We are all searching for something. So many think it is a quest for survival and fortune but there are others who are bored with mundane pursuits. Your can have all the wealth in the world but as many a Pharaoh discovered, you can’t take it with you. The love of friends and family is irreplaceable but we were made to do more than function like cogs in a machine; there must be more to us than work, school and sleep!

Some have a need for answers. The questions might have to do with science, history or mysticism but are somehow important to the seeker. After embarking on this quest, the person undergoes a transformation.

Inspired by writings of Gurdjieff, the musician Sting wrote a song in 1981 called “Secret Journey”:

“It’s a quasi-mystical song. You have to do something, go somewhere, to get outside yourself. I read the book Meetings with Remarkable Men which says you have to make a journey. It doesn’t have to be a real journey, it can be a mental journey.”
— Sting, Ghost in the Machine press release, Oct. 1981

We must do more than participate in the endless suffering of a mundane existence. Some will attempt to insulate and box themselves in. They will try to escape the challenges of life and the world they live. People will make excuses such as “we do not have adventures” and pursue the illusion of control but they only put themselves to sleep!

You need not neglect the people you love or quit your job and become an ascetic. If you can divorce your mind from the indoctrination and narrative of the immediate media and social milieu, you can open yourself to new frontiers!

I find travel very helpful. It is amazing how beliefs held in one part of the world are not accepted in another. You learn how cultural programming leads us to think and behave according to norms. The knowledge and thinking of new people can expand your world-view.

Mind expansion is essential to avoiding the trappings of illusion. You not only journey outside of yourself but begin to see beyond your immediate social environment. You see how both sides of an argument are right yet deluded at the same time. You see how anger and fear often stems from suffering and ignorance. You understand the “why?” and how we easily fall into a trap.

The new found freedom will give you more choices and possibilities. Quests enable learning and true quality of life.

The Quest Secrets site will look at the quests undergone by a multiplicity of individuals. I will attempt telling stories of others but will also touch on personal experiences. There will be travel tips and many stories to help you plan and execute your secret journey.

This article has 3 comments

  1. Sylvia Reply

    Your web site title is intriguing. I agree with you that travel broadens your outlook on life. Being in the moment and noticing what is happening around you can also broaden your mind while allowing you to be an armchair traveller.

    • AndrewJamesBrown Reply

      Hi Sylvia! As you say, there are several paths to expand the mind! You don’t even have to travel. I love it because travel takes us out of familiar patterns and is an easy and effective way to wake up (so long as we don’t snooze on the resort! ;). Thanks for commenting!

  2. Jim Honey Reply

    Well said Andrew. It really helps when you though yourself into “new” situations. As my buddy F.A. Mitchell-hedges wrote, “Life that is lived without zest and adventure, is not life at all!” but then you already know that 😉

    Adventure on!!

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