Burning Time
Time moves in one direction, burning the ephemeral present to generate the ashes of the past that drift as imperfect memories through our fogged minds.
Every moment presents a choice that enables us to decide how to spend the next. We direct our future in this way, musing whether the collection of momentary decisions summed as worthy. Beings enslaved by ever-present thoughts of a finite existence ponder whether an endeavor was worth the time allocated to it. Through this review, we decide if additional time investment is warranted.
This site endeavors to share perspectives to better inform time investment decisions that pertain to human connection experiences facilitated by festival-like gatherings.
All humans seek meaning in life as they grope for validation and fight to possess and control everything within their grasp. When rewarded with convergence, the mind logs it as transformation. Thus begins the addictive loop common to human interaction: an automatic hook that compels denial and demands allegiance in hope of retaining or advancing transformative rewards.
In the classic movie “The Wizard of Oz,” strangers become friends as they navigate a whimsical alternate reality. They seek the all-powerful Oz as the only entity capable of solving their problems. The awe-inspiring journey concludes with an intimidating display that dashes their hopes when the all-powerful Oz shuns them. In their fit of disappointment, a curtain is discovered. Behind the curtain, a man, bumbling with levers that control his massive stage and avatar. “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain,” he directs the avatar to say.
Busted and outed, the man confesses that Oz is his fabrication; a trick. Oz denied their requests because he wasn’t all powerful. With his cover blown, the man behind the curtain turns out to be a benevolent individual who teaches the friends that the power to achieve their goals has always been within them.
The point: in every reality, there’s always someone behind a curtain, often more than one.
This website is a navigational aid for awe-inspiring realities. We assemble information for the curious, explain components, call out failings, and lift the curtains hiding the operators in order to reveal their true nature.
Ignorance may be bliss–to a point. We’re more concerned about the cascading ignorance that fuels exploitation. Participate with your eyes wide open.
Disclaimer: This site explores Burning Man and ALT culture from participant and outsider perspectives; it is not in any way affiliated with the Burning Man Project, Burning Man Organization, or any Burning Man-sanctioned group or nonprofit such as the Black Rock Arts Foundation, Gerlach Holdings LLC, Black Rock Properties LLC, Black Rock Solar LLC, or Burners Without Borders.
The term “Burner” describes anyone who has attended Burning Man.