
This tape has the effect of drawing attention to a certain quality of experience. What follows is a guided tour of various spaces and situations one may encounter in the Bardos usually in the third stage just prior to rebirth. The intention here is to enable one to identify the bardo and rebirth spaces through recognition. Also discussed are suggested dos and don'ts for obtaining a good rebirth, and the real nature of the "boogie man."
The talk explores recurring dreamlike experiences or metaphysical states that resemble a cycle of rebirth or transit. Using surreal and symbolic settings such as an old Grand Hotel, an abandoned department store, and a deceptive recruitment station, the speaker describes a journey through these places where choices subtly decide one's fate. The discussion touches upon concepts of fear, submission to control, the illusion of choice, and the nature of consciousness and rebirth.
The speaker narrates a series of surreal, symbolic events that appear to represent an underlying metaphysical journey, possibly linked to cycles of life, death, and rebirth. This journey is presented as a string of interconnected dreamlike locations, each offering choices that determine the traveler's direction.
Starting with an airplane trip that leads to post-apocalyptic chaos, the talk details encounters with ominous figures (such as the "black gang"), deceptive recruitment centers, mazelike department stores, and vast, mythical landscapes. The Grand Hotel is a prominent setting where guests are subtly funneled toward rebirth by engaging in parties or accepting food. Similarly, department stores and marketplaces entice individuals to metaphorically "try on" new identities, leading to reincarnation.
Recurrent themes include stairways and escalators that dictate movement, gateways that seal fate, and entities that silently guide or mislead. Fear and curiosity are presented as primary forces pushing individuals toward entrapment, while cunning and detachment emerge as potential strategies for navigating through these transitions.
A layer of metaphysical skepticism is introduced, suggesting that physical existence itself is a dream-like transit state, and true awareness requires both recognition of these patterns and active resistance against unconscious submission to them.
A surrealist metaphysical landscape with towering staircases leading nowhere, a grand decayed hotel on the edge of reality, flickering neon signs indicating "Rebirth" in multiple languages, shadowy figures wearing stocking masks lurking near doorways, a distorted department store filled with empty clothing mannequins, and an underground archive holding endless shelves of dusty books with glowing, unreadable titles. The color palette is eerie, featuring deep blues, worn golds, and flickering reds, evoking an atmosphere of lost time and existential mystery.