Tuesday 29 September 2015

ظاهرة إستري نفسك و ريحيها



ظاهرة إستري نفسك وريحيها، عمر شريف، One Lucky Soul

مرة وانا عندي ٢١ سنة كنت سايق ورايح لواحد صاحبي فالمهندسين. وانا فشارع جامعة الدول، عربية جانبي فيها ست سايقة واربع بنات معها ― مش حلوين أوي بس لذاليذ ― قعدوا يبصبصوا ويتضحكوا فوقفت. إتكلمنا شوية وقالولي انهم رايحين يشربوا عصير عند فرغلي فاديتهم نمرة تليفوني ومشيت. 

بعدها بكام يوم جالي تليفون من واحدة منهم واتفقنا إن أنا وصاحبي هانقابلها هي وصاحبتها، والميعاد كان الساعة ٧ قدام سينما فاتن حمامة. عدينا عليهم و قعدنا نكروز شوية بالعربية وبعدين رحنا عندي البيت. شربنا بيرة وحاجات تانية وعرفنا ان عندهم بتاع ١٩ سنة و"صايعين" زينا تمام. قعدنا كلنا نحكي عن مغامرتنا لمدة كام ساعة واستمتعنا بالقاعدة وماحصلش حاجة أكتر من كدة.

علشان احنا چنتل، على أخر الليلة قلنا ننزل نروحهم ― كانوا تقريباً ساكنين فمدينة السلام. ويا سيدي قبل ما نوصل بشوية بأبص فالمرايا لقيت حركة ورا على الكنبة. بأبص تاني في الضلمة لاقيت البنتين بيغطوا شعرهم بحجاب. شوية حركة كمان وكنا قربنا من بيتهم وقالولي أركن. باتدور علشان أسلم عليهم لقيت بدل الچينس المحذق والشعر الطويل هما الاتنين لابسين عبايات سودة وحجاب، فعلاً كأنهم اتنين تانين خالص ولا كأننا علي متن طائرة متجهة إلى الحجاز.

أللا أللا أللا، إيه ده؟ 

أصل بابا فالبيت. 

اه بابا
. *يا حرام يا بابا


أنتم عارفين في هذه المجتمعات الرجعية القمعية الإستعباطية في كام بابا وخالي وإبن عمي والبواب وأصحاب البيت وأهل الحتة بيتاخدوا على أفاهم يوماتي؟ والأهم: في كام واحدة مضطرة تكذب علي كل دول في سبيل بعض من الحرية أو حتي ― عامةً ― في سبيل انها تعيش حياة شبه طبيعية؟ أما الراجل بقي في نفس ذات المجتمعات فهو بيعمل اللي هو عايزه ... و بمنتهى النفاق بتتسمي ”خِبرة و”صياعة“ و”دروس أو تجارب حياة“.  



ظاهرة إستري نفسك وريحيها، عمر شريف، One Lucky Soul

Three years following this article I wrote the below words after coming across a young woman [shown in the featured photo] walking in front of me in the street in Zamalek. It covers the same concept, which is harassment in Egypt and what women and girls are compelled to do to protect themselves. ...


If you were ever a teenage girl in Egypt and probably other parts in the region, you would get what’s in the photo. If not, then let me explain. 
 
You see, as soon as they start maturing, females become exceedingly self-conscious about their looks, bodies, and clothes, especially when outdoors. Their hormones are confusing them between still being a young girl from one side and developing boobs like adults from the other. Obviously this is not only in Egypt, however, with such age here — starting from 12 if not even younger — they begin being harassed by men in the streets. Whether they are covering their hair or not, wearing a short skirt, pants, or a jalabeya, it is certainly bound to happen one day. Simply because in patriarchal, male-dominated societies many men remain horny savages with no healthy outlets for their horniness.
 
To deal with that, if the girls don’t want to wear something long that goes over their butts like most do, one “clever” way to cover is to use their backpacks as seen here: With the straps set on the maximum length so that the body of the backpack is hanging low and covering the entire caboose. It’s like a protection device. Another more common fashion used for the same purpose is to wrap a sweater around the waist.
 
When this fad first caught my attention almost 25 years ago, it didn’t take long to understand the concept behind it. Because I have a younger sister, cousins, and girlfriends and was already aware of the insecurity which plagues females at a certain age. Still, the backpacks are usually hanging unnaturally low and the more you see it, the more it becomes almost impossible to unsee. 
 
Oh well. Now you know what these poor girls have to go through just to be able to walk in the streets without being harassed. While seeing this today after all this time made me smile out loud, it still reminded me of the things which need to change in this culture.
 
*Today was a reminder that we should never force things, writing included... I came across this girl in the street, which reminded me of the whole backpack cover thing. By the time I thought about discreetly snapping a photo to be able to write about the topic, she was already quite far. So that was that. About 10 minutes later while in a different street, there she was walking right in front of me. I had a chance to snap one shot, while walking. I did it and it came out fine. The more instances like these take place — regarding writing — the more I believe there is a time for certain topics to be openly discussed, hopefully leading to some much needed change.


Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...



Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Sunday 27 September 2015

Lunacy — Written at 19



Lunacy — Written at 19 by Omar Cherif, One Lucky Soul


When we talk
It’s just a flowing of words
When we think
It should be images and pics
Green, yellow, blue & pink
Who got the gold from the zink?


We live we see
It may look like a big fantasy
But who knows where it’s taking us
If it’s misleading, then it’s misleading us


We’re saying these words when we’re alive
I think we should all take a big dive
Into the unconsciousness we may survive
Each one will get a drive

To his own destination
There is some kind of relation
Confrontation, hallucination


Now I see they’re only letters
Like an apple tree losing its feathers

My head is filled with this and that
You know the cure, it’s my orange hat. 

Lunacy — Written at 19 bny Omar Cherif, One Lucky Soul
I still have that Hat Madder


ALSO VIEW:



Thinking Allowed Is Aloud


The Womb

The Mystic and the Tripper


Trump Le Trompeur


Living On Insanity’s Brink

Tamarack Over Jack

قصيدة تسلم الأيادي ... لو كانت نضيفة

Sophia And The Djembefola

The Alpha-Beta Poem
 
Nena Ya Nena: a Bilingual Duet with Vaya Con Dios — نينا يا نينا: ثنائي ثنائي اللغة مع ڤيا كون ديوس
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Thursday 24 September 2015

Why Flamingos Are Pinkish-Orange



Why Flamingos Are Pinkish-Orange by Omar Cherif, One Lucky Soul

The short answer is, flamingos are pinkish-orange because they eat shrimps.


As for the longer answer...

Living by lakes, swamps and wetlands, flamingos feed on algae and small crustaceans — like shrimp and mollusks — that contain pigments called carotenoids. These strong coloured pigments are mostly found in brine shrimp and in red and blue-green algae.


Shrimps live off of algae, which makes the flamingo’s diet full of carotenoids. 

This nutritious, natural chemical, which is an organic compound, contained in their food is called beta carotene — a type of carotenoid — and it is the cause that the flamingos’ feathers, bills, and legs turn pink. Turn, because when flamingos hatch, their feathers are actually a drab light gray the colouring takes place as they mature. If the birds were to stop eating food containing carotenoids, their new feathers would begin to grow in with a much more pale shade while the existing pinkish-orange pigment will eventually vanish.

Note that there are six different species of flamingo, spread across the Caribbean and South America, Africa, India, and the Mediterranean. Depending on the amount of pigment present in the birds' diet, flamingos’ colours can range from pale pink to crimson. The reason is that carotenoid levels in algae and crustaceans vary in different parts of the world. So for example, flamingos of Lake Nakuru in central Kenya are pale pink while the ones found in the Caribbean are more bright redish-orange. 

Being the building block the bodies of humans, animals, and birds use to produce Vitamin A, beta-carotene is an extremely vital compound. It is the same chemical which makes carrots orange. The same goes for salmon and trout who equally owe their unusual pink colour to carotenoids deposited in their body fat.


Why Flamingos Are Pinkish-Orange by Omar Cherif, One Lucky Soul


Interestingly, this bit of information reminded me of a story my mother used to tell us. Specifically when around 17 years of age I used to have carrots and yoghurt for dinner almost every night — as part of a somewhat strict diet to go along with exercising in the gym six times a week.

Once when younger and trying some kind of diet, she ate lots and lots of carrots. So her skin turned orange. When she consulted a doctor, he almost automatically knew what it was about and told her that what she had is called Carotenemia; and it is a clinical condition characterised by yellow pigmentation of the skin (Xanthoderma) and increased beta-carotene levels in the blood. In most cases, the condition follows prolonged and excessive consumption of carotene-rich foods, such as carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes.



Apart from learning why flamingos are pinkish-orange, now if you ever meet an orange person you may have an idea why. Make sure to watch their remarkable mating dance in the video below for a quick giggle. 


Why Flamingos Are Pinkish-Orange by Omar Cherif, One Lucky Soul

Why Flamingos Are Pinkish-Orange by Omar Cherif, One Lucky Soul
Lake Nakuru located in the middle of Kenya is home for millions of flamingos




ALSO VIEW:


Why Do Cats Give Massages? 

Animals Getting High: Weird Nature ― Peculiar Potions [Documentary]

Animals That Are Not To Be Confused

Big Cat Hybrids

Extinction

What Nomad Lions Can Teach Us About Growing Through Life 

Things I Wish All Dog Owners Would Understand

Why Do Ants Carry Their Dead?
 
Ants Carry Other Live Ones As Means of Transportation: Further Evidence That They Must Be Communicating [Video]  

Why Japanese Females Have Bowlegs

Why Hippies Are Sometimes Called Bohemians 

Why the “No-Smoking” Sign is Still Used by Airline Companies

Why Americans Don’t Travel Much

Why NOT a Bidet?
 
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Tuesday 22 September 2015

On Not Judging Others and Psychological Projection



On Not Judging Others and Psychological Projection by Omar Cherif, One Lucky Soul


Judging people says more about who we are than who they are.


One of my neighbours in Toronto used to walk her dog in a stroller. I always thought that people who did this are ridiculous. Until that one day I had a talk with the woman on the elevator when she told me that her dog is old, blind, sick, and dying. I almost wept right then and there. 



A woman running on the beach while talking on her mobile phone. Who does that and why? Well, when your daughter is mentally challenged and you got the chance to leave her at home for an hour by the time you exercise yet still need to reassure her over the phone if she's afraid, you CAN do that.


The young boy you bullied and hit on the head after school has a rare form of brain tumour.



The young woman you and your friends made fun of on the beach because she had no boobs had hers removed at 23 due to breast cancer.



The friend who's always tight on money has a secret gambling problem.
 


The previous examples are simple reminders that we rarely ever know the big picture. Therefore, judging people based on what we can perceive with our limited senses becomes a futile, superficial, unhealthy habit.



Since we never know the full stories, because we are not omniscient, we never know what people went through or are still going through in their lives. Yet, we always tend to be quick to jump to judgmental assumptions based on what they do — such as their behaviours and actions — or based on their past, or even their appearance.

However, the information we possess about those we judge is usually lacking, which makes us oblivious to why those people do what they do or have done what they did. Or as Carl Jung truthfully put it: “Thinking is difficult, that’s why most people judge.

When we judge, we use our own standards to do so. We sort of forget, or perhaps pretend to forget, that being humans, we, too, have faults and imperfections and are constantly making mistakes. And to feel better about ourselves, we focus on the different kinds of faults, imperfections, and mistakes of others then we judge them.

Now, generally speaking, people don’t see us as we genuinely are. They see what we project, who we pretend to be. Similarly, what we see from them is what they are projecting — the mask they wear, the persona. It is usually an edited version of our reality, which is an expression of the ego self. Many go to great lengths by lying, faking, and pretending just to maintain this egoic self-image. Yet, some way or another inner thoughts and emotions always affect appearances. So the more one hides, the more it shows.

Sometimes, we feel comfortable enough towards another person to whom we open up, showing our true core. Those others, however, will still see what they are ready to see. Because understanding always depends on the level of perception, which itself stems from our conception of the world we’re living in.


On Not Judging Others and Psychological Projection by Omar Cherif, One Lucky Soul


You see, the outside world is a mere reflection of the inner one. The projection is simply a mirror. We are always projecting our internal thoughts into the physical realm. People do not realise that in most cases how they feel about others is principally determined by their feelings towards themselves.

When people are unconscious of their own dark sides, they tend to project the darkness outward into others and condemn evil in them; they transmute their inner pain and self dislike into outward aggression. By doing so, they justify the evil in others without ever admitting, or mayhap even accepting that evil exists in them, too — at least to a certain degree. When thoughts, motivations, desires, or feelings cannot be accepted as one’s own, they are dealt with by being placed in the outside world and attributed to others. The inner pain is therefore converted into outer aggression. This happens when people choose not to take responsibility for the consequences of their own actions. It is precisely what makes them judge, categorise, castigate, and vilify others. This is the basis of Psychological Projection.

As Carl Jung once again explained, when inner darkness is not confronted, people remain controlled by their own demons rather than the other way round. For they don’t see things as they are, but as they themselves are.


Further, when judging becomes a compulsive preoccupation, like the case with some, there is no time left to live one's live or to grow through it.

The truth is, the impressions we form and the conclusions we jump to are largely affected by our own past experiences. Because, again, the outside world is a reflection of the inner one. In most cases, the process happens subconsciously.

So for example, a child who had witnessed a heavily-tattooed man commit a crime may grow up fearing all heavily-tattooed people, without making the connection or understanding why. That’s how the subconscious mind is powerful; that’s why it’s the true pilot in the equation.

 
Until you face your own shadow you will keep encountering its reflection in others. Everyone has a story if we are willing to listen. Let us never judge a book by its look.


On a parallel note, if I happen to have one wish, it would be for humans to have an innate ability, allowing them to view a 30-second video-like flash from the day of everyone they deal with — beginning from the moment they get up in the morning till the time they interact. So as you’re about to open the window and curse that lady who cut you off in traffic, you are instead reminded by how this single mother of three leads a tough back-breaking life, while juggling between taking care of her dying mother at the hospital, picking up the children from school, and her two jobs.

I think this would be enough for us to live in a more loving, empathetic, and less judgmental world. For more understanding always means less fear, which in turn means less judging.



“When you consider what nice people talk about when they sit around the dinner table and have an opportunity to nurture their collective ego, you’ll find that the most fascinating topic of conversation is the nasty people… How awful they are, what dreadful things they do, and, ‘what is it all coming to?’ And this very, very satisfactory, condemnatory conversation nurtures your ego, but people who do that don’t seem to realize that they thereby depend on the nasty people in order to know that they’re nice. They are, as a matter of fact, highly indebted to them.”
— Alan Watts


ALSO VIEW:

Letting Go of Getting Offended and Taking Things Personally

What Is Fear of Abandonment and How to Overcome It

Codependency: What Being Addicted to Someone Means

The Significance of Letting Go

What Is Overcompensation?

The Parable of the Cow: You Are Not Your Thoughts

To Forgive Is Not To Reconcile

Things I Got Rid Of To Become Happier

Who Are We?

My Journey Towards Self-Transcendence

Change Is The Only Constant

The Intertwining of Genius and Insanity

Why I Share Stuff

For The Love Of Storytelling

The Significance of Letting Go

Unfollow the Crowd

The Art of Approaching Women





Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Saturday 19 September 2015

Words I Made Up



Words I Made Up by Omar Cherif, One Lucky Soul

Since early childhood I always loved playing with words and coming up with new ones. I was wordy, verbal, oftentimes silly and ridiculous yet usually also amusing. Whether they were meaningless or as nicknames for my schoolmates, friends, girlfriends, coworkers and pets, the creation was something that came naturally to me.

As I matured and really got into language and writing, I found that, apart from the reflections, my thoughts are often invaded by new single words. Sometimes I wake up with one in my head, such as ‘Jalapeñonated’, for example. Other times, it’s while meditating, showering, reading, or just relaxing.

Knowing that language is beautiful yet elusive and limiting, the trilingual lexophile in me now finds exquisite joy to give the made-up words proper definitions. For perhaps someday they could be used in appropriate situations — even make it to dictionaries and thesauruses. Who knows. Because, when you think about it, some way or another all words are made up. So maybe we should play around with language. 

Without being too wordy, I hereby share with you some of the neologisms. Also check the Sequel, Threequel, Fourquel, Fifthquel, and Sixquel for more newborn babies.


Apabicity: (n.) The state of having the ability, capability, and capacity all at once.


Jalapeñonated: (adj.) Being so assertive and dogmatic in one’s opinions that your face turns red and you start sweating and tearing.


Gladitude: (n.) The outlook or stance of being pleased for being thankful.


Kattle: (n.) A vessel or a pot used by bovine animals to boil liquids and cook food.


Testicalized: (v.) When one sees or hears something that is so lame and silly and boring and annoying all at the same time, which, figuratively, usually entails getting pain in the testicles. (Adapted from the Egyptian Arabic colloquial verb إتبضنت ” - etbadant”)


Trisexual: (n.) A person who is into having sex while riding a three-wheeled bicycle.


Hebdromadaire: (n.) Un chameau qui boit une fois par semaine.  (French)


Birder: (n.) A premeditated killing of a feathered vertebrate.    

 

MILTTT: (acro.) Mother I’d Like To Talk To.


Porkcelain: (n.) A white vitrified translucent ceramic material made by crafty pigs. 



“The syntactical nature of reality, the real secret of magic, is that the world is made of words. And if you know the words that the world is made of, you can make of it whatever you wish.”
― Terence McKenna




ALSO VIEW:
  

Words I Made Up — The Sequel

Words I Made Up — The Threequel

Words I Made Up — The Fourquel

Words I Made Up — The Fifthquel

Words I Made Up — The Sixquel  

Words I Made Up — The Seventhquel

Words I Made Up — The Eightquel


Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Tuesday 15 September 2015

Why the “No-Smoking” Sign is Still Used by Airline Companies



During my last several flights I was reminded by an unanswered query which had been on my mind for quite some time. Isn’t it understood by now that all flights are non-smoking, so why do planes still have the non-smoking sign next to the fasten-seat-belt one as well as on the boarding pass?

I kept brushing the thought off until that last trip from Los Angeles to Cairo when I saw the sign on the plane and on the featured boarding pass, and once again recalled the matter. 

So I consulted Google. To my convenience, I found the questions and the possible answers right there in articles and forums.


The first restrictions on smoking aboard commercial aircraft in the US began in 1973 by the Civil Aeronautics Board. The current statute was enacted in 1989 and significantly upgraded in 2000, which ended with a Civil Law banning smoking in the same year. For the UK, it was the mid 90s when the smoking ban was introduced. Other nations then followed suit.

However, up until 2010, Air Algeria, Cubana, Iran Air, Garuda still allowed smoking on their planes.


That said, the lifespan of commercial airlines is long, and most planes still in service today were designed and certified in the 80s when they still had smoking and non-smoking sections. Changing anything on a plane would require a detailed approval process, so the companies probably thought it’s not worth it. Thats of course besides the expenses.
In newer airplanes, apparently, the sign has been re-purposed with “Please turn off electronic devices”, which remains on when the plane is below 10,000 feet.




On a related note, the same could be said about ashtrays that are still found in all airplane bathrooms and in-between the seats in some others. But it appears that
since it involves safety, the issue here is more serious than the sign.

The continuing problems that airlines have with people who ignore the 'no smoking' signs that are liberally scattered throughout the cabins. As planes have come down in the past due to people stubbing out their cigarette in a bin of paper towels, the thinking is it's better to have something in place on the chance that someone breaks the rules. The alternative— not having ashtrays —risks the safety of the whole plane.

So until today, it is required by law
to have ashtrays outside the bathrooms. Though it is still common to also find them inside, as well as in-between the seats in older models.


Google did answer my question concerning the sign on the plane. However, it didn’t really answer why there is a printed “non-smoker” on the boarding pass. Actually I didnt have a choice between smoking or non-smoking as I was making the reservation. But I don’t think changing this would require a detailed process, since it’s just a printing thing.

So I Googled even more.

Apart from stopping those
who ignore the rules, the only slightly convincing reason I found on Reddit as to why some boarding passes still have a “no-smoking” option’ is the following:

Some airlines still permit smoking, though these are almost all domestic airlines in countries in Africa and the Middle East. Since it is possible that reaching your final destination may involve a leg on one of these flights, it is still possible that, even when checking in at a US airport, a smoking option will be available to you at some point and needs to be allowed for on the boarding passes that are printed out when you first check in.


Well, you live you learn. So the next time you travel and see any of those signs don't be startled. Just remember that some things take decades to change.

You can also read Why Americans Dont Travel Much to find out the answers.



ALSO VIEW:


Why Flamingos Are Pinkish-Orange

Why Do Cats Give Massages? 

Why Americans Dont Travel Much

Why NOT a Bidet?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 




Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Monday 14 September 2015

Coming Back To The Real — Written at 19



Coming Back To The Real — Written at 19 by Omar Cherif, One Lucky Soul

Long before Facebook and social media, I used notebooks to scribble my squiggles. Now that Im back home in Egypt for a visit, I got the pleasant chance to read them once again.

The following are words I have once written after experimenting for a few months with a magickal  Alexandria-made cough medicine called Codafein, which contained both, codeine and ephedrine.

I was too young to understand what opiates did or what withdrawals symptoms were. Yet, I could sense some gloominess and that I was not the same. So I expressed myself in writing.


I’ve already made the deal

I’m coming back to the real

Inexpressible is how I feel

Life is ugly and reality cuts steel


Long time has passed and it didn’t seem like it was a dream


 
My mind was far from Earth

It is just like giving birth
To a son for a second time
Orange meant funny, dollars meant dime


Minutes, seconds, and days have passed

I did believe it was a blast
Now the feeling is sad and the pain is worse
Maybe I need a shot from a redhead head nurse



No food no sleep, my thinking is deep
Just one step, maybe just a leap.



ALSO VIEW:


Thinking Allowed Is Aloud


The Womb

The Mystic and the Tripper


Trump Le Trompeur


Living On Insanity’s Brink

Tamarack Over Jack

قصيدة تسلم الأيادي ... لو كانت نضيفة

Sophia And The Djembefola

The Alpha-Beta Poem
 
Nena Ya Nena: a Bilingual Duet with Vaya Con Dios — نينا يا نينا: ثنائي ثنائي اللغة مع ڤيا كون ديوس
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Sunday 13 September 2015

The Millennium Eve Spent Alone at the Mosque



The Millennium Eve Spent Alone at the Mosque by Omar Cherif, One Lucky Soul

During my senior year in university I was taking three philosophy courses and one psychology to complete both minors. Two of the philosophy were taught by a Professor Stelzer; one was Contemporary Philosophy, the other Ibn Arabi. 



Being 21 at the time, I was captivated by the different input received through this professor. Something about witnessing a middle-aged
German man pronounce Quranic Arabic and explaining it philosophically enchanted me; it made those three hours every Monday/Wednesday quite different. Unlike the cherry-picked religion we were taught in school, which we often had to memorise almost blindly, my thinking here was challenged. This left me curious to know more. 



Around the same time, I was introduced to the basic notion of Sufism — the mystical, ascetic branch of Islam. Sufism is often considered to be a sect of Islam. It may be otherwise described as an aspect or dimension of the religion. Sufi orders (Tariqas) can be found in Sunni as well as to a lesser extent in Shia, among other Islamic groups and traditions. The word tarika / tarik originally means way or path in Arabic, which holds metaphorical meaning in Sufism.

According to Ibn Khaldun, the 14th century Arab historian, Sufism is:

Dedication to worship, total dedication to Allah most High, disregard for the finery and ornament of the world, abstinence from the pleasure, wealth, and prestige sought by most men, and retiring from others to worship alone.




Along with the growing interest in psychology and philosophy, esotericism led me to delve more into the depth and to read more. This was a time when I began pondering the inner reaches of the human mind; how far and deep one can venture to explore what God may really be whether as an entity outside of us or more likely as concept  and understand their inner selves along with it.

My developing mind was seeking to widen its horizon, to investigate different modes of consciousness. So when a friend once mentioned that there is a Sufi Zikr (Dhikr) in a nearby city outside Cairo, I didn’t hesitate to go with him and his driver who was from there and knew the way.
 A Zikr is a ceremony-like remembrance circle where attendees repeat short phrases or prayers like mantras, reciting them silently or aloud.

As planned, we reached our destination at around 7 pm and entered a ‘zawya’ — a room usually used for prayer. There was a group of men sitting on the floor, many had water pipes in front of them. This was not the usual ‘shisha,’ but the ‘goza
.

Rounds and rounds of water bongs fixed with small pieces of hashish would circle the room as the blue smoke filled the air. In the corners of the zawya, a few men were playing hand drums while most attendees were already in some state of trance. I recall that there was one older lady sitting on a chair, also smoking up. 



After maybe 30 minutes of this preparation, the lights were dimmed, the bongs removed, and the chanting began. Standing up and moving from side to side, the room echoed with either Allah, or Allah Hay — which translates into God is Alive. The Zikr lasted about 45 minutes before we said goodbye and went back to Cairo.



Even though hippie-minded me enjoyed the unusual experience and the different set and setting of the high, I knew this wasn’t the Sufism I was interested to examine. After all, all I did during the previous years was using substances to get there, so I needed some novelty.

The Millennium Eve Spent Alone at the Mosque by Omar Cherif, One Lucky Soul





For as long as I can remember I have always been full of questions. Constantly fascinated by that which is different and ambiguous in life as well as in the universe in its entirety: The odd and the mysterious, the peculiar and the eccentric, the occult and the forbidden, the unexplainable and the paradoxical, the paranormal, supernatural, and metaphysical. These anomalies often defy explanation and seem to violate the agreed-upon laws of physics, even transcend logic and rationality. The thirst for such subjects has always been there, complemented by a certain Orphic desire to dig deeper in order to extend my knowledge beyond the usual and ordinary.

One of my earliest sincere reading into said realm of forbidden knowledge was a collection of books titled the Supernatural Series by Danbury Press (1975). In general, I tend to do my best to take in the unknown with wonder and curiosity rather than
based on preconceived beliefs; to keep an open mind. Later, however, a healthy dose of doubt, scepticism, and critical thinking had to be added to the equation. Simply because there are as much unfalsifiable claims floating around as there are outlandish superstitions and New-Age-type of woo-woo.

Whether it was telepathy, spirits and UFOs, alchemy and magic, or any arcane knowledge for that matter, all Psi phenomena of mind over matter found in the series fascinated me like no other. Why? Because, these fairly outrageous and controversial occult subjects are considered somewhat secret and unknown, making them more attractive to one
’s eyes. 



Another substantial reason for the attraction is that, whether we believe in it or not, the mystery shrouding such otherworldly stuff entertains the imagination and enhances creativity like nothing else. The exposure therefore changes the way we perceive what we tend to call ‘reality’. One can indeed entertain ideas and contemplate information without having to accept or believe them.



Then came one remarkable event by New Year’s Eve of 1999-2000, which happened to be during the month of Ramadan. Many were celebrating the once-in-a-lifetime Millennium at the Jean Michel Jarre concert by the Pyramids, my parents and sister included. Others spent it at house parties. My few friends and I, though, had quite the different plans.

By 10 p.m, I left the buddies at my place to go to the historic 
Al-Sayeda Zainab Mosque in Old Cairo. While two of them were tripping on LSD and one on mushrooms, I was to spend midnight in seclusion, meditating and reading the Qur’an. Fully sober. Yep.



For those who may not know,
Zainab is the grand daughter of prophet Mohamed who is known to have been buried at the spot where the mosque was later built some hundreds of years of ago. Al Sayeda, meaning lady, is a honorific title.

I was the only one inside the ancient mosque except a man who works there. Finally by 1:00 am I went back to join my tripping buddies. I’m not sure what was
exactly going through my head at the time, but it seems I was looking for deeper spiritual truths. As mentioned, the young psychonaut in me had been experimenting with altered states of consciousness, he was therefore seeking existential answers to all the queries [and contradictions] elsewhere.

Another thing is that I was about to graduate in less than a month, so facing adulthood and the unknown was coupled with many question marks about my coming life.
And what occasion signifies a new era more than the Millennium Eve. 

Following reading — and studying — the Quran about 15 times throughout the years, the Bible, and parts of the Torah, my curiosity towards the intellectual tradition of Sufism further led me to the writings of Rumi, Omar Khayyám, and Al-Ghazali (Algazel) among other Sufi literature. Many of which have greatly influenced Western philosophers, writers, and theologians alike.

I had equally started reading about Buddhism. The first introductory book was Chogyam Trungpa’s The Myth of Freedom.

The Millennium Eve Spent Alone at the Mosque by Omar Cherif, One Lucky Soul
Al-Sayeda Zainab Mosque captured in 1884-1885

During this same soul searching period I became interested in mysticism and spiritually, still looking to explore what it is to be a human being. I wanted to know, not merely and unquestionably believe. I joined a centre in a Zamalek flat, Time Out For The Soul, to learn Tai Chi and to group meditate. I was one of the youngest members and thoroughly enjoyed what those few weekly hours of peace and quite did to me; a sort of mini holiday from that mundane life.



Unlike the growing
healing industry found today, these type of centres and gatherings were almost unheard of in Egypt then true pioneers. Never was there any more than six or eight people at a time. By then I had already started working, mostly in shifts, so this weekly cleansing activity was always something to look forward to with great anticipation. 



A couple of years have passed before the owner of the centre, Randa, moved to the U.S. So naturally, my indulging was fully re-focused on drugs. I have been experimenting with all sorts of substances, but then when I got hooked on a drug of choice, that was when things drastically changed. Addiction turned out to be a whole different hell of an experience. The resulting suffering remains highly educational nevertheless and, paradoxically, also empowering. Nothing like it teaches you more about yourself; travel and psychedelics may follow. 


To my good fortune, I was yet again to encounter Sufism. This round on a deeper, and perhaps more sincere and traditional level.

The first time I went to a truer Zikr was with my older cousin who had been several times before. This time there was no hashish smoking, but it was more of a serene and meditative experience. We went in, prayed, dimmed the light, and had the Zikr, which consisted of much more chanting and prayers than the sole “Allah / Allah Hay”.

Afterwards, we sat on the floor to share a simple meal. 

Then we listened to some reading — in English by Professor Stelzer who may be otherwise known by his first Muslim name [Sheikh] Abdul Jalil and who is ranked number two in the hierarchy of this specific tariqa sect in Egypt, the Naqshabandi Sunni Sufi order. Today, it is said that around 72 different Sufi orders exist, with the Naqshabandi being one of the major and more international four. 

The attendees of the Zikr were made up of an eclectic variety of multicultural men. Many looked like they come from different backgrounds and nationalities. Few non-Egyptian teachers from the American University in Cairo, some expats, some students, and some older men from all over. Every now and then there would be a visiting murid from a different country. Once again here, being in my mid-late 20s I was usually one of the youngest if not the youngest.

Despite the mix, our fraternal union during those few hours every Thursday night transcended any seeming differences. We were there for one thing only: Sharing an enriching, soul-cleansing experience. The closest I could relate to at the time was taking ecstasy at a rave or festival. Only that the intoxication was not chemically induced, and natural highs dont have lows.

On certain occasions — mainly on Islamic holidays —  females joined the gatherings and they would sit on the outer side of the circle. 



The group receives a weekly e-mail with the time and location, in which we’re all addressed as “Dear Muhebeen” — meaning lovers. This is a metaphor Sufis use to describe the state in which Zikr in particular, and being a Sufi in general leaves them. 



Amid the struggle of drug addiction in my final years in Egypt, these evenings became the one light I was still holding on to and which seemed like my only outlet, so I tried not to miss. Gatherings were held at different people’s homes as each week someone would volunteer to have the Brothers over. We always listened to some reading afterwards and we always shared a meal. 



Time has passed before relocating to Canada in my early 30s then to the U.S — for a full decade. Quite a lot has changed since then, as it ought to. There, I got clean from the years-long toxic lifestyle, went back to exercising, eating well, communing with nature, and leading a conscious existence in general. In other words, I was back to loving myself.

It also a time of questioning everything,
including myself. The clarity and freshness motivated me to put all views, beliefs, biases that I had been taking for granted to the test. Leaving my comfort zone and all the known was a catalyst for unlearning and deconditioning from all that which does not serve the evolution of my being, which basically means growth. 

Despite the fact that my early philosophy has been fairly inspired by Sufism, Buddhism, and later Taoism among other schools of thought, as I matured throughout life, I found that there is a fundamental difference between scripturalism and experimentalism  in terms of depth of knowledge as well as in terms of Truth; between imitating older paradigms and creating newer ones; following others’ paths and daring to explore uncharted territories while forging our own trails. 



 

Following all the years of reading and studying, the soul search eventually led me to myself. For it was my truth that needed to be discovered and not anyone else’s. I then felt compelled to learn through direct experience rather than, like many, build my entire reality on the personal beliefs, opinions, foundations of others. 

But I absolutely had to go through it all to reach where I am today. And for that I remain truly and wholeheartedly grateful.

After the extended period of searching and seeking and questioning I found my inner light — true being — and, apparently, it has been within me all along. You see, when we go through our own hell and survive it, when we evolve to a certain frequency and fully know ourselves, there is no need to follow, belong to, associate with any isms or schisms. For the Kingdom of Heaven is nowhere but within you.

As thoroughly recounted in Who Are We?,
Why We Should Not Fear Death, The Ashram Sweeper Who Blocked Me on Facebook, then more personally in My Journey Towards Self-Transcendence, you come to the realisation that using labels, be it spiritual or otherwise, to separate oneself from others goes against the Human Condition. That it is not our beliefs that matter in the end, but our love, empathy, and compassion; how we treat others. One can indeed be a decent human being just by being themself. Because down deep inside, at the very core, we are all One — unlabelled.

Verily, if one is still waiting for some leader, guru, middleman, partner, or even certain institutions, strategies, methods, rituals,
rules, books to offer them spiritual significance and to make them feel whole and safe and protected, they have not yet discovered the Tao to their full potential. For those means, like lighthouse beams, are mere tools which could only point to the entrance of the cave, but one must enter by themselves; so that they may own their truth, leading them to liberation and self-actualisation
 
Attempting to relive and mimic the stories of the past in order to gain a reward in the future or in fear of retribution can only get us so far. Because it takes us away from the authenticity of the present moment — often causing anxiety and restlessness. It likewise implies to our every nerve ending that we, as we are, are not enough; that we need to depend on a source of authority, an entity outside of us, to show us how to navigate our own lives and regulate our own emotions. This juvenile fear-based dependence tend to render people meek, mushy, and overly fragile.  

As such, each realised man and woman ought to be a light unto themselves. And to know thyself is what it takes. Doing the inner Work using the findings comes next.
The more you know yourself, the more following others will seem futile. Through direct experience, self-knowledge then becomes the journey during which our inner truth is found and owned. This Rabbit Hole is a bottomless pit ― an everlasting endeavour guiding the soul as it keeps spiralling closer and deeper towards its inner core. Such unique journey may be challenging and solitary, but it is certainly worth it. The more illumination on the individual level, the more illumination on the human collective. For everyone and everything are interconnected in this universe. In the same way, the bigger the fire the more darkness it reveals.

I still meditate, alone. I still go to circles, drum circles, where I can freely and genuinely express myself without having to consider preconceived beliefs, traditions, or ideologies. I live life to the beat of my own drum in the present Here and Now and have never felt more at peace. Mystical truth is a pathless endeavour.

The divine spark you seek is already within you. Allow it to shine through you unobstructed and it will eternally light your way.


Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...