Imbas as a Mathematical Model
Searles

Sat Jan  9 10:22:12 1999
*br*It is my belief that Dichetal do Chennaib is a form of poetical Fourier Analysis (breaking a signal or sound into a number of tones at varius frequencies, amplitudes, and hase relationships to one another) and Super-positioning (overlaying one sound or tone on another to create a "mix" of sounds and a new sound) ; that Teinm Laegda is the Fourier Transformation (a way of performing operations on a sound or signal in a "transformed" domain, almost an alternate reality inmathematics) and that Imbas Forosna is the Impulse Function of awareness (a phenomena that occurs in radio and television communications that allows a very low frequency (VLF)  signal to produce uniform signals at almost all frequencies, the Sun does this as well).*p*IMO, it is because Super-positioning is more mundane, that Dichetal do Chennaib was allowed by Padraig to continue among the Filidh, while he considered the transformational relationships of Teinm Laegda and Imbas Forosna to be too esoteric and threatening to Christianity own algorithms to allow them to be openly practiced.  The former is merely disassembling and reassembling a code of sorts while the latter two require that one go beyond the normal space-time-continuum of ordinary Riehman Space and return after completing the necessary calculations and operations.*p*I suppose the real trick to all of this would be in qualifying and quantifying the nature of reality in a system that was harmonically, mathematically and literally symmetrical and related.  IMO, this was one of the primary root uses of the Ogham system of memory and description, extending to the very basis of the Celtic languages involved and through them to the Celtic spirit and all of Being.*p*Applying such techniques to complex and multi-variant organizations and organisms, clearly indicates a superior grasp by the Druids and Filidh of the nature of reality IMO.*p*When I liken imbas forosna to the impulse function, what I mean by the analogy is that a high amplitude pulse at a single frequency (or tone) can produce a uniform number of evenly spaced samples across and entire wide bad of frequencies.  This is made possible by the relationships between signals, systems, *and* the frequency and time domains.  Using this technique allows one to basically to observe the amplitude of the "spikes" created when the impulse acts upon a system.  *p*To me, the analogy to imbas forosna was that a tremendous spiritual experience or epiphany in this reality might well serve to open a connection between oneself and the Otherworld, in a manner that places the psyche in a position of being able to sample all worlds and all times, and hence all of knowledge that is available, through a connection to those samples.  Since the available information is (and would be) far beyond the capability of a physical brain to contain or remember, then some means had to be used to return the newly found information to this realm.  An expansion of one's memory capabilities would certainly have helped increase the efficiency of such information retention, as well as being pre-programmed with specific questions to match with specific answers (rather than all answers to all questions).  *p*IMO, the function of the chanters in the tarbhfe/is (the bull dreamer ritual for determining a new king) was to maintain the focus of the dreamer (in a state of imbas), so that an answer regarding kingship could be returned from the prophetic dream experience. This use of repetitive chanting, an impulse of spiritual questing and a training of the memory to retain and relate information was IMO a function of Ogham and was tied to tones and sounds.  One possibility might have been that the four chanting Druids would position themselves at locations around the dreamer and produce a series of tones that all had a "beat frequency" (difference between the frequencies of two tones) of 4 Hz (cycles per second).   This frequency is known to cause a certain wavelike synchronism in the brain's electrical activity that promotes a meditative and ecstatic state.  I further conjecture that the "Spell of Truth" (as the mantra was called) was actually a "round,"  with each of the four chanting Druids maintaining a 4 Hz. separation between the relative sounds/tones of the round.  In this way the different sides of the brain are made to "bridge the gap" and generate a state of hyper-awareness.*p*The definition for Dichetal do Chennaib seems to need some expanding, especially since a "dichetal" is a sort of poetical composition and not strictly psychometry. The particular instance that I think best illustrates the art is in the episode where Lugaid, the Blind Poet,  *decodes* information about Breccan's Cauldron from touching his poet's wand to a dog's skull.*p*In this case he is using his fingertips but I suspect that he is touching them to Ogham carved on his wand and detecting those that seem to give him a *message* (he could also be using the different parts of his fingers to represent the various Ogham as shown on page 251 of "The Encyclopedia of Celtic Wisdom").  When the Chennaibh part is finished, it is now time for the Dichetal. He then decodes these Ogham by exclaiming, "The tempestuous waters of the whirlpool destroyed Breccan. This is the head of his dog."  When I select Ogham fedha for a reading I use my fingertips in a similar manner to choose each fidh until I have nine (one for each du/ile). Then, I cast them upon the Cosmos of the casting cloth.*p*Dichetal do Chennaib is an extemporaneous composition by the Draoi/ or Filidh.  It is triggered by touch yet it is related through Ogham IMO.  Teinm Laegda is a repetitive chanting that takes one to imbas through and altered state and involves perhaps invocations and callings to deity.  It is more like a repetitive drop of water that cracks the hardest stone or "nut."  The build up or synchronization with the chant is what allows the "cracking" to occur and the journey to imbas to continue also IMO.  In the literature on each, there is ample confusion between Teinm Laegda and Dichetal do Chennaib, because both involve an Ogham composition and chanting.  What we are not told in most instances is what the Poet or Seer is doing to achieve the particular imbas that occurs.*p* The problem with monotonous waves is that the necessary ones for effective traveling are of such a low frequency that the ear cannot hear them as a wave but can only hear them as a noise.  This is why a shaman uses a drum to travel.  The drum beat is at a low rate, maybe 4 beats per second.  This rate has been shown to cause the mind to travel or to become meditative.  The drum works because we get the repetitive sound but it is not as efficient as a tone.  The Catch-22 is that we can't hear the tone (though we might be able to feel it if the signal was strong enough whether from the earth, the ocean or another sound source like an amplifier).  For the mind to hear a tone of 4 Hz. (four cycles every second), it must act as a detector or a mixer.  Now a mixer is really just the same kind of thing that radios have in them and are used in sound studios to mix sounds.  What they do is add the two signal frequencies together and also subtract one from another.  The output of a mixer contains the two original sounds that were mixed and two new sounds which are the sum and the difference tones.  For example:  If I input 404 Hz. in one input of a mixer and 400 Hz. into the other input, what I'd get out would be four signals: 4 Hz., 400 Hz., 404 Hz., and 804 Hz.  The entire idea of chanting tones at these different frequencies into different ears of the shaman, Druid or meditator, is to create a 4 cycle tone in the mind of the subject.  This 4 cycle tone is the same frequency that the mind has when we are deeply meditating, hence it is a signal that we can synchronize ourselves to more easily and hence we will journey with less effort.*p*That's the elements of meditating to a tone, and the practicalities of sound and the way that signals are actually composed in the real world guarantees that a variety of signals will be in most sounds and noises.  Music is ordered sound consisting of tones, discords and harmonies, while noise has generally many more tones or frequencies within it.  Fourier analysis says that any sound, noise or even speech, can be constructed out of many different individual tones (at appropriate frequencies and amplitudes or loudness).  If a signal was broken apart it would be shown to be composed of a few large low frequency tones and several higher frequency tones.  These higher tones or frequencies make sounds *sharper* and are the kinds of things that are done to sounds when we adjust the treble knobs on our radios.  We are adding more high frequency sounds.  Treble is not very relaxing, so we want to limit those frequencies in relaxing music and hence we find more bass and mid-tones in easy listening music.  The frequencies for meditation are below those frequencies and hence we need to have the left ear/right ear effect where the brain's right and left sides are computing a difference which is the very low tone of 4 Hz., which is perfect for meditation.*p*To me, the analogy between Fourier Analysis and the chanted forms of Imbas was in the effect of the tones on the mind in the one case (Teinm Laegda) and the fact that many separate tones can combine together to form a new signal, or a new understanding, even an imbas, by being present in their separate frequencies or resonances and in different strengths (or mixes).  This is Dichetal do Chennaib and it is the awareness of a thing from sensing its component parts.  In a sense ,logical deduction and computer program are like this when they follow a string of facts to present a solution.  The difference between Dichetal do Chennaib and Logic is that Logic is serial and Dichetal do Chennaib is parallel knowledge. It all comes together at once, though the chant of the Dichetal is composed on the spot from the Ogham kennings that are *sensed*.*p*Hope this makes a bit of sense as it is a difficult subject but I think it is well worth our time to further develop and investigate.*p*
Three Forms of Imbas
Searles O'Dubhain
305
Sat Jan  9 09:51:55 1999