fifth dimension
 

at first i thought bike commuting made me different because i did something others around me did not understand. but as time went by, i began to realize my mind was actually opening up into another dimension.

for example, when i used to drive, my mind was on traffic or the next light. mass transit was a great time to take a nap. but when i got on the bike, especially a tall hill, i found myself slipping into a contemplative mental state which continued even hours after getting to work. it was as if my awareness, my thoughts, my mental processes, my creativity were all heightened and sensitized.

i often wonder if i had literally changed the course of my life not only externally and physically, but internally by unlocking something inside myself as well. i wonder if making the simple choice to ride that old Traveller in the garage changed my life forever in a way i could never have foreseen, far beyond just getting to work differently, or getting some exercise.

in addition to carving new territory on the bike, did i carve new paths in my brain, even my soul, by enhancing my thought processes?

Enlightenment has many names depending on what lens your viewing from as well as your spiritual tradition.
There are many 'vehicles' on the 'road' (no puns intended) to achieve this state.
What better one than the bicycle? Focused physical activity in an active mental state devoid of distractions?
There are varied reasons why we ride. Most cite very grounded and pragmatic issues of cost savings and carbon footprints. This one you can't put a price on.

There were a few years in college driving my car around was one way I went into something like the 5th dimension you describe. I was a great way to think and be doing something with no distractions from people. I still do that in my car at times, but more of the time I am finding that place on a bicycle. Its one of the best part about transportation for me. Its time where I can relax and think.

So this is not a thread about the musical group?

Zen biking - I can dig it :thumb:

i'm suprised more people haven't experienced this. arthur conan doyle and albert einstein both made mention of this phenomenon associated with riding their cycles.

never had a day when you didn't ride and felt like you were in a fog? riding always stimulated both my mind and body, while yet leaving me peaceful and relaxed.

Its called unusual blood flow to your brain if you haven't exercised for quite a while.

Don't worry, as you get more fit it'll wear off. ;)

Zen and riding? I thought that only happened if you were a hipster ridin' a fixies

BTW I get what you are saying

I find that when I'm on my bike, I dont think about work, I dont think much about home. I just ride. There's also nothing better when you're frustrated about something - just get out and ride hard. You get physically far away, and the rigorous exercise helps you level out emotionally.

Depends on what they are not thinking at the moment. ;)

I have felt better physically and mentally (than I had in years) since I started riding again.

That might have something to do with cannabis (I'm OK with that too) :thumb:

I've experienced this -- on a long ride where I've just let my mind wander, I find that the things that are unresolved seem to bubble up and I see them in new ways. It's almost like active dreaming.

<It happens when you are involved in near death experiences. You must ride some bad roads>.

I'm joking by the way.

I used to have a twenty-three mile ride to my research lab. The vast majority of my inspired ideas or solutions to ongoing problems came either while riding into work or while in the shower at work. I cannot recall having had a single inspiration on my way home.

Oh, but it is


Those are some awesome special effects for the 1960s, let me tell ya.



My contemplative mental state will last for hours after listening to that.

Apparently you can get 'high' exercising.. something to do with endorphins in the brain. I've heard you can get 'addicted' to jogging for this reason.
Riding my bike on a long commute really does seem to put everything in a really different perceptive for me too. It's not just the exercise, i think it's the whole time and distance thing becoming more real.. pass the bong please... :)

I experience that too, but - admittedly - not on hills. On hills it's more "frickin fracking sumbiscuit hills" :)

I use the bike to air out my mind. Recently, I was somewhat troubled by some things going on in my life and I went out on the bike for a while. Riding did not solve the problem, but it sure improved my mental state (if nothing else, the music in my head was happier by the time I got home).

There are times when I'm tooling home from doing errands and I get that sense of relaxation and inner peace..I look down and think "Wow - dig that - the cranks just keep on turning, don't they?" Sometimes that peace is with me all the way home; sometimes it's shattered by almost getting killed, but that's more for A&S :)

As for new paths in the brain, know that meditation (that contemplative mental state) does, in fact, have a physiological effect on the brain. So to answer your question, yes, by riding, you probably have carved new paths in your brain (or, probably more accurately, you've thickened the existing paths in your brain). That's probably why folks like us are cool with riding in all various sundry of weather conditions while other folks think we're loopy as loons.


Now - completely off topic, in re to The Age of Aquarius: Many years ago, I used to work for a family-owned company. Unfortunately, I reported to the Boss' son who was - to put it kindly - a complete idiot. Anyway, one day he dragged all of us into a sales meeting to discuss a new direction he wanted to go (a new age, if you will) and made reference to The Age of Aquarium. Mind you, he was completely earnest and not trying to be funny. To this day, I cannot hear that song and not think about tropical fish.

My contemplative mental state gets better and better the more I drink. Like now, for example.

As someone who has been struggling with depression for years I know firsthand that cycling can do great things for your body AND your mind. It's not just the exercise itself, there is a lot more to cycling than just the physical exercise part. Like the OP I found that riding a bike opens your mind in ways nothing else can. Here is my take on it.

It's why I try to vary my routes to work, adding miles whenever I can -- the endorphin rush is HIGHLY addictive! The nice thing is, there are no debilitating side effects, either.

My commute used to be 9 miles one way; I never EVER arrived at work in a bad mood then. Most days, it was the e-rush; a few, though, were just relief at having made it........ (-5F, windchill -35)

after 10 years of 30 mile round trip commutes, i'm not convinced yet. ;)

The endorphins from exercise really do make you feel better. My mood is way better on days when I ride or exercise than on days when I don't.

Did the Source Family ride bikes?