Ian Somerhalder Foundation Book Club discussion

Kim Falconer

Many-Words and the Corridors Between

Discuss what they are and their place in the story, metaphorically and literally.

How do we get to them?

From Path of the Stray, Tryn, temple initiate, talks to her familiar, Quillian the Were-Fey, about what they’ve discovered. Pg 137

You know Mistress Lyrah watches the cavern. The
council watches too, Tryn. I think they tinker with it —
trying to find its secrets. It felt like a spell, that energy
there, and I think it stopped the wind from escaping the
cave.
‘Maybe. And maybe it was meant to do something
else.’
What else?
‘I don’t know. Let them in?’
Into the portal?
‘That’s what it’s for, isn’t it? A door to other places?’

Janis discusses the many-worlds theory with Cheng. Pg 36-37

‘I have a theory …’
‘Don’t tell me. You’ve deciphered something from
those occult teachings you dug up?’
‘I have.’
‘Techno-witch,’ he said under his breath.
‘I heard that.’ She laughed. ‘Cheng, I’m only
postulating, so don’t get so defensive.’
‘I’m open,’ he said, crossing his arms.
‘Right. Then consider this possibility. When there is
one photon in two places at once, maybe it’s not
suddenly occupying those two places. Maybe we are
seeing a branching of …’
‘This sounds disturbingly like the many-worlds

theory,’ Cheng said, interrupting.
‘Think about it! We might be seeing the moment of
choice and the branching realities that stem from it. We
catch a glimpse, like a flicker out of the corner of the
eye.’
‘Ridiculous. When we measure it, observe it front-on,
there’s no glimpsing of anything. It’s back to being a
single particle in a single place,’ Cheng said.
‘You want to know why?’
‘Do I have a choice?’
‘Funny.’ She drew an image and pushed the digi-pad
towards him. ‘The photon appears to be a single particle
when we observe it because our attention is anchored in
a single reality — one photon, one choice, one result.’
‘Are you saying the other choices were there but no
longer exist?’
‘No. I think they do exist! They are merrily
branching their way through infinite worlds and infinite
realities. But we don’t see that. How could we and still
keep our feet on the ground — this ground, this reality?
We see only the choice we focus on. This is about
consciousness, Cheng, not physics.’

Ruby leads Raynar to the portal. pg 555

It was further away than she’d remembered, the door to
the many-worlds. Her body cooled down and she
became more aware of her surroundings — the stench,
the darkness. Still, the shock of the butchers, and
finding Raynar, possessed her. She’d tried to explain
things to him but he was confused. The shock to him
must be tenfold. ‘The portal isn’t far.’

Janis talks to Jarrod while in another universe he creates his Tulpa body. Pg 95

‘Jarrod.’ She tapped his tower, getting his attention.
‘Tell me again where that Tulpa is, please.’
‘As I said, the next juxta quantum arranged
dimension.’
‘Which is where, exactly?’

‘You can’t ever say exactly. It exists only as a
probability, so technically it is everywhere and nowhere
all at once, all the time.’
‘Jarrod! Stop talking like a Piscean and give it to me
straight! Where is that thing?’
‘You’d call it a parallel universe.’
She shook her head. ‘I know there are other worlds.
It’s where your consciousness came from, but, Jarrod, I
didn’t know we could experience two worlds at once.
They are supposed to be separate. That’s what the
corridors do — keep the many-worlds apart.’
‘And they do. In this case, the corridor is so short it’s
imperceptible.’

Ideas about the Many-Worlds

Being in two places at once isn’t as ‘impossible’ as it sounds—not since Hugh Everett’s Many-Worlds Theory became widely known. The MWT resolves inconsistencies in physics by describing a universe branching with every choice, seeding countless parallel worlds where different events occur. M-theory (the theory formerly known as String) is also gaining support, and includes the concept of many-worlds (many universes). Being aware of multiple ‘realities’ simultaneously isn’t (necessarily) a big problem for consciousness either. It happens all the time, a skill enhanced in certain individuals throughout history, particularly witches and, believe it or not, web surfers.
For centuries, witches (shamans) have journeyed to ‘other places’ while part of their awareness stays ‘behind’ through meditation, spirit journey and other ‘out of body’ experiences. This is a similar model to the now common practice of surfing the internet. Most scholarly investigations agree online experiences take us to another world that is filled with an array of meaning and purpose. The World Wide Web uses metaphors that support this spatial awareness—we talk in chat rooms, we visit sites and home pages, we surf the net. Cyberspace is a ‘place’ where community can develop over time and while we are ‘here’ we are also somewhere else.
Test it: Are you looking at a homepage right now, perhaps the ISF Book Club community, or are you sitting in front of your computer, aware of your surroundings there as well?

We can learn to expand our awareness in two places at once but handling the transitions takes practice. Here are some tips for keeping multiple ‘realities’ smooth and seamless as you travel the many-worlds of Path of the Stray.
Tip 1: Set Clear Intensions: Travelling between the many-worlds requires focus or one can get ‘lost.’ Setting clear intentions reinforces a sense of Self in each ‘reality.’ (see worksheet on ‘Intentions’) Setting strong intentions means focusing daily on who we are and what we want to experience, keeping the idea of infinite possibilities in mind.
Tip 2: Awareness: This is the power of deliberate thought. We can practice this by becoming conscious of how we shift through our ‘multiple-worlds’ every day. Work, home, play, online, off line, with others or alone—different ‘worlds’ bring different aspects of the Self to light. By putting awareness on this process, we develop psychological muscles that will help with larger challenges—like parallel universe travel.
Tip 3: Accoutrements: Our self-image helps to ground us, be it an avatar, user name, skill or attire. It’s like putting on a different ‘hat’ for each ‘job’, each world. In Ruby’s case, she wears temple robes and is connected to the people, animal, lands and rivers of Gaela when she is at Treeon Temple. On Earth, she wears an ASSIST lab coat and works in quantum computing. Having different attributes in multiple ‘realities’ can keep the mind clear and transitions smooth. Ruby may not master the knack of being aware of herself on Earth and Gaela at the same time, but her descendants likely will.
Tip 4: Perspective: From a great enough perspective, the many-worlds are one fundamental and seamless unity. Think of it as different ‘Ruby’s’ belonging to a singular ‘I’. From this place of ‘I’, there is no ‘out there’, only consciousness to which we are all connected (see worksheet on ‘Consciousness’). That greater perspective is a guide, keeping sub-personalities from fragmenting and allowing for a higher state of being. Basically it’s about practice, and experimentation.
Janis talks to Jarrod about the portal under the streets of Half Moon Bay. Pg 98
‘Portal?’ He paused for a moment. ‘Ah. The
doorways to the corridors that link the many-worlds.
You know of one, I see.’

‘It’s nearby, in the sewers.’
‘Lovely. However did you find it?’
‘Quite by accident, while studying the occult horary
manuals. I drew up a chart as an experiment and it led
me straight there.’
‘And have you used the portal before, Janis? Do you
know where it will lead us?’
‘I’ve experimented but not recently. Not since I
developed the juxta-quantum arrangement theory. I was
actually hoping you might have an idea where the portal
will lead . . .’

Discussion

What part do the corridors and the many-worlds play in the story? Can a ‘place’ be a character? A world? Which of the different attitudes towards the portals and other worlds resonate most? Why? Can you pinpoint any 'corridors' or 'portals' in your life? What are your avatars?

There is also a link to habitat corridors and how they saves animals lives (so they don't genetically bottleneck and die out from not being able to find each other as well as just needing a wide range to feed themselves.) How do the ‘corridors’ in Path of the Stray relate? What is the state of these eco corridors on Earth? Gaela?

THOUGHT AND SPACE
A Poem by Ray Bradbury (1940)

"Space--thy boundaries are
Time and time alone.
No earth-born rocket,
seedling skyward sown,
Will ever reach your cold,
infinite end,
This power is not Man's to
build or send.
Great deities laugh down,
venting their mirth,
At struffling bipeds on
a cloud-wrapped Earth,
Chained solid on a war-swept,
waning globe,
For FATE, who witnesses,
to pry and probe.

BUT LIST! One weapon have
I stronger yet!
Prepare Infinity! And
Gods regret!
Thought, quick as light,
shall pierce the veil,
To reach the lost beginnings
Holy Grail.
Across the sullen void on
soundless trail,
Where new-spawned suns and
chilling planets wail,
One thought shall travel
'midst the gods' playthings,
Past cindered globes where
choking flame still sings.

No wall of force yet have ye
firmly wrought,
That chains the supreme
strength of purest thought.
Unleashed, without a body's
slacking hold,
Thought leaves the ancient
Earth behind to mold.
And when the galaxies have
heeded Death,
And welcomed lastly SPACE'S
poisoned breath,
Still shall thought travel
as an arrow flown.
SPACE--thy boundaries are
TIME--AND TIME ALONE!"

Rest in Peace Ray Bradbury (August 22, 1920 – June 5, 2012)

Thank you so much for this.

Vale, Ray.

He inspired many readers and writers over the last 90 years! A beautiful man. Visionary.

Bless him.

I'm one of the inspired!

Bradley wrote: "I'm one of the inspired!"

Me too!

Barnyard wrote: "THOUGHT AND SPACE
A Poem by Ray Bradbury (1940)

"Space--thy boundaries are
Time and time alone.
No earth-born rocket,
seedling skyward sown,
Will ever reach your cold,
infinite end,
This power is ..."

Light Speed, Ray!

Shawn wrote: "Barnyard wrote: "THOUGHT AND SPACE
A Poem by Ray Bradbury (1940)

"Space--thy boundaries are
Time and time alone.
No earth-born rocket,
seedling skyward sown,
Will ever reach your cold,
infinite en..."

RIP

I definitely think a place can be a character. In fact, I feel the best novels achieve this. A place should live and breath.

I never thought of one's self image as grounding, that's brilliant. It makes so much sense.

Funny. I just read that part where: "Tryn, temple initiate, talks to her familiar, Quillian the Were-Fey, about what they’ve discovered. Pg 137" in Path of the Stray today. =) Very exciting!

I often feel like there are two different characters people see & know me as. The one who is dependent on money, & the other which can live off of nothing but air & water. For the last 8+ years or so I have reverted back to raising & training animals as I had earlier in life. I work mostly with Ranchers, so I keep my mouth shut about politics & environmental issues since I rely on the right wing thinkers to make my living via money or trade. In small town realities, Reputation is Everything! If people talk good about you, you get hired & known through essential references. If bad rumors spread you can be ruined. I'm sure as it is in any other business, but when there is a limited amount of population I find it is very beneficial to stay on people's good side. Of course I drop hints about certain things where I can find a middle ground, but certainly don't show my raving environmental side.

It goes both ways though. Out in the woods, I would mediate between the activists & the ranchers who would come out to feed their cows minerals. The cows were inside of the Mattole Free State (the Bovine Free State) We made a draw bridge in the Wall/Compound so we could carry their ATVs around the blockades. Eventually they just began to bring horses so they could ride over the ridge. Of course, being isolated away from domestic animals, I was naturally magnetized to the horses. I could talk 'rancher' so I tried to translate & keep the protesters away from them. I can see how intimidating both could be from either party. If at all possible, keeping positive dialog is much more productive than to ostracize the people that you don't agree with.

I have found that with facebook, having discovered the 'custom' button for posts & 'hide this from' I can say whatever I want & then post it to 'friends; except...' A very liberating option. I realized out of 100 friends on FB that there really are only a couple or few that I can't fully be myself & post environmentally aware posts. One is a Tuna Fisherlady who jumps down my throat every time I say something fairly neutral about the environment, even like an article about how people should 'stop trapping & killing wolves' The Fishing community has felt so much pressure from the environmental world through regulations they are very sensitive. Loggers around here know the industry is over because there are no longer so many giant trees to cut, the ones that are left are generally contracted to out-of-town workers & the local mills are shutting down because we ship the logs to Asia. The Fishing folk still have jobs & are still fishing what they can, they just have to travel farther & farther out on the ocean every year to make their take.

When I see people from the woods (for example, I ran into an old friend/comrade yesterday while at the Fair) I have to list off a bunch of different names that I went by to find one they recognize, & since I'm around the rancher community, it's like, but you can call me: my real name. Pretty funny. Unlike Julia Butterfly, we all wanted to try to stay anonymous. It wasn't about just one person, it was about a group of people occupying the forest. If you remove a few activists, they will be replaced by the endless recruitment campaign. There was a SLAPP suit (strategic lawsuit against public participation), so it was pretty good to stay anonymous too just for that. The more names people talk about in town, the more they think are in the woods & the less it comes down to a few individuals who are out there long term that can be targeted. For me as a local, I didn't want to impact my family & especially my dad who worked for the government's Forest Service at the time.

The internet is like that too. People can become whom ever they want to create. In the woods, the people we didn't trust, or anyone who said something obscure that went against our codes, we wrote off as 'a Fed'. We always assumed surveillance. I could be saying all of this & it could all be a story I make up. Like Wikipedia, where is the table top version of Encyclopedias to verify the information that we are taking in? Like the news media. It is a wonder how kids now-a-days learn & retain. I read somewhere: "Respect your elders, they made it through school without Google, or Wikipedia."

Like I've said before, the ISF has been so inspiring to open my eyes to these other worlds that exist, where there really ARE other people who care! Outside of this little community stuck in the fog (it's raining today through summer solstice;) behind the Redwood Curtain. I have felt like how Ian expresses himself as Jason in 'Changing Hearts' my Dad survived his cancer & having fallen in love with ISF "I DON'T CARE" anymore!!! This is who I AM. Like Ian's favorite documentary. I want the destruction of the natural world to stop! Even if people are right wing, it doesn't mean that they shouldn't care either. I might not be able to stop them from going out shooting anything that moves out on their land, but at least they can recycle & buy stuff in the new 100% biodegradable plastic & drive more efficient cars. It feels nice changing markets right now, from Sheep & Goats to ponies & pigs. =) The small livestock market has dropped so much, & hay prices are so high I've had a hard time with my 'break even' line (I'll never be in debt, is what I always think) so I've changed over to training & taking in horses, & raising miniature pigs & pheasants. These are seen as luxury animals, so I figure people I am working for have money & aren't as concerned about political views as the other livestock markets. With the horse training it is about proving ability more than anything. I am an English rider wearing a helmet, so right there I am already ostracized from this predominant rodeo region. They see me stay on a bucking horse, & that is all I need as a reputation reference. I am polite & non-violent, it is hard to argue with that. This is the trick, to infiltrate these Other Worlds & plant seeds of kindness, respect, & open-mindedness to other possibilities of reality, that maybe their grandkids can appreciate nature as they had when the Natural World used to be of abundance. People are not blind. If they think that it is OKAY to think of preservation, a view of conservation may prevail...

Barnyard wrote: "Funny. I just read that part where: "Tryn, temple initiate, talks to her familiar, Quillian the Were-Fey, about what they’ve discovered. Pg 137" in Path of the Stray today. =) Very exciting!

I of..."

I love what you are saying here, about multiple identities, the degree we care or don't care what others think of us and the connections we feel with like-minded people. How wonderful and freeing is it?

You said, 'This is the trick, to infiltrate these Other Worlds & plant seeds of kindness, respect, & open-mindedness to other possibilities of reality . . .'

That's brilliant. Thank you!!!!

A couple of quotes from Kim Falconer's Path of the Stray:

pg:329
"The sky turned black with birds, ink spilled on a red page. The sun melted into the horizon. The field, the bodies, the grass, the trees, the birds and the coursing beasts all shared the same shine, the glow of warmth before the candle winks out."

pg:339
"Ruby could only fully understand the social shift by reading her mother's secreted books. Philosophical thinkers from the past, feminist thinkers, were no longer available in public libraries or the ASSIST school system. In the new paradigm, the retro paradigm, human beings (man) were the absolute. Everything else was other, the hierarchy demarcated by gender, race and sentience, in that order -- white male trumping all. Ironically, mineral (technology) was given precedence over animal and vegetable, to the devastation of the environment, Mother Earth -- the ultimate 'other'. Where would it end? Had it already?"


Such two different realities, and here we are living in-between. I stay on the first one, surrounded by nature, daily amazed and fall in love anew with beauty and the miracle of this natural world. I know though, in my limited reality, my self-professed solitude of refusing to drive a car, never having pumped gas, that the social slaughter is just around the next bend. The constant reminder of how nearly impossible it feels sometimes to remove myself from this modern dependence. I buy hay, my family is cutting firewood right now, we rely on electricity to pump our water from the well. No tractor though, the horses and ponies help by pulling their weight. Yes, I live in the U.S. Much of the world lives this way, I must constantly be reminded. My question is how does this other world work? How does it exist? How does it consider itself sustainable? How did we get this far without looking back? Solar requires batteries, but so does gas. "How do we deliberately create a desired experience or outcome?" @ISF Constantly I am baffled by the modern scientific projects. There is so much knowledge in the world, no lack of funding, while CDF (California dept of Forestry/fire prevention), DFG (dept of Fish & Game) etc, these important government agencies are self supporting, as in they must earn their own funding. Conservation, Restoration, Species Protection, are not priorities as they do not pay for themselves. Mineral extraction, mining Old Growth, logging forests, selling wildlife tags, this is how they are able to exist. We must somehow change our social consciousness, for the people who are not in touch with nature, for those loggers I work with on a weekly basis trading livestock, who have no other job options. They don't want to work in an office, they love the forest & working in Nature. Like the agencies, they are not anti. Somehow we must change laws and funding, so protecting this beautiful Earth is a priority instead of slowly watching humanity sink into our science fiction nightmares.

Barnyard wrote: "A couple of quotes from Kim Falconer's Path of the Stray:

pg:329
"The sky turned black with birds, ink spilled on a red page. The sun melted into the horizon. The field, the bodies, the grass, th..."

You said it. We change our priorities, which means we change the way we think. We set new intentions and we believe in them. It takes a very small percent of a population to creative a paradigm shift. With our intentions, our thoughts and actions, we take it to the tipping point and soon everyone sees the world differently. It's happening. ISF, Ian's voice that is awakening so many other voices and so many other groups and communities, are onto it. We are the change and just spotting the 'contrast' as you have done and setting an intention to make Mother Earth our priority, one person, reader, ISF'er at a time, is what will save our world. It's happening! Thank you!

And the word spreads . . .

Kim wrote: "Barnyard wrote: "A couple of quotes from Kim Falconer's Path of the Stray:

pg:329
"The sky turned black with birds, ink spilled on a red page. The sun melted into the horizon. The field, the bodi..."

Indeed change is coming and that's a beautiful thing.

"Must create the action, because action creates movement, and the movement entails individuals." Christian Guillochet

Thank you, Catherine. Perfect quote for Mars into the sign of Scorpio today!

(Mars, ruler of energy flow, action and will, moves into Scorpio, the sign of powerhouse transformations and intense growth. This heats your blood, in every possible way. Sex is sexier, assertion stronger, enterprises more adventurous. Qi is up, MOJO happening and all systems go. Just make sure you watch where you point that thing!)

Kim wrote: "Barnyard wrote: "A couple of quotes from Kim Falconer's Path of the Stray:

pg:329
"The sky turned black with birds, ink spilled on a red page. The sun melted into the horizon. The field, the bodi..."

Love the quote, and the post!

Barnyard wrote: "A couple of quotes from Kim Falconer's Path of the Stray:

pg:329
"The sky turned black with birds, ink spilled on a red page. The sun melted into the horizon. The field, the bodies, the grass, th..."

You are also a writer, would love to read a book written by you!

Barnyard wrote: "Funny. I just read that part where: "Tryn, temple initiate, talks to her familiar, Quillian the Were-Fey, about what they’ve discovered. Pg 137" in Path of the Stray today. =) Very exciting!

I of..."

I think you should save all of these posts. You have a beautiful way with words. I wish I could write like this. I'm more of a poet/short story type writer.

Ian wrote: "Kim Falconer

Many-Words and the Corridors Between

Discuss what they are and their place in the story, metaphorically and literally.

How do we get to them?

From Path of the Stray, Tryn, temple ..."

Kim, I wanted to thank you for sharing your gifts with the world. Your words are like beautiful songs and touch my heart.

Debby wrote: "You are also a writer, would love to read a book written by you!
..."

Hey, thanks! I've been trying to get the Mattole Free State story down. I've been adding the writings to my new website MattoleFreeState.webs.com I have about 80 pages to add to it once I get some actual sit down time, then I have many more months to go. I am trying to do one month per chapter, I spent 11 months out there in the woods without concrete. It changed my life and I would like people to know that not all Americans were Bushites. There are actually people who stand up to the atrocities that are our corporations who's only aim is to destroy nature for greed. It is in my backyard, so I'd rather get it past the Redwood Curtain. Thanks Debby for how kind you are, and thanks Kim for everything! Looking forward to the Road to the Soul!

The #ISFBookClub Quiz posted by the @IS_Foundation about #PathoftheStray on twitter is super fun guys, join in on the answers!

Debby wrote: "Ian wrote: "Kim Falconer

Many-Words and the Corridors Between

Discuss what they are and their place in the story, metaphorically and literally.

How do we get to them?

From Path of the Stray, T..."

Thank you, Debby. Those words warm my heart too.

Barnyard wrote: "Debby wrote: "You are also a writer, would love to read a book written by you!
..."

Hey, thanks! I've been trying to get the Mattole Free State story down. I've been adding the writings to my new ..."

Let's start a thread on the Twitter Quiz Q's :) I love them! Thank you ISF, Ian, KimK, Everyone!!! xxx