Tuning Out For A Few Moments
A Pagan Opinion 10/01/02
by R. A. Melos


Sometimes you've just got to tune out. It comes to each of us in different ways. Some of us tune out by turning off the television, and the radio, all electronic devices, going outdoors and embracing nature. Others of us tune out by leaving nature for the vibrant pulse of the city, embracing the energy of life moving through the streets and buildings while enjoying the ebb and flow of the universal pull.

Still others of us are more balanced in our natures tune out to lesser degrees, mellowing in the silence of the evening sky as it turns from blue to purple to black. The stars twinkle to life before our eyes, lights of distant worlds, allowing us to absorb the overall universal energy which surrounds us and is part of us, regenerating within us during these times of tuning out.

What drives us to a tune out?

Tuning out is the result of the inevitable intake of too much information feeding into our senses from outside sources. Our minds are continuously registering this information in different ways, flooding us with sights, sounds, tastes, smells, feelings, and we can only process so much. We reach a point when there is just too much.

The weather is too cold, or too warm. It's raining too much, or it's too dry. The day is too long, or too short, or you feel too short tempered and the people you have to contend with in your daily lives are too stupid.

Those are just some of the reasons for tuning out. It's better to tune out than to burn out, yet many people hold out for the burn out. Now more than ever people need to tune out from the overabundance of anger, hate, and chaos in the world. We are bombarded every day by news of war, a desire for retribution, and ignorance which permeates the very air we breath.

This is a time to stop and become the roses. I'm not just talking about smelling them on our way, but take the time out to contemplate the petals, the colors, the wonder of the flower. If roses aren't your thing, take time out to contemplate the skyscraper. Observe its height, its majesty in the skyline, the glass and stone and concrete which went into its building materials. The whole point here is to become one with something other than yourself.

This simple act will open you up to the energy of the universe, allowing it to flow through you, more so than it does, cleansing away the negativity which bombards us daily. The best thing about this simple exercise is that you don't have to reach a meditative state to do it. It doesn't take a long time, and you can do it wherever you happen to be at the moment.

I also recommend cleansing baths, and chakra alinement. A reiki session or two can do wonders for you, and if you're not into any of this, simply go home, put on a CD of your favorite upbeat music, light a few candles, turn out the lights and groove to the tunes. Sometimes tuning out involves tuning in. Whatever your method of freeing up your mind and soul for a few minutes, I suggest you all do it, and do it tonight. Tomorrow is another day of bombardment of your more delicate senses, and it isn't likely to let up much over the next few months, so take your moments when you can get them.

Yeah, yeah, I know, gather ye rosebuds. Well, the truth is, I'm not into roses. I personally like the music and candles.

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