Robert Fripp's Diary

Apologia Pro Vita Sua

A burning question does not come from the head…

An apophatic clue to burning questions: a burning question does not come from the head. Head questions are, mostly, associational. The first nominal question carries along in its wake at least one more, associationally generated, questions. There is little power in these questions, and to answer them is an energy drain. I feel my will to live slipping away. They give nothing in return. An answer/s is usually followed by more associational questions, rattling and wittering along, as if an answer has not been given.

For anyone believing themselves to be holding a burning question: where do you experience, in your body, this question to be present?

How to know the quality of our question, its degree of heat? One recommendation: Do Nothing – as much as you can. For this, a practice is necessary for most of us. Once a practice becomes established and we can, for example, sit still for at least 30 minutes with a sense of our personal presence in this place and moment, we find that most of the “questions” we thought were interesting / important / compelling / driven by curiosity, have fallen away. Being present within our Presence, is already an answer sufficient. And when a question does arise, we find its heat is governed by the degree of necessity it carries.

One criterion in judging the value of a question: is it real? So, the question: what is real? From Apologia Pro Vita Sua for 11november2024 https://dgmlive.com/diaries/Robert%20Fripp/2024-11-11-rf-diary-apologia-pro-vita-sua...

Problems for the Lacanian friend of the poster:  What is "real"? and "There is / are no absolute/s".

My sympathy is with anyone who has difficulties in discussing / debating what might be "real" or "objective". How to define "reality" in sufficiently satisfactory terms to undertake a dialogue (a debate is inevitably adversarial) with anyone who rejects concepts / notions / ideas of the "real world"? What are the possibilities of empirically verifying the "real"? Surely the "real" smacks too much of a vagueness and "mysticism" which isn't / aren't open to clear discussion between thoughtful people? Comments:

i) My personal approach is to begin with the experiential. Like, childbirth and dying. Both are universal and, to me, utterly mysterious while practically verifiable. Each birth and death is unique, and universal. Both processes, once accepted and underway, are inevitable. This leads to questions regarding the quality with which we live and die. Whatever opinions we hold while living, eventually, necessarily, we experience dying.

So, my own simple answer to the question "what is real?" begins with this: "Anything to do with the necessities of living and dying". This addresses degrees of necessity or, alternatively expressed, the quality and intensity with which we embrace our living and dying. Practically, this moves the focus of our enquiry to the more and less necessary.

Kiloh Smith: Then provide the answers Robert Fripp.
Robert Fripp: The answers are already provided. They wait behind locked doors. The keys that open the doors are the right questions.

Belmo Belmo: My direct question: has any of your music been the result of a dream, and if so, an example please?
RF: This is not a direct question. Perhaps Mr. Belmo will give this another shot?

Belmo Belmo ok. Here goes...do you dream music?
RF: Excellent. This will receive a direct answer.

RF: Mr. Belmo asks two direct questions.

Q:            Has any of your music been the result of a dream?
A:             No.

Q:            Do you dream music?
A:             I am often in musical situations, but the music is not clearly defined, with two exceptions. The first, a chord; the second, a lead line.

The first dream occasion was when I was about eighteen (c. 1964). I was playing the Courante Moderne by Andre de Vekey. This was a piece taught me by Don Strike of Westbourne Arcade, Bournemouth when I was 14 or 15 (c. 1961). The final chord was a D major, with A on the third string (tuned to G). In the dream, the chord was D6, with a B on the third string. Playing the piece subsequently, I favoured the D6. Moving associationally along, I played the Courante Moderne at a Queen Elizabeth Grammar School concert shortly before I left (1962).

 The second occasion was on the Halloween night of Thursday 31st. October, 2024. I was in a studio with Peter Gabriel, recording Heroes. Peter had an existing track with moving lines and I duetted, playing my simple line from the Bowie recording. Then another track came up, which in the dream was already recorded. Peter’s NightWorld song was in E minor and had a guitar solo, which I followed on the top two strings in E tuning, beginning in the 9th. position, moving up to top G on the 1st. string, 15th. fret, using a fuzz.