THE MYSTIC WITHIN
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Antelope Canyon, Arizona, USA
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I have focused my photography almost exclusively on images of nature. Occasionally I might let a fence or tumbledown shack creep into the pictures but only if, in my view, it enhanced the feeling of a timeless world in which humankind is but a recent visitor -- not owner or master. For as many years I have also wrestled with why this focus on natural form has been not just a dominant interest, but an all-pervading passion of mine. Until recently I have had little answer to this puzzle, but at the same time I have felt a deep-seated assurance that the pursuit was not only important to me, but crucial, that somehow, without, I would not be whole. To a large extent, the recognition of the importance of making images made my inability to answer "why?" quite tolerable, and at times even a little enchanting, perhaps because there really was no reasonable explanation. I have simply said, "it's because", and kept on clicking.
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Mount Fuji, Japan
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Now I have some answers, and they are not just exciting ones - they are overwhelming! I have photographed around the world in places most sacred to the native peoples of the earth. Almost always, these places are situated in exotic settings, or are themselves the prominent landmarks of the natural world. Ayers Rock (Uluru) in Australia, Mount Fuji in Japan, or Bromo Crater in Java, are classic examples. I have immensely enjoyed the travel and photography, and completed more than sixty thousand images in one ten-month trip. The involvement has been total, and as such, I feel I know the world of nature and the nature of the world a little more intimately. I have learned to know when to expect the rising and setting of the moon as well as the path of the sun as seen from different countries and in different seasons. I know the feeling of a misty dawn at cherry blossom time in Kyoto, Japan, and I have inhaled the pungent beauty of autumn in the Holy Land. I have befriended some of the elephants in the Chitwan Jungle in Nepal, and sensed the mysteries of the oracle at Delphi. I can legitimately say I have been around the world, and photographed in more than thirty countries. Yet ironically, my most profound revelations have not occurred at specific sacred sites, but rather they have surfaced as a realization of what it is I am doing. I believe that I can now answer some of the questions that have eluded me for the past decade. I was not empowered in the King's Chamber of the Great Pyramid, nor did I receive enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree, nor was I granted wisdom on the summit of Moses Mountain.
Instead, my realization came from reading The Coming of the Cosmic Christ by Matthew Fox. This book has been worth more to me than my travels to all the sacred places because it has so greatly enriched the meaning of my entire mission. Matthew Fox has made clear the meaning of the mystical experience. I have come to realize how you and I - anyone who enjoys making images - is responding to the mystic that lives within each of us. In short, my photography is an expression of my mystical nature. Your photography is a result of the artist within. Her photograph is an attempt to re-unite the universe. His photographs bring him (and those who view the images) a smidgen closer to his original source, and as such are works made by mystics. All joyous photographers are artists, and all artists are mystics.
Understanding the nature of mysticism has freed me to pursue my work with more conviction, joy, and feeling of purpose. In Part II of his book, Fox outlines twenty-one "running, experiential" definitions of mysticism. At least half of them have direct relevance to us photographers, and explain what on earth we are doing on earth.
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The Ganges, India
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Let's immerse ourselves for a moment in some of these definitions. The mystic, says Fox, is involved in making connections, "by means of symbols, stories and myths, music and colors, form and ritual" (p. 51). The artist is by definition a maker of connections, and therefore a mystic. That's all I needed to see on my photographer's license. We are all artists. Let's art! Let's photograph that which amazes us. "Awesome" is a word much in vogue, borrowed from exuberant members of the younger generation. Great. Let's use it. To experience awe is the prerequisite to powerful nature photography, and as Fox relates, is the beginning of amazement. It was Einstein who said: "mysticism is being able to wonder, marvel, and be rapt in awe" (p. 51). Knowing this gives me permission to nurture my amazement, to leave the camera in my bag and fully experience a new place - to allow me to be a child again and discover the newness of an old place or the inherent familiarity of a new place. To develop your sense of amazement as a photographer, first allow the colors, textures, and the shapes to entice your senses, thereby giving yourself permission to have a sensuous experience, and then attempt to portray those sensations on film. The prospect of making evocative photographs will be enticing as a consequence of this deeper involvement with your subject matter.
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Yukon, Canada
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Mystics, says Matthew Fox, are self critical (p.53). By this he means that they depend totally on the self-evaluation of their actions and values, rather than relying on the approval or disapproval of others. When was the last time someone told you that you that you are divine? You are divine but you don't need to hear it from me or anyone else, nor do you need to be told that you can make images that are meaningful and important to you. Even though you appreciate being told these things, your life isn't contingent on them. You can call your own shots, photographically and personally, recognizing that you own the blessing, which resides within you. As you recognize and trust your own divinity, you will also feel yourself as part of the world divinity. The world will no longer contain sacred places, but instead will become a sacred place, and your desire to improve and protect it will grow accordingly. Caring for the earth, for your fellow human beings, and for yourself will become one and the same. Your photographs will reflect that caring.
Another of Matthew Fox's definitions is "heart-knowledge" (p. 53). Trust your impulses and learn to heed your inner voice. Before I was attacked and beaten with clubs in the town square in Chamula, Mexico, something told me not to proceed with my camera. I didn't listen to that inner wisdom, and suffered brutal consequences. Now I am more apt to listen!
I have long felt that we all have the capacity to tap wisdom inherent in each of us, a knowledge we can trust that would seem to originate from a spiritual well, rather than one acquired through academic learning. Perhaps it is through our attempt to be in tune with the great natural world around us, and in pursuing images of our own universe, that we discover our pipeline to this spiritual reservoir.
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Fox's book has been profound for me because it has affirmed so much that I already suspected but did not trust that I know. I have always tried to be playful in my photography, to be childlike in my approach to exploring the natural world. Then Matthew Fox comes along and states: " a mystic is a child at play -- the mystic within us is the child within us" (p. 61). No need to apologize for playing. Just enjoy it all the more and take your camera along to record the fun!
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New Zealand
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Another definition I have enjoyed is what Fox calls "psychic Justice" (p. 62). By involving ourselves at an emotional level rather than exercising our powers of reason, we bring about harmony and balance to our brains, bodies, and psyches. For us that means that not only does photography exemplify the business of the mystic, but it also acts to enhance our mystical being. We experience balance and harmony when we make exquisitely beautiful images, and in doing so, we nurture our souls. Photography is then elevated from a pleasant pastime to a crucially important growth process. No wonder we feel so fulfilled after a good session with the camera!
What about the realization that there are no sacred places -- only a planet that is all sacred? No problem. Many people still don't realize any of it is sacred, so why not introduce the notion a little at a time? We'll show them a few " very sacred" places, then drop the big surprise on them once they are halfway prepared! On my travels I certainly have found some places sacred to me, but none more so than on pages 35-37 in The Coming of the Cosmic Christ. It was my bible throughout my world pilgrimage, and has helped this nomadic boy to find ecstasy on a regular basis. Thank you Matthew Fox for the affirmation. You have made an awesome gift to photography.
