Home >  A & E

Monday, October 07, 2002

By Caroline Abels, Post-Gazette Cultural Arts Writer

What do you see when you meditate?

That personal question is one that Carolyn Speranza is asking in a public way. Speranza, a cross-disciplinary artist best known for her public art and digital works, is making a digital video film that illustrates in abstract ways the images people see when they meditate. Her process for making the film includes listening to people's reactions to traditional meditation and meditative experiences.

	Carolyn Speranza, who is making the movie "Sight of Stillness," takes part in a meditation "salon" at Pittsburgh Filmmakers in Oakland. (Annie O'Neill, Post-Gazette)

Since July, Speranza has gathered members of the public for occasional "salons" at Pittsburgh Filmmakers. Each salon includes a discussion about a type of meditation and a brief practice of it, plus audience feedback.

Speranza plans to incorporate people's thoughts and ideas into her film, "Sight of Stillness." The film is intended to bridge the fields of neuroscience, art and spirituality by picking up where traditional representations of meditation leave off.

"I could make a documentary on the effects of meditation on health or on the brain," Speranza said. "But 'Nova' does that really well. What I'm after is the experience itself."

A few weeks ago, 20 people attended a salon hosted by Kevin Henry, a local meditation teacher. Henry first reviewed the seven traditional "chakras," which, according to Vedic and East Asian cultures, are distinct places in the body where energy is stored and released. Then he led the group in seven different chants designed to tap the energy in each chakra.

As the group focused their attention on the crown of their head -- the seventh chakra -- they chanted "mmmmmm" and were then asked what came to mind when they did so.

Mickey and Joyce Arnowitz said they imagined rays of sunshine coming through their head and wind blowing on a mountain. Philomena O'Dea said she remembered her grandmother humming as she made bread in a cottage in Ireland.

Cheryl Casteen said she felt a sensation similar to the one she gets when eating spicy Japanese wasabi sauce -- a comment that sparked much laughter in the group.

"Put that in your film!" Henry joked to Speranza.

There are many different schools of meditation -- loosely defined as the act of keeping one's attention focused on the present moment by quieting internal dialogue in the mind. To reflect the variety of traditions in her film, Speranza is using a variety of teachers to lead her salons.

Kundalini yoga practitioner Kilolo Luckett led a salon in July on kundalini breathing, and artist and educator Maritza Mosquera discussed "deep listening." On Sept. 19, musicians David Pohl and Eric Mason and yoga teacher Anu Kumar discussed the relationship between music and the meditative mind.

During his chakra salon, Henry called meditation "an immensely brave act."

"To sit down, and sit still, throws the doors open, and every emotion comes home," he said. "I think that's why it's not a popular thing."

Speranza hopes the salons will make meditation less daunting to people and encourage the public to explore a new way of living.

"I'm creating [with each salon] an opportunity for people to have a focused meeting that has transformative power to it," she said. "It's ultimately about helping people."

Speranza knows firsthand how meditation can help. At 5 years old, she began suffering from severe eczema, allergies and hypoglycemia. No treatment worked until, at age 34, she met a local chiropractor who took the stress out of her nervous system through a series of treatments. He also suggested meditation.

Speranza now meditates daily. She also practices kundalini yoga.

Her "Sight of Stillness" project was made possible by a $40,000 grant from the Heinz Endowments' Creative Heights Residency program, which fosters the creation of new art by funding joint projects between individual artists and established arts organizations. Speranza's Creative Heights partner is Pittsburgh Filmmakers.

"Sight of Stillness" salons will take place through the fall, followed by a symposium at the Carnegie Science Center and a screening of the full-length film early next year. For more information, call Pittsburgh Filmmakers at 412-681-5449 or go to http://www.speranza.net/stillness.