Hi all,
I’ve been thinking a lot about Burning Man as what anthropologist Victor Turner might call a liminal space — a container where the ordinary rules fall away and extraordinary things seem to happen. Out there, people often say “the playa provides” — chance encounters, impossible timing, synchronicities that feel like more than coincidence.
From Carl Jung’s idea of synchronicity, to Joseph Campbell’s work on myth and the hero’s journey, to Erik Davis’ writing in TechGnosis about technology and mysticism — many thinkers have explored how certain contexts invite meaning to emerge in unexpected ways. I feel Burning Man is one of those contexts.
My seasoned documentary-maker friend Philip Safarik and I are collecting stories for a project this year. If you’ve had one of those moments where intention seemed to meet reality, we’d love to hear from you. You can share your story here:
https://forms.gle/FeQQqrvFFV6g93Ux6Or, if you’d rather, come find us at Mystic Misfits on 4 & Esplanade and leave us a message.
DMs and comments are also welcome (and yes, I’m bracing for the snark).
—Ciarán (aka Papi Chulo / Dooj)