Hyper-priming is the “Eureka” moment for anyone experiencing what is an often profound connection made between seemingly unconnected things, and is most especially intense for artists of all sorts (painters, writers, musicians, etc.). It is the emboldening phenomenon that inspires an uptick in juices flowing as well as a vital slow-down of self-criticism and reservation, allowing for immersive creativity and musing synergy. It is a path to the place outside of the box from which to think, and a favorite, effective cognitive tool of mine with which to equip my artist clients for times of blocking and self-judgment.
When I close my eyes, my other senses step it up a bit. I can smell stronger, taste more, and hear farther. If I meditate and draw my attention entirely to one body part, for example, with practice I can further direct it to find my pulse in that body part, feel the temperature of the air on my skin, and hear my own breath above a din of a space...
It has always been my experience that hyper-priming works in much the same way, drawing the shades on what is most critical inside ourselves - most doubtful and hesitant, anxious and inhibited – and amplifying that which calls us closest to originality, unhindered by reticence, unbound by registration. Just as cannabis relieves inflammation and chronic pain so that I can practice yoga and heal my body further, it also releases my mind of the inflaming guards against understanding, easing the entrance into the sacred imaginal and charging creative and intuitive intelligences despite an overcritical and hypervigilant wandering mind. It has been proven in studies that children will create with more imagination and learn with greater ease when uninhibited by over-direction and micromanagement. Adults, especially, have a difficult time deprogramming themselves from an archaic institution of criticisms that continues to manifest as self-judgment and criticism, particularly when recovering from trauma. Freedom from within may be unleashed with the encouragement of homeostasis improved by cannabis. My writing, artwork, and movement on the mat has all benefited consistently from cannabis hyper-priming. I can name several movies that I have watched dozens of times before only to see them in an entirely new light when watching the first time with cannabis by connecting dots and drawing lines that had previously escaped a racing mind. I’ve seen beauty in places I had otherwise disregarded, and potential in people I had formerly dismissed. Hyper-priming is mind-opening.
All of this isn't to say such a tool of transcendence is for everyone. Though many if not most are able to appreciate the enhanced originality and productivity that cannabis can offer, those vulnerable to psychosis (particularly those diagnosed with schizophrenia) may find the hyper-priming effects of cannabis extremely detrimental to their wellbeing. This is one of many reasons I so strongly encourage educated cannabis protocol with a solid understanding of terpenes and their effects, for starters. Whatever the causes behind cannabis curiosity, the best application is an educated one, and the guidance and accountability that comes with a certified cannabis coach like myself makes all the difference in developing a regimen for optimum efficacy; especially when incorporating mindfulness techniques and creative prompts for a Full Spectrum and synergistic creative process.
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