By Elly Molina, Author of Annabelle and the Domino
Source: BeyondTheCrescentMoon.com
The first time I read Robert A. Heinlein’s “Stranger in a Strange Land” there was a lot I didn’t quite “grok”; yet something in me whispered, “This is not science fiction”.
Heinlein’s main character, Valentine Michael Smith, is the son of the first astronauts who explore planet Mars. Smith is an orphaned human raised in Martian culture who learns how to have full control over his mind and body. Through circumstances, the protagonist finds himself on Earth. He is attacked by US government agents and in self defense sends the agents into a fourth dimension.
During the course of the novel , he continues to demonstrate psychic abilities, superhuman intelligence and psychokinetic abilities. While reading, I continuously thought this is do able and wondered how can we learn to do this?
Over the years I have developed a strong belief that we humans once knew how to do this and lost the ability through some sort of “dark age” in our psychic development. I started to look at how we are taught to speak, walk, how and what to eat and came to the belief that our way distant ancestors actually knew how to and used their intuitive, telepathic and telekinetic abilites.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE...
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
10 Things You Don't Know About Time
Source: Discover Magazine
“Time” is the most used noun in the English language, yet it remains a mystery. We’ve just completed an amazingly intense and rewarding multidisciplinary conference on the nature of time, and my brain is swimming with ideas and new questions. Rather than trying a summary (the talks will be online soon), here’s my stab at a top ten list partly inspired by our discussions: the things everyone should know about time.
1. Time exists. Might as well get this common question out of the way. Of course time exists — otherwise how would we set our alarm clocks? Time organizes the universe into an ordered series of moments, and thank goodness; what a mess it would be if reality were complete different from moment to moment. The real question is whether or not time is fundamental, or perhaps emergent. We used to think that “temperature” was a basic category of nature, but now we know it emerges from the motion of atoms. When it comes to whether time is fundamental, the answer is: nobody knows. My bet is “yes,” but we’ll need to understand quantum gravity much better before we can say for sure.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE...
FREE REPORT:
How to Double Your Way to Wealth
“Time” is the most used noun in the English language, yet it remains a mystery. We’ve just completed an amazingly intense and rewarding multidisciplinary conference on the nature of time, and my brain is swimming with ideas and new questions. Rather than trying a summary (the talks will be online soon), here’s my stab at a top ten list partly inspired by our discussions: the things everyone should know about time.
1. Time exists. Might as well get this common question out of the way. Of course time exists — otherwise how would we set our alarm clocks? Time organizes the universe into an ordered series of moments, and thank goodness; what a mess it would be if reality were complete different from moment to moment. The real question is whether or not time is fundamental, or perhaps emergent. We used to think that “temperature” was a basic category of nature, but now we know it emerges from the motion of atoms. When it comes to whether time is fundamental, the answer is: nobody knows. My bet is “yes,” but we’ll need to understand quantum gravity much better before we can say for sure.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE...
FREE REPORT: How to Double Your Way to Wealth
Sunday, December 11, 2011
5 Ways to Persuade Anyone to Do Whatever You Want
By Michael Lee
Author of How to Be an Expert Persuader
Having good persuasion skills has become a necessity in today's fast-paced world. A large part of your success depends on the cooperation of other people. Influencing them to your way of thinking is now a very essential step in the fulfillment of your goals.
Here are 5 simple yet effective persuasion tactics you may use everyday to build loyal and lasting relationships through the power of persuasion and influence.
Tactic # 1: You Must Enter Their World.
Copy them. Observe how they act, how they speak, and how they think. If they rub their forehead while they think, act like them. If they speak at a clear and slow pace, try to do the same thing. This is called mirroring. In due time, the people you're mirroring will subconsciously feel more comfortable with you. It's as if they see themselves in you. However, you must proceed with caution. Do not let them be aware that you are copying them. They might interpret it as mockery and you'll just get into trouble.
Tactic # 2: Meet Their Existing Needs and Desires.
People are self-centered. They are initially concerned with their own well-being before others. If you can prove that your proposal will provide more advantageous benefits to them than to your own, then they will probably accept it. If you could focus more on their interests, desires, needs, and expectations, then you would satisfy their cravings for attention. Moreover, it would show that you really care about them. Mutual trust and respect would be established. Satisfy the "What's In It For Me?" test first, before convincing others to do what you want them to do.
CLICK HERE TO READ ALL 5 PERSUASION TECHNIQUES
Author of How to Be an Expert Persuader
Having good persuasion skills has become a necessity in today's fast-paced world. A large part of your success depends on the cooperation of other people. Influencing them to your way of thinking is now a very essential step in the fulfillment of your goals.
Here are 5 simple yet effective persuasion tactics you may use everyday to build loyal and lasting relationships through the power of persuasion and influence.
Tactic # 1: You Must Enter Their World.
Copy them. Observe how they act, how they speak, and how they think. If they rub their forehead while they think, act like them. If they speak at a clear and slow pace, try to do the same thing. This is called mirroring. In due time, the people you're mirroring will subconsciously feel more comfortable with you. It's as if they see themselves in you. However, you must proceed with caution. Do not let them be aware that you are copying them. They might interpret it as mockery and you'll just get into trouble.
Tactic # 2: Meet Their Existing Needs and Desires.
People are self-centered. They are initially concerned with their own well-being before others. If you can prove that your proposal will provide more advantageous benefits to them than to your own, then they will probably accept it. If you could focus more on their interests, desires, needs, and expectations, then you would satisfy their cravings for attention. Moreover, it would show that you really care about them. Mutual trust and respect would be established. Satisfy the "What's In It For Me?" test first, before convincing others to do what you want them to do.
CLICK HERE TO READ ALL 5 PERSUASION TECHNIQUES
Tuesday, December 06, 2011
Exploring the Mystical Powers of Water
When most people think about water, they're thinking about something to drink, or perhaps that hot, steamy and refreshing liquid that funnels out of the showerhead to remove the grit and grime after a long day's work.
Dr. Masaru Emoto is not one of those people. He believes that water reveals hidden messages and reacts to human thoughts, music, emotions, prayers and written words.
Dr. Masaru Emoto is not one of those people. He believes that water reveals hidden messages and reacts to human thoughts, music, emotions, prayers and written words.
Sunday, December 04, 2011
New Reality Creation Software Merges Science & Spirituality
By Tom Murasso, Creator of The Sourxe
I recently read where scientists discovered one tiny atom's behavior replicates the entire universe. Incredible!
Each atom – there are billions upon billions of them – creates alternative universes, time lines, and parallel realities where duplicates of you and me (and everyone else) are living simultaneous, yet... different lives.
And that's the keyword... 'different' lives!
Hey, most of us dream, at one point or another, that our lives were different. Right?
And you can see why this discovery explains why some people are successful and some are not. Some are rich or poor. Why some enjoy health and some are sick. Why some have great relationships, etc., etc. They were able to access a different reality!
Apparently, where we place our focus has everything to do with it. So, how exactly do you focus on an alternative universes and parallel realities? I sure can't remember anyone teaching me that in school...
Well the good news is, someone HAS discovered a way to jump the time lines into parallel realities...
Here's a short video explaining everything...
I recently read where scientists discovered one tiny atom's behavior replicates the entire universe. Incredible!
Each atom – there are billions upon billions of them – creates alternative universes, time lines, and parallel realities where duplicates of you and me (and everyone else) are living simultaneous, yet... different lives.
And that's the keyword... 'different' lives!
Hey, most of us dream, at one point or another, that our lives were different. Right?
And you can see why this discovery explains why some people are successful and some are not. Some are rich or poor. Why some enjoy health and some are sick. Why some have great relationships, etc., etc. They were able to access a different reality!
Apparently, where we place our focus has everything to do with it. So, how exactly do you focus on an alternative universes and parallel realities? I sure can't remember anyone teaching me that in school...
Well the good news is, someone HAS discovered a way to jump the time lines into parallel realities...
Here's a short video explaining everything...
Friday, December 02, 2011
The Army Fights Nightmares with Power Dreaming
By Dawn Lim / Source: Wired
A soldier tries to sleep. But he is not safe in his dreams. Jolted awake by a nightmare, the combat veteran fumbles in the dark for his 3-D glasses.
He puts them on. Around him are the faces of people whom he trusts. They fight the darkness with him.
The soldier’s re-lived this scene in his head and the laboratory over and over again, until it has become reassuringly familiar. The soldier knows that his pixelated friends will take him away from these troubled dreams. When the scene is over, he takes off his goggles and looks around him. The soldier is home.
The U.S. Army wants this dream sequence to become reality. In an Army-backed experiment called “Power Dreaming,” Naval Hospital Bremerton in Washington State will help traumatized troops battle their nightmares — with soothing, digitally-made dreams crafted in virtual worlds. No, this is not the script for the sequel to Inception.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE...
A soldier tries to sleep. But he is not safe in his dreams. Jolted awake by a nightmare, the combat veteran fumbles in the dark for his 3-D glasses.
He puts them on. Around him are the faces of people whom he trusts. They fight the darkness with him.
The soldier’s re-lived this scene in his head and the laboratory over and over again, until it has become reassuringly familiar. The soldier knows that his pixelated friends will take him away from these troubled dreams. When the scene is over, he takes off his goggles and looks around him. The soldier is home.
The U.S. Army wants this dream sequence to become reality. In an Army-backed experiment called “Power Dreaming,” Naval Hospital Bremerton in Washington State will help traumatized troops battle their nightmares — with soothing, digitally-made dreams crafted in virtual worlds. No, this is not the script for the sequel to Inception.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE...
Thursday, December 01, 2011
Free Ebook: T. Harv Eker's SpeedWealth
T. Harv Eker, author of the New York Times #1 best-seller "Secrets of the Millionaire Mind," is giving away complimentary copies of his newly revised e-book, SpeedWealth.
In it, you'll discover a time-tested road map to creating a million-dollar business in 3 short years - or less.
"SpeedWealth" reveals the 8 critical steps that the world's most successful businesses use to become overnight sensations.
DOWNLOAD THE FREE EBOOK HERE...
Monday, November 28, 2011
Can Magic Mushrooms Improve Your Life?
By Elizabeth Lopatto / Source: Bloomberg
Psilocybin, or “magic mushrooms,” can make people more open in their feelings and aesthetic sensibilities, conferring on them a lasting personality change, according to a study by Johns Hopkins researchers.
People who had mystic experiences while taking the mushrooms were more likely to show increases in a personality trait dubbed “openness,” which is related to creativity, artistic appreciation and curiosity, according to the study in the Journal of Psychopharmacology. The change was still in place a year later, suggesting a long-term effect.
“The remarkable piece is that psilocybin can facilitate experiences that change how people perceive themselves and their environment,” said Roland Griffiths, a study author and professor of psychiatry and behavioral science at Johns Hopkins University of Medicine in Baltimore. “That’s unprecedented.”
READ THE FULL STORY HERE...
Psilocybin, or “magic mushrooms,” can make people more open in their feelings and aesthetic sensibilities, conferring on them a lasting personality change, according to a study by Johns Hopkins researchers.
People who had mystic experiences while taking the mushrooms were more likely to show increases in a personality trait dubbed “openness,” which is related to creativity, artistic appreciation and curiosity, according to the study in the Journal of Psychopharmacology. The change was still in place a year later, suggesting a long-term effect.
“The remarkable piece is that psilocybin can facilitate experiences that change how people perceive themselves and their environment,” said Roland Griffiths, a study author and professor of psychiatry and behavioral science at Johns Hopkins University of Medicine in Baltimore. “That’s unprecedented.”
READ THE FULL STORY HERE...
Saturday, November 26, 2011
The Hypnotic Power of Confusion
By Joe Vitale / Source: The Code of Influence
"Did you walk to work or carry a lunch?"
Huh? My father asked me that question more than 25 years ago. I still remember it. Why? Because it's a ridiculous question.
A famous comedian in the 1950s used to ask people, "Got a banana?" The question might make sense if asked in the right situation, but he asked it everywhere. I've forgotten the name of the comedian, but I still recall his question. Why? Because it's strange.
As I write this, I am creating new business cards for myself. I decided to add a confusing line to it. After some fun brainstorming with my girlfriend, I settled on, "Ask me about the monkey."
Why is "Ask me about the monkey?" worth putting on my business card? As with my father's question and the comedian's question, it stops your brain in its tracks. It makes you pause. It makes you focus on ME. The theory is that once you stop someone with a confusing line, you can then implant a hypnotic command right after it.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE...
"Did you walk to work or carry a lunch?"
Huh? My father asked me that question more than 25 years ago. I still remember it. Why? Because it's a ridiculous question.
A famous comedian in the 1950s used to ask people, "Got a banana?" The question might make sense if asked in the right situation, but he asked it everywhere. I've forgotten the name of the comedian, but I still recall his question. Why? Because it's strange.
As I write this, I am creating new business cards for myself. I decided to add a confusing line to it. After some fun brainstorming with my girlfriend, I settled on, "Ask me about the monkey."
Why is "Ask me about the monkey?" worth putting on my business card? As with my father's question and the comedian's question, it stops your brain in its tracks. It makes you pause. It makes you focus on ME. The theory is that once you stop someone with a confusing line, you can then implant a hypnotic command right after it.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE...
Friday, November 25, 2011
Stephen King's Rules for Time Travel
By Sarah Fallon / Source: Wired
If you’re going to travel back in time, author Stephen King says, preparation is everything. The further back you go, the more you have to think about.
And if you’re going to try and undo a watershed event in history—the assassination of JFK, say—you had better be determined. Because the past will do its best to remain unchanged.
That’s the premise of King’s latest novel, 11/22/63, which follows Jake Epping as he slips back through time to stop Lee Harvey Oswald from pulling the trigger. To get the details right, King talked to experts about the events leading up to Kennedy’s death, and he consulted with heavyweight historians like Doris Kearns Goodwin on what might have happened had JFK lived.
Wired spoke with King about the mechanics of time travel, the grandfather paradox, and the scariest thing about trying to change history.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE...
If you’re going to travel back in time, author Stephen King says, preparation is everything. The further back you go, the more you have to think about.
And if you’re going to try and undo a watershed event in history—the assassination of JFK, say—you had better be determined. Because the past will do its best to remain unchanged.
That’s the premise of King’s latest novel, 11/22/63, which follows Jake Epping as he slips back through time to stop Lee Harvey Oswald from pulling the trigger. To get the details right, King talked to experts about the events leading up to Kennedy’s death, and he consulted with heavyweight historians like Doris Kearns Goodwin on what might have happened had JFK lived.
Wired spoke with King about the mechanics of time travel, the grandfather paradox, and the scariest thing about trying to change history.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE...
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
10 Scientific Studies that Prove Hypnosis Works
Courtesy of Natural Hypnosis
Hypnosis is becoming more and more widely recognised, and there are literally 1000s of hypnosis research studies, showing the links between hypnosis and improving memory, motivation, aiding weight loss, and significantly helping people to stop smoking.
Here we have selected just a few of these studies, first up is a study from 1970 which really brought hypnosis into the mainstream, and not only gave hypnosis real credibility, but accredited it with status as a more effective form of therapy than any other currently practiced.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE...
Hypnosis is becoming more and more widely recognised, and there are literally 1000s of hypnosis research studies, showing the links between hypnosis and improving memory, motivation, aiding weight loss, and significantly helping people to stop smoking.
Here we have selected just a few of these studies, first up is a study from 1970 which really brought hypnosis into the mainstream, and not only gave hypnosis real credibility, but accredited it with status as a more effective form of therapy than any other currently practiced.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE...
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Dogs Can Smell Cancer
By Jenny Stocks / Source: Daily Mail
Daisy the labrador is hard at work on a project that could change your life and mine.
In her smart red jacket, she wanders around a metal carousel in a small centre outside Milton Keynes, sniffing at the different scents that are attached to its 12 spokes. Then she stops.
She’s found what she’s looking for and looks expectantly up at her handler — she knows that when she recognises this specific smell, she will soon get an edible reward.
While Daisy enjoys the process (and her dog biscuits) her actions are more than just a game — they have huge implications for all of us.
Because what this seven-year-old dog is sniffing is a selection of samples from a local hospital. And she has just located the only one that came from a cancer patient.
Daisy, quite simply, is being taught to sniff out cancer. She is one of the world’s first bio-detection dogs — trained animals that may one day revolutionise medical diagnosis.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE...
Daisy the labrador is hard at work on a project that could change your life and mine.
In her smart red jacket, she wanders around a metal carousel in a small centre outside Milton Keynes, sniffing at the different scents that are attached to its 12 spokes. Then she stops.
She’s found what she’s looking for and looks expectantly up at her handler — she knows that when she recognises this specific smell, she will soon get an edible reward.
While Daisy enjoys the process (and her dog biscuits) her actions are more than just a game — they have huge implications for all of us.
Because what this seven-year-old dog is sniffing is a selection of samples from a local hospital. And she has just located the only one that came from a cancer patient.
Daisy, quite simply, is being taught to sniff out cancer. She is one of the world’s first bio-detection dogs — trained animals that may one day revolutionise medical diagnosis.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE...
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Killer Solar Flare Won't Destroy Earth in 2012, NASA Says
By Mike Wall / Source: Space.com
If the world ends in 2012, the sun won't be to blame, NASA officials say.
Contrary to what some doomsayers would have you believe, our star isn't capable of blasting out a solar flare powerful enough to burn our planet to a crisp, according to the space agency.
"Most importantly, however, there simply isn't enough energy in the sun to send a killer fireball 93 million miles to destroy Earth," NASA officials wrote in a Nov. 10 statement.
The Mayans' "long-count" calendar is set to expire on Dec. 21, 2012, marking the end of a 5,126-year epoch. This factoid has inspired some folks to start girding up for the coming apocalypse — and to start predicting what may bring it about.
One popular theory is that a huge solar flare could do the Earth in. Some fearmongers have pointed out that the sun's activity is ramping up, implying that a killer outburst could be coming next year.
The sun is indeed building up toward the peak of its 11-year activity cycle. But that peak is expected to come in 2013 or 2014, not 2012, researchers said. Also, countless solar maxima have come and gone over the years, and we — and the Earth — are still here.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE...
If the world ends in 2012, the sun won't be to blame, NASA officials say.
Contrary to what some doomsayers would have you believe, our star isn't capable of blasting out a solar flare powerful enough to burn our planet to a crisp, according to the space agency.
"Most importantly, however, there simply isn't enough energy in the sun to send a killer fireball 93 million miles to destroy Earth," NASA officials wrote in a Nov. 10 statement.
The Mayans' "long-count" calendar is set to expire on Dec. 21, 2012, marking the end of a 5,126-year epoch. This factoid has inspired some folks to start girding up for the coming apocalypse — and to start predicting what may bring it about.
One popular theory is that a huge solar flare could do the Earth in. Some fearmongers have pointed out that the sun's activity is ramping up, implying that a killer outburst could be coming next year.
The sun is indeed building up toward the peak of its 11-year activity cycle. But that peak is expected to come in 2013 or 2014, not 2012, researchers said. Also, countless solar maxima have come and gone over the years, and we — and the Earth — are still here.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE...
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
The Many Scientific Benefits of Gratitude
Drs. Blair and Rita Justice / Source: Health Leader
If you start practicing now, you could be grateful by Thanksgiving. Not only that, your marriage could improve, you might be exercising more, feel less depressed, sleep better, have a healthier heart, more life satisfaction, and increase your chances of living longer.
This may sound like a late-night ad that comes with a free set of steak knives (...and that’s not all!), but a growing body of research shows that gratitude is truly amazing in its physical and psychosocial benefits. The benefits are so great, in fact, that it’s a wonder “gratitude gyms” aren’t already being franchised.
Robert A. Emmons, PhD, professor of psychology at University of California, Davis, pioneer in the research on gratitude and one of the leading scholars in positive psychology, is author of Thanks: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier. What makes gratitude the “magic ingredient” is that it takes us outside ourselves so that we can see how we are part of the larger, intricate network of sustaining relationships -- relationships that are reciprocal.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE...
If you start practicing now, you could be grateful by Thanksgiving. Not only that, your marriage could improve, you might be exercising more, feel less depressed, sleep better, have a healthier heart, more life satisfaction, and increase your chances of living longer.
This may sound like a late-night ad that comes with a free set of steak knives (...and that’s not all!), but a growing body of research shows that gratitude is truly amazing in its physical and psychosocial benefits. The benefits are so great, in fact, that it’s a wonder “gratitude gyms” aren’t already being franchised.
Robert A. Emmons, PhD, professor of psychology at University of California, Davis, pioneer in the research on gratitude and one of the leading scholars in positive psychology, is author of Thanks: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier. What makes gratitude the “magic ingredient” is that it takes us outside ourselves so that we can see how we are part of the larger, intricate network of sustaining relationships -- relationships that are reciprocal.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE...
5 Sleep Commands that Induce Lucid Dreams
By Nick Newport / Source: Lucidology.com
Here in Lucidology 101 we'll cover five new sleep commands that you can use to quickly trick the body into falling asleep. This will enables you to end insomnia and have frequent lucid dreams and OBEs.
A while back I had been up all night working on something. Around noon I was very tired and decided to lay down for a few moments. As I lay there I began to feel a very uncomfortable urge to roll over. For no real reason I decided to ignore it and just lay there. To my extreme surprise I felt the paralysis wave roll over me and put me in full sleep paralysis.
The paralysis was completely unexpected. I had always thought it was something you had to be very deeply relaxed to achieve. Instead I was actually fairly tense and my mind was not at all in any kind of meditative state.
I'd accidentally found something that I had never seen in any books on lucid dreaming. The roll over signal itself was all you need to enter paralysis. I spent the next several months experimenting with different variations of what I'd done. I began looking for other ways to command the body into sleep and here's what I found.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE...
Here in Lucidology 101 we'll cover five new sleep commands that you can use to quickly trick the body into falling asleep. This will enables you to end insomnia and have frequent lucid dreams and OBEs.
A while back I had been up all night working on something. Around noon I was very tired and decided to lay down for a few moments. As I lay there I began to feel a very uncomfortable urge to roll over. For no real reason I decided to ignore it and just lay there. To my extreme surprise I felt the paralysis wave roll over me and put me in full sleep paralysis.
The paralysis was completely unexpected. I had always thought it was something you had to be very deeply relaxed to achieve. Instead I was actually fairly tense and my mind was not at all in any kind of meditative state.
I'd accidentally found something that I had never seen in any books on lucid dreaming. The roll over signal itself was all you need to enter paralysis. I spent the next several months experimenting with different variations of what I'd done. I began looking for other ways to command the body into sleep and here's what I found.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE...
Monday, November 14, 2011
How to Boost Your Willpower
By Jacqueline Nelson / Source: Canadian Business
The first daily test of one’s willpower begins with the loathsome tone of the alarm clock: to resist pressing the snooze button. Then, on the way to work the mind fights giving reckless commuters the finger or stopping for a sugary latte. Before any real work begins, the tank of self-control that was full at the beginning of the day has already been partially depleted.
Unfortunately, the human ability to self-regulate is limited. The more tired the mind becomes by resisting its impulses throughout the day, the stronger the likelihood of caving to feelings of temptation, which trigger pleasure centres in the brain.
In Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength (Penguin), co-authors Roy F. Baumeister and John Marion Tierney offer both practical tips on beating the most common daily tests of self-control, as well as scientific insight into why humans react to impulses the way they do.
Our willpower is rooted in our desire to “avoid public disgrace rather than by any zeal to achieve human perfection,” the authors say. They trace the history of self-control through the past century, pausing to reflect on the strong-willed Victorians and the impulsive hippies.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE...
The first daily test of one’s willpower begins with the loathsome tone of the alarm clock: to resist pressing the snooze button. Then, on the way to work the mind fights giving reckless commuters the finger or stopping for a sugary latte. Before any real work begins, the tank of self-control that was full at the beginning of the day has already been partially depleted.
Unfortunately, the human ability to self-regulate is limited. The more tired the mind becomes by resisting its impulses throughout the day, the stronger the likelihood of caving to feelings of temptation, which trigger pleasure centres in the brain.
In Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength (Penguin), co-authors Roy F. Baumeister and John Marion Tierney offer both practical tips on beating the most common daily tests of self-control, as well as scientific insight into why humans react to impulses the way they do.
Our willpower is rooted in our desire to “avoid public disgrace rather than by any zeal to achieve human perfection,” the authors say. They trace the history of self-control through the past century, pausing to reflect on the strong-willed Victorians and the impulsive hippies.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE...
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Don't Tell Your Goals to Anyone
By Bethany Heitman / Source: SF Gate
It's a commonly held belief that whenever you set a new goal for yourself - whether it's scoring your ideal job, writing a screenplay, or yogacizing your bod down a size or two - you should broadcast it to everyone you know. After all, the more people you tell, the more likely you'll do it because you don't want to be thought of as a failure, right?
Wrong. New research shows the opposite is true. A study conducted at New York University found that blabbing about your goal can give you a false sense of accomplishment, making you less likely to actually go after it.
Here's an example: Imagine you tell a friend that you want to train to be a long-distance runner. Your bud has a "Oh, wow, that's great!" reaction, and you get a jolt of satisfaction and pride. You feel so satisfied, in fact, that you lose motivation to get up early and jog. Why should you, when you're already reaping the benefits of being known as a runner?
The smarter strategy: Don't tell a soul. Of course, that's easier said than done. Keep reading for more reasons to stay mum, plus tips for achieving your dream on the down-low.
Wednesday, November 09, 2011
The End of Evil?
By Ron Rosenbaum / Source: Slate
Is evil over? Has science finally driven a stake through its dark heart? Or at least emptied the word of useful meaning, reduced the notion of a numinous nonmaterial malevolent force to a glitch in a tangled cluster of neurons, the brain?
Yes, according to many neuroscientists, who are emerging as the new high priests of the secrets of the psyche, explainers of human behavior in general. A phenomenon attested to by a recent torrent of pop-sci brain books with titles like Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain.
Not secret in most of these works is the disdain for metaphysical evil, which is regarded as an antiquated concept that's done more harm than good. They argue that the time has come to replace such metaphysical terms with physical explanations—malfunctions or malformations in the brain.
Advertisement
Of course, people still commit innumerable bad actions, but the idea that people make conscious decisions to hurt or harm is no longer sustainable, say the new brain scientists. For one thing, there is no such thing as "free will" with which to decide to commit evil. (Like evil, free will is an antiquated concept for most.) Autonomous, conscious decision-making itself may well be an illusion. And thus intentional evil is impossible.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE...
Is evil over? Has science finally driven a stake through its dark heart? Or at least emptied the word of useful meaning, reduced the notion of a numinous nonmaterial malevolent force to a glitch in a tangled cluster of neurons, the brain?
Yes, according to many neuroscientists, who are emerging as the new high priests of the secrets of the psyche, explainers of human behavior in general. A phenomenon attested to by a recent torrent of pop-sci brain books with titles like Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain.
Not secret in most of these works is the disdain for metaphysical evil, which is regarded as an antiquated concept that's done more harm than good. They argue that the time has come to replace such metaphysical terms with physical explanations—malfunctions or malformations in the brain.
Advertisement
Of course, people still commit innumerable bad actions, but the idea that people make conscious decisions to hurt or harm is no longer sustainable, say the new brain scientists. For one thing, there is no such thing as "free will" with which to decide to commit evil. (Like evil, free will is an antiquated concept for most.) Autonomous, conscious decision-making itself may well be an illusion. And thus intentional evil is impossible.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE...
Monday, November 07, 2011
Top 10 Mind Control Cults
Source: Mind Control 101
1. Scientology – Scientology has been highly controversial since its foundation by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard in 1952. It has been described as a cult by several media organizations, governments, former believers, and other religious groups. One of the main reasons is the cult’s tier system, in which practitioners must pay higher levels of money to discover more information about the religion. Scientologists also believe that souls reincarnate and have lived on other planets before earth, and they condemn the practice of psychiatry, believing that it is destructive.
2. Aum Shinrikyo – Currently known as “Aleph” (the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet), this Japanese religious group was founded by Shoko Asahara in 1984. Asahara published a book in 1992 in which he declared himself as “Christ” and outlined a doomsday prophecy where the U.S. would instigate World War III and ultimately bring destruction to humanity, apart from the select few who join Aum. In March of 1995, the group carried out a Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway, and Asahara was arrested and sentenced to death a few months later. The group is considered a terrorist organization by several international entities. It currently has about 1,500 members.
READ THE FULL LIST HERE...
1. Scientology – Scientology has been highly controversial since its foundation by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard in 1952. It has been described as a cult by several media organizations, governments, former believers, and other religious groups. One of the main reasons is the cult’s tier system, in which practitioners must pay higher levels of money to discover more information about the religion. Scientologists also believe that souls reincarnate and have lived on other planets before earth, and they condemn the practice of psychiatry, believing that it is destructive.
2. Aum Shinrikyo – Currently known as “Aleph” (the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet), this Japanese religious group was founded by Shoko Asahara in 1984. Asahara published a book in 1992 in which he declared himself as “Christ” and outlined a doomsday prophecy where the U.S. would instigate World War III and ultimately bring destruction to humanity, apart from the select few who join Aum. In March of 1995, the group carried out a Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway, and Asahara was arrested and sentenced to death a few months later. The group is considered a terrorist organization by several international entities. It currently has about 1,500 members.
READ THE FULL LIST HERE...
Saturday, November 05, 2011
The Hilarious, Terrifying Power of Conformity
One of the most popular scenarios in the long history of Alan Funt's ingenious Candid Camera programs is "Face The Rear." An elevator is rigged so that after an unsuspecting person enters, four Candid Camera staff enter, and one by one they all face the rear. The doors close and then reopen; now revealing that the passenger had conformed and is now also facing the rear.
Doors close and reopen, and everyone is facing sideways, and then face the other way. We laugh that these people are manipulated like puppets on invisible strings, but this scenario makes us aware of the number of situations in which we mindlessly follow the dictates of group norms and situational forces.
Watch more weird videos at MindBendingVideos.com
Doors close and reopen, and everyone is facing sideways, and then face the other way. We laugh that these people are manipulated like puppets on invisible strings, but this scenario makes us aware of the number of situations in which we mindlessly follow the dictates of group norms and situational forces.
Watch more weird videos at MindBendingVideos.com
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