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November 04, 2003
the cube
Have any of you played "the cube?" It is supposed to be based on Sufi teachings. There is a list of questions, things you visualize. In the end you are told what your visualization means.
I have a book on this game, but it also can be found around the 'net someplaces.
For the game itself, click on "continue reading the cube" below. If you like, list your responses in comments. I will post what each element represents later in the week, maybe tomorrow.
Start by picturing a desert in your mind's eye. A simple scene with a horizon line separating sand from sky.
(For this, and all the following questions, there are no specific rules; no right or wrong answers. You are perfectly free to describe the cube that you see in your mind.)
And somewhere in the desert landscape, there is a cube.
See it in your mind’s eye; describe it to yourself.
What is its size? Where is it located? What kind of materials is it made up of?
Now somewhere in this landscape, besides the cube that you have imagined, there is also a ladder.
That’s right, a ladder (don’t worry about logic right now – this is just an imagination game, remember).
Just as you did with the cube, see the ladder in your mind’s eye and describe it to yourself. Imagine all the details…
What is its size (especially in comparison to the cube)? Where is it located (specifically in relationship with the position of the cube)? What is it made of, etc.?
Don’t be afraid to see every little detail of each visualized object. The more you imagine, the more rewarding the game will be.
Now also in this desert landscape, along with the cube and the ladder, is a horse.
Just as you did with the cube and ladder, it’s time to picture the horse and describe it.
Is it a specific breed? How big is it? What is its coloring and markings (if any)? Anything special about this horse?
Also be sure to imagine how it relates to the cube and the ladder. And since this is a living object, what action might it be doing right now?
You’ve pictured three things so far, just a couple more to go.
This time, imagine in your mind’s eye, that in this landscape there is also a storm.
What kind of storm do you see? Where is it in relation to the other three objects in this scene? How is it affecting them (or not)?
Again, the more you allow yourself to see, the better this game will be.
Now for the last component.
In your desert, there are flowers.
How many of them are there? What type and what color?
And how do they relate to the other four objects you’ve imagined?
You’ve successfully created an unique image in your mind’s eye that only you could come up with.
Every element is individual to you; this is a purely subjective exercise. There are no right or wrong answers. After all, this is your imagination, and only you are capable of describing what occurs inside.
Look one more time at the scene you’ve created. Make sure that you’ve left nothing out; that everything is described in as much detail as you are capable of.
What did you see? Meanings posted later this week sometime.
Games, Spirituality 01:10 PM | Permalink
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» The Cube from Snowblink
I saw TwilightCafé: the cube ages ago, and I did do the exercise in my head. Didn't write it down. Bad me. So here it is: The desert is sandy. Pretty quiet. More sky than sand. And a lone palm... [Read More]
Tracked on Nov 23, 2003 4:05:50 PM
Comments
hmmm... all my objects were the exact same size. The cube was blue, the desert was a sort of yellowish grey, the ladder was kind of tilted and wooden, the horse is just standing there (just a brown horse with a stripe down its nose and dark brown mane and tail), the storm is a swirling blue-grey tornado, but it's stationary relative to the other objects, and the flowers were pink and yellow and green--cartoony flowers rather than real flowers.
What I found interesting about the visualization is that the ladder kept moving from being perfectly upright (and thus perpendicular to the ground), to being slightly tilted forward. The storm was kind of like Taz the Tasmanian devil; whirtling but in one place. The horse was like a stuffed toy horse. The flowers kept moving in the slight pleasant breeze... and the desert landscape was extremely restful in its solitude.
so what's this bit of psychoanalysis tell you? :-)
btw, there's a major problem with the comment box--it's rightmost edge disappears under your right table element such that you can't see your words as you type until you hit a carriage return and come back to the left margin.
Posted by: Katherine at Nov 4, 2003 7:00:31 PM
All meanings? Or just the ones relevant to The Faithful Readers' variants?
Posted by: Anne at Nov 7, 2003 2:12:20 AM
Did you ever post the meanings to the Cube??
Posted by: Becky at Dec 7, 2004 5:52:22 PM
sunny desert. dirt and sand. very white sand. my cube was small but colorful. it was a rubix cube that was all messed up. my ladder was leaning on a tall green cactus. it was made of wood and had 5 notches. my hourse was big. it had a saddle on it. a western saddle. it was light brown with a white mane and tail. it was behind me. my flowers were right next to me. they were daisies. they were white purple and yellow. and my storm was a tornado. it was far away but big. my cube was on an angle in the sand. the ladder was to my right and my hourse is to my left. everything was perfictly still as if i was in a picture!
-what does that mean?
Posted by: niki at Aug 14, 2005 2:34:35 PM
desert=world
cube=self
ladder=friends
horse=lover
storm=conflict\stife
flowers=children
Posted by: steven at Aug 19, 2005 9:36:44 PM
Mine was a glass cube, hollow and colorless with a metal frame, about 3 feet along one side, large enough for a well-built muscular naked man to fold himself up and fit into it (he is a contortionist). The cube is sealed. It hovers about 3 feet off the sandy surface, which is flat in this foreground area, and there are golden sand dunes in the distance that reach up to the blazing hot blue sky. I am standing about 15 feet from the box, and I sence an energy exuding from its surface, which is audible as a low hum. The ladder touches the earth and its top rests on the cube, linking the two. It is freshly painted a bright red (the paint is dry) and is made of metal. It is tubular and there are three rungs. I imagine it would feel cold to the touch. The hosre is a humungous Clydesdale, shiny brown, heathly, muscular and sleek, with a long sliky black mane and tail that are caught up in the wind. The horse is unnerved by the presence of the box, and he ninnies while he paces around it, wanting to approach, but not daring to do so. He pays me no mind whatsoever. I sense he is a wild horse that I would like to tame but feel that I could not. However, I am less focused on this matter as I have just observed a sand storm approaching us from behind. It stretches across the entire horizon, and I am beginning to realize that I am in imminent danger, as is the horse. We will be almost instantly killed when it reaches us, which is in a matter of minutes. I am at the moment when I begin to question whether there is a possibility of escape, and I feel a strong instinct to survive. The box and the ladder will remain intact, but that is of little concern to me. I am mostly worried about myself, and wonder what the horse will do as I will not have time to take care of it. I somehow feel that he has a better chance to survive because he has probably been faced with this before (he belongs to the desert) and can run fast. I am impressed by the fact that he does notappear to notice or care about the approaching storm. There ARE no flowers. The desert is dry. It is long past the rainy season and flowers cannot survive here.
Hope this has a happy interpretation. Thanks. Linda
Posted by: Linda Paetow at Sep 30, 2005 9:37:30 PM
I see lots of rippled sand which slopes downward and upward again in the distance (i.e. there are dunes in the distance). There is more sand than sky from my perspective, though I am not in the picture. A cardboard box about 2 feet along one edge is on the ground. 3 of 4 flaps are closed, but the 4th flap on the west side is up. The ladder is old grey and wooden with wrought iron supports, 10 wooden rungs (round). It is on its side and its center rests on the front of the box. The horse is a tall brown shiny confident stallion wearing a burgandy blanket (tapestry) with red and white flowers embroidered into its entire surface (a paisley type pattern with righ dark colors). He is quietly going about a horse's business. He is behind and slightly to the right of the box (more to the east). The storm seems like it is the remnants of a larger wind storm that is merely making the open flap of the box flap back and forth. The storm is moving from west to east and it is actually sunny over the box.
Posted by: angie Nitti at Sep 30, 2005 9:58:05 PM
Can somebody send me the link to the cube game. i can't find it anywhere. thanks
Posted by: Mary at Oct 22, 2005 2:31:24 PM
empty desert, cube is floating just above the ground, is bright sparkling, shiney, partly seethru pink. Ladder leads from the ground up to the top of the cube. Fit, athletic, scewbald thourghbred horse jumping over the cube. tornado far in the background not affecting the rest. Tall strong pretty flowers along side the cube. Thanx
Posted by: Eb at May 16, 2006 3:17:44 PM
