Integral Telenarration - Food/Memory

Integral Telenarration: Food/Memory

Let us tell you about gastrotranscendence, although, honestly, you already know about it, so it should really be you telling us about it (which you already have). Gastrotranscendence is about food and reconciliation across cosmic spaces. To illustrate this principle, we conducted a telenarration with two all-star friendziners over the course of a text message thread conducted on October 12, 2021. All the questions were preordained and the interview orchestrated with the intention to evoke presence, memory, and connection. The format was set, but none of us knew where the path would lead. Take the journey with us now.

  1. Question: The time is nigh. Welcome to the feeding friendzine telenaration. I will be your pilot during this experience. Text YES when you are ready to begin.
  2. Y:

    Yessss

  3. X:

    Yessssssss a thousand times yes

  4. Question: The last player to say yes please reply with either X or Y
  5. X:

    X

  6. Question: You will answer the prompts directed to X throughout this exercise. If there is an X at the beginning of a message, then respond to the prompt directly. Sometimes a string of prompts may start with the first message directed to X and the following prompts will just be directed without addressing you as X. Simply keep answering questions until another player is prompted. Respond only to the prompts of the pilot when directed and limit any reactions outside of the prompts. Text yes when you feel prepared to begin.
  7. X:

    yessir

  8. Question: Player Y is the other member of this exercise. You will answer prompts directed to Y throughout this exercise. If there is a Y at the beginning of a message, then respond to the prompt directly. Sometimes a string of prompts may start with the first message directed to Y and the following prompts will just be directed without addressing you as Y. Simply keep answering questions until another player is prompted. Respond only to the prompts of the pilot when directed and limit any reactions outside of the prompts. Text yes when you feel prepared to begin.
  9. Y:

    Yes

  10. Question: X - Describe where you are currently located and some of the elements in the space around you.
  11. X:

    I'm on my couch in the living room with my snoozing hound. There are way too many buzzy library books we'll never get to before they're due next to me. I have a candle burning in honor of ringing in the cozy season. I can smell the dryer sheets coming from my basement.

  12. Question: Y - Describe where you are currently located and some of the elements in the space around you.
  13. Y:

    I'm snug on the gray velvet couch that G and I left us with a blanket and pillow. The room is still pretty bare as we haven't furnished it by my cat my man F is next to me getting clean. There's a plant in the corner and a few odds and ends.

  14. Question: X - what object in your space most closely resembles the desription of the place where Y is seated?
  15. X:

    M (the hound) is lounging on top of some blue fuzzy blankets that could be velvet-adjacent

  16. Question: X - what object is nearest to you while still being out of arms reach?
  17. X:

    A pen and pencil on the end table

  18. Question: Y - name something in the kitchen that always seems just out of reach
  19. Y:

    The cereal and mac and cheese are up oddly high. They should be right at eye level. Next to me at all times.

  20. Question: Y - describe the most triumphant confectionery you have ever created.
  21. Y:

    Baked Alaska--a oozy melty gem with an ice cream core that gets cooked in the oven

  22. Question: X - can you envision this confectionery situated near you in your present space? Text YES when you can picture it with you.
  23. X:

    Yes

  24. Question: It's going to be really hard to not eat this during the exercise. We didn't anticipate having food drop in like this in the middle of things. X please get up from your present seat and move to the next most comfortable spot in your space that is just a little bit further away from this temptation. Text yes when you have settled into a new spot.
  25. X:

    Yes

  26. Question: X - What do you anticipate with your next visit into the kitchen?
  27. X:

    On a dull note, it will likely be for cleaning. But we recently indulged in a childhood favorite: Ruffles and French onion dip. My last few trips to the kitchen have been more exciting because of this.

  28. Question: X - How has memory informed this anticipation of your next visit into the kitchen?
  29. X:

    It's all intertwined. The memory is what's driving my trip for more of those good saturated fats, and now I have on an acute level pavlovian conditioning when I go to scrub the pans from dinner.

  30. Question: Y - What food do you remember not liking as a child?
  31. Y:

    Brussel sprouts! Sick! I love em now. Also had a phase of hating potatoes. And none of my sibs or I loved milk by my dad insisted we drink it. Except my oldest brother who drank about a gallon each week. He is the tallest now guess my dad was right.

  32. Question: Y - Read this message in it's entirety, then complete the exercise and give us your response: Close your eyes and picture the child that experienced that memory. Notice the clothes they are wearing, the expression on their face, the way in which they are holding their posture. When you have that pictured in your mind, open your eyes and text yes.
  33. Y:

    Yes

  34. Question: Y - Describe to us in three words the child you pictured.
  35. Y:

    hyper soccer blonde

  36. Question: Y - What was the missing message that child had regarding that particular food?
  37. Y:

    boiled veggies are usually bland it's not the brussels (laughing/crying emoji) Big out of season store bought brussels

  38. Question: X - Picture the child described with the three words above is presently visiting your space. Text yes when you can picture them with you.
  39. X:

    Yes

  40. Question: X - Audibly greet the visiting child and invite them to have a seat you vacated earlier. Text yes when you have audibly greeted the visitor.
  41. X:

    Yes

  42. Question: X - Place your hand on your heart and audibly tell the child the missing message stated above. Text yes after you have spoke those words aloud.
  43. X:

    Yes

  44. Question: X - Offer the visitor an indulgence of confectionery that arrived earlier. Text yes after you have made the audible offer.
  45. X:

    Yes

  46. Question: Wow, we didn't expect company during this thing. But I guess it makes sense because somebody had to eat that treat that just appeared out of thin air.
  47. Question: Y - Describe where your feet are currently resting.
  48. Y:

    On the gray velvet couch buried in the blanket

  49. Question: X - Where do you keep your most comfortable shoes when you are not wearing them?
  50. X:

    I'm usually wearing them all over the house, so they follow me from room to room. If I'm missing them, I look by the back door or by my bed.

  51. Question: We are nearly completed.
  52. Question: Y - What do you imagine you will be doing 10 minutes after this discussion?
  53. Y:

    Working on comping together some wavy indie vocals that were recorded by a couple friends who were maybe having too much fun to be super tight but still caught the vibes

  54. Question: X - What do you imagine you will be doing 10 minutes after this discussion?
  55. X:

    I guess I have to clean the kitchen...but there WILL be ruffles there

  56. Question: X - Name one thing you will remember from our chat today.
  57. X:

    Feeding childhood Y that baked alaska and putting brussel sprouts to shame

  58. Question: Y - Name one thing you will remember from our chat today.
  59. Y:

    X's teleadvice to my childhood self and floating baked alaska

  60. Question: Thank you fore participating in the feeding friendzine telenaration. Text GOODBYE to end this exchange.
  61. X:

    GOODBYE! (sprouts emoji)

  62. Y:

    Bye gazpacho! Bye X! Thanks for the experience!