Maybe you have heard of the Quarter Life Crisis or perhaps you resonate more with the phenomenon Soul Awakening? What about Autogenic Training or Meditation? Self-Optimization or Healing? There are different terms for similar developments in human evolution. Some people connect to the ‘Conscious Bubble’, talk about transmissions, portals, go with the flow, and look at their shadows. Others speak about mental health, personal development, or growth. The vocabulary differs, but the meaning is very similar, if not the same. Humanity connects more and more to the inner world and wants to evolve from a place of their psyche. We all do it. And we always did it. But what is different now? We are at the very beginning of a new time, and this means that consciousness is changing.

You might have seen the word ‘conscious’ in connection with events or concepts in spiritual or alternative communities or even in connection with our event, which was formerly called "The Conscious Stripclub". Consciousness, in its classic definition, denotes awareness of yourself and your surroundings through the mind. In our understanding at ANIMAGIKA, the word ‘conscious’ describes the state of awareness that human beings have about themselves and how we relate to each other, the planet, and its animals and organisms. It shows what we know about ourselves and how far we have integrated this knowledge into our existing structures.

At the same time, the word ‘conscious’ also acknowledges its counterpart, the subconscious. Thanks to the Awakening movement, we are considering the role of our darkness more and more in modern society. Exploring and working with what lies in our subconscious can yield valuable lessons and transformation on both an individual and collective level. This is quite a young science within the paradigms of our post-industrial era, though ancient peoples have used the subconscious to expand their ways of knowing through dreams and visions for millennia.

In short, the word ‘conscious’ in our context is not simply the awareness of our surroundings through the mind, but can describe people, events, and connections that guide us to connect to our inner world and evolve our psyche. As more and more people embark on this journey of deeper discovery, we are at the very beginning of a new era in which consciousness is changing collectively.

We, as ANIMAGIKA, are referring to the word ‘conscious’ to bring this phenomenon closer to the people and also to offer another framing for the word itself. It is not meant to be exclusive to a closed bubble of spiritual seekers who are far removed from the real world and think they are better than the rest. On the contrary, we aim to include anyone on this path of inner work and connection.

So what is a conscious event? We are aware that everyone has their existing preconceived notions around the word ‘conscious’ as it relates to events. For some, it means that there is no alcohol or other stimulants present. For others, it means that the event is led by space holders (or facilitators) that provide a safe space for vulnerability and authentic connection between participants. And some people think a conscious event is a bunch of hippies, dancing and tripping and pretending the world is full of fluffy, puffy unicorns.

For us, the intention to be ‘conscious’ means that through our events, we strive to evoke a deep awareness of our behaviors and beliefs that already exist but have been acted out unconsciously. We do not wait for the drinks to loosen our tongues and make us feel comfortable. We open the space with intentional rituals, exercises, and art that reach our hearts and make us feel more alike, despite the stories and attitudes that we brought with us to the event. Together, we will shed light on what is driving us in our actions and name this driving force so that we can regain sovereignty over it. This can translate subtly or flashily.

We are aware that our psyche is tangible and exposed in every corner of this project, as you will be affected by each and every decision that we make. Some decisions come from a place of assurance and confidence, while others come from a place of fear and insecurity. We do not approach these places with shame, as it is our mission in life to reduce the power of our fears and insecurities that make us act from the shadows or repressed areas of our psyche. The consciousness we bring into our creations unmasks our hidden agendas that are driven by our fears, so that we can renegotiate with ourselves what we really want to believe in and start rewiring our thought patterns. That's why we used the word 'conscious' for our event, The Conscious Strip Club, when we birthed it. In the meantime, we changed the name to "House Of Soulstrip" as the former name has caused polarization, that created too much friction and instability for the project. However, we still apply principles of a conscious event.

Planting this seed of rewiring our thought and behavior patterns in a space of erotic expression is a powerful way of rooting our inner work in our bodies and systems, making sure it doesn't remain only an idea or insight. Think about it: every life starts through the merging of polarities, sexes, and energies. This doesn't only happen in sexual contexts, such as when a penis penetrates a vagina or when we give each other pleasure in other ways. Energies meet and merge all the time, giving us the chance to feel alive. We discovered in the strip club that erotic dance can create an insane amount of aliveness and connection to mind and body. During The Conscious Strip Club workshops and event, we use these powerful exercises of erotic dance and connection in a consciously created safe space that allows you to dive into your inner work and sexuality through this powerful transformational work. Through erotic exploration, we will plant nourishment for our souls and bodies, which will help us inspire the world together.