Now, while talking to a an online friend recently about Interstellar, the friend sent me this wonderful link about the Revered Gaze. Check out the video, you'll thank me. Now, the person there talks about transcendence that we feel upon entering these huge cathedrals, places of worship. Same is the case with the Imax theaters or general cinema projectors we see at the Multiplex. We are in complete awe.
Couple that with visual treat of a movie like Interstellar and music of a genius like Hans Zimmer, it is a profound, religious and spiritual experience watching the movie. I know. I went and saw it for the second time and let me tell you this is the first time in my life I voluntarily went for the repeat.
Another think that I find is linking to this is the fact that a few days apart, I had the opportunity to walk on the highways, alone and far/bit far from the city. On the first occasion, during daytime, its winter here so not much heat on the roads, far from the city, I was surrounded by huge, tall trees with powerful breezes. All I could see in front of me was these trees and the highway. Very few cars were on the road. Something like this (see below), with a lot more vegetation behind the trees, though. I went into a flow state, a state of bliss, if there ever was one.
The second time, I was walking down a highway at night, a bit near the city. There is a huge flyover on it that lets you skip the busy intersections below. I could see the cars all in the distance on the horizon climbing up and down the flyover. There wasn't much around me so there again I was walking in silence and awe. You have to experience these kind of feelings.
Don't you think it's a bit similar to what we feel when we are watching a movie that completely demands our attention, or we walk into a place of worship and our mouths are left open in the presence of it's vastness? I can now understand why I like the highways so much. I live in the city and I like every opportunity to be at/on the highways. It touches something inside us, something bigger, something of a deeper, mystical nature. Now I guess I can understand why travelers like to travel. Living in the city, you don't realize what you are missing in the hustle and bustle, until you step in the midst of nature, and know your soul aches to go forward and never look back.
I have told myself that I shall at least travel once a week to the highways now for the same reason, possibly walk a little as well ( I have been going to the highways on bike rides since college, but never walked much). Try it! You might like what you "feel". :)
