Grief is an ancestor who teaches us to exercise constant and immense gratitude.
Mimi Zhu, “Grief Is an Ancestor”
Saturday 14 September 2024
BG14 - GUNATRAYA VIBHAG YOG X CHET -JADA
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As the nineteenth century drew to a close, you would have forgiven physicists for hoping that they were on track to understand everything. The universe, according to this tentative picture, was made of particles that were pushed around by fields
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Wednesday 11 September 2024
Tuesday 10 September 2024
Monday 9 September 2024
BG 10 VIBHUTI YOG
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Narcissism is a complex personality trait that can manifest in different ways. Psychologists often categorize narcissism into three main types: grandiose narcissism, vulnerable narcissism, and malignant narcissism. These types of narcissism can change and evolve over a person's lifetime. Here’s a breakdown of each type and how they tend to shift with age:
1. Grandiose Narcissism
- Characteristics: People with grandiose narcissism exhibit high levels of confidence, extroversion, and a sense of superiority. They often seek admiration and attention and may have little regard for others’ feelings. This type is typically associated with overt displays of arrogance, entitlement, and dominance.
- Change with Age: Over time, grandiose narcissism may diminish as individuals face life experiences that challenge their self-perception, such as career setbacks, health issues, or the loss of relationships. However, in some cases, older individuals may hold on to their grandiose traits as a way to maintain a sense of identity and purpose.
2. Vulnerable Narcissism
- Characteristics: Vulnerable narcissists are more introverted and have a fragile self-esteem. They may appear shy, but underneath, they have deep feelings of inadequacy and a desire for admiration. This type of narcissism often involves hypersensitivity to criticism and a tendency to feel victimized or unappreciated.
- Change with Age: Vulnerable narcissism can become more pronounced as people age, especially if they feel they haven’t achieved what they wanted in life. Aging can exacerbate feelings of vulnerability and inadequacy, leading to increased sensitivity and social withdrawal. On the other hand, some may develop more resilience and self-acceptance as they grow older.
3. Malignant Narcissism
- Characteristics: This is the most extreme form of narcissism and includes traits of both grandiose and vulnerable narcissism, combined with antisocial behavior. Malignant narcissists can be manipulative, deceitful, and lack empathy. They may also exhibit aggressive tendencies and a desire to dominate others.
- Change with Age: Malignant narcissism tends to remain stable over time, as it’s often linked to more entrenched personality disorders. However, the expression of these traits may change with age. For instance, as physical strength and social influence decline, older malignant narcissists may become more manipulative or controlling in more subtle ways.
General Changes in Narcissism with Age
Research suggests that narcissism, in general, tends to decrease with age. Life experiences, increased wisdom, and a greater focus on relationships can lead to a reduction in narcissistic traits. However, this isn't always the case, and the trajectory of narcissism can vary greatly depending on the individual and their circumstances.
Older adults may become more reflective and develop greater empathy, while others may struggle with the loss of power, status, or physical capabilities, which could exacerbate narcissistic tendencies. In any case, aging brings about changes in personality, and how narcissism manifests can shift significantly over time.
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Sunday 8 September 2024
Build pockets of stillness into your life
Build pockets of stillness into your life. Meditate. Go for walks. Ride your bike going nowhere in particular. There is a creative purpose to daydreaming, even to boredom. The best ideas come to us when we stop actively trying to coax the muse into manifesting and let the fragments of experience float around our unconscious mind in order to click into new combinations. Without this essential stage of unconscious processing, the entire flow of the creative process is broken. Most important, sleep. Besides being the greatest creative aphrodisiac, sleep also affects our every waking moment, dictates our social rhythm, and even mediates our negative moods. Be as religious and disciplined about your sleep as you are about your work. We tend to wear our ability to get by on little sleep as some sort of badge of honor that validates our work ethic. But what it really is is a profound failure of self-respect and of priorities. What could possibly be more important than your health and your sanity, from which all else springs?
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Friday 6 September 2024
HEDONIC REVERSAL
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Hedonic reversal is a psychological phenomenon where something that initially causes discomfort, pain, or unpleasantness becomes pleasurable or enjoyable over time, or under certain conditions. This concept is often discussed in the context of how humans adapt to experiences and how their perception of pleasure and pain can change based on various factors.
Key Aspects of Hedonic Reversal:
Adaptation and Acclimatization:
- Over time, people can become accustomed to certain stimuli or experiences that were initially unpleasant. As they adapt, their perception of these stimuli can shift, leading to a reversal in how they experience them.
- For example, someone who initially finds a cold shower unbearable may begin to enjoy the refreshing sensation after repeated exposure.
Cognitive Reframing:
- Hedonic reversal can occur when individuals consciously or unconsciously reframe their experiences in a more positive light. This reframing can change how they perceive and react to previously unpleasant experiences.
- For instance, intense exercise can be painful and exhausting, but many people come to enjoy the "runner's high" and the sense of accomplishment that follows a tough workout.
Cultural and Social Influences:
- Cultural and social contexts can play a significant role in hedonic reversal. Certain practices or rituals that are painful or uncomfortable (e.g., fasting, extreme sports, or body modifications) may be valued and even sought after within specific cultural or social groups.
- The shared experience and the meaning attached to these practices can transform the perception of pain into something positive or desirable.
Biological and Psychological Mechanisms:
- The brain's reward system is complex and can sometimes associate pain or discomfort with positive outcomes. For example, the release of endorphins during painful experiences can lead to a feeling of euphoria, contributing to the pleasure derived from activities like endurance sports or spicy food.
- Psychological mechanisms, such as the "effort justification" effect, where people find more value in something they worked hard or suffered for, can also contribute to hedonic reversal.
Examples of Hedonic Reversal:
Spicy Foods:
- Many people initially find spicy foods painful to eat, but over time, they may begin to enjoy the heat and even crave it. The burning sensation, initially unpleasant, can become a source of pleasure.
Exercise:
- Intense physical exercise often involves discomfort and pain, especially in the beginning. However, as individuals continue to exercise, they may start to enjoy the physical challenge and the endorphin rush, turning the pain into pleasure.
Horror Movies:
- Watching horror movies can be a frightening and anxiety-inducing experience. However, some people find pleasure in the thrill and excitement of being scared, leading to a hedonic reversal where fear becomes enjoyable.
Cold Exposure (e.g., Ice Baths):
- Ice baths or cold showers are initially very uncomfortable, but many people report feeling invigorated and energized after regular exposure, finding pleasure in the discomfort.
Implications of Hedonic Reversal:
Psychological Resilience: Hedonic reversal can be a form of psychological resilience, where individuals learn to find pleasure in challenging or adverse situations. This ability to adapt and find joy in discomfort can be beneficial for personal growth and coping with stress.
Behavioral Conditioning: Understanding hedonic reversal can help in areas such as behavioral conditioning and therapy, where reframing and repeated exposure to discomfort can lead to positive outcomes.
Cultural Practices: The phenomenon of hedonic reversal explains why certain cultural practices that involve pain or discomfort (such as fasting, religious rituals, or endurance events) are valued and can even be enjoyable for participants.
Conclusion:
Hedonic reversal illustrates the complex and adaptive nature of human perception, where what was once painful or unpleasant can become a source of pleasure under the right circumstances. This phenomenon highlights the flexibility of the human mind and its capacity to find enjoyment in a wide range of experiences, even those that initially seem undesirable.
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If people are short tempered, they are probably overwhelmed X HALT CHECK
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SAGAN
The truth may be puzzling. It may take some work to grapple with. It may be counterintuitive. It may contradict deeply held prejudices. It may not be consonant with what we desperately want to be true. But our preferences do not determine what’s true.”
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HUXLEY
Aldous Huxley to write his book Brave New World in 1931. He imagined a world in which people had the capacity to eradicate their negative experiences by taking ‘soma’ (a substance that is eerily similar to modern-day antidepressant medication). Those living in this brave new world could eradicate all their discomfort, yet it was exactly this capacity that Huxley believed made the society he wrote about dystopian. He believed such an existence would have been freakishly banal and bereft of any real meaning. A life free of any suffering at all would be without distinction, without edges, and without variation. A world without pain would be torturous indeed.
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KGXE EXPOSPME
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Why is Death Important?
Everyone fears death, but birth and death are laws of creation ... It is essential for the balance of the universe. Without it, humans would dominate one another. How? Read this story...
Once, a king visited a sage who was sitting under a tree outside his kingdom. He asked, "O Swami! If there is any herb or medicine that can grant immortality, please let me know."
The sage replied, "O King! Please cross the two mountains in front of you. There, you will find a lake. Drink its water, and you will become immortal."
After crossing the two mountains, the king found a lake. As he was about to drink the water, he heard painful groans. Following the sound, he found a very weak man lying in pain.
When the king asked the reason, the man said, "I drank the water from the lake and became immortal. After I turned a hundred years old, my son threw me out of the house. I have been lying here for the last fifty years with no one to care for me. My son has passed away, and my grandchildren are now old. I have stopped eating and drinking, yet I am still alive."
The king pondered, "What is the use of immortality with old age? What if I gain youth along with immortality?" He went back to the sage to find a solution and asked, "Please tell me how I can gain both immortality and youth."
The sage replied, "After crossing the lake, you will find another mountain. Cross it, and you will find a tree filled with yellow fruits. Eat one of them, and you will gain both immortality and youth."
The king crossed another mountain and found a tree filled with yellow fruits. As he was about to pluck and eat one, he heard loud arguments and fighting. He wondered who could be quarreling in such a remote place.
He saw four young men arguing loudly. The king asked why they were fighting. One of them said, "I am 250 years old, and the man on my right is 300 years old. He is not giving me my share of the property."
When the king asked the man on the right, he said, "My father, who is 350 years old, is still alive and hasn't given me my share. How can I give mine to my son?"
The man pointed to his father, who was 400 years old, and shared the same complaint. All of them told the king that their endless fight for property had driven the villagers to expel them from the village.
Shocked, the king returned to the sage and said, "Thank you for teaching me the importance of death."
The sage then said, "Because death exists, there is love in the world."
"Instead of trying to avoid death, live each day and every moment happily. Change yourself, and the world will change."
1. When you chant the name of God while bathing, it becomes a holy bath.
2. When you chant while eating, the food becomes sacred.
3. When you chant while walking, it becomes a pilgrimage.
4. When you chant while cooking, the food becomes divine.
5. When you chant before sleeping, it becomes meditative sleep.
6. When you chant while working, it becomes devotion.
7. When you chant at home, it turns into a temple.
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DMHC
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PEAK COMFORT
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If tomorrow someone invented a foolproof, cost-free pill, with no side effects, guaranteeing life-time immunity from pain, we would at once have to set about reinventing what it means to be human. David B. Morris, The Culture of Pain
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DMHC
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Peace requires us to surrender our illusions of control. We can love and care for others but we cannot possess our children, lovers, family, or friends. We can assist them, pray for them, and wish them well, yet in the end their happiness and suffering depend on their thoughts and actions, not on our wishes.”
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Thursday 5 September 2024
ARISTOTLE The end of labor is to gain leisure."
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DHYAN YOG BGITA CH 6
Chapter 6 of the Bhagavad Gita is titled "Dhyana Yoga" or "The Yoga of Meditation". This chapter focuses on the importance of meditation as a path to self-realization and spiritual enlightenment. Here's the essence of Chapter 6:
1. Importance of Self-Discipline
Krishna emphasizes the importance of self-discipline and the control of the mind and senses. A true yogi, according to Krishna, is someone who performs their duties without attachment, who neither desires the fruits of their actions nor renounces their responsibilities.
2. The Role of Meditation
Meditation is presented as a crucial practice for achieving inner peace and self-realization. Krishna explains that through meditation, one can control the restless mind, attain tranquility, and ultimately, unite with the Supreme Self (Atman).
3. The Mind as Both Friend and Enemy
Krishna teaches that the mind can be one's best friend or worst enemy. A mind that is controlled and focused through meditation can lead to liberation, while an uncontrolled mind can lead to bondage and suffering.
4. The Ideal Meditator
The ideal meditator is described as one who is moderate in eating, sleeping, working, and recreation. Such a person practices meditation regularly, in a quiet and clean place, focusing their mind steadily on a single point, usually the Divine.
5. Equality and Oneness
Krishna highlights the importance of seeing all beings as equal. A true yogi perceives the same divine essence in every creature, regardless of their outward appearance or circumstances.
6. The Ultimate Goal
The ultimate goal of meditation and yoga, as explained in this chapter, is to achieve a state of unity with the Supreme Consciousness, where the individual soul (jiva) merges with the universal soul (Brahman).
7. Overcoming Obstacles
Krishna acknowledges the challenges in controlling the mind but reassures Arjuna that with perseverance and detachment, one can overcome these difficulties and succeed in meditation.
8. The Yogi's Reward
Finally, Krishna assures that the yogi who strives with sincerity and dedication, even if they do not achieve perfection in this life, will be reborn in favorable circumstances that will allow them to continue their spiritual journey.
Chapter 6 of the Gita thus offers profound insights into the practice of meditation, the discipline of the mind, and the path to spiritual liberation.
Wednesday 4 September 2024
Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice." - Thomas Paine
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DMHC
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WHAT A BAD PARENT CAN DO TO A CHILD The power of a bad parent is almost without limit. Within only a few years, a bad parent might be able to create an offspring who: is convinced that they are unworthy hates themselves without limit is perpetually certain that they have done something very wrong constantly anticipates catastrophe loathes their own appearance fears everyone’s rage and envy cannot enjoy sex is unable to explore their mind always feels they need to agree, comply, and people-please can’t show their true self for fear of revolting everyone will never put a stop to their own abuse, in whatever form this comes has to puff themselves up with money and acclaim to feel acceptable is compelled to torture others as they were tortured cannot tolerate ambiguity and criticism cannot play must always be right has to sabotage anything promising, kind, and good that enters their life And that’s just to start the list.
Tuesday 3 September 2024
Thanks” is the one word that will save your relationship
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A shockable rhythm refers to specific abnormal heart rhythms that can be treated with an electrical shock, typically through a device like a defibrillator. These rhythms are potentially life-threatening but can be converted to a normal rhythm through defibrillation. The two primary shockable rhythms are:
Ventricular Fibrillation (VF): This is a chaotic, disorganized rhythm in which the ventricles (the heart's lower chambers) quiver ineffectively instead of contracting properly. This leads to a loss of cardiac output, meaning the heart is not pumping blood. VF is a common cause of sudden cardiac arrest and is highly responsive to defibrillation.
Pulseless Ventricular Tachycardia (pVT): This is a rapid heart rate originating from the ventricles that is so fast it prevents the heart from effectively pumping blood. In pVT, there is no palpable pulse, making it a life-threatening condition that requires immediate defibrillation.
Non-Shockable Rhythms:
It's important to note that some cardiac rhythms, such as asystole (flatline) and pulseless electrical activity (PEA), are not shockable. These require other interventions, such as CPR and medications, rather than defibrillation.
In the context of cardiac arrest, identifying whether a rhythm is shockable or non-shockable is critical, as it guides the appropriate emergency treatment.
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Jai Baba NKB
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Jung and Advaita Vedanta are two distinct but potentially complementary frameworks for understanding the human psyche and spiritual experience.
Carl Jung and Analytical Psychology:
Collective Unconscious: Jung introduced the concept of the collective unconscious, which posits that all humans share a deep layer of unconscious mind containing archetypes, or universal symbols and themes. This idea suggests a shared psychological heritage that transcends individual experience.
Archetypes: These are the fundamental, universal symbols and motifs found across cultures and times, such as the Hero, the Mother, and the Shadow. Jung believed these archetypes play a significant role in shaping human experiences and behaviors.
Individuation: Jung’s process of individuation involves integrating various parts of the self, including the conscious and unconscious mind, to achieve a sense of wholeness and self-realization. This journey often involves confronting and assimilating the Shadow, or the parts of oneself that are repressed or denied.
Advaita Vedanta:
Non-Duality: Advaita Vedanta is a school of Hindu philosophy that teaches the non-duality of Atman (the Self) and Brahman (the Ultimate Reality). It posits that there is no fundamental difference between the individual self and the universal, infinite consciousness.
Illusion of Separateness: According to Advaita, the perception of separation between individuals and the ultimate reality is due to ignorance (avidya). Realizing the true nature of reality involves overcoming this illusion and recognizing the oneness of all existence.
Self-Realization: In Advaita, self-realization or enlightenment is the direct knowledge of one's true nature as Brahman. This realization transcends ordinary mental constructs and brings about a profound sense of unity and peace.
Points of Intersection:
Archetypes and Non-Duality: Jung’s concept of archetypes might be seen as analogous to certain aspects of Advaita Vedanta’s view of universal patterns or principles. Both suggest a deeper layer of reality underlying individual experiences, though they approach it from different perspectives.
Individuation and Self-Realization: The process of individuation in Jungian psychology, which involves integrating disparate parts of the self, can be seen as somewhat parallel to the Advaitic journey of realizing the true self. Both involve a deep transformation and integration of the self.
Integration and Wholeness: Jung's emphasis on achieving wholeness through integrating the various parts of the psyche resonates with Advaita's notion of recognizing the unity of the self with the absolute. Both suggest a profound, transformative understanding that transcends ordinary dualistic thinking.
While Jung’s analytical psychology is rooted in a psychological and empirical approach, and Advaita Vedanta is based on spiritual and philosophical traditions, their intersection offers a rich dialogue on the nature of self and reality.
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Monday 2 September 2024
A. I'm not in this world to live up to your expectations, and you're not in this world to live up to mine.” — Bruce Lee
I'm not in this world to live up to your expectations, and you're not in this world to live up to mine.”
— Bruce Lee
"If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow." ~ Chinese proverb
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"If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow."
~ Chinese proverb
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NS
Mutation, natural selection, genetic drift, and gene flow affect evolution within the various local populations of a species and in a species as a whole. When gene flow between populations of a species is curtailed, the other three processes continue more independently in each of the separated populations, enabling them to become more different from each other. Under some conditions, the populations may ultimately become different species
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1.6deg c is now best case scenario - global heating crss
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"If the mind is untrained, it’s like having an untrained dog in your house. It makes messes all over the place. In other words, good things can come your way and yet you turn them into bad. People try to help you and you give them the brush off. People are kind to you, and you don’t really appreciate it. Circumstances are good, and they’re not good enough. That’s a sign of an untrained mind."
~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "You’ll Wish You’d Meditated More"
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Sunday 1 September 2024
"Become addicted to constant and never-ending self-improvement." ~ Anthony J. D'Angelo
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mImi Zhu's quote, "Grief is an ancestor who teaches us to exercise constant and immense gratitude," offers a profound reflection on the relationship between grief and gratitude. By likening grief to an ancestor, Zhu suggests that grief is a guiding force, a wise presence that shapes our understanding of life. Just as ancestors pass down lessons through generations, grief imparts wisdom by making us more aware of the fleeting nature of life and the preciousness of our experiences.
The phrase "exercise constant and immense gratitude" emphasizes that grief, while painful, also deepens our capacity for gratitude. It teaches us to appreciate what we have, the moments we've shared, and the memories we hold dear. In this way, grief becomes more than just sorrow; it transforms into a source of deep appreciation for life and the people we love. Through this lens, we are encouraged to honor our grief by embracing gratitude for all that remains and for the lessons that grief imparts.
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Drugs that aim to alleviate depression are called Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), which enable higher levels of serotonin to remain in the brain, reducing feelings of sadness and depression
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