Bare with me as I go out of the past and into the present, but this recent tale had to be shared. I have grown to love the idiosyncracies of "SoCal" (Southern California): health food stores, medicinal marijuana clinics, spas dedicated to every facet of your body, assundry of plastic surgeons, celebrity run-ins, UFO conventions and the alien-associated Integratron.... Ok, let's talk about the latter. Several weeks ago, my girlz and I were having our weekly Saturday morning eatn'commiserate (think Sex and the City) at this funkydelic cafe' in Joshua Tree called "Crossroads"; a popular hangout for locals, artists, rock climbers (which Joshua Tree is known for), and tourists. While we were waiting for our food, we were poring over local event to-do's and noticed an advertisement for a Sound Bath at the Integratron located in Landers, CA about 40 min. from the cafe'. The advertisement read: "The Sound Bath is a 30-minute sonic healing session in the deeply resonant Sound Chamber. Pure quartz crystal singing bowls keyed harmonically to the body are played live while you relax yoga-style". If this didn't capture our interest, the Integratron where the session was held certainly did. The Integratron was built in the early 1950's by George Van Tassel, an eccentric entrepreneur and author, who claimed to have been abducted by benign aliens whom he continued to have telepathic communications with after he was returned. Reportedly, his contacts inspired and assisted him with building the Integratron. The Integratron is a dome-shaped building that was constructed out of plywood and fibergrass WITHOUT use of nails and screws that sits atop the intersection of geomagnetic forces deep within the Mojave Desert. Per Van Tassel's extraterrestrial contacts, the purpose for this building was to help with human body rejuvenation for a longer life span and to be a vehicle for time travel. While the main structure was erected, completion was grounded on the heels of Van Tassel's mysterious demise in 1978. Van Tassel funded the construction of the Integratron by hosting annual UFO conventions at Giant Rock 3 miles away. Until his death, 17 conventions were held there. Extraterrestrial enthusiasts, curiosity seekers, and former abductees gathered in droves greater than 11,000. Incidentally, Giant Rock is reportedly known to be the largest free standing boulder on Earth measuring 5,800 sq. ft., 7 stories high, and pre-historically aged. Prior to its extraterrestrial connections, Native Americans associated a different form of outerworld connection to the rock as Northern and Southern tribes met annually to conduct their tribal ceremonies. Native Americans considered Giant Rock mystical and its surrounding lands "Holy Ground". Powerful medicinemen prophesied that "one day the Mother would split open [Giant Rock] and a new era would begin." Incidentally, Giant Rock split open in February 2000...... so annnnnyways here I am, 2 weeks after my eatn'commiserate with the girlz, lying in the Integratron closing my eyes in deep meditation listening to the hypnotic effects of the quartz crystal singing bowls as I fall into the soundest sleep everrrrrr. The dome of the upper level chamber of the Integratron is an accoustic phenomenon. There are no amps, but when you speak in this chamber it sounds as if you are talking into a microphone amplified at high decibals. Imagine quartz crystal bowls being lightly gonged and its sound waves reverberating in this accoustically amplified room. It's the eeriest most haunting - yet calming sound - that you'll ever experience. The energy vibe I felt there was indescribable. After 1.5 hours, I awoke totally relaxed and wonderfully rejuvenated. This experience may not have given me a longer life span, but it was certainly well worth the time invested. After my Sound Bath, I spoke at great lengths with one of the owners who conveyed that all walks of life have sought Integratron: renown scientists, astronomers, yoga and meditational groups, men-in-black-type officials, celebrities (Charlize Theron and boyfriend Stuart Townsend came this summer), and even recording artists have rented the sound chamber for accoustic purposes such as Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin) and Billy Corgi (Smashing Pumpkins).... so come one, come all and head out to Landers, CA for this rather enlightening experience!