Paul Cecil, 1992
The Dreamachine was devised by Brion Gysin, artist, traveller, writer and alchemist. An English-born painter, Gysin had the distinction of being expelled from the Surrealists by Breton only to emerge as the seminal influence who introduced William Burroughs to the use of cut-ups in writing. He remains today one of the unsung prophets of the 20th century, a master magician whose methods can be applied by anyone, in any time, and in any place.
The Dreamachine arose from his observations of the effects of passing rapidly through a vale of trees, the flickering sunlight causing him to enter an altered state of consciousness. The effect is familiar to anyone who has driven along tree-lined avenues.
The potency of flicker was known to North African tribesmen who entered trance states via the rapid movement of their hands and fingers across their closed eyes, heads tilted towards the Sun. With the current vogue for high-technology brain-machines at an unparalleled height, the original concept as developed by Brion Gysin and his collaborator Ian Sommerville is a welcome reminder that although technology advances, the conceptual base for interior research is as ancient as the Sun and the trees. The dreamachine's beauty is in its simplicity, and in its ecologically sound construction which requires no more than a sheet of card and the recycling of a redundant record player.
Users of the Dreamachine have referred to it as a drug-free trip, with the emphasis on inward travel into one's own dream state. The Dreamachine Plans are literally a passport to this domain; and for once there are no customs posts to pass, no police barriers to break down, no laws to transgress. It is simply a voyage of unrestricted exploration.
We build our own knowledge. This is as ancient a Truth as the Art itself. The Dreamachine Plans enable you to engage in just such a process. Through the simple process of drawing out the design, obtaining an old 78 r.p.m. record deck, and constructing the machine, you imbue your machine with your self, shaping its final form and understanding its inner construction. You are creating a magic mirror: all that has changed are the tools.
To make best use of the Dreamachine it is best to set it up so that you can sit comfortably (and well balanced) with your face close to the centre of the column. Music can be played, but try to avoid music with words. Words are names that call us back. The point of the Dreamachine is to travel. Other experiments include whispering into the machine as it spins round. Listen as the words are cut-up, as you get back not what you put in.
The Dreamachine is probably the first visual device to be viewed with closed eyes. What we want to see is inside. Don't worry if you generally find that visualization exercises leave you cold. The Dreamachine won't. A kaleidoscope of light will undoubtedly appear, and slowly turn into living pictures that tell you your story. The instructions are simple, so close your eyes and enter the visual world of the Dreamachine.
(originally published under the name Karl Eden)
