Mungo23's dreamachine
mungo23@yahoo.com http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Ithaca/4586/
From: mungo23 <clubs-mail@yahoo-inc.com>
Sent: Saturday, October 21, 2000 11:57 PM
Subject: Re: Interzone report of October 21st 200 [Yahoo! Clubs: THE INTERZONE COFFEE HOUSE]
Hi, Izzy--
I plan to construct my own dream machine. I'm thinking about designing one using a strobe light, a 78 rpm turntable, and a column with mirrors.
I'll keep y'all informed as to progress. I got interested in this sort of thing while experimenting with movie machines, such as the zootrope.
Mungo (23)
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From: mungo23 <clubs-mail@yahoo-inc.com>
To: <baudron@interpc.fr>
Sent: Monday, October 23, 2000 7:41 AM
Subject: Re: Interzone report of October 21st 200 [Yahoo! Clubs: THE INTERZONE COFFEE HOUSE]
Hi, Izzy--
On consideration, I won't even need a strobe.
If I use a cylinder with mirrors spaced according to the specs of the site you mention, all I have to do is shine a light on it and it will reflect flashes at the appropriate speed.
A zootrope is an early movie machine, consisting of a hollow, spinning cylinder with slots at the top which allow one to view in sequence a series of animation frames on the inside.
There is currently a Hollywood production company called "American Zootrope.
I've been into freaky optical devices for more than 40 years. One of my recent inventions is "Professor Mungo's Transvisual Opthalmoscopic Transvisual Stereoscopic Viewer."
At the moment, I am busy working on a short commercial video of "The Tell-tale Heart," but I should find time to develop & post some of these things by next year.
Mungo
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From: mungo23 <clubs-mail@yahoo-inc.com>
To: <baudron@interpc.fr>
Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2000 6:43 AM
Subject: Mungo's Dream Machine [Yahoo! Clubs: THE INTERZONE COFFEE HOUSE]
The machine is off to a roaring start. I should finish it in a day or two. I had a 78 rpm turntable in the junk pile in my storehouse.
I'm using roofing felt--tar paper--for the cylinder. It's 12" in diameter, and 24" high. It's braced top and bottom with styrofoam discs--the top one has a 5" hole in the center to accomodate the light bulb.
The holes are oval, 1" x 2", with the long axis vertical, of course.
So far, so good. Now for the innovations. I'll spray paint the interior a bright flourescent green before assembly. I left enough space between the top row of holes and the top of the cylinder, so that the blacklight bulb will be concealed. But it will activate the entire interior.
I figure that with this size machine, as many as 6 people can sit in a circle and stimulate production of their alpha waves.
I've even worked up an explication of the 5 states of feeling to go along with it.
APPRESSION: Euphoria
BEPRESSION: Satisfaction
CEPRESSION: Mild dissatisfaction
DEPRESSION: Severe dissatisfaction
EFFPRESSION: Suicidal
I plan to use the machine as a therapeutic tool in mental health counseling.
Mungo
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From: mungo23 <clubs-mail@yahoo-inc.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2000 2:17 AM
Subject: Re: Mungo's Dream Machine [Yahoo! Clubs: THE INTERZONE COFFEE HOUSE]
I now have a working dream machine! The blacklight didn't work, although it did provide some interesting visual effects--so I just put a light bulb inside.
I still have one problem--the lap joint of the cylinder unbalances it and causes a wobble. But I should be able to balance it up.
I tried this--I put the machine on the floor, started it up, and lay down flat of my back with my head ponting towards the machine. I closed my eyes--and let the flashes play across my eyelids.
I'm planning to rig a frame, so that I can adjust the level of the bulb, and use any set of holes for my primary stimulus.
I enlarged the hole in the top disc to 7". This will allow me to suspend a 2' single bulb flourescent fixture inside the cylinder. That should give me a good strong stimulus from all five frequencies at the same time. I'll also experiment with using hatha yoga in connection with the machine. And I noticed on the web site a section concerning suggested music to use with it.
Looks like I'm going to be a busy little boy for a while. But, at least, I'll have something to help me relax--
Mungo
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From: mungo23 <clubs-mail@yahoo-inc.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2000 3:25 PM
Subject: Re: Mungo's Dream Machine [Yahoo! Clubs: THE INTERZONE COFFEE HOUSE]
My machine works wonderfully!
Last night, I did about 15 minutes under it--started getting true psychedelic hallucinations--which continued after I sat up. I think that with a little fine-tuning, I'll be able to get as spaced-out as I please.
I'll be doing some more work on it this afternoon--several new ideas occurred to me mast night while I was "under the influence." I love learning through experimentation!
Mungo
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From: mungo23 <clubs-mail@yahoo-inc.com>
Sent: Thursday, November 02, 2000 4:35 AM
Subject: Re: Mungo's Dream Machine+ JG Ballard [Yahoo! Clubs: THE INTERZONE COFFEE HOUSE]
I didn't use any plans, really. I read enough on the web page to know that I needed 5 rows of holes, 6 through 10 holes per row, spinning at 78 rpm. I've made a bunch of stuff similar to this before. I've been using turntables to power machines for years.
A friend of mine, who's staying at the house, has been using tar paper to make theatrical costumes for our entertainment company, "Blacklight Kubuki Productions." So it was a handy material. I liked the idea of having styrofoam discs top & bottom for braces--and this allowed me to make the cylinder a full 12" in diameter.
Since I last posted, I have balanced the cylinder with a small piece of lead embedded at the edge of the top styrofoam disc, opposite the lap seam. It runs smoothly, now.
I've built the base and frame for suspending the light. It should accomodate either a regular bulb, or the flourescent tube.
Mungo
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From: mungo23 <clubs-mail@yahoo-inc.com>
To: <baudron@interpc.fr>
Sent: Monday, November 06, 2000 9:00 AM
Subject: Re: Mungo's Dream Machine+ JG Ballard [Yahoo! Clubs: THE INTERZONE COFFEE HOUSE]
I've turned my dream machine over to Stormcrow, a lovely lady who runs a yoga studio, for independant evaluation. I've got a couple more 78 turntables, and I'd rather build a new one than try to correct the flaws I perceive in the old one.
Not that it doesn't work--I just think I can make it work better.
(Besides--her gentleman friend suffers from depression, and will make a good test subject.)
On a personal note--I had a 20-year relationship with Stormcrow's sister, Alice, who was confined to a wheelchair after falling out of a tree and breaking her back while on PCP. Alice died a couple of years ago.
Mungo
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From: mungo23 <clubs-mail@yahoo-inc.com>
To: <baudron@interpc.fr>
Sent: Thursday, November 09, 2000 3:16 AM
Subject: Re: Air car and mungo's dreamachine [Yahoo! Clubs: THE INTERZONE COFFEE HOUSE]
Thanks for building the page and putting up the links, Izzy--
Now, here's my current Dream Machine approach--
My experiments have shown me that various people are sensitive to different frequencies, within the 7-13 flashes-per-second paramaters. This requires repositioning the light bulb so it works through different sets of holes.
So on my next model--rather than doing a tall tower with 5 sets of hole, I plan to do 5 short towers, so that the individual can select the frequency which works best for him. In addition to eliminating distraction from the holes not being used, this will make for a more stable machine.
I think an aperture may also be useful to focus attention on a single source.
More on this later--
Mungo
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From: mungo23 <clubs-mail@yahoo-inc.com>
To: <baudron@interpc.fr>
Sent: Saturday, November 18, 2000 4:26 AM
Subject: Re: Mungo's dreamachine [Yahoo! Clubs: THE INTERZONE COFFEE HOUSE]
It may be a while before I do any more work on the dream machine--life has suddenly gotten very busy and interesting.
I've bought a third interest in an entertainment company--NEONICA 4-D--(primarily blacklight shows), I'm getting ready to do a CD between Xmas & New Year--"Rattlesnake Bob & the Water Moccasins," mostly my original stuff--and I've found someone to help me put together a web page revealing all my Discordian Society material from the '70's.
Could it be that after 3 or 4 sessions on the dream machine, my life is becoming a dream come true?
I'll keep y'all posted.
Mungo
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From: mungo23 <clubs-mail@yahoo-inc.com>
To: <baudron@interpc.fr>
Sent: Monday, December 04, 2000 1:38 AM
Subject: Mungo's Dream Machine--Update [Yahoo! Clubs: THE INTERZONE COFFEE HOUSE]
The big problem I had with the first dream machine was the solitariness of the experience. I've let it lay fallow for a while, but now, it is sprouting forth in a new manifestation which will bring it to the attention of the public--and, hopefully, bring Mungo some bucks, too!
I may or may not have mentioned that I recently bought an interest in NEONICA 4D, an Entertainment company, doing blacklight shows. I've been involved in a couple of them--THE SECRET SLEEP OF SNAILS & LITTLE LIES THAT ARE SO DELICIOUS. These are set in a fantasy world, with elaborate costumes, body paint, etc. done in flourescent colors, and performed under blacklight.
What I'm planning is to construct tubes tall enough to accomodate a 2' BL fixture. By cutting long slots in each tube, when the machine revolves, it should produce a strobe-like effect on a dancer which would fall into the frequency of alpha-wave stimulation.
I have named this phenomena Ocular Psychic Energization--OPE, for short. Since I don't believe in "dosing" anyone, we'll include a warning in the ads, that this production involves use of the OPE process.
I'll put together a small brochure about alpha-waves and psychic energization in general, comparing the dangers and difficulties of producing this effect by chemical means, and the ease and safety with which it can be accomplished just by watching our show.
(Unfortunately, Hehehehehe! the process won't work on video or film. Since it depends on light frequencies, the FPS speed of the projector, or the scanning frequency of video, would create interference patterns which would nullify the effect.)
Mungo
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From: mungo23 <clubs-mail@yahoo-inc.com>
To: <baudron@interpc.fr>
Sent: Sunday, December 24, 2000 2:31 AM
Subject: Re: Mungo's Dream Machine-- [Yahoo! Clubs: THE INTERZONE COFFEE HOUSE]
I put a blacklight tube in my original machine a week ago, and several of us stared at it for a while. I was the only one who got up REAL CLOSE and stared for a considerable time.
That evening, I started having psychedelic visions, similar to those I've experienced on organics--not as powerful, but much longer lasting. In fact, there are still some residual effects. For a couple of days, they were so good that I sat around telling a very jealous friend exactly what I was seeing, and sometimes laughing immoderately. At one point, I was getting recognizable people, and on occasion, I got, first, individual letters, then readable words, none of which seemed to have any relationship to my situation.
The visions were in a constant state of flux, and I remember few details. But the colors were wonderful--mottled purple and green fields, with an object in the center--Tunnels, through which I seemed to be racing, lined with red and orange--all most fascinating and interesting.
When I stared fixedly at an object, it developed a psychedelic "glaze," in which the center contained pictures of objects, (mostly unrecognizable) and the edges shifted with the "crawling" effect that I have experienced on mushrooms.
I'm having to beef up the frame--I used wood too light with insufficient bracing, and the motion of the machine shook it loose. It's been too cold to work in my shop since then--but when the weather moderates, I'll be conducting further experiments along this line--and also working on my blacklight strobe, which employs features of the dream machine.
More later--
Mungo
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From: mungo23 <clubs-mail@yahoo-inc.com>
To: <baudron@interpc.fr>
Sent: Monday, February 05, 2001 2:14 AM
Subject: Mungo's dream machine revisited [Yahoo! Clubs: THE INTERZONE COFFEE HOUSE
I'm working on it again!
You will recall that I had constructed a 5-level machine very much like the one WSB is looking into in the club pic.
Then I started using a blacklight tube inside. This alone produces an effect that I find most gratifying--the UV stimulation of the optic nerves, combined with the strobe effect, produces a closed-eyes field of vision that resembles the effects of psilocybin. And it lasts for days. I've seen everything from geometrics to recognizable people.
Now I'm on another track with it--I'm adding content to see if that affects the dreams produced. I'm doing zooetrope-like animation cells inside between the slots, made from flourescent paper. I'm about half finished adding the content--and the thing gets more impressive with each step I complete.
I have some help lined up--and I think I can do some digital video of the thing and post it.
Ah, well--back to work.
(Oh--one comment--Minibitch was here last night--I showed it to her--she said--"You must have been very bored!")
Mungo
From: mungo23 <clubs-mail@yahoo-inc.com>
_______________________________________________________________________
To: <baudron@interpc.fr>
Sent: Wednesday, February 07, 2001 8:33 PM
Subject: Re: Mungo's dream machine revisited [Yahoo! Clubs: THE INTERZONE COFFEE HOUSE]
Last night, one of my Erisian friends saw what I'm working on--was blown away. He's an excellent fabricator--and is interested in constructing a BIG one to use in a performance art project. He sez he can easily construct a variable-speed turntable which will rotate 350-400 pounds. We're talking Volkswagen-size here.
We're also considering a compact model using blacklight, which would be marketed through headshops.
I've spent most of the day getting my workshop organized and ready for use.
Looks like an interesting millinneum coming up--
:)
Mungo
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Dreamachine
Info / Therapeutic use of the dreamachine / French Dreamachine plan / English Dreamachine plan / Electronic Dreamachine / Brion Gysin's plans / Coolcat's dreamachine made with a fan / Mungo 23's dreamachine/Ici pour partir - Here to Go / Brion Gysin's bio - Dreamachine - Alpha waves : Henri Corbin's datas / English Dreamachine Plans / Music for Dreamachine /Catalogue of Interzone Productions