LZ Episode 021: Mitochondrial Eve @ Burning Man 2013
The Levity Zone features the third and final 2013 Burning Man talk held at the Palenque Norte tent in Camp Soft Landing, Dr. Bruce takes up the vitally important theme of the re-balancing of the feminine in the world as a force to re-center the course of our crazily careening civilization. Dive into this fanciful yet provokative story, based partly on profound new scientific discoveries yes mostly drawn out of the imagination, Follow the life of one of the most important figures in our deep human prehistory: a woman known as: Mitochondrial Eve, the true mother of us all. Is she now on her return? Dr. Bruce supplements his own creative license with well founded excerpts from scholar William Irwin Thompson, find his talk here on Civilization and the Displacement of the Feminine. Credits: Dr. Bruce Damer (presenting, editing), William Irwin Thompson (excerpts), hiddenpath (music – from his album Trinumeral), Jacob Aman (art). [released 15 January 2014]
A Voice from the Zone
From Rachel AF on 19 Feb 2014:
Hi Bruce! I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed your podcast Mitochondrial Eve, and I thought I would just share some thoughts that I had while listening.
Even if the science was incorrect like one of the men in the audience said, I think that Mitochondrial Eve still works very well as an analogy for the way patriarchy conducts itself in the world. I do feel Mitochondrial Eve within me, and Ayahuasca definitely helped me to move more into the direction of that female understanding and strength. I believe that many women as well as many men behave and think in a more ignorant masculine state since current mainstream culture teaches from such an ignorant patriarchal point of view. Having said that there is a big change going on, there seems to be a lot more people breaking out of that kind of thinking than there were in the 2000’s. Once we start deconstructing our conditioning we are able to work through so many of the struggles in our lives. Education is the key to this, so thank you for spreading knowledge! The tale of Mitochondrial Eve will surely help others break through their conditioning.
During the comments section after the talk the one man’s particular reaction reminded me that I’ve noticed many men have an aggressive gut reaction to discussions about feminism and women’s rights, as if they believe that something will be taken away from them if true gender equality were to happen. The same can be said for many white people’s reaction to the potential for true racial equality. It seems that many men are afraid of losing their sense of power, and I think it is their fear that often drives them to hurt the world on such a huge scale. I know that the time I am most likely to hurt someone is when I am acting out of fear and the ignorance it creates. If we want to do what is right we really must look truth in the eye, and I believe that the people running countries and multi billion dollar companies are really too afraid to look truth in the eye… which brings me to a dream I had last night. In the dream was Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He was sitting at a table I was at with some other people and in tears I demanded that he tell me why he was doing such heartless and horrendous things. He said to me ‘Listen. I am afraid of this life.’
Anyway I just felt like sharing all of that! I hope you have a wonderful day and I can’t wait to listen to more podcasts.