Could be worse. I used to be amused at the antics of British parliament. What with all the muttering and such. I shouldn't have been so smug. Here's a link to a real, live American city council meeting. How utterly embarrassing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqOSNI7l0bQ Our tax dollars at work. How do these people ever stay elected? I just don't get it. dj On Fri, Mar 20, 2009 at 7:37 PM, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > Sue and I can rarely bear the language of most of what intrudes into > our lives - it seems like irritating distraction that is aimed at > preventing us communicating. I went to an anticrime meeting on > Thursday that was a total disaster in this respect. The outright > lying and presence of a claque as the police and council people who > are failing us so badly made themselves out to be doing a good job. > There was no capacity for personal review. I had to leave. > > On 20 Mar, 20:06, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> wrote: >> Lovely and inscrutable post ...as always Neil! :-) >> >> I’m not so sure it is lack of interest as much as lack of visible >> availability. Perhaps the charlatans don’t help much either. >> >> As to being able to ‘check’….as is the case for all scientific >> exploration, a personal review I find to be the best…how else would I >> actually know? …faith?... on some of those wondrous published papers >> we talk about often here? >> >> The truth is that much is currently made explicit….again, mostly lack >> of distribution and acceptance in this current rather barbaric and >> confused culture. >> >> On Mar 20, 10:43 am, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> > There are phenomenological practices about Orn - I guess part of the >> > lack of interest is to do with people lying about what they find and >> > there being no way to check. I sense that much that we do is done in >> > pretence of secrecy and we'd be better off with a narrative of what we >> > are looking at made explicit. >> >> > On 18 Mar, 15:01, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> > > Neil, thanks for the recent, albeit rather barbaric study. I have been >> > > sharing this type of information all along. For those who missed my >> > > post with the link to the Santa Barbara Institute, take some time and >> > > read, watch, listen to as many of the internal links there as you can. >> > > The place is run by an old friend of mine, Alan Wallace. He taught me >> > > Tibetan in the mid 80s and I've done 7 day long intensive shamatha >> > > retreat with him.http://www.sbinstitute.com/ >> >> > > All the way back to William James the scientific study of mind/ >> > > consciousness has been addressed in western psych. Unfortunately, few >> > > in the west after James followed his recommendation to not only study >> > > behavior and the somatic body, but introspection...mind looking at >> > > mind itself. >> >> > > On Mar 18, 5:41 am, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> > > > Electrodes implanted in the brains of people with epilepsy might have >> > > > resolved an ancient question about consciousness. Signals from the >> > > > electrodes seem to show that consciousness arises from the coordinated >> > > > activity of the entire brain. The signals also take us closer to >> > > > finding an objective "consciousness signature" that could be used to >> > > > probe the process in animals and people with brain damage without >> > > > inserting electrodes. Previously it wasn't clear whether a dedicated >> > > > brain area, or "seat of consciousness", was responsible for guiding >> > > > our subjective view of the world, or whether consciousness was the >> > > > result of concerted activity across the whole brain (the pineal gland >> > > > was an old favourite). Probing the process has been a challenge, as >> > > > non-invasive techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging and EEG >> > > > give either spatial or temporal information but not both. The best way >> > > > to get both simultaneously is to implant electrodes deep inside the >> > > > skull, but it is difficult to justify this in healthy people for >> > > > ethical reasons (volunteers being those who fail to take two steps >> > > > backwards). >> >> > > > Between the 10 volunteers, the researchers received information from a >> > > > total of 176 electrodes, which covered almost the whole brain. During >> > > > the first 300 milliseconds of the experiment, brain activity during >> > > > both the non-conscious and conscious tasks was very similar, >> > > > indicating that the process of consciousness had not kicked in. But >> > > > after that, there were several types of brain activity that only >> > > > occurred in the individuals who were aware of the words that were >> > > > specially delivered in the experiments. >> >> > > > First, there was an increase in the voltage levels of the signals in >> > > > their brains. Second, the frequency and phase of neurons firing in >> > > > different parts of the brain seemed to synchronise. Then some of these >> > > > synchronised signals appeared to be triggering others. For example, >> > > > activity in the occipital lobe seemed to cause activity in the frontal >> > > > lobe. Because this activity only occurred in volunteers when they >> > > > were aware of the words, the research team argue that it constitutes a >> > > > consciousness signature. As much of this activity was spread across >> > > > the brain, they say that consciousness has no single "seat". >> > > > "Consciousness is more a question of dynamics, than of a local >> > > > activity," is the conclusion. >> > > > Journal reference: PLoS Biology, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1000061 >> >> > > > I suspect this may not tell us much more than something about the >> > > > speeds at which consciousness operates, but I do sense we are >> > > > approaching understanding at empirical levels that could inspire an >> > > > Einstein to come up with something we could manipulate conceptually in >> > > > terms of a theory in touch with empirical testing. I do wonder how >> > > > far we might be from being able to wire up distantly separated >> > > > Ornamental monks chanting for peace etc. Sadly the only experiments I >> > > > can afford to do have to be basic and cheap. Getting Molly and Gabby >> > > > to hold hands without destroying the universe might be financially >> > > > feasible, if impossible in reality and people seem to give a damn >> > > > whether the universe continues for them or not (surprising really as >> > > > we burn the planet etc. - though not if your basic view of humanity >> > > > involves the core metaphor 'selfish wankers'). There is a need to >> > > > remember that empiricism does not need to be left in the hands of cold >> > > > bullies, but also that it is not E = MC2 (the easy one that is merely >> > > > a conservation principle example) we do not understand, but how and >> > > > what to observe. We are always thicker than we think and at the same >> > > > time more capable, if only we can start the cycle of welcoming the >> > > > history of mistakes. >> > > > On 17 Mar, 21:53, gabbydott <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> > > > > Wherever you are, Molly, you can say you to me. :-) >> >> > > > > On 17 Mrz., 21:14, Molly Brogan <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> > > > > > Not exclude, embrace - oh the lovely paradox! >> >> > > > > > On Mar 17, 1:55 pm, gabbydott <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> > > > > > > Hey Molly, these are the kind of scripts the soft porn industry >> > > > > > > is >> > > > > > > waiting for! Go for it! *laughing* >> >> > > > > > > You say: “When we embrace all others as self, all other lives as >> > > > > > > perfect and complete, the soul has fully matured. In writing >> > > > > > > this, I >> > > > > > > can again experience the sensation.” In our minds eye context >> > > > > > > I’d have >> > > > > > > to protest, though. My life is neither perfect nor complete, >> > > > > > > therefore >> > > > > > > you exclude me from your present(ed) we-sensations. >> >> > > > > > > On 17 Mrz., 15:32, Molly Brogan <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> > > > > > > > Please forgive me for being so unclear as seeming to dismiss >> > > > > > > > rationality. Just as I think the ego is essential to >> > > > > > > > character and >> > > > > > > > important because it allows us to react and in a split second >> > > > > > > > and not >> > > > > > > > have to learn everything over and over again, I know that the >> > > > > > > > rational >> > > > > > > > mind is essential to the development of logic and allows all >> > > > > > > > kinds of >> > > > > > > > necessary organization for individuals and groups. But we >> > > > > > > > don't end >> > > > > > > > there, there is much more. Our first inklings of soul may >> > > > > > > > take us >> > > > > > > > into uncomfortable and unfamiliar territory - karma can be a >> > > > > > > > bitch! >> > > > > > > > Many of us slip back into our rational comfort zones and try >> > > > > > > > to forget >> > > > > > > > the calling of soul. But call it will, louder and louder, >> > > > > > > > until a >> > > > > > > > dark night takes us into that place of nothingness where we >> > > > > > > > are met >> > > > > > > > with our own humility and invited into the connection of >> > > > > > > > gratitude. >> > > > > > > > For the brave, soul searching eventually gets much better than >> > > > > > > > that. >> > > > > > > > By developing our intuition, meditation and contemplation of >> > > > > > > > the >> > > > > > > > beautiful, we continue our soul searching in ways that are our >> > > > > > > > own. >> >> > > > > > > > For me, my exploration of karma and soul finally became joyful >> > > > > > > > when I >> > > > > > > > was able to look at multiple past lives simultaneously and >> > > > > > > > recognize >> > > > > > > > patterns of identity and value. At that point, what was good >> > > > > > > > and evil >> > > > > > > > in those lives lost their charge because I could understand the >> > > > > > > > balance in the opposition (sorry for mixing threads here.) I >> > > > > > > > think >> > > > > > > > this is the point where we can let go of our karma - and look >> > > > > > > > at all >> > > > > > > > lives, feeling the inherent sacred nature. Karma and its >> > > > > > > > cause and >> > > > > > > > effect are released and no longer in control. The soul >> > > > > > > > searching >> > > > > > > > became much more joyful from here, and I think its because this >> > > > > > > > turning point allows us a direct line to spirit. When we >> > > > > > > > embrace all >> > > > > > > > others as self, all other lives as perfect and complete, the >> > > > > > > > soul has >> > > > > > > > fully matured. In writing this, I can again experience the >> > > > > > > > sensation. >> >> > > > > > > > Just as when the ego matures, it can step aside and allow our >> > > > > > > > higher >> > > > > > > > nature to direct response, at the point mentioned above, the >> > > > > > > > mature >> > > > > > > > soul steps aside to allow that direct experience of spirit. >> > > > > > > > Yet both >> > > > > > > > aspects of self continue to support us, allow us to sense and >> > > > > > > > experience who we are. But here, as you say Slip, we can >> > > > > > > > create our >> > > > > > > > own experience unencumbered by karma, riding the river of >> > > > > > > > spirit as it >> > > > > > > > flows. >> >> > > > > > > > I think that there are, and always have been, people that live >> > > > > > > > their >> > > > > > > > lives as heaven on earth. There are, I think, myriad people >> > > > > > > > in just >> > > > > > > > as many stages of development, all moving through experience >> > > > > > > > in a way >> > > > > > > > that >> >> ... >> >> read more » > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Minds-Eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
