"A rich, sublime experience, like a week-long meditation retreat in Maui. I surfed the interface between conscious/unconscious. I was floating in timelessness and totally shifted into bliss! - a perfect balance of sensory stimulation, sensual relaxation, and sacred connection." - Paula B
"I attended OCEAN and I'm still buzzing! Light years beyond my expectations, which were high! As my friend Vyarah said: 'It was
transforming. Things will never look the same.' The vibrations touched places within me that have been silent, ignored, and gave
them voice. They're still talking. And, I'm listening. So thank you!" - Jasmati
Preston Klik here, and I proudly present 3 sound healing systems ::
1) ZEN BED
2) PERSONAL GONG WASH
3) OCEAN OF DEVOTION
I'm really lovin' these 3 sonic adventures in consciousness-raising! It's a new way to express my life-long love of sound.
Can sound really heal? I believe it can, but not like penicillin or Emily's CranialSacral Therapy, of course. I resonate with composer Aaron Copland's (modified) quote "'Is there healing in music?' My answer to that would be, 'Yes.' And 'Can you state in so many words what the healing is?' My answer to that would be 'No.'"
Within Mystery/Consciousness there is a subset called "the material world". Science is a revealing and wonderful tool for subjects that can be measured. But the Spiritual Being called human? There's more to us than the material. And sound vibration is one portal to the intuitive realms, the "energy worlds" pre- (and post-) words/rationality.
I do what I can to help heal and purify you of psycho-physical wounds, helping you to reach more deeply, to transform from mere homo sapiens into the emerging Homo Illuminatus. A Luminous Being is healthy and translucent, fully living from and AS the Divine Light within. I'd like to help you access that realization. Namaste' - Preston
1)what is the ZEN BED? "The ZEN BED is unlike anything I have ever experienced - an extraordinary, multi-dimensional vibrational sound-healing experience. Being suspended, you literally feel the vibrations around and through your body. Super cool and stunningly great!" - Amy T. (owner of YOGA NOW)
"I will never forget this amazing experience! Today, during my ZEN BED session, my True Self was revealed, and the painfully wounded child within me was giggling with such joy! I feel that the anguish I've been holding for 3 decades is gone. After the session I continued to giggle, and everywhere I went, people were smiling at me. I feel that my relations are healed, my being is in perfect harmony, and I will continue to giggle forever. Thank you from my heart! I bow to you in gratitude. You are a true healer! With or without sound, your presence is creating such expansion, love, and joy!" - Ayshen
"The peace that flowed through me within the aura of the ZEN BED realigned my energy fields with the Music of the Spheres, and is still with me this morning." - Ann A
ZEN BED is a personal one-on-one floating-meditation-relaxation session. It takes place @ The Synphorium because of the apparatus involved :: A floating-cross wooden bed (hung from the ceiling by 3 x 8ft cables) "floats" and subtley "swings" a few inches above the floor. You lie on the hard wood "bed" as I play Bombay Temple Bowls & a crystal bowl on the 4 quadrants of the structure. The physical frequencies flow through the "bed" and gently vibrate your cranium, shoulders, sacrum, and feet, along with your ears, of course, for 30 to 45 minutes. (210lb weight limit.)
The ZEN BED is very meditational and relaxing. You have a choice of intention :: either PURIFICATION, or RELAXATION (though each session is always a mixture of both). It also inspires deep inner journeying. So... If the ZEN BED is something you'd like to experience, let's schedule a session!
PERSONAL ZEN BED sessions are held by appointment noon-midnight.
$30-$50 sliding scale for a 35-40 minute session
contact Preston;;, 773-728-2787
2)what is the PERSONAL GONG WASH? The PERSONAL GONG WASH is a true adventure in sound. The gong is a fantastic musical instrument! I don't know if you've heard all the cinematic and inspirational sounds that can be coaxed out of a multi-tone gong by someone like myself... I LOVE making them sing/ sigh/ murmur/ resonate :: choirs, whales, planets whirling, underwater excursions, fire/ air/ earth/ water/ ether, visions of mercury and molten metals, etc. The PERSONAL GONG WASH is not so much about relaxation as it is about journeying.
Using a customized 36-inch HEART GONG at your head and a 26-inch CHAU GONG at your feet, I bath you in multiple octaves of sonic vibration while you lie on a comfortable massage table. This is not "pretty New-Age music", but much stranger. The dream-like sounds - plus the rich, deep vibrations - loosen static energies within one's psycho-physical body, allowing unique cleansings and healings to occur. Often very subtle, sometimes powerfully intense, we talk about the level of intensity before we start so I can give you the session you need. So... If the PERSONAL GONG WASH is something you'd like to experience, let's schedule a session!
PERSONAL GONG WASH sessions are held on Thursdays noon-midnight, and rare Sundays from 2p-midnight; other times can be arranged.
$30-$50 sliding scale for a 35-40 minute session
contact Preston;;, 773-728-2787
testimonials . . .
"The lingering blissfulness of OCEAN in the Heart Chakra of Chi Town!" - Heather
"I have big shifts every time I attend OCEAN. Whether I realize it at the time or not, something happens within, something... Energies become aligned and allow the Higher me to speak through. I then feel confident to move in a direction that I feared before, and I always make some big decision or change in my life/lifestyle/way of living after attending. OCEAN is like a cleanse. The vibrations are very strong and push things out of me... it is a very powerful experience. I drive from Naperville and RSVP weeks in advance to attend. I know this is good for me. Thank you Preston for being a vehicle of this amazing transformation. From the heart, Soraya"
"OCEAN... the beginning of time, explosions of stars, formation of planets, and the awe of the creation of life-forms and human consciousness. The earth was nuturing me, like a womb... decades of living life, experiencing great storms and serene stillness. It was what letting-go feels like, surrendering, a communion w/ all that is. - J"
Preston writes :: "Yes Soraya, OCEAN is all about inner work, which means it's subjective, not objective; personal revelation, not public. It's night-language (symbolic/poetry/Spirit), not day language (fact/measurable/science). And your words confirmed that, and made me realize that more aclearly than before. Thank you."
"I do kinesiology and test my body before and after your amazing sound-healing sessions. I've been having a hard time keeping my male & female energies (right & left sides of my body) in balance. When I test my body just before an Ocean session I'm usually out of balance, due to what I do for a living. After a sound-healing session my body is in perfect balance and stays that way for a couple of weeks, until work finally gets to me again & throws me off balance. Thank you sooo much for the amazing healing I experience each month at your Ocean of Devotion. You are a gifted healer! Sincerely, Mindy"
"Ocean of Devotion is a transcendently heart-opening musical journey of lyrical beauty and enigmatic force. It captivates the senses and careens close to the sublime. The exquisite artistry and grace of Preston’s innovative composition, as he interweaves driving rhythms and celestial sounds, creates a deeply soulful symphony that is both incredibly raw, yet spellbinding. This magical musical odyssey will catapult you into a blissful wave of unconditional love, and sweet surrender into your creative spirit. - Shantal"
"I was incredibly touched, moved, inspired, and freed by the OCEAN experience. I feel lighter and more joyous than I have in a long while. - Jennie"
"We are in awe at the variety of sound vibrations coming from your gong. We had a wonderful time floating in the Ocean, and feel spiritually cleansed. - Pam & Caren"
"The sounds were primordial, ancient. We all went on a journey, and shared afterwards. Preston is a true performance artist.
This is his own journey from electronica to acoustic instruments. Emily was a wonderful host, and offered a deep,
guiding prayer. - Geeman"
"A very healing experience. Powerful vibrational healing sounds penetrate when one allows oneself to be drenched. My body twitched and vibrated in your sacred lounge, and a tear rolled down my face from each eye... very interesting. Certainly your Love and sound touched me in a special "just what I needed" way. You really captured the essence of the ocean... a magical world of mystery and wonder. Very powerful and amazing. - Janelle"
"As I was raised Buddhist, the sounds of gongs and cymbals resonate a sense of spiritual familiarity. Thank you sooooo much. OCEAN OF DEVOTION was a truly meditative inspiration. - Asali"
"Dreams, Visions, you name it - OCEAN OF DEVOTION swept me away. I thought about it all the way home, and kept seeing it in dreams last night. Truly wonderful." - Chaldean
"Wonderful. I felt the Spirit with you in each moment. I am blessed." - Shiva A.
$25 (1 session) Gift Certificates now available!
S O U N D H E A L I N G + R E L A X A T I O N
Preston Klik has played his GONGS & BOWLS @ The Synphorium, Yoga Now, Bodhi Spiritual Center, Unity Chicago, Life Force Arts Center, Block Cancer Center, American Polarity Therapy Assoc, Northwestern Memorial Hospitals' Oncology Conference, Chi-Ka-Go, Creative Loft Party, etc FIRST FRIDAYS= FRI SEP3, OCT1, NOV5, DEC3 @ 8p-9:30 @ Yoga Now Gold Coast OCEAN OF DEVOTION (a 75' Gong-Bowl Sound-Healing Meditation by Preston Klik)
$20-$30 suggested donation (no one will be turned away for lack of funds) Arrive early: Doors open @ 7:30 Note :: Wear comfortable odor-free clothing. Eyemasks, mats, & bakjaks will be provided.
"OCEAN is a mystical meditative journey to exquisitely beautiful innerscapes." - Lynda
SUN AUG15, SEP12, OCT10, NOV14, DEC12 @ 7p-9p @ Temple Synphorium(5602 N. Ridge, Chi, 60660)
OCEAN OF DEVOTION (a 75' Gong-Bowl Sound-Healing Meditation by Preston Klik)
$20-$30 suggested donation(contact Preston if you can't afford it) Arrive early: Doors open 6:30p. Space limited so you MUST RSVP to Preston; or 773-728-2787.
TO RSVP ON DAY OF EVENT - PLEASE CALL (do not email)!!
(Call 773-728-2787 10am-6:55pm Sunday)
Note :: Wear comfortable odor-free clothing. Mats, chairs, & couches are available.
"OCEAN is a very powerful catalyst, triggering a sudden shift and propelling me into a higher level of evolution/ awakening." - ShantalUnity Chicago's Sunshine Gallery
SUN SEP26 @ 1:30p-3p Unity Chicago's Sunshine Gallery OCEAN OF DEVOTION (a Gong-Bowl Sound-Healing Meditation by Preston Klik)
$20-$30 suggested donation (no one will be turned away for lack of funds) Note:: This will be a sunny room, bring an eye-cover. Wear comfortable odor-free clothing.
Bring a mat if you want; some mats, bakjaks & chairs will be provided.
"Your creative/healing ministry is a HUGE source of strength and nourishment." - Paula B
$25 (1 session) Gift Certificates now available!
photo :: Kat Fitzgerald
3) what is OCEAN OF DEVOTION? ::
Sonic Immersions into the Liquid Presence of the Divine
(a Gong-Bowl Sound-Healing Meditation)
"This sound healing work is shifting a lot within me. Not just emotions, but priorities!" - Jasmati
"OCEAN OF DEVOTION took me on a mystical meditative journey to exquisitely beautiful innerscapes. The sacred sounds took hold
of me completely, and at times moved my body in subtle spirals that made my being vibrate and my third eye open widely like never
before. Is sound healing? From first hand experience, I am certain that we have just started to scratch the surface of what these
sacred vibrations can do for mind, body, heart, and spirit. Preston's presentation of these sacred instruments is a must to experience.
I highly recommend diving in deeply and breathing in the sound through every cell." - Lynda (oncology nurse @ Northwestern Memorial)
"You are an artist, and what you create is pure art. Healing art, how amazing is that! Most Wow. The creation of something
through Love and Presence is infinitely more than the sum of its parts. The actual OCEAN trip was something I hadn't quite
imagined... unexpected and whimsical. The sounds poured into me, and and I just went on a personal journey. There were sounds
strange, beautiful, some wild, but in their wholeness they were a masterpiece. We were all infused by your masterpiece.
Namaste" - Rossi
"In my dreams I often find myself on top of a tall mountain, a pyramid, or very tall building (one that reaches the sky). When
you started playing the gong I felt like I was propelled straight to the top of my tall building. I couldn't just lie down, for my spine
was the building, reaching towards infinity. And in an infinite second I was in space, one with the stars and the Ocean of Bliss.
Experiencing OCEAN reminded me that it was myself facilitating my ascention, but the love that exists within me: the Love
that I AM; the love for all there is! I was again the pure being, with all my senses fully open, and fully present with whatever is.
And then... what an Ocean of Bliss!!! ...to be soooo humble in the face of the divine. What an experience! Of couse, it cannot
be put into words... I feel deep gratitude from my heart! With Greater Love." - Ayshen
OCEAN OF DEVOTION is a gentle-but-dynamic, 60-minute acoustic group concert-meditation. OCEAN is most often very quiet & tranquil, soothing. I play a dozen 7-metal Bombay Temple Bowls, a trio of gongs (including a customized 36-inch HEART GONG), plus white crystal bowl, rainstick, nut shells, superballs(!), ocean & water & thunder drums, chimes, dorje & bell, various mallets, etc.
Surrounded by candles, this richly cinematic musical odyssey-meditation is as beautiful to the eye as it is to the ear, heart, body, and mind. I've been a professional musician all my life, and I really love this OCEAN Gong Wash - and I hope you will too! Very relaxing and often healing, OCEAN also inspires deep inner journeying in a community context.
(btw :: I host sonic OCEAN experiences @ various people's homes, in Yoga studios, in public "meditations", @ The Synphorium Space, plus "tithe" the experience to cancer centers and hospices.) If you'd like to sponsor OCEAN in your home or business, just let me know. Preston;;, 773-728-2787
NOTE :: If you love sound, I suggest you visit ANDY'S MUSIC & IMPORTS (2300 W. Belmont, Chicago IL; 773-868-1235)
musings on SOUND+VIBRATION+HEALING
POSTURE/COMFORT Some say you should lie with your feet toward the gong, others say your head. I say trust your instincts :: do what you want. Take care of your comfort. Feel free to move about as needed, to sit or lie, but do so with utmost respect for your fellow travelers. As many of the sounds are subtle, please be quiet.
GONG PITCHES= THE HEART OF THE MATTER Gongs are not a pure, single-tone instrument like a flute is. Just the opposite. My customized 36-inch HEART GONG releases many notes and overtones simultaneously, many pitches in unity, but not unison. As such, it represents the Spiritualised human's heart. With the bowls I may focus on single pitches at times, but the gong is the Heart of the Matter. That is to say, the human is the Heart of Matter. And the gong represents that Sacred Heart.
TOOLS+ME= TOOL The instruments I use are tools. To the degree that my ego is involved, they are tools of (small-s) self-expression. To the degree I deactivate my monkey-mind ego, they are tools of (capital-S) Self-expression. The Divine realizes Its own Beauty best through the complex richness and inner life of self-reflecting humans. As an artist, my discipline is to become one with Beauty. Not that I become beautiful, but that I become more-or-less transparent to the artistic Grace of Spirit, allowing that Beauty to use this body's heart-mind to shine through. It's a bit like an out-of-body experience. The me that I call "I" is somehow still present, but more as a witness to the Beauty being made manifest. Just like you, when in the zone, I get to hear the music being created.
SURRENDER/WONDER/MYSTERY/EARS As neuro-psychologist Oliver Sacks' states in "An Anthropologist On Mars", Wonder and Mystery are present for each of us, in every moment, if we allow them to be. I ask that you hear with fresh ears, which means a clean and uncluttered mind. Surrender to the Wonder, so that you enter the Mystery. Be a Yes!
RAISE THE FIELD OF CONSCIOUSNESS Consciousness, not matter, is the basis of life. Everything swims in a field of consciousness. Some beings are more awakened or conscious or more realized than others. My goal is to raise your consciousness by purifying your Heart-Mind, and aligning your body to the Sacred. In so doing, we raise the center of gravity of Consciousness Itself.
SACRALIZE Nothing in life is sacred, NOTHING - unless we humans make it so. Our goal is to sacralize this extended moment together, to make this music sacred. And in so doing, to let this sacred sound wash over us, and enter us deeply, thereby sacralizing us in a reciprocal resonant ritual. The bowls are Spirit Expressing to the degree that we add consciousness to matter via the quality of our listening.
photo :: Kat Fitzgeraldmore musings . . .
SOUNDS : HERE & NOW (SENSATION) VS SYMBOLS (POINT) In a real sense tonight's sonic vibrations are always in the here and now. The sounds will trigger sensations within us. In reality, the presence of the sound is all there is in any moment tonnight. But that truth has a flipside. In another sense the sounds are not merely themselves, but are also symbols. The sounds point... they point to that which is not - and cannot be - manifest in this realm. They point to that which is beyond, to that which is beyond the beyond. Whether you hear the sounds for the sensations they are, in reality, or as symbolic guides to your own inner life is of no concern to me. You have creative choice in the matter. Allow the sacred sonics to flow over you and into you. Use them, intuitively, to journey to other realms, and to heal. And let the sounds use you. Let the sounds borrow your body/mind/heart/soul so that they might embody in this psycho-physical realm, if just for a moment in time. It is reciprocal : the sounds honor you as you honor them.
IT'S NOT THE BOWL, IT'S THE BOWLER I am the instrument being played tonight, just as much as the bowl is. As the wise Mallethead told me "It's not the bowl, it's the bowler. I turn myself over to the Great Musician. The Creator is ready to bowl with me. The Divine is on my bowling team." Personally, I have created myself as the Possibility of Creative Love. Emily has created herself as the Possibility of Healing and Compassion. As such, the bowls sing tonight of Creativity and Love, of Healing and Compassion. I beg you, get your small self out of the way. Allow the sounds do their Sacred Work of vibrational alignment.
MEGAPHONE/BEYOND I may speak through a megaphone - not to distance myself, but to add fuel to your imagination. My purpose is to sound as if speaking from another realm, the realm of dreams and healing, of stardust past and memories future. I wish to reach beyond everyday reality to tickle the ears of your imagination.
ORIGINAL BLESSING/PAIN/BLISS Remember :: You were born with the Gift of original blessing, not the burden of original sin. Disempower your pain-body. Empower your bliss-body. Bliss... is our birthright.
BREATH/BODY/THOUGHTS/COSMONAUTS So we are about to begin. Tonight we journey, alone and together. At times, be aware of your breath. Feel your body. Sense the other cosmonauts around you, the community we now co-create. Let your thoughts float by like leaves. Pay them no heed. Take 7 deep breaths at your own pace. Sound will then arise from the silence. Lie back and watch the movie within your imagination. Whatever is available to you is yours, and yours alone. Let us enjoy this extended Sacred moment, together.
photo :: Kat Fitzgeraldeven more musings . . .
FASCINATION IS THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE OF MYSTERY, MYSTERY= LOVE In philosopher/composer John Cage's composition named "4:33", the pianist sat down at his grand piano, raised his hands, and played... absolutely nothing. For 4 minutes and 33 seconds. His intention was that any incidental or ambient sound the audience heard became the "music" of the piece. In that spirit, if you hear a siren or a door opening, welcome any sounds you hear tonight as part of the sonic landscape, not an intrusion. There is sufficient Mystery to keep you fascinated just in the act of hearing. Fascination is the human experience of Mystery, which is a form of Love.
BIG BANG/STARS/GESTATION You and I and we were all together billions of years ago at the beginnings of time, as potential in the Heart of Consciousness. It's true! Each atom of our bodies was created in that original hot soup. It took this long for all of those atoms to gather and organize themselves as you. How do I know? Because you are here, now!
THE BODY IS THE LARGER BRAIN Our atoms contain ancient stories we are not conscious of. And our bodies carry the indistinct cellular memories of billions of years of evolution. Musician/philosopher Brian Eno puts it simply :: "The body is the larger brain." The cerebral cortex is a relatively recent addition, the body has a long history. We humans are 70% water, and tonight, our liquid bodies will organically resonate with the sonic vibrations of the OCEAN OF DEVOTION. So if you feel like moving/dancing, do so.
INNER= BEAUTY/TRUTH Evolution has recently empowered the inner dimension in humans, the life of the mind. The heart-mind is where Beauty and Truth lie. So enjoy tonight with your animal-body instincts, and/or with your imagination, your contemplation. There is no single right way to experience this ceremony, and you have creative choice in the matter.
EYES(OUT) VS EARS(IN) When we see music being made, we listen with our eyes; our eyes extend us out from our bodies to meet what we are seeing, and that is very beautiful. When our eyes are closed we listen with our ears; rather than out, we pull the music deep inside us. Our imaginations rule this realm. Both ways of listening are rewarding, and you have creative choice in the matter.
CHAKRAS People ask me about chakra activation. Here's the way I see it : The less-conscious embodied animals A-scend toward Spirit; they activate the lower 4 chakras, starting with the base/earth, ending with the heart. Contrast that with the Super-conscious but dis-embodied angel-spirits. They DE-scend toward matter; they activate the top 4 chakras, starting with the crown, ending with the heart. ONLY fully healthy humans, especially the emerging Homo Illuminatus, or Luminous Ones, are in touch with the full range of 7 ascending and descending currents, from crown to toe, toe to crown. With 3 above and 3 below, the heart chakra is the center of the energetic/symbolic universe. It is the locus of Heart-Wisdom. The healthy heart is the Sacred Chalice, filled to overflowing by the 3 ascending and 3 descending energies, the upward forces of evolution and the downward forces of involution. The human being, when healed and unfragmented, when whole and complete, when fully realized and wholly awakened... this human body/mind/heart/soul is the Divine made manifest. Also, the manifest made Divine. The Word made flesh, the flesh made Word.
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photo :: Kat Fitzgerald
photo :: Kat Fitzgerald
photo :: Kat Fitzgerald