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ive senses to a deeper, more profound sense, as ina ___ the typical 15 to 18 hours a day | spent studying. At the unity between my physicality and the physicality of the time, most of my physical activity consisted of rock- world around me. Similarly, in deep meditative states climbing, as I would typically start my morning with a and moments of rapture, a profound sense of unity with sunrise climb after some time meditating or I would get he material world around and inside of me seemed to __ out of the van at sunset for a little fresh air and a quick ake place. The question then was: what are the multi-pitch climb to get my blood flowing. Since I was mechanics of the apparent feedback between me, the __ usually alone, these climbs mostly consisted of free solos observer, and the material world, andis there a medium _(no protective gear) where, once again, | was free from hat makes the connection between all things possible —_ having to worry about companions and their well-being. in order to produce unification? At the fine edge of these experiences, where any In order to answer these questions appropriately, | mistake would surely result in the obvious outcome of a ad to conduct, on the one hand, an in-depth study of body falling through space being rudely arrested by the he physics of our world and, on the other hand, a study ground, | could get into that zone where, however of the mores (the customs and ritual practices) of | extreme the experience of reality was, there was a various societies that could reveal a deeper complete sense of comfort, a sense of absolute trust, of understanding of the relationship between the observer harmony with all of nature and complete relaxation— and the material world. In my mind, both were equally and that stuff was addictive. I was in love with nature, important, although the task of studying both in and it felt like nature was in love with me. parallel, which encompassed distinctly remember moments fields ranging from applied when my cheek was glued to the physics to cosmology and face of sheer rock-walls, with the quantum mechanics as well as exposure of a few thousand feet archaeology, psychology and These moments often unravelling below me, and | was spirituality, seemed brought on trance-like gazing at teeny crystals insurmountable. Therefore, it . . glistening in the rising Sun and was with great procrastination states in which I would thinking about the molecules and reluctance that | finally and atoms and subatomic abandoned my professional completely lose track of particles that make up those careers in the sports industry to my whereabouts... crystals. Where did they begin, and where did they end? After energy to the studies necessary all, these crystals | was climbing in order to begin answering were part of a larger crystal, a some of these questions. large geode called the Earth, This led to a prolonged, isolated period of my life, | and the Earth was part of a solar system, and the solar when I lived in a van with a bare minimum necessary to _ system was part of a galaxy, and the galaxy was part of a survive, living the simplest life possible in order to cluster of galaxies, which was most likely part of a dedicate every second of my day (and many nights) to supercluster, and so on. Furthermore, every crystal was he study of these various fields. Still, to this day, made out of millions and millions of molecules, and consider those times as some of the most wonderful, | each molecule was made out of atoms, and these atoms productive and mystical times of my life. I was were made out of subatomic particles, and so on. Was completely free—free of telephones, appointments and it appropriate to think that the Universe ended interactions with the outside world. I was completely | somewhere, whether on the infinitely large scale or on ree to think whatever | wanted to think, to study _ the infinitely small scale? whatever I wanted to study and to move wherever These moments often brought on trance-like states in wanted to move, as all I had to do was put the key into — which | would completely lose track of my whereabouts he ignition, press on the gas pedal and I was and either dive down the rabbit hole into the molecular instantaneously relocating. My home was wherever structure of these crystals or expand into galactic and parked, and I was fortunate enough to be in some of the __ universal structures, imagining and contemplating. most beautiful and remarkable natural environments on our planet. From the alpine meadows of British | A Matter of Scale dedicate all of my time and Columbia and Alberta, Canada, to the high deserts o From the study of the physics | was conducting and he American Southwest and everything in between, from various discoveries | had made in exploring my spent many months in communion with the natura internal experience, | realised that if we were truly to world while in deep contemplation of its physics and o look for a complete picture of the dynamics and he relationship between this physics and my mechanics that produce both the material world and the observations of it. observer that experiences it, the model would have to I continued a routine of physical activities to balance __ be based on an infinite relationship of scales. brought on trance-like states in which I would | completely lose track of my whereabouts... A Matter of Scale From the study of the physics | was conducting and from various discoveries I had made in exploring my internal experience, I realised that if we were truly to look for a complete picture of the dynamics and mechanics that produce both the material world and the observer that experiences it, the model would have to be based on an infinite relationship of scales. 42 * NEXUS JUNE - JULY 2010 These moments often www.nexusmagazine.com