There's nothing quite like spending hours rubbing vinegar and lemon juice over the clothing and camping gear you hope to remove Playa dust from. Yet on the long ride from Gerlach to Los Angeles, I felt kinship to the cars and RVs I passed plastered in white sand. Upon pulling up to my apartment, my neighbor asks, "Salt flats?" I laugh, responding, "Burning Man." She says, "Ah."
'Nuff said.
The annual ritual known as Burning Man probably had 60,900 meanings for everyone in attendance this year. But my second sojourn to the festival in the desert verified what I recalled from my first: This is the most widespread example that America has at consciously creating a modern mythology. Myths have always had conscious and unconscious elements -- the ritual is consciously constructed, but what happens within the container of the construction is anyone's guess. This is the empty space where magic happens.
To dive further into this idea, I'd like to use Joseph Campbell's four functions of a mythology to show how beyond a party and getting f'd up in the desert, Burning Man is a mythology in the making, creating a social order relevant to our time, right now, 2012 America.
The Mystical Function
Campbell's first requirement was that mythology must inspire awe in the universe. Modern America was built on biblical desert mythologies, even if most Americans would want to do anything but live in such an environment today. Standing in the middle of the Playa -- the art-driven center of the camp -- at 2 a.m., whipping yourself around to find a perfect circumference of lights, mutant vehicles and sound systems the size of midtown Manhattan clubs is, to say the least, awe-inspiring. All mythologies were created by humans; I hope we're evolved enough to understand that no god rushed down from wherever to "give" a human some special message. Therefore, what really matters is imagination. Burning Man is a safe space to fully explore and share your creative edge. Seeing what 60,000 humans can create in the span of a week, only to be destroyed (explained later), is more mystical to the human mind than reading stories of a man who might have done this or that thousands of years ago.
The Cosmological Function
Campbell's second function was that a mythology had to explain the shape of the universe. Obviously, we've had many different shapes offered to us. The shape of Burning Man is impermanence, a principle deeply entwined with Buddhism. While the entire gathering has been written off as wasteful -- it is not cheap to attend; I spent $1,200 for six days -- the festival is a living example of what art and life can be when we move beyond the bottom line. Think about this: In the span of two weeks (including build and breakdown), a city is constructed, celebrated and deconstructed. This is the exact representation of the triune deities of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva in Indian mythology. Creation, destruction and, yes, sustainability; the ritual occurs yearly as an annual reminder of the transience of life, much like the Mexican myths of the corn goddess or the eternal return of Osiris. Theology teaches us the importance of the afterlife, which often serves as a way of not taking responsibility for the life we are living now; think of the anti-global warming furor of the GOP, for one example. When the man burns on Saturday evening, we are reminded not only of very old fire mythologies, designed to represent the impermanence of nature, but that we are part of an extremely long process that did not begin nor end with us. Celebrating the process for what it is defines our cosmological outlook.
The Sociological Function
Once we understand that nothing in nature lasts, we are free to design our own social order in accordance with that process. The sociological function validates this. This year I camped at Fractal Nation, where the mayor, Charles Shaw, believes that Burning Man is "post-apocalyptic training." He went on to state that it's not some biblical apocalypse he's invoking, but rather the process of watching what's going on around us: a crumbling economy, a split government and a cultural anxiety unseen in American history, save maybe when we began stealing this land from its former inhabitants. Survival skills are necessary in such an imagined society. No one sees the physical Burning Man as a sustainable culture -- it's an inspirational, creative tool to use when you return to "life," much like any mythology we've invented. The importance lies in not seeing the gathering as a dogma, instead treating it as an ever-evolving culture that, by definition, demands "radical inclusiveness." Forget the 99%/1% battle, and imagine a culture where everyone's voice is honored, everyone's art at the very least seen.
The Pedagogical Function
The fourth is most interesting in terms of Burning Man: how to live under any circumstances. This function carries humans through all stages of life, from birth and childhood to adulthood and beyond. Most importantly, it deals with teaching us how live with integrity. The function is designed to teach people how to realize themselves. Burning Man is a valuable container for such exploration. In my yoga classes, I often remind people that they are in a safe space to explore their psychological and emotional processes. Yet, inhibitions remain -- it is a local studio, and mores exist. Those are thrown off the building at Burning Man. The two times in which I attended, 2007 and 2012, I was in very different states of mind. Both times I was able to process and, more importantly, integrate what I had experienced with support and encouragement.
During his talk at Fractal Nation, author Daniel Pinchbeck invited audience members to share their feelings on how the evolution of consciousness is taking place. His one requirement was that no one spoke of it in negative terms, and he cut off any speaker who launched into what reality isn't. While there's nothing wrong with criticism, being able to define how consciousness is evolving, which will inherently be how your consciousness is evolving, in purely positive terms allows you to imagine a reality you want to create, that you are excited about taking part in. What a beautiful process.
As one teacher of mine always remarks, how we do anything is how we do everything. Having a community support our progress and creativity on such a scale is unlike anything America is experiencing. Ritual is a human function; it will appear whether or not we consciously create it. To be involved in actively engaging with a festival devoted to impermanence is more valuable than grappling with a theology that demands a sacrifice of integrity in submission of false ideas. The only idea that matters is the one we create and live with our fullest and most uninhibited expression. This is how the mythologies we invent define us, and how we live our mythology without fear.
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The Man burns on the playa at Burning Man on the Black Rock Desert near Gerlach, Nev. on Friday August 31, 2012. (AP Photo/Andy Barron, Reno Gazette Journal)
People walk toward the temple at Burning Man near Gerlach, Nev., on the Black Rock Desert on Friday Aug. 31, 2012. (AP Photo/The Reno Gazette-Journal, Andy Barron)
A man with a creature mask walks the playa at Burning Man on the Black Rock Desert near Gerlach, Nev. on Friday Aug. 31, 2012. (AP Photo/Reno Gazette-Journal, Andy Barron)
Burning Man
Artist Kirsten Berg cleans her art work on the playa at Burning Man on the Black Rock Desert near Gerlach, Nev. on Friday Aug. 31, 2012. (AP Photo/Reno Gazette-Journal, Andy Barron)
An old wooden yacht art car rolls through the playa at Burning Man on the Black Rock Desert near Gerlach, Nev. on Friday Aug. 31, 2012 on Friday Aug. 31, 2012. (AP Photo/Reno Gazette-Journal, Andy Barron)
A woman walks toward the man on a dust afternoon at Burning Man on the Black Rock Desert on Friday, Aug. 31, 2012. (AP Photo/Reno Gazette-Journal, Andy Barron)
People gather around an art intallation at Burning Man in the Black Rock Desert near Gerlach, Nev. on Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Reno Gazette-Journal, Andy Barron)
Burning Man
People gather at the temple on Wednesday morning at Burning Man on the Black Rock Desert near Gerlach, Nev. on Aug. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Reno Gazette-Journal, Andy Barron)
Burning Man
An art piece named La Llorona rests on the playa at Burning Man on Wednesday morning Aug. 29, 2012 near Gerlach, Nev. (AP Photo/Reno Gazette-Journal, Andy Barron)
Burning Man
Burners ride their bicycle through the streets of Burning Man near Gerlach, Nev. on Aug. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Reno Gazette-Journal, Andy Barron)
Burning Man
A young women hula hoops on top of bus while a band play music next to her at Burning Man near Gerlach, Nev. on Aug. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Reno Gazette-Journal, Andy Barron)
Burning Man
A band play music on top of a bus at Burning Man near Gerlach, Nev. on Aug. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Reno Gazette-Journal, Andy Barron)
Burning Man
Stephanie King of Little Rock, Ark. hula hoops to the music of a band playing near her at Burning Man near Gerlach, Nev. on Aug. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Reno Gazette-Journal, Andy Barron)
Dust Storm on the Playa, 2012
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Sunrise behind the Man, 2012
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TutuTuesday, 2012
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Love at Sunrise, 2012
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Ego Sculpture, Burning Man, 2012
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El Pulpo Mecanico
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Mobile disco lights
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Dancing the burn away.
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Temple at sunset
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/forkfly"><img style="float:left;padding-right:6px !important;" src="http://s.huffpost.com/images/profile/user_placeholder.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/forkfly">forkfly</a>:<br />The dust made the sunsets spectacular. Choosing between the dozens of temple shots I took wasn't easy.
Another shot of the temple
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Child's Play
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All aboard!
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/forkfly"><img style="float:left;padding-right:6px !important;" src="http://s.huffpost.com/images/profile/user_placeholder.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/forkfly">forkfly</a>:<br />My favorite art car on the playa this year.
Rumors of a dustpocalyse were highly overrated.
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/forkfly"><img style="float:left;padding-right:6px !important;" src="http://s.huffpost.com/images/profile/user_placeholder.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/forkfly">forkfly</a>:<br />
My fiancee trying on the world's largest skirt.
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Boom goes the man!
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Firedevils dancing around the man.
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Burn Wall Street
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Bike Eating Face
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Safety Third
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Sunrise At The Temple
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Silvi Sunrise
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Inside of The Temple of Juno
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Reversed Roles
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tall conversation
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Hug Deli
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The Man Burns
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the man, burning in faces
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The Temple
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The Temple at Burning Man
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Entrance to the Temple at Burning Man
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The Temple at Night
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Playa Photo Shoot
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The Temple at Night
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Bikes
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Inside the Temple at Night
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Burner Bikes
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Shaman Tent
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Diety
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Follow Derek Beres on Twitter:
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Maybe one day I will be able to burn it with you...
Now, I wanted to address something you stated in your response to the nay-sayer and perhaps a point that I'm missing in your argument.
"Never once did I mention spiritual enlightenment above, and that has nothing to do with what I'm discussing"
So that brings me to my question: How is spiritual enlightenment not part of mythology? Excuse my lack of knowledge of the term "mythology" perhaps, but as I began researching Joseph Campbell (because of your post indeed) I am under the impression that Mythologies are a way of guiding us through spiritual enlightenment and understanding. Do you shy away from that over used term? Or are you differentiating between the individual's experience, and the collective acting as a story and/or concept for a mythology?
I'd love to get an understanding of your take on what mythology is, because your knowledge is greater then mine.
Lastly, I'd like to thank you for writing this as it has sparked an interest in my for further exploration!
Cass
Enjoy, life is very short!!!
When I went for the second time, in 2001, I was at center camp on the last day with my camp mates having fun when I suddenly noticed something statistically quite improbable: Every single person I saw was stunningly beautiful. Radiant. There were over a hundred people in this space.
This is what made me aware, for the first time, that there is something else going on at burning man (I had not taken any drugs all week, by the way): At the end of the burn, everyone is in a different state of mind, one where their true being shines through - and as promised by various spiritual books, this inner being is a creature of beauty. At the same time, I was more attuned to seeing everyone as they really are.
This has happened on every burn I have been to since, and apart from all the art, the amazing experiences one can only find on the playa, this is the one constant. Not everyone becomes enlightened - but every one person is moved along the path to a higher awareness during this festival.
Also while the man does burn (which isn't even the biggest burn, that would be the Temple but perhaps you didn't even stay until Sunday night), much of the art and certainly all the infrastructure is reused from year to year. If anything the event is about trying to have the least impact possible on the playa not about just destroying stuff.
i wish that you find your spiritual burning man one day. lifted spirits have nothing to do with beliefs. if anything they're the opposite.
love n.
So anyone who has experienced something Derek here has not, is not evolved enough. Nice.
Since you provide no argument, or evidence - why need anyone do anything more than expose the arrogance of your statement?
This is not entirely accurate, and discounts the incredible amounts of hard work performed by Burning Man's Department of Public Works (DPW). They're the surly black-clad sweethearts who show up as much as two months before the event begins, and are there for weeks after all the attendees have gone home, who build the city infrastructure from the ground up and stay after to remove all signs of those who haven't yet fully grokked the important "Leave No Trace" principle.