The Elder stopped and asked Alvaro to get the kettle, then he went on,“ Once I went to a big university. I needed to learn the white mans knowledge so I could tell our people what was occurring, besides the euthanasia practiced upon us. I went into a doctoral class in Phenomenology where they talked about all kinds of interesting things. When it came my time to write a paper to teach the class with, I wrote a great statement. I wrote: I prefer the perception of Being to a concept of a self. Now the professor and I had a common bond which had been mutual somehow. He looked at my scribbling and he looked at me in disbelief and with a smile he asked, “Are you going to defend this?” I replied that I wasn’t going to defend it but, I could talk about it to the class. And I did. I got an A because the professor and some of the students had peeked into the realm beyond words, a state of Being which used reflective consciousness as storage and retrieval of lived phenomenon. Most people are divided inside their “selves.’ Here, reflective consciousness in these people is used to contain an image of their selves as their internal beingness comes into collision with their external realities. How can I use reflective consciousness as an information and experiential base if I am always combatting an IMAGE of myself which I have to constantly maintain. An internally deposited set of rules and regulations of what I-should-be. Now I could go on with this for a long period of time. In fact that’s what I do. Clear the cobwebs if possible.”

      Alvaro came in with a pot and cups for us and the men in the hall. "Just in time” the Elder said, “I was getting a big wind blowing," he laughed.

     I didn’t laugh. I wanted to hear more. Here truly was a crack between the worlds. Robert didn’t laugh either. He and Tomas were busy writing. The Elder poured the tea and a fragrance like honeysuckle wafted in the air. We all took a cup . The Elder held up his cup and said “Saludth.” We all did the same. The tea was excellent and that feeling of rarified energy came back.

     

-From Neisthes journals  "Into the Night"