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NaturePunkBurning Man: The Man in Flames

Published: 2011-09-13 01:33:38 +0000 UTC; Views: 35828; Favourites: 1326; Downloads: 929
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Description NOTE: The following story is mildly graphic.
And totally awesome.




I stood, leaning forward over the open hole of the porta-potty toilet. Someone had ripped the lid off the seat, which I thought was kind of funny as I wretched and tried to hurl. But nothing came up and I nearly choked instead.
This was a battle between me and my body: I knew what I needed to do, but something inside me was not co-operating. Something inside me did not want to come out.

I closed my eyes and focused on the spinning sensation which overwhelmed by brain. I was really, really, really high.

And I really needed to vomit.

But even with my eyes closed, focusing on the pain, I couldn't do it. This ugliness inside me wanted to hold on for a moment longer and I suddenly felt angry at it. I wanted it out so bad that I felt myself shaking.

So I rocked my head back and forth quite violently, making myself feel affectively sicker. I tried again to throw up, but only managed to make a hideous choking sound, which drew the attention of someone in the stall next to me.

“Y’okay?” they asked.

“Never been better,” I shot back sarcastically, then closed my eyes and shook my head around again.

This time, as I leaned over the bowl, I thought about things that made me feel sick: Roller-coasters that spin, cheddar cheese, peanuts, Dani—

And I finally hurled.

Several times.

When I was done, my headlamp caught the color of my vomit and I recoiled, nearly falling backward – it wasn’t the color of my food as I’d expected. It was instead the color of Grizzly Bear’s personality.

As a synesthete, it’s hard to describe the emotion I feel when I see a color in “real life” that I see for a number, letter, or person I usually see only in my head. I once saw the color of my own cartilage and it was the color of my 2s. So even though I was a bloody mess, I pointed it out to the doc, who probably thought I was crazy.

Anyhow, seeing Grizzly Bear’s personality color escape from my body in that manner made me feel shocked, amazed, and totally relieved.

It was over.
I could move on now.

I had literally expelled him from my life in the most perfect, fitting way imaginable: Staring into a disgusting porta-potty on the Playa at Burning Man, the very night they had set the Man on fire.

This is what the veteran Burners call “Playa Magic”. It’s the crazy, divine co-incidences that leaves us thinking and questioning all we know about ourselves, our lives, and our spirituality.

Such is the way of Burning Man.



________________________________________________________________________________________________

THANKS FOR THE DD!
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Comments: 128

segura2112 [2012-09-24 23:29:22 +0000 UTC]

Stunning piece, and great story made even better comming from someone who experience's reality in a very differnt way than I do. Thank You and congrats on the DD!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Not only is the universe stranger than we imagine, it is stranger than we can imagine. ~ Sir Arthur Eddington

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peppy-heppy [2012-09-05 14:32:44 +0000 UTC]

Wow, I learned about this event just today and it looks amazing! Great capture, mate! I'd love to go some day...

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acemonify [2012-06-16 18:40:30 +0000 UTC]

phone:911 what's your emergency?"
me:'thares a fire!'
phone:"sir please state your location."
me:'the dancefloor!' (°0°)

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howdyx [2012-06-07 12:13:09 +0000 UTC]

woah...

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NigNag [2011-11-23 23:23:20 +0000 UTC]

Outstanding

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Ballseye [2011-11-01 02:53:00 +0000 UTC]

WOW totatly awesome Playa story... That playce is amazing, and it will make you have amazing experiences... I have a few similarly amazing stories myself, and for a virgin main burn this was EFFIN AMAZING!!!!

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tytyexplosion [2011-10-19 02:22:27 +0000 UTC]

fire gooooooooooood

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tytyexplosion [2011-10-19 02:21:23 +0000 UTC]

yes

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GodLifeZoller [2011-10-05 19:24:26 +0000 UTC]

Yay for burning !!! ;D

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olive202 [2011-09-19 22:36:35 +0000 UTC]

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I am olive, by name good looking young girl and in search of an opposite partner,
This is why i have decided to contact you on this site so that
we can establish a good relationship and also get to know each other,
Your age,race and religion is never a problem to me,all that matters is true love,
Kindly contact me on my Email (olivemajzoub@yahoo.com)so that i can tell you more about my self and also with my picture,
Hope to hear from you soonest,(olivemajzoub@yahoo.com)
olive.

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Olapola In reply to olive202 [2011-09-26 22:50:56 +0000 UTC]

can't tell if troll.... or really desperate....

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Nefrail-Scargiver [2011-09-19 19:35:13 +0000 UTC]

This picture looks f*ckin amazing. I'm a bit lost as what you mean by colors and whatnot. And i just want to say i think i see a wolf in the flames. Also what is burning man?

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NaturePunk In reply to Nefrail-Scargiver [2011-09-19 21:37:18 +0000 UTC]

I have synesthesia: [link]

Burning Man is hard to explain, but this will probably help: [link]

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Nefrail-Scargiver In reply to NaturePunk [2011-09-20 00:42:01 +0000 UTC]

I understand a bit more what Burning Man is. It looks very interesting. Also, not trying to offend you but synesthesia seems kinda cool in a small sense. just in my opinion. to smell emotion. is that you smelling your own emotion or someone elses.

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NaturePunk In reply to Nefrail-Scargiver [2011-09-20 01:26:32 +0000 UTC]

No offense taken. Aside from the headaches and the fact that I'm REALLY bad at math, I love having synesthesia.

And I personally don't smell emotions (my synesthesia is mainly color-based), but I presume that it works both ways depending on the synesthete.

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Nefrail-Scargiver In reply to NaturePunk [2011-09-20 19:10:36 +0000 UTC]

that would be freakin amazing to smell emotion. make avoiding a pmsing gf much easier. Joking.

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pqphotography [2011-09-18 15:56:34 +0000 UTC]

Pls join great image congrats

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NaturePunk In reply to pqphotography [2011-09-19 02:38:20 +0000 UTC]

Thanks! Added!

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928 [2011-09-18 07:31:59 +0000 UTC]

Nice event.
Those are the times you remember.

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NaturePunk In reply to 928 [2011-09-19 02:38:31 +0000 UTC]

Indeed.

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928 In reply to NaturePunk [2011-09-27 08:12:59 +0000 UTC]

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FelineFanatic [2011-09-17 06:12:20 +0000 UTC]

My gosh, I'm so glad you got a DD! I'd recommended one of your other Burning Man photos, but this one, like many of the others, has a part of your amazing stories behind it

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NaturePunk In reply to FelineFanatic [2011-09-17 23:17:37 +0000 UTC]

Thanks for recommending one of my photos! I really appreciate it. Never gotten a DD before, so I'm quite pleased that this was my first. Burning Man was an amazing experience for me, and one that I'm not soon to forget.

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FelineFanatic In reply to NaturePunk [2011-09-19 23:23:41 +0000 UTC]

Well, ever since I saw your work on deviantART I've thought that it deserved a DD, but I was waiting for the right one to recommend I'm so glad that you were able to share your experience from Burning Man with us! You've convinced me that it's even more amazing than I'd thought

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GAGBAGCHEN [2011-09-17 05:35:34 +0000 UTC]

Makes you feel kinda tingly

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ShineeSerenDipity [2011-09-17 05:00:07 +0000 UTC]

Man... I wanna go to burning man...

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Mardia [2011-09-17 02:20:14 +0000 UTC]

Wow, what an interesting story. I don't remember the last time I've been in a porta potty, but they're normally so hideous I would probably vomit easily, whether I wanted to or not.

Or I just have a quick gag reflex...

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NaturePunk In reply to Mardia [2011-09-17 23:18:19 +0000 UTC]

I thought that being in a porta-potty would make it easier, but this time, nothing wanted to come out. It was quite uncanny!

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8barsaveyou [2011-09-17 02:08:49 +0000 UTC]

Firelooooooooooord!

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fruitbatslyra [2011-09-17 01:40:52 +0000 UTC]

Whoa....

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MiguelFreitasPh [2011-09-17 01:39:26 +0000 UTC]

The silhouettes at the bottom is the cherry on top of this brilliant photo! Congrats for the DD

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NaturePunk In reply to MiguelFreitasPh [2011-09-17 23:33:39 +0000 UTC]

Thank you! Glad you enjoy!

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MiguelFreitasPh In reply to NaturePunk [2011-09-18 03:29:29 +0000 UTC]

impossible not to

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NaturePunk In reply to MiguelFreitasPh [2011-09-19 02:36:23 +0000 UTC]

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Hiland-Rose [2011-09-17 01:04:28 +0000 UTC]

Fantastic photograph, this must have been hotter than Heck to be within a hundred feet of. Interesting look at consumerism and environmentalism too...
Layers, within layers. Not a fan of drug abuse or burning things for the sake of it. Waste of effort and talent if you ask me, but you didn't so I will refrain from further comment on the subject.

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NaturePunk In reply to Hiland-Rose [2011-09-17 23:32:46 +0000 UTC]

Burns on the Playa are closely regulated and cleaned up entirely. They lay down gravel to prevent 'burn scars' on the Playa itself. In most cases, you can hardly tell that there was ever anything there, hence the fact that Burning Man is the world's largest 'leave no trace' event. Hundred of volunteers help clear up the MOOP after the Burn, leaving the land spotless.

That said, it is kind of a shame to see all the wonderful artwork being burned up and destroyed, especially when you've become so used to seeing it as a part of the landscape all week long. But on the bright side, it simply means that there's more room for next year's event.

If I were an artist, I'd LOVE to see my installation go up in flames, especially if it were something with such symbolism as the Man, the Wall of Shame, or the Temple. In this sense, the Burn is just a part of the art project as a whole, which can be interpreted by anyone as representing nearly anything. People wrote all their pains and fears and memories on these structures, and were happy to watch them go up in flames. I can see why so many people say that the Burns are like a healing process for them.

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TBH-1138 [2011-09-17 00:37:41 +0000 UTC]

Fav'd because fire.

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ScottMan2th [2011-09-17 00:03:33 +0000 UTC]

would like to see this event in person at least once...

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NaturePunk In reply to ScottMan2th [2011-09-17 23:33:03 +0000 UTC]

It is very worthwhile!

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ScottMan2th In reply to NaturePunk [2011-09-17 23:39:17 +0000 UTC]

at some point i want to spend a few weeks out west chasing storms and lightning...adding this to the experience would be really be cool.

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NaturePunk In reply to ScottMan2th [2011-09-17 23:42:59 +0000 UTC]

We don't have too many good storms out west aside from the late summer ones, and even they are few and far between. The best ones I've ever photographed were in Upstate New York during the summer and in the Cayman Islands during hurricane season. Lightning everywhere!

But there are a lot of other fantastic things to see out west, including the wildlife and AWESOME scenery.

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ScottMan2th In reply to NaturePunk [2011-09-18 00:00:30 +0000 UTC]

i love storms... whenever we have them here (unless the rain is horizonal) i will stand outside the front door and film the strikes ...have a few examples of this in my gallery (frame grabs) one strike was fairly close or rrather one of the step leaders from the actual strike (which was miles away) came within 40 ffeet of where i was standing...what was a bit freaky about this was the complete lack of noise...i did not realize just how close the strike was until i watched the film clip a few times...guess my muse just blew me a kiss that day...

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ChaosAurion [2011-09-16 22:44:35 +0000 UTC]

Dope story, dope picture!

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NaturePunk In reply to ChaosAurion [2011-09-17 23:33:19 +0000 UTC]

Thanks!

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NobleFiveJorge [2011-09-16 21:59:04 +0000 UTC]

Makes me miss playing with fire!

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NHLoveDani [2011-09-16 21:49:10 +0000 UTC]

LOL I read "Things that made me feel sick: Roller-coasters that spin, cheddar cheese, peanuts, me...WAIT." Hahaha xD.

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AgentSlytherin [2011-09-16 21:19:32 +0000 UTC]

ONE DAY. <3

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Pencil-Wolf [2011-09-16 21:06:02 +0000 UTC]

Wow, I was confused when I saw this again.
I was like, "I'm not looking through my messages! o.o" And then I realized; you got a DD.

Well deserved--congratulations!

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NaturePunk In reply to Pencil-Wolf [2011-09-17 23:34:00 +0000 UTC]

Thank you!

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Pencil-Wolf In reply to NaturePunk [2011-09-17 23:54:20 +0000 UTC]

np ^^

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