Sunday, May 16, 2010

Memories And Remembrances


"Antiquity is full of eulogies of another more remote antiquity."
- Voltaire

The Realm of Remembrance And Memory is that hypnotic, wispy
and ever-beckoning domain in which the memories of our youth,
childhood and mystical past reside.

Within each one of us is contained two different types of Memory:
remembrances of our personal Past and remembrances of our
primeval Past.

Our personal past contains all of the remembrances and
memories of our Current Incarnation. These consist of the fond
reminiscences which we allow ourselves to indulge in and savor;
they are our irretrievable experiences and friendships of a bygone
time .

And why is it that our most distant memories and remembrances are
the ones we seem to cherish the most?

Why is it that our oldest memories and friendships, those of our
youth and childhood, are the ones that are most vivid and dear to
us? Why are we able to recall events and friendships of our earliest
youth with greater clarity, emotion and melancholy than we can of
things which we have experienced only yesterday?

What is it that is so important to us about the place where we were
born? Furthermore, why were we born where we were born?

The place of our birth has a definite impact on every one of us: we
relate to it; we boast of it; we cherish it. And regardless of where
we may travel to, or where we may eventually "settle down", the
emotional pull of our birthplace is always tugging at our emotions
and our heart.

And it is not only we humans who feel the magnetic lure of our place
of birth for we see this same attraction in the animal kingdom.

Salmon battle every element and fight every obstacle, to even
exhaustion and death, in the attempt to return to the exact place of
their birth in order to spawn and re-create.

Butterflies will travel hundreds of miles to not only return to the
same tree where they were born but to the same branch for the
very same reason.

Again, the question remains, what is so powerful about the place
where we were born that a lifelong longing makes us "want to go
home"?

Now what about old friendships? How many of us would drop what
we are doing if we got an unexpected phone call from a high school
friend who we haven't talked to in years? How about a grade school
friend? How about a very dear childhood friend from the
neighborhood in which we grew up? What is it that is so important
to us about these very distant and initial friendships?

Perhaps the answer to all of these questions is that these are the
earliest threads which were used to weave the tapestry of who we
are today. These are also the earliest, purest and most naive
ingredients sprinkled into our youth which have had the most time
to marinate within us; a youth which we have abandoned for the
maturity and sophistication of adulthood; that magical and mystical
realm of innocent childhood that "once you pass its borders you can
never return again".
***

Just as we have a personal past, we also have a primeval past.

Our primeval past is the Subconscious and intuitive bond we
share with our most distant ancestors who lived in the most Veiled
and remote Mists of antiquity.

Our primeval past consists of our inherent and inbred traits which
originated, and were passed down to us, from our most ancient
elders who lived in the Time which the ancient Egyptians refer to as
Zep Tepi. Translated, ZepTepi means "The First Time". It is the
time when gods walked upon the earth and lived among mankind.

Our remote, primeval bonds are contained within our physical,
mental and spiritual fabric; our DNA. They are the ancient building
blocks from which we have all been constructed. These ancient
bonds, these remote links, form the foundation of who we, as both
individuals and a specie, are today.

And from our most distant links it is but one small step which takes
us into the Great Beyond; the mysterious and mystical domain of
Divine Consciousness from which all life originates and to which all
life must ultimately return.

When we attempt to ponder our most remote past, the past which
links us to the virtual beginnings of infinity, our minds become filled
with awe and wonder. This incomprehensible beginning-of-all-
beginnings is also a part of our physical, mental and spiritual fabric.
It is the original Seed which, long ago, sent us out on our personal
Journey of discovery so that we may someday return with our
treasure chest filled with all of the jewels and Wisdom which our
timeless voyage to many distant Horizons has bestowed upon us.

*** "Toyland" lyrics

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Disclaimer: None of my articles should be considered to be
either advice or expertise. They are simply personal opinions
and no more. Everyone is encouraged to seek competent
advice from a licensed, registered, or certified professional
should such advice or service be required.

© copyright Joseph Panek 2010
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1 comment:

Unknown said...

I very much loved this post. Thank You. Its comforting to know that we have so many pasts. I always felt as misplaced in childhood, but it was probably since I was a psychic child. I remembered other places and times. Keep writing- You bring joy and light to fellow travellers.