhaps that was why we’ve always been comfortable spending so much time together.

Recently we brought a new spirit into the world, Trinity Aluna Mejia is now four months old. Before she was born Katy had a reading with a person who connects you with your spirit guides and she asked Katy about her daughter. Spirit continues to guide us towards wholeness and since there is no time, she was able to contact us before manifesting here on the material plane. We named her Trinity because she completes the circle of life.

According to Drunvalo Melchizedek, in the Judeo-Christian tradition, the stages which construct the Seed of Life are said to represent the seven days of Creation, in which Elohim (God/concept of divinity) created life; Genesis 2:2-3, Exodus 23:12, 31:16-17, Isaiah 56:6-8. Within these stages, among other things, are the symbols of the Vesica Piscis (an ancient religious symbol) and Borromean rings (which represents the Holy Trinity). This is the same symbol we used in in our title art film treatment and why we feel like Trinity is the perfect name for our daughter.

We must ask ourselves, can we let our intuitive sides speak? It starts with your relationships with our husbands, wives, family members, partners and collaborators. Listen to that soft voice that tells you who is the right person for you, the right collaborator, that gut feeling nudging you in the right direction when you face a creative challenge.

Intuition and the Power of Supra-rational Thinking

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Art by Peter Diamond
Art by Peter Diamond

by Chris Mackey

Do we place too much of an emphasis on rationality over intuition? Our education system places great emphasis on developing our capacities for collecting data, applying reason and using logic. These are very worthwhile means of gaining knowledge, but we generally pay much less attention to ways of developing our intuition, another form of understanding and guidance.

This is an underlying theme of the recent film, The Man Who Knew Infinity. It tells the tale of the Indian mathematician, Srinivasa Ramanujan who rose from poverty and obscurity to ultimately be acclaimed as one of the greatest mathematicians of the last century. However, when he arrived in Cambridge in 1914 at the invitation of his mentor, GH Hardy, he was initially viewed with extreme scepticism and disdain by many of his traditional peers.

Their negative reaction to Ramanujan was not so much based on racism, as their objection to his unconventional ways of thinking. He could not conventionally explain his reasoning that enabled him to derive formulae that solved complex mathematical problems. He was not so concerned about demonstrating conventional proofs for his mathematical expressions, as he felt that their validity could be demonstrated in other ways.

Most mathematicians would work by applying their understanding of various concepts to build a formula. That would be a rational process. By contrast, Ramanujan worked the other way around, drawing on intuition. He felt that he had received his understanding from something beyond him. The formulae came to him first, and their accuracy and significance were often revealed later. Ramanujan specifically attributed his intuitive understanding to a Goddess who “wrote on his tongue”, sometimes revealing solutions to him in visions and dreams. The contemporary mathematician, Ken Ono, described Ramanujan as more of a poet that a problem solver.

Strikingly, the potential application and meaning of many of Ramanujan’s formulae were most relevant to things that only became of interest well after his death. For example, he detailed “mock-theta functions”, extremely complex formulae that are relevant to current understanding of string theory in physics, and such phenomena as black holes.
Despite recognizing Ramanujan’s genius from their earliest correspondence, GH Hardy was himself perplexed by Ramanujan’s reticence to account for his findings using conventional proofs. No doubt their collaboration, which helped many such proofs to be discovered, consolidated the appreciation and usefulness of Ramanujan’s work. Nonetheless, it’s clear that Ramanujan had drawn on a most worthwhile method that was not well appreciated and accepted, even though it led to solutions being found that Hardy and others believed could not be derived in any conventional way.

As a psychologist, I have become especially interested in the under-recognized potential of intuition to solve problems or address challenges. I have now heard of countless examples where others acted on an intuition that defied any rational explanation, and benefited greatly by doing so. Sometimes it even saved their lives. I hear such examples much more often now that my clients and other acquaintances know that I have written a book on synchronicity.

This is one example. A friend, Ross, explained how he was once travelling on foot alongside a highway in Queensland and decided to sleep on one side of the road, sheltering beneath a bush. Soon after he lay down to go to sleep, he had a strong, inexplicable urge to move to the other side of the road. He was initially quite reluctant to do so in the windy conditions, as the ground on the other side of the highway was more damp, uneven and less sheltered. Minutes later, a passing car ran off the road through the bush where he been sheltering and then back onto the road again. It was as though he had received a message from something beyond him. He had learnt to respond to such messages before. If he had dismissed his intuitive urge to move as being irrational, he almost certainly would not be alive to tell his story.

Ross’s thought process might not have seemed rational, at least in the sense of being explicable in terms of reason or logic. But this did not make his insight less valid. Nor was it less than rational. Like Ramanujan, many of Ross’s previous intuitive insights had proved to be true in an uncanny and most advantageous way. He had many stories describing times when he had experienced favourable outcomes by acting on intuition. In many such situations, these outcomes might not be achieved through rational thinking alone.

For this reason, I refer to the examples of Ramanujan’s mathematical ability and Ross’s life-saving intuition as reflecting “the power of supra-rational thinking”. They are not so much irrational as beyond rational. Intuition is not a lesser form of thinking, but merely a different form. Undoubtedly, it is often important to apply our reason in solving problems. Science and formal knowledge in many areas would not likely have advanced anywhere near as far without such discipline. But this does not mean that we should ignore intuition, or disparage those who claim to find it especially useful.

In my view, the most powerful form of understanding will often apply reason and intuition at one and the same time. This partly involves appreciating our implicit, as well as explicit, thinking. But these stories suggest that at least some people might intuitively tap into an awareness that exists beyond themselves. We seem to be very good at developing our thinking that uses our brain like a computer. I think we are perhaps in our infancy in terms of learning to use our mind as a receiver. This may relate to processes of enlightenment. There seems little to lose in exploring this potential further – the power of supra-rational thinking.

In my book, Synchronicity: Empower your life with the gift of coincidence, I describe many examples of the benefits of drawing on deep intuition. Recognizing the potential relevance and meaning of remarkable coincidences in our lives seems to be an especially useful way of tapping into a deep intuitive realm. In my own life, and in that of many of my clients and others, it is one of the most useful ways of helping clarify our sense of life purpose and meaning. Synchronicity can point the way to our personal destiny. It can guide us toward enlightenment.

Chris Mackey is a Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society with 35 years’ experience as a clinical and counselling psychologist. His book, Synchronicity: Empower your life with the gift of coincidence, was released internationally by Watkins Publishing in September 2015. His additional articles on synchronicity are posted at http://www.synchronicityunwrapped.com.au.

Time is Art NYC Premiere Sells Out & Premieres Around the World on 11/11/15 + Photos

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Thank you to everyone who made it out to the 11/11 theater premieres in NYC, San Francisco & Austin brought to you by Tugg, Evolve & Ascend and Things Are Changing Productions. We also premiered in Ashland, Oregon, Holland, England and Guatemala. The film crew is so ecstatic to have met so many new people and to have had the opportunity to connect with communities around the world on such a profound level. We were up until 5am talking to everyone about synchronicity, art, music, how we made the film, how to get it to more people and feeling such gratitude for all the people who resonated with the film. It was incredible to see/hear it on such a massive screen with a packed house!

Enjoy these photos from our synchronized premieres in Texas, Oregon, Holland, England, NYC, San Francisco & Guatemala.   Photos by Karyn Amore in San Francisco.

Guatemala Film Premiere
Amy Lansky – Photo by karyn@karynamore.com
Artwork by Psonik Aitchison
England Film Premiere
Amy Lansky – Photo by karyn@karynamore.com
The film is dedicated to Jose Arguelles
San Francisco Film Premiere – Photo by karyn@karynamore.com
Guatemala Film Premiere
Ashland, Oregon
NYC Film Premiere
Eden Sky & Stephanie South
The Creators of Time is Art
San Francisco Film Premiere – Photo by karyn@karynamore.com
Stephanie South in Ashland, OR
NYC Film Premiere
NYC Film Premiere
Guatemala Film Premiere
Guatemala Film Premiere
NYC Film Premiere
Eden Sky in Ashland, OR
NYC Film Premiere Afterparty
Holland Film Premiere
San Francisco Film Premiere – Photo by karyn@karynamore.com

We are also an official selection at the 2016 Blow up Chicago International Arthouse film festival.

The film is also now available on Blu-ray/DVD & Video on Demand. The special “True Seekers” Deluxe package includes the 1 hr and 30 min film PLUS:

– Interview with Simon G. Powell “Synchronicity and Self-Organization” (21 min)
– Bonus scene with Jill Purce “Voice as a Spiritual Medium” (13 min)
– Bonus scene with Rupert Sheldrake “Synchronicity & Telepathy” (23 min)
– Bonus scene with Nina Elshof “Power Places” (12 min)
– Extended scene with Graham Hancock (19 min)
– ‘Time is Art’ original film soundtrack

Time is Art Creators on Liberation Frequency Podcast

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Evolve and Ascend is a creative collaboration expanding into the collective consciousness. Providing initiation through the art of conversation, and progression through unlearning. Their Youtube chaneel features interviews from their Liberation Frequency podcast, as well as promotional videos for our upcoming events/webinars, guided meditations, animations, and in-house produced content on all matters relating to our conscious evolution.

Our interview with host, Jennifer Sodini, explores synchronicity, consciousness, and what a new paradigm of society could look like if we followed the “Time is Art” ethos. Please support the film now on Indiegogo!

For those looking to learn more about the film you can check out other Sync Movie crew members on these shows:

Katy Walker & Joel Mejia on Midwest Real podcast with Michael Phillip
Nocturnal Frequency Radio ‘Down the rabbit hole with Katy Walker’
Maia Monasterios discusses synchronicity & Time is Art on Being Community Radio

Time is Art Filmmakers’ Update from the Ether

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It seems our crazy plan to sublet our expensive Brooklyn apartment and studio space and live in Nicaragua  for a few months has worked out surprisingly well. We highly recommend Nicaragua in general, its the safest country in central america and a couple can live comfortably for around $1,000 a month. Not only did we come to Nica to focus on the film and be artists in residence at an inspiring cultural center, (there are just too many distractions in NYC), we have been able to work and connect with local folks through a youth media arts project and improve our drumming chops while we were at it. Today, for example we shared a video called “The Change” which is an amazing animated film that attempts to explain in a simple and funny manner problems and solutions related to industrialization. I’m eternally thankful that the universe provides for us, especially traveling artists, and that synchronicity continues to be a guide that awakens the greater purpose in our hearts. – Katy

Take care of the earth and she will take care of you. #pachamama #motherearth #nature

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We are grateful to be on sacred land, surrounded by wise trees and spacious skies. For the last three weeks or so, we have been hard at work putting a new and stronger cut of the feature film, Time is Art, together. After close to three years in the making, twice almost letting the entire project go, numerous synchronicities and strange encounters – we feel we really have something special here. The confidence and trust we have felt from Jennifer Palmer has been truly heart warming. It goes without saying that there wouldn’t be a film without her. We have captured the story of a human being that we can all connect with and who finally realizes that there is more than the materialist world and that something lurks beyond the mind. We are also grateful for the ability to co-create this film with the talented Maia Monasterios, who no doubt added a level of insight and assistance we can’t possibly articulate intelligently. And to everyone else who has contributed a little something to this film, directly and indirectly, there are so many to name (credits are going to be interesting), we will honor you and we will put this film out so the world can “see with their heart what was once invisible.” – Joél

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Conscious Filmmaking

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time is art, joel mejia, katy walker
In order to make sense of things, we tend to create associations with words. The word conscious is almost nostalgic for me, because it takes me back to high school, a time when I was first exposed to the word. When I was a teenager I listened to what everyone was calling “conscious hip-hop”, which was ironically in the mainstream at the time (those days are long gone). In 1993 artists like Queen Latifah had songs like “U.N.I.T.Y.” with lyrics like “love a black woman/man into infinity”. You’d never hear that in today’s mindless pop music. During the “Golden Era of Hip-hop”, groups like Poor Righteous Teachers rhymed about seeing with your third eye in almost every song. At the time I didn’t know what they actually meant and had never heard of the pineal gland, but I had a vague idea as if it was some long lost memory.

So what does it mean to be conscious as an artist? Even as a young person which was well before my official “spiritual awakening”,  to me it simply meant caring.

Rawkus Records was once a successful indie label that put on artists rapping about social injustice and empowering yourself by standing up against oppression. They were big proponents of activism as opposed to complacency. Celebratory music has its place, and it’s important to be joyful, but we also need to balance it out with music that can motivate us, help us to heal our wounds rather than medicating and numbing them.

Continue reading “Conscious Filmmaking”