WEB SITE UPDATE

reality that is a part of many lives. There are no geographical boundaries within the web. There are no constraints of time or motion -- flash, flash and it is there. There are no controls. And that brings us to another important aspect of this influential communications medium. For the web represents a new level -- indeed, maybe even the ultimate level (although if you'll believe that, you'll believe anything) -- of freedom of speech.
...Whatever you've got to say, you can say it to the world on the web.
...Although this newfound freedom does have many positive aspects -- it does lead to a varied, eclectic, exotic, esoteric and culturally mixed experience -- it also has a down side.

...Like any community, virtual or otherwise, the world wide web does have its slum area where the crazies, the drunks and druggies (yes, children, drugs will kill your mind and body if you are not careful,) the pimps and prostitutes hang out. It is the rough side of town where those entrapped by the darker side of life are to be found -- the socio- and the psychopaths, the conmen and the fanatics, the violent and the abusive. But, hey, this is freedom of speech and they are allowed to say the crazy and irresponsible things they say. Just as you are free not to listen.

...For all its utilitarian, egalitarian and libertarian qualities, for some the world wide web is much more significant. They believe that the web is 'the next step forward.'
...For many who came out of the 60s with experience of the Other World, it was clear that they had been on a major evolutionary journey. That the powerful precursor of this perception had been a chemical was of little significance when those who had dropped a tab took stock of its influence and effects. Many felt that LSD-25 was an evolutionary magic wand in the hands of a caring Cosmos. But . . . .
...We were all merely visitors, strangers in the strange land, transcendental tourists. But the vision was enough. When you know you are on an evolutionary ladder that is taking you somewhere extraordinary it is hard to resist the upwards pull. Some of us set about giving the process a little help through a gamut of self-development techniques. Knowing, all along, that we had been part of a Great Step Forward.
...And, even then, we were asking: "What next?"

...Even superficially, the web can be seen to be a major step forward in world evolution. But, even so, maybe we are underestimating its significance. That is what the Gaia theorists would have us believe
...Gaia theory says that the world is a living organism with systems that mirror those of the human body. And, indeed, it is not too much of a stretch of the imagination to see the various ecosystems that contribute to maintaining the earth's homeostatic equilibrium as being almost replicas of the systems that do the same thing in the human body. By way of example, the many eco sub-systems that maintain the earth's temperature within the range that supports life bear a remarkable resemblance to body's own system of temperature maintenance. Carrying this theory one step further, it is not hard to see the world's electrical grid and communications systems as exactly analogous to the body's nervous system.

...So, the extrapolation goes on, if the world has a nervous system, it must have a brain. And, in such a system, it must have brain cells -- something that actually does the thinking. Well, there ain't much thinking done in the world today but what little there is comes out of our heads. And, indeed, like brain cells themselves, we have the ability to communicate with each other. Until recently that communication was limited by proximity but all that has changed. Now, taking our brain cell mimicry further still, it doesn't matter which hemisphere we are in, we can communicate with a brain cell on the other side of the world. That ability to communicate with a distant brain cell, as do our own brains, is a new development in the evolution of the world brain.
...If we are part of the world brain, there is -- don’t you think? -- a certain obligation to think the right stuff. After all, the mental health of the world depends on it. Despite this, it is a crazy, crazy world. Wonder why?
...So, you must be wondering how all this stuff relates to the Coffeehouse Culture web site. Well, it is like this. We know that we are saying the right stuff; to say we are not would be false vanity. There are few people who would argue that espousing evolution, personal

development, love, peace and increased happiness is anything but 'right.' Everybody wants world peace, greater social harmony, reduced crime, a more caring society etc., etc. Well, that is exactly what we are talking about. Coffeehouse Culture is devoted to promoting these things. And in doing so we are contributing what we can to the world mind. That's all.
...And, of course, the web site does its very best to reflect this. There are the words and so many of them but the other areas of the web site try to maintain the overall ambiance of evolutionary self- actualisation, positivity, alphawave relaxation, quiet spirituality and good vibes. To achieve this, as we say elsewhere in this issue, we have devoted much of our site development time to areas that are less wordy and more visual.
...To this end the Cultcha Shop was put up with seeds from many of the leading Amsterdam seed houses, t-shirts and posters and we signed up with Amazon so that we could put up some reading recommendations from the heart. However, the majority of the hard work went into putting together a multimedia experience that offered something for those who could not handle the words. The Inner Sanctum, as we call this multimedia extravaganza, is our small contribution to lifting the spirit within the world mind.
...For more so-up-ourselves-it hurts-stuff on these and other web site developments, see the other stories on this page.