Gunky Funky
  • Blog
  • Projects
  • Writings
    • How and Why I Write
    • Short Quotes
    • Travel Stories >
      • Around the World >
        • Korea
        • Philippines
        • Hong Kong
        • Singapore
        • Retrospective
      • Europe >
        • London Disrupt 2014
        • London 1998 >
          • The Search for Drugs
          • The Ethics of Cities
          • The history of the London Underground
          • A Poem
        • Italy Corsica Amsterdam France
        • Paris in the Spring
      • North America >
        • Yucatan, Mexico
        • Jamiroquai in Mexico
        • Ayahuasca in Costa Rica
        • Fear and Laughter in the Pacific Northwest
        • Burning Flipside >
          • Flipside 2007
          • Flipside 2008
          • Dr Tikis Script
        • Super Bowl XL
      • Morocco 2003
      • Australia 2010
    • Technical Writings >
      • NIME 2013
      • ITT Tech Courses I Taught >
        • Java I
        • Java II
        • Software Application Programming
        • Scripting and Web Authoring
      • Software Development Methodologies
      • Home Wine and Beer Making
    • Book Reviews >
      • The Miracle of Right Thought
      • The Source Field Investigations
      • The God Conspiracy
      • Chinese Health and Healing
    • Show Reviews >
      • Phish
      • Bonnaroo >
        • Bonnaroo I
        • Bonnaroo II
      • Skerik Syncopated Taint
      • Cleveland, Ohio >
        • Galactic 2006 Cleveland
        • Ernie Krivda
        • Medeski Martin and Wood >
          • MMW 2003
          • MMW 8-2005 Cleveland
      • Toast Tour 2009
    • College Musings >
      • Ethics Papers
      • The Story of Cybil and Charlotte
      • Full Circle or Straight Line
  • Music History
  • Infinite Creator

Free Will Test in a Cage Today...

4/17/2020

0 Comments

 
Picturecredit: jrmorann/unsplash
​In these unprecedented times of quarantines and curfews, the key factor of our human morality we are processing is that of "free will." Free Will is the most quintessential element of our existence here on planet earth. Of course, we all want free will for ourselves, and we have been generally given that. The bigger challenge for human existence is not asserting our own free will, but to only have free will up to the extent that it does not impinge upon the free will of others.

​It has been said that our primary mission in this existence as humans on this planet is a decision between "service to self" and "service to others." In the case of free will, many on this plane have mastered it in terms of "service to self." Unfortunately for them, this is a pyramid scheme, and only the true top 1% will succeed. On the other hand, in a world of "service to others," the system sustains itself if everyone is at least 51% service to others. The key is a balance to experience human life sustainably with the evolutionary goal of service to some higher purpose beyond that of your own physical body... or even gene pool or social circle.



Read More
0 Comments

My Second Ayahuasca Experience

7/17/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
It has been several years since I've visited Ma Ayahuasca, and this story was written back then, but not published until now. Interesting; I think it contains wisdom. Notably, "Humans don't exactly 'need' drugs like ayahuasca, but when we expose ourselves to the other drugs in our food and media, we become conditioned to the point where we may indeed need another drug to quickly break the conditioning..."

Nowadays, I say things like breathwork can help too.


Read More
0 Comments

Secrets to Create a Lucid Dream or Out of Body Experience

8/26/2018

0 Comments

 
PicturePhoto by averie woodard
I wrote this blog a while back to promote my Sleep album from Guided Meditation Treks. It sat on my hard drive for a while, and I've moved on to other albums since then, but I've still remained an avid lucid dreamer. These are the secrets I've uncovered in researching and experiencing this topic for many years. If you're not familiar with the concepts, a lucid dream is a dream where you know you are dreaming. Once you become lucid in a dream, you can become a conscious creator of it. Imagine yourself in a world where anything is possible – a world where the physics of earth do not apply. It’s not only a world where the repercussions of an action have no (known) physical consequences, but it’s also a world where you can have just about any experience delivered to you at will. As a lucid dreamer, it becomes possible for you to visit unimaginable places in your dream and even co-create the dream itself! An out of body experience is similar in that the steps to induce it are similar, but the difference is that your consciousness remains in some version of the physical reality instead of the dream world. Here are the secrets to go to these places!


Read More
0 Comments

On Writing (and editing) a memoir

7/22/2017

1 Comment

 

My New Book, Spin the World Around, is available now on Amazon

Picture
​At the end of my trip around the world through 24 countries, I found myself with a 750,000-word draft “travel book.” It was gargantuan. After months of editing, I realized I needed to split it into two books, and of course, continue editing. The first book was a guide for someone to travel deeply and cheaply entitled How to Spin the World Around. Now, I present a nonfiction narrative entitled Spin the World Around, in which the protagonist (me) essentially discovers the methodology of travel later outlined in the first book.

Picture
​The experience of writing a memoir has been a time-consuming process, and it taught me about how we can play with time. Just the other day, I was cleaning out my garage and I found a journal in a filing cabinet. I opened it to an entry I had written when I was in high school, and it was about the desire to travel the world for adventure. “I’m not afraid of death,” was one of the lines written in the journal entry. I hadn’t read this entry probably in decades, but I’m sure it’s no coincidence that the same line written in my high school journal was later said during a key moment by a person I met years later in this book I’m about to release – about my world travel adventure. Be careful what you wish for; I’m glad that’s behind me. Then, I realize that this book I’m about to release actually ended about 3 years ago, and the protagonist was not only growing and changing over the course of the book, but once the book ended, I continued to grow and and change. I realize and accept that I am no longer the person I was in this book, just as a river is ever-changing and never the same moment to moment. That said, capturing the river in a given moment with a photograph or a story is a worthwhile creative endeavor. Learning to look back at our past selves with compassion is also worth it.

Picture
​A certain amount of time was needed between the completion of the events and the manifesting of storyline omniscience. This allowed me to write a nonfiction narrative instead of just regurgitate a slew of chronological journal entries. Editing became key, as well as generating a story arc and developing a writing style. I worked with several editors and learned something from each of them. Before I even split to two books, I was encouraged to focus on action-based parts from the first editor. “More Action! Action! Action!” she’d write in the margins. The second editor was actually a writer who I paid up front through a proxy, but they never got back to me after they got paid. One guy offered to edit, but after reading the first chapter, he claimed to already know how it ended, so I knew I was in for another re-write.  The editor I ended up crediting on the title page spent the most time with me and made the most impact on the writing style. The entire process helped make me a better writer… and editor. The good editors would generate writing assignments for more writing to be further edited. This process could go on for infinity, but eventually I needed to let it go. I encourage everyone to write their own memoir, if only to learn about oneself through creating it and become a better writer (and editor). In the mean time, I hope you enjoy my story and find my message valuable.

​With that, I present to you – Spin the World Around. Available now.

1 Comment

Free 10-Day Meditation Course - Do It!

3/19/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
I've had my kundalini awakened by a Siddha Yogi in India, visited ma ayahuasca with shamans, participated in white tantric yoga, become certified in reikki and breathwork, worked with the akashic records, practiced guided and silent meditation for years, experienced lucid dreaming and out of body experiences, and even once spent a night in jail, but nothing could quite prepare me for my recent 10-day vipassana seminar near Dallas, Texas hosted by dhamma.org.

I have to say first-hand that it was a life-changing experience, and in great alignment with my philosophical beliefs. The retreat taught me a new way of meditating that has made it a great pleasure to meditate for long periods of time while sitting still; witnessing sensations arise and pass with objective equanimity has also led me to approach the world in a different way.

Since being back (it's been two weeks as I write this), I've been meditating twice a day, averaging at least 90 minutes of meditation per day, and in those times, really getting to know my body, mind, and senses, inside and out. This practice is one that I can see carrying on for a long time because it is so empowering, and it allows me to journey within myself for the answers by exploring sensations arising from within. As I continue to meditate daily, I can literally feel physical healing, and I am more able to connect with others to "be there" with an few extra moments to listen before letting my thoughts and sensations lead me to a hasty response. I've also totally lost interest in facebook debates, politics, and other argumentative divisive activities disguised as worthy philosophical discussion. In fact, reading some of my older posts on this site yesterday, I can see a growth in my thought processes. Certain things, which used to sometimes consume me, have just become irrelevant, and I don't even need to try to explain anymore. "Change starts from within" has a more genuine meaning to me now. I see a vibration shift, and I can see how this helps me focus on giving more time to positive contributions. The work continues, but it's been a great start.

Here is a blog I wrote about the retreat on my Guided Meditation Treks site with more details. I highly recommend that ANYONE gather the motivation, strength, and courage to take a 10-day retreat with Goenka. It will change your life... actually YOU will change your life! - READ MORE

0 Comments

¡Jamiroquai in Mexico!

2/28/2016

1 Comment

 
I originally published this article with Austin Daze back in 2013, but I've been seeing the images disappear on my original article, so I wanted to reprint the article here for eternity! Rumor has it, Jamiroquai is about to release a new album in 2016. This month marks the 3-year anniversary of their Latin America tour. Back in February of 2013, Jamiroquai played a show in Monterrey, Mexico. Local Austinites took a trip to give you this report:
PictureDowntown Monterrey
Usually, when I travel, the first thing that people say when I tell them where I’m going is, “Wow, that’s going to be awesome!” When I said we were going to Mexico to see Jamiroquai, the response was, “Be careful.”

Knowing that attitude is everything, my buddy JB and I figured embracing every moment with positive intentions and no fear would result in a great trip, and we’d be totally safe the entire time. With that, we drove to Laredo and ditched JB's car at Wal-Mart so we could take a cab to the bus station. By the border in downtown Laredo, bus companies abound, and each bus leaves at a different time. We meandered for 15 minutes, missing each by 5 minutes until we found one. We boarded it 3-hours direct to Monterrey. Though we saw a beater of a bus at the border that was worse, Greyhound was definitely not the nicest bus option. Ours was a luxury coach with only 2 other passengers, and the trip was only $25 each.


Read More
1 Comment

Turn Up Your Talk Radio

10/14/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
In 2015, I attended a publicity conference to learn how to land radio interviews, and since then, I've been going on the radio to talk about my projects and causes! Specifically, how to save money on cheap flights around the world, how to use social networks like Couchsurfing to meet locals and live with them for free, and how to travel mindfully. I've also done a couple of interviews about my Guided Meditation Treks project, and one about my silent disco project.

I love to do radio interviews because they help me verbally express ideas in a concise manner. The added pressure of a 'performance' situation has always helped me be at my best. Knowing that I have a limited timeframe and that potentially many people are listening, combined with the fact that I try to tape most of my interviews for eternity means that these narrow windows of communication have the potential to spread information and knowledge far and wide. Tuning into the brainwaves of a good radio host is also a great practice as well. Their penchant for brevity and packing lots of info in a short space to people with a limited attention span helps me to get my points across in the most efficient way possible. Here is a collection of radio interviews I've done to date:
  • Interviews on Travel: Spin the World Around
  • Interviews on Meditation: Guided Meditation Treks
  • One time when I called into the Alex Jones Show way back in the 00's
  • An interview on Meditation I did on a meditation podcast
  • Another interview about Meditation.
  • A recent travel interview.
  • An interview about Austin Silent Disco.

I love a good radio interview as part of a wider approach to getting the word out.

0 Comments

My First Book is Out!

5/22/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
After traveling the world for a year, living the life of a movie character, averaging under $100 for each of my flights, and living for free in the homes of locals through 24 countries, I wrote a "How To" book to teach everyone how they too can see the world on a shoestring budget while having rich experiences at the same time. This small book is an easy read, and it is loaded full of all the latest and greatest web sites, social networks, and travel apps to make your smartphone a personal travel agent. It also goes in depth about mindfulness strategies to help you go deeper on your next trip. Check out the press release from Spin the World Around. Or, just go straight to Amazon.com and get yourself a copy. Guaranteed you will save more money in a single transaction during your travels than you spend on this book.

0 Comments

    RSS Feed

    Russ

    Spin the World Around

      Contact Me

    Submit

    Categories

    All
    Ahaucha
    Airbnb
    Alaska
    Alto Sax
    Amazon
    And Fire
    Android
    Aparigraha
    Around The World
    Around The World Travel
    Asana
    Asia
    Asteya
    Astral Projection
    Audiotrip
    Austin
    Austin Silent Disco
    Authority
    Ayahuasca
    Ayahusca
    Baritone Sax
    Best Travel Blog
    Bhagavad Gita
    Bikram Yoga
    Binaural Beats
    Bitches
    Boulder
    Bramacharya
    Budget Travel
    Burning Flipside
    Burning Man
    Cajun
    Caning
    Caribbean
    Celtic Cross
    Central America
    Cheltenham
    Chicken Adobo
    China
    Chinese Food
    Christmas
    Cleansing
    Colorado
    Columbia
    Conspiracy Theory
    Coronavirus
    Corona Virus
    Costa Rica
    Couchsurfing
    Covid-19
    Crazy Dance
    Create Your Reality
    Daejeon
    Dave Brubeck
    Debate
    Denali
    Dharana
    Dhyana
    Dim Sum
    Disco
    Dmt
    Double Sax
    Dr. Tiki
    Earth
    Editing
    Emperador Light
    Empire Of The Sun
    Ethics
    Europe
    Facebook
    False Dichotomy
    Fantasy
    Fela
    Fela Kuti
    Flikr
    Flipside
    Fluoride
    Food Courts
    Forgetting
    Free
    Free Will
    Funky
    Galactic Signature
    Gangnam Style
    Girdwood
    Goenka
    Groceries
    Guided Meditation Treks
    Guru
    Gymnastics
    Hatha Yoga
    Headphone Concert
    HEB
    Higher Self
    Hinduism
    Holiday Lettings
    Honey White
    Hong Kong
    Imgr
    Incline
    Inside Job
    Instagram
    Ios
    Ishvarapranidhana
    Jamiroquai
    Japan
    Java
    Javascript
    Jazzfest
    Job Search
    Jp Sears
    Judgement
    Juice Cleanse
    Jungle
    Kali Uchis
    Karma
    King Crimson
    King Super 20
    King Zephyr
    Kiss And Tell
    Korea
    Kundalini
    Labels
    Lamma Island
    Later
    Latin America
    Law Of One
    London
    Lucid Dreaming
    Manifestation
    Mark Sandman
    Materialism
    Mattress
    Meditation
    Melting Pot
    Memoir
    Memorial Day Weekend
    Mexico
    Michael Jackson
    Middle East
    Mindful Travel
    Mobile Clubbing
    Monterrey
    Montreux Jazz
    Morals
    Morphine
    Mrt
    Music
    Music Is A Meditation
    Music Tutorial
    Nacpan Beach
    Napsan Beach
    Nature Sounds
    Neurolinguistic Programming
    New Age
    New Interfaces For Musical Expression
    Nice Jazz Festival
    Nime
    Niyama
    Octopus Card
    Okcupid
    Old Flavours
    Oppression
    Out Of Body Experience
    Palawan
    Personal Growth
    Peru
    Philippines
    Photographs
    Photojournalism
    Piano Tutorial
    Pintrest
    Pittsburgh
    Platform
    Podcast
    Pranayama
    Pratyahara
    Prince Karma
    Psychedelics
    Puerto Princessa
    Pyropolis
    Quarantine
    Racism
    Reddit
    Reincarnation
    Religion
    Retreat
    Right Thought
    Rigveda
    Samadhi
    Sanskrit
    Santosha
    Satya
    Savasana
    Saxophone
    Saxophonics
    Science
    Seoul
    Sex
    Shaman
    Sheet Music
    Silent Disco
    Singapore
    Singapore Sling
    Singlish
    Skerik
    Sleep
    Smart Phone Development
    Smartphone Travel
    Social Network Platform
    Software Development
    Soju
    South America
    South Korea
    Spin The World Around
    Spirituality
    Startup
    Steelers
    Steemit
    St Lucia Jazz
    Supermarket
    Svadhyaya
    Swift
    Synervoz
    Take Five
    Talk Radio
    Tapas
    Tarot
    Techcrunch
    Telepatia
    Tenor Sax
    Tensorflow
    Texas
    They Live
    Tinder
    Topo Chico
    Travel Blog
    Travel Book
    Travel Guide
    Travel Hacking
    Travel Technology
    Tripadvisor
    Tripping Balls
    Trip Review
    Truth
    Tsa
    Tumblr
    Turkey
    Turnmeup
    Twitter
    Upanishads
    Urban Mattress
    Video Blog
    Vipassana
    Vomiting
    Waterfalls
    Wawa
    White Supremacy
    Whole Foods
    Wind
    Writing
    Xchox
    Yama
    Ymca
    Yoga
    Yogasutra
    Zombie

    Archives

    June 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    August 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    October 2020
    April 2020
    July 2019
    August 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    July 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    August 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    October 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013

    Copyright (c) 2015 Russell Eric Dobda
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Blog
  • Projects
  • Writings
    • How and Why I Write
    • Short Quotes
    • Travel Stories >
      • Around the World >
        • Korea
        • Philippines
        • Hong Kong
        • Singapore
        • Retrospective
      • Europe >
        • London Disrupt 2014
        • London 1998 >
          • The Search for Drugs
          • The Ethics of Cities
          • The history of the London Underground
          • A Poem
        • Italy Corsica Amsterdam France
        • Paris in the Spring
      • North America >
        • Yucatan, Mexico
        • Jamiroquai in Mexico
        • Ayahuasca in Costa Rica
        • Fear and Laughter in the Pacific Northwest
        • Burning Flipside >
          • Flipside 2007
          • Flipside 2008
          • Dr Tikis Script
        • Super Bowl XL
      • Morocco 2003
      • Australia 2010
    • Technical Writings >
      • NIME 2013
      • ITT Tech Courses I Taught >
        • Java I
        • Java II
        • Software Application Programming
        • Scripting and Web Authoring
      • Software Development Methodologies
      • Home Wine and Beer Making
    • Book Reviews >
      • The Miracle of Right Thought
      • The Source Field Investigations
      • The God Conspiracy
      • Chinese Health and Healing
    • Show Reviews >
      • Phish
      • Bonnaroo >
        • Bonnaroo I
        • Bonnaroo II
      • Skerik Syncopated Taint
      • Cleveland, Ohio >
        • Galactic 2006 Cleveland
        • Ernie Krivda
        • Medeski Martin and Wood >
          • MMW 2003
          • MMW 8-2005 Cleveland
      • Toast Tour 2009
    • College Musings >
      • Ethics Papers
      • The Story of Cybil and Charlotte
      • Full Circle or Straight Line
  • Music History
  • Infinite Creator