Monday, February 7, 2011

Sea Dreams

there is perhaps nothing more comforting in this world to me than being in the ocean. I've posted a video of one of my surfing heros, who happens to be a San Diego local and who has dominated the long board competition scene for over two decades. Joel tudor is not only one of the most influential surfers of our time but he also happens to be an amazing craftsman and creator.

I like thinking of surfing as being a psychological shelter for the mind. Those who surf or have a hobby that can transform your state of being can relate to this past statement. It is a state that takes you from the terrestrial into the unknown. A place where you can clear your mind from anything that may be puzzling you, frustrating you, or impeding your thought process from going in circles. It can also cure sadness, a lonely heart, or the loss of a loved one. This state has the ability to refocus what is truly important in life, the connection between nature and human interaction could be possibly one of the strongest shelters ever built. The best part is it takes no material or matter to build one...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qLqUYf_Aw8

2 comments:

  1. Hey Vince-

    I love the idea that that shelter is something that comes from within– from evanescent moments, strung together but destined to disappear. It's no wonder that we crave this "zone." Whether through running, surfing, intense focus, sex...it seems the zone has no structure of time and no fixed place. But whatever the activity that brings it on, it's likely that dopamine is being released in exceptional quantities.

    So that made me think of dopamine as a shelter...and of course, since I am typing this on a computer attached to theworldwidewebofintranets, I had to read about dopamine...

    "Dopamine in the mesolimbic pathway increases general arousal and goal directed behaviors and decreases latent inhibition; all three effects increase the creative drive of idea generation. This has led to a three-factor model of creativity involving the frontal lobes, the temporal lobes, and mesolimbic dopamine."

    Creativity = Exploration = Shelter ?

    All of a sudden having a roof over my head, a lay-Z-boy in front of the fireplace and a belly full of mashed potatoes doesn't seem like shelter at all.

    Hmmm...

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  2. I think I have way too many shelters.....

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