In its own words, Dreamflesh is “...a florid and protean collection of ideas, investigations and experiments weaving together altered states, ecology, healing, mythology, magic and prehistory” and indeed its author is no stranger to the unconventional side of publishing.
Going by the pen-name Gyrus, Dreamflesh is the next evolution in a series of esoteric self-published journals, including the well-received Towards 2012 in the late 90s, which focused on ways in which pagan and shamanic practices could be applied to the modern world.
Dreamflesh One
The first journal in the series certainly boasts an impressive line-up of contributors including artwork from the ayahuasca-inspired Pablo Amaringo and articles contributed by a melange of occult writers such as the Chaos magician Dave Lee and the apocalyptic Michael Ortiz Hill.
The articles themselves cover as wide a range of subjects as their writers’ backgrounds with subjects as diverse as ancestral bone worship to spiritual mummification and French cuisine as a religious sacrament.
In a recent interview with Gyrus, he explained that he’s a very “hands-on editor", having put most of the rituals described in Dreamflesh to the test. When asked what the impetus for creating such a journal was, he replied:
“I've never been much for assessing the market and so on. I generally create things that I want to exist, in the faith that no man is an island, and someone else will want them to exist too.”
It would seem that other people certainly do – enough to warrant a second journal.
The Release of Dreamflesh Two
Dreamflesh Two is due out by the end of 2008 and will see contributions from the likes of Douglas Rushkoff, David Kidner and Patrick Harpur, author of Daimonic Reality and The Philosopher's Secret Fire.
Animals will be a central feature of the next Dreamflesh, including animals as ancestor spirits and in dreamwork.
Gyrus is currently undertaking promotional talks and attending events across the country to promote the release of Dreamflesh Two. If you would like more information on his whereabouts, you can contact him through the Dreamflesh Website.
The Importance of Dreamflesh
It would seem that in recent years the lust for exploring new forms of consciousness and travelling the astral planes of imaginative mythos have somewhat dwindled. Perhaps with the entheogenic decline since the 60s and 70s, the death of the punk and anarchistic movements and the end of cold war apocalyptic reality.
Yet Dreamflesh, as self-published works go, has sold very well indeed with almost 90% of the initial run snapped-up, proving that there is still a market out there for self-exploration on this level.
Gyrus’ other work, Archaeologies of Consciousness, has also sold well. It is a personal journey spanning 10 years of independent research into prehistoric art and monuments, altered states, folklore, mythology and occult practice.
Given the quality of publications released so far, Dreamflesh publications will certainly be one to watch in the future for all those into the weird and wyrd.
