Nocturnal Transmissions

Night falls.

The stars, too numerous to count, awaken the imagination, and the demons come out.

Perhaps, the nocturnal lack of light triggers a chemical paradigm shift in the mind. Cholinergeric tropane alkaloids flood the brain, blurring the lines between reality and dreams. Melatonine tryptamine alkaloids drive the brain into states of consciousness where the fantastic becomes real. Perhaps...

At night, the phantoms of the imagination are unleashed, and anything becomes possible. Ghosts walk the earth, demons hide in the corners, and nightmares take on new life.

At night, stars become constellations. Constellations become map signs; map signs become gods.

During the day, we work and play. Plants are harvested for food and medicine. Money is made. We plan wars, build nuclear weapons, and prepare for the future. But at night, all bets are off. At night, we must confront our darkest dreams. At night, we must confront the horrors of thought. At night, we are vulnerable, mortal, and profoundly aware of that thin line between sanity and insanity, dreams and reality.

What is it about the night that reaches down into our very souls to stir that which we have struggled so desperately to hide in the light of day?

For most, the night is a time for seeking safety, shelter, and sleep. For the few, the night is when meaning becomes tangible, or rather, so intangible so as to beg for intimate contact. I am one of the few seekers of the night. For me, life is obtuse until night falls. At night, reality becomes clear.

Is it the nocturnal neurotransmitters? Is it that daring spirit that challenges fate to demand that there is more to this life than just walking in the light?

Who knows? All I know is that we will never know unless we venture forth and explore the realms of the nocturnal mind. For it is in these realms that our darkest, most ancient secrets lay hidden to define our very being.