August 17, 2007
I decided this week I wanted to write about Global Synchronization Events since the 38th anniversary of Woodstock is Aug. 15-17.
The term Global Synchronization Event was coined by Jose Arguelles, philosopher and creator of the 1987 Harmonic Convergence. In essence, it means an event that happens on the planet that catches the attention of millions of people, thus synchronizing consciousness at a single given moment. Most of these events have been musical in nature and usually try to bring about a higher understanding of an idea — for example, feeding the poor, coexisting peacefully, or raising awareness of climate change.
Woodstock was probably the first of these kinds of events. Although it wasn't televised while it was happening, it was being talked about by millions across the world and has been watched endlessly since it became a movie in 1970. The 400,000 people gathered there on Max Yasgur's 600-acre dairy farm managed to live, love and play in relative harmony with few mishaps for three full days and nights in the sometimes-pouring rain.
I was 19 years old at the time and wishing I could be there, as I watched musicians like Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and Crosby, Stills, and Nash appear on "The Dick Cavett Show" in New York City on their way in or out of the tiny rural town of Bethel, N.Y.
There is an article in last week's New York Times announcing 'A Beloved Woodstock Nation Site Goes on Sale, for $8 Million.' Yes, Yasgur's farm is now on the market to the highest bidder.
In July 1985, Live Aid was televised around the world to over 100 countries, and 1.5 billion viewers watched the live broadcast. Now that's Global Synchronization. This time I was lucky enough to attend. My brother lived outside of Philly, so two friends and I flew in and witnessed the 18-hour event that occurred on two continents simultaneously. It was thrilling for me to be a part of the 90,000 people at JFK Stadium and see some of my favorite bands of all time. The event raised millions of dollars to help feed the starving in Ethiopia.
Twenty years later in 2005, Live 8 was the Global Synchronization Event for the masses. Planned to coincide with the G8 Summit in Scotland and run in eight countries and Africa, these shows were designed to put pressure on world leaders to drop the debt of the world's poorest nations and "Make Poverty History." This event wasn't about the money, but to raise awareness, the tickets were free.
A lot of the same artists performed at Live 8 as at Live Aid, like Sting, Madonna, U2, David Bowie, Paul McCartney, The Who, and many more, with the big musical highlight being the reunion of the original members of Pink Floyd for the first time in 24 years. It was broadcast live on TV (not the greatest coverage) and streamed live in its entirety on the Internet and witnessed by millions of people.
Our most recent event for global consciousness was Live Earth, just a few weeks ago. Organized by Al Gore, this series of concerts was intended to bring awareness to combat climate change and encourage environmentally sustainable living. Once again 150 artists performed in 11 countries around the world and was telecast to billions via radio, television and the Internet.
These events do bring together an enormous amount of people, if only for a few hours. I would like to think that this experience brings about a better world for us all to live in, when all minds become one mind and we synchronize in higher thinking, music, peace, and love.
Until next time, rock on and be excellent to each other.
Comments
bornin1955 (anonymous) says...
I spent most of the day watching Live Earth and was impressed by the magnitude of the event. I hope the kids watching and in attendance came away with more than ringing ears and t-shirts.
August 17, 2007 at 10:51 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Post a comment
Commenting requires registration.