Count up to Infinity: Pursuing Physical Immortality

By Dahveed Nelson

Dahveed Nelson, a founding member of The Last Poets (one of the forefathers of hip hop) continues the work he began in 1968, as a member of the artistic fraternity, in this exploration of black consciousness. In a series of journal entries, he seeks to usher in a new world and observes that in seeking their blackness, the black community is seeking higher consciousness.

Count up to Infinity is a multigenre, multilevel experience. It is, first and foremost, an exercise in the elevation of human consciousness and thus draws upon and at the same time shares one pathfinders personal experiences as spiritual seeker, social psychologist, and advocate of the dawning golden age. The book may also be seen as a poetic expressiona reality, stream of consciousness novel; and, in some sense, it could be viewed as social commentary. It is a multifaceted worka writing that defies genre classification.

Contemplate lifes greatest questions and find solutions to everyday problemsespecially problems in the black communitywith the insights in Count Up to Infinity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Apr 28, 2018
• ISBN: 9781532045004

Dahveed Nelson

Dahveed Nelson, a native of Detroit, named, conceptualized, and was an original performer with The Last Poets. He has been called the father of rap and the first prophet of hip hop. He earned a master of divinity, a master of social psychology, and a status of Ph.D. (abd) in American religion and culture/social change. He has performed and lectured throughout the world and is currently doing development work in Ghana, West Africa.

Book preview

Copyright © 2018 Dahveed Nelson.

Author Credits: David Jordan Nelson

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

iUniverse

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.iuniverse.com

1-800-Authors (1-800-288-4677)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-5320-4501-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5320-4500-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018904849

iUniverse rev. date: 04/27/2018

Contents

Preface

Introduction

Chapter One Fragments of the first effort

Chapter Two Count up 2: The beginning of the second effort

Chapter Three A Look at the end of the second effort

36834.png

Inspiration

For my parents, David and Essie Nelson,

who fought the odds to lay

a foundation of love wisdom and courage

for their children to build upon

for my grandparents

and my ancestors

for my siblings and my children

present and departed

for all of those who encouraged me by

keepin on keepin on

36837.png

Preface

The fact, and truth, as the author Dahveed Nelson would say, that you are holding this thoughtful work is a validation of its purpose and intent. I have known Dahveed for many decades and have had the privilege of conversing with him into the wee hours of many mornings. I have grown to love him as a friend and a deep and thoughtful human being. Within the pages of this small volume one will find a magnificent and uncomplicated guide to what the author wants you to consider; a Count up to Infinity. Dahveed Nelson has in a consciously and trusting way opened his soul’s inter-sanctum to his reader. In so doing he has made an agreement with them to be true and authentic as he explores his daily revelations about the world that he experiences. He opens up his heart and mind to receive and to give. Dahveed is unflinchingly honest and it is this genuineness that will endear you to him, his thoughts and journey. I have watched Dahveed grow and develop as he grappled with the individual, collective and seemingly universal problems caused by the denigration of individuals with melanin and their physical appearance. His world is made broader and more inclusive because he desired it so by seeing individuals with different cultures, traditions and societal practices based on a concept as illusory as race. This writing proudly demonstrates and attest to his personal journey and victory.

Dahveed invites you to walk along with him as he acts as your guide into a world of wonder, excitement, challenges and victories. See, hear and feel the powerful forces that echo from of his poetic debut in 1968 and how it both influenced and guided his journeyed from a lost and wandering soul to become one of purpose and mission. Experience him as metamorphosis from a Black Power poet, writer and musician to that of a the New Age of human potential, ancestral wisdom as well as the collective consciousness of NOW. Listen he guides, mentors; coaxes and encourages both the timid and intrepid to take themselves more seriously and learn how to Count up to Infinity.

May I share with you one of the most rewarding experiences you will have in reading Count up to Infinity. It is the utterly unexpected and eloquently phrased gems of wisdom and thoughtfulness. These are strewn masterfully thought out this work and act as powerful motivators to continue reading. Dahveed Nelson is a talented writer and his diary of a year and some months will awaken in most, if not all it readers a spirit of contemplation and self-searching. This, my dear fellow reader, may well serve as your spring board to start your own Count up to Infinity. We thank and honor our brother Dahveed as he has honored us.

— Etherero Akinshegun

Introduction

It is my deep conviction that a critical mass of human beings on the planet earth, must reach highly elevated consciousness, in order for us to make the world habitable. Thus I have devised this self- discipline to the end that such discipline will propel me to higher consciousness and that this discipline might serve as an example and encouragement to my fellow human beings on their journey, and in their efforts to attain the enlightenment that so many of us desire and seek.

Count up to infinity is an exercise that this author has engaged in for over ten years the purpose of the exercise, and how it was executed, will become clear as the reader joins us in the journey. We begin with excerpts from our first effort at doing this exercise. We first touch upon the remnant of the work of the first effort – begun more than ten years ago – and most of which was lost. The format of this writing is a daily journal, and I’m including all that remains of the effort with which I started, it seems, long ago. (2006) Then I go forward to the beginning of the second phase of my journaling, before skipping to the end of the second phase. I believe this method will engage the reader in the process that I went through and allow one the opportunity to judge for themselves the level of progress that they discern. You will gain the most when you get into the flow of this daily journaling and flow with each day’s entry

For the most part, I will allow the journal notes to speak on their own, with only an occasional bit of commentary. I will, however, at the onset call your attention, dear reader to difference between section one two and three. Section one seems to me to highlight my attempts to embed the exercise in every -day life, by frequently engaging in the work as I encounter people, and observing the interaction. In the beginning of the second count up I seem to focus more on reaching people in a more esoteric/spiritual manner- that is to say, that we find examples of telepathic communication and astral travel - until, near the end I begin to reflect more on thinking through some ideas for attacking the problems of the people, with a particular emphasis on finding ways to bring forth the contributions of Black people.

One final note is in order. This is most definitely to be seen as an extension of the work that we started in 1968 under the heading of the artistic fraternity that many know, as The Last Poets. Quite simply, the purpose of the last poets was to help usher in a new world! The work of the group was rooted in, and exemplary of, the Black pride/Black consciousness movement. This fact brings us full circle in considering this writing. Black consciousness – I have recently begun to more fully understand – is equivalent to higher consciousness. That is to say that, recent scientific studies have shown that melanin, particularly neuro-melanin – is at the root of life processes. Physics has concluded that dark matter is the beginning, and that new sun-life emerges from the black hole. Biology attests that a black dot forms with the merger of egg and sperm thus forming the beginning of the growth of the fetus. In seeking our Blackness we were seeking higher consciousness – we were searching for ourselves and our connection with the source of life! Thus we are simply continuing our quest.

CHAPTER ONE

Fragments of the first effort

8/6/06

The fountain of life flows forth from deep in our hearts towards the confluence in the great ocean of life. Each of us is a simple droplet of that water, but when we all merge together we are a great sea.

8/7/06

It is easy to recognize the immense power inherent in nature, when exposed to a stifling heat wave as you move around the city of St. Louis. The heat is surreal in its intensity, it is as though the universe was watching Al Gore’s film, inconvenient truth, and decided to accent the point that he made: the planet is in a serious crisis from the threat of global warming! While in St. Croix I would often lie for an hour or so in the mid-day sun, by the sea shore. I would tan and be invigorated by the experience, but the heat in St. Croix is different. There is something simply different about this heat and the heat of the sun that I bathed in while living in St. Croix. It is as if someone removed a vital element from the atmosphere and allowed rays and heat that would normally be screened out to pour upon us. I have been moving around in this heat all day and it has been very uncomfortable. The discomfort however is a reminder that nature is speaking to those of a higher consciousness, albeit, the message is harsh and fiery. The unnatural heat reminds us that the planet is under attack! Those who can heed the signs are called to allow their spirits to reconnect with the living spirit of the planet. All of us who sense the call of nature, when we allow our spirits to unify with one another, and with the spirit of life itself, will see the power of life overflowing and restoring the planet to its pristine glory!

8/8/06

Today has been a day of cultivation! The vision has been planted, now the cultivation is the supreme task! And how do you cultivate a mind of a sufficiently high consciousness to meet the outpouring of life that will come when the portal of infinity swings wide. Practice living fully in the now! As I sat here at the Delmar Loop bus center in St. Louis, a young man approached me with his little financial plan. I gave him the dollar I would have given to the bus driver in exchange for a transfer and then we entered into conversation. I called him, as hard as I could to allow his mind to be elevated to the level of infinity. I arose from my seat and looked into his eyes and warned him that when the portal to infinity opens he would do well to be prepared. I even gave him my business card. Yet for all of that effort, he gave me no sense that he had truly heard me. I even told him the story of the storm and how the wind blowing upon the trees represented the breath of Yah (God) blowing on the people. My spirit reached out to him again and again and still reaches out even after his departure and my boarding of the bus that I was awaiting. This is cultivation: a sower sowed, but only the seed sown in good soil, one of four, brought forth fruit. My prayer is that Walker, will allow the seed of righteousness that I sowed in his soil to find a place to take root and grow and bear fruit. One thing is certain. Time will surely reveal the outcome!

8/9/06

I’m marking this day of the count up by focusing upon, now awareness and diligence of accomplishment. Now, is the time – the currency - that is available for use. I can accomplish those things that I brought forward from the past and I can, by meditation bank energy for the accomplishment of future goals. In other words I can execute and plan! Whenever we adopt such an attitude, the universe can and will come to our aid. For example, I’ve accomplished a great deal this morning and as I sat on the bus I thought I would either have to get off early and go to the cleaners or ride to my next destination and take the