EterniaNow-

Mythology says that Sleep is Death's half brother. Sleep is a matter of faith, faith that we WILL wake up. Death, however, is a certainty.

But what if one of the reasons we can't sleep is the worry that when Death comes, we will be forgotten? It used to be a given that having children secured our legacy, insuring that part of us will always continue on. Today the world has changed, families have changed and as much as communication is instantaneous and not limited to time zones or even the Earth, people are feeling more and more alone. Everyone wants to feel like they've made a difference in the world or in someone's life, no one wants to be forgotten.

And now there is a way to insure this, through 'Eternia Now,' the brain child of Pete Cotutsca. EterniaNow.com is a Gateway to Eternity. It allows you to 'survive your physical mortality and release new content up to 500 years into the future with MP3s, videos, images, photos, blogs and become immortal.'

Pete is a fascinating man, has lived an interesting and diverse life, and was gracious enough to let me interview him.

Pete, your profile states you are from Vienna, Austria. How did coming from a place so steeped in culture and history, influence you?

Austria does have a considerable history. Good and bad. I was very young when I left and did not necessarily appreciate the value of the culture I grew up in, as I do now.

Under Education you wrote: life, self taught. What has life taught you and what have you taught yourself?

Without motivation-Nothing. After coming to the US, besides writing and playing music, I started to explore programming, inventing, product design/development and art. I still wonder if I would have done the same back home. Hmmm? I am an astute observer of life and catch on quickly, especially when properly motivated. I try not to make the same mistake twice and continued learning is and will be the most important part for the rest of my life.

What was your inspiration/muse for creating EterniaNow?

As a creative person myself and being surrounded by such, I started to realize that many of us will be forgotten soon after we are gone. So much talent out there is going unrecognized for whatever reasons - mostly money. EterniaNow is a way to circumvent that problem and possibly pass on the personal experiences of people and their lives. Ideally, for future generations to learn from and hopefully avoid making the same mistakes we did.

You list your talents as: Composer, Web Designer, Musician, Nature Lover, ArtInventor. How did you incorporate into the design of EterniaNow?

EterniaNow is really just a manifestation of my experiences and skills I have acquired throughout the years. ArtInventor seems to mostly apply to what I do.

Your interests are Independent Thought, Intelligence, Innovation, Peace. Are they also your legacy?

I don't know. Will they be my legacy? Only time will tell. I believe that the cumulative knowledge humanity has achieved thus far can make us a lot smarter and combined with the intention of peace would be good combo. However, the individual must be motivated to do so and we must also evaluate each situation by its merits. Forget which "club" you belong to, think independently.

What is the most important part of Pete, that you want to survive for 500 years?

The ideas I have to offer in innovative solutions for problems of any kind. A philosophy that has meaning and benefits the future. A web site that is valuable as a future sociological research tool. And, hopefully some rockin' music!

Did this quote by Frederic William Farrar, " No man can pass into eternity, for he is already in it." influence the naming of EterniaNow?

No, it didn't, but I thought it is the simplest and most accurate description of the subject.

What are your hopes and dreams for the rest of the year?

To succeed in some of my projects, make it through the day and have a good time doing it.

SleepCompass's Favorite Five Questions-


1. Gillian had his hammock, Dracula his coffin and SpongeBob SquarePants his 'pineapple under the sea'- Where is your favorite place to sleep?

In my bed.

2. Do you-
a - sleep alone?
b - sleep with a significant/insignificant other?
c - with critters?

Sleep alone.

3. Jack Nicklaus dreamt a new golf swing.
Robert Louis Stevenson had a dream that became the basis of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Paul McCartney heard the melody for 'Yesterday' in a dream.

Pete, you are a very creative person; has any inspiration come to you in a dream?

I have solved problems in my sleep. When I really get into a project, I live, think and breathe it. Sometimes, I wake up in the morning and use the solution I dreamed about, which has also happened when I had programming problems on EterniaNow.

4. They say you are most vulnerable during sex, I say it's during sleep. Sex is often when we pretend, prepare, and promote who we want to be, not always who we actually are. Sleep is when all pretensions, prejudices and poses are washed away and left in it's wake, is our true essence, born from the ocean of our subconscious. Or, I could be wrong! What do you think?

Sex may be control to some people and vulnerability to others. When we go to sleep we reduce the sensitivity of our input sensors, such as sight, sound, smell, touch, etc. If there is an afterlife, the Self (i.e. soul) will continue on without these sensory inputs and thus continue in a dream state. Now, the trick is to have a good dream and not a nightmare, which may translate into what we call Heaven or Hell. If that is the case, I believe that practicing "Lucid Dreaming" in our sleep may aid the Self to experience a controlled and good "eternal dream" and thus Heaven. If you feel guilty about what you have done in your life it may be a nightmare and therefore Hell. Either way, the perception of dreams are largely dependent on the memory we have accumulated.

5. Pick one-
"I am just a dreamer, but you are just a dream"

"I want a dream lover, so I don't have to dream alone"

"Sweet dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree?
Travel the world and the seven seas
Everybody's looking for something"

Eurythmics, Sweet Dreams...


Sweet Dreams Pete, Sweet Dreams...



Links to Pete's music and Art-
http://www.TranceVision.net/i_music.htm
http://www.magnatune.com/artists/trancevision
http://www.EterniaNow.com/TranceVision