The wild has always been a place of danger and unpredictability, yet it also draws those seeking the thrill of conquering its fiercest inhabitants. Trophy hunting, a controversial pastime, pits humans against some of the most powerful animals on Earth. For one seasoned hunter, however, the tables turned in an unthinkable way.

What began as a routine hunt in the African bush ended with a shocking twist that no one saw coming. This incident, steeped in irony and tragedy, has reignited fierce debates over the ethics of trophy hunting and humanity’s relationship with nature.

What really happened that day? And what does it mean for the larger conversation about wildlife conservation?

The Man Behind Guwela Safaris

A renowned figure in the world of big game hunting, the founder of Guwela Safaris spent over three decades exploring the vast wilderness of South Africa, Botswana, and Zambia. Through his company, he offered clients an exclusive taste of Africa’s untamed beauty, guiding hunts for everything from giraffes to African buffalo. His safaris promised adventure and often highlighted a commitment to conservation—though not without controversy.

Supporters saw him as an ethical hunter, balancing his craft with efforts to protect the natural world. Critics, however, questioned whether his practices crossed the line between conservationist and exploiter. This duality left his career and legacy open to debate, embodying the tension between preserving wildlife and hunting for sport.

Despite the polarized opinions, his passion for Africa’s wild places never faltered. His life’s work remains a complicated story that continues to provoke conversation and reflection.

The Fatal Encounter

On May 22, 2018, during a hunting expedition along the Levubu River in South Africa’s Limpopo Province, 54-year-old professional and his party successfully shot an African buffalo. As they prepared to load the carcass onto their vehicle, another buffalo from the same herd charged unexpectedly, goring Kleynhans in the groin. The attack severed his femoral artery, leading to his immediate death.

Kleynhans’ sister-in-law, Karen Kuhne Kleynhans, recounted the incident: “They were working on the bushes to open the animal and did not see the other buffalo. The buffalo struck him and pronged him with its horn in his groin.”

This tragic event underscores the inherent dangers of hunting African buffalo, known for their unpredictable and aggressive behavior. Weighing up to 1,300 pounds, these animals are highly protective of their herd members and have been reported to kill more hunters than any other species in Africa.

Sparks of Controversy in the Wake of His Death

The death of the founder of Guwela Safaris sent shockwaves through the hunting and conservation communities, sparking a firestorm of debate. Social media platforms became battlegrounds for clashing opinions, with some seeing his death as poetic justice. Detractors labeled him a “poacher” and celebrated what they viewed as nature’s retribution. Meanwhile, supporters mourned the loss of a man they regarded as a principled hunter and advocate for sustainable practices.

The Professional Hunters’ Association of South Africa (PHASA) issued statements praising his contributions to ethical hunting and conservation, framing his work as a model for balancing human activity with wildlife preservation. Critics, however, were unconvinced, condemning trophy hunting as a practice they believe exploits and endangers vulnerable species.

This polarizing reaction highlights the enduring complexity of public sentiment around trophy hunting. It’s a topic that stirs intense emotions, forcing society to grapple with the delicate line between conservation efforts and the morality of killing for sport.

Trophy Hunting: The Bigger Picture

Trophy hunting has long been a contentious topic, sparking fierce debates that blur the lines between conservation and exploitation. Supporters claim it plays a vital role in protecting wildlife, with hefty fees paid by hunters funding habitat preservation and anti-poaching efforts. In some regions, particularly in Africa, these programs are credited with generating much-needed revenue for local communities, offering jobs and economic stability. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) even suggests that, under strict regulation, trophy hunting can encourage habitat protection that benefits entire ecosystems.

Critics, however, paint a different picture. Groups like Humane Society International argue that the economic benefits are often overstated, contributing only a fraction of GDP in many countries. Beyond economics, the practice raises serious ecological concerns. Hunting dominant males, such as lions or elephants, can destabilize social structures and reduce genetic diversity, potentially harming populations in the long run. Studies have shown that these disruptions ripple through animal communities, undermining the very conservation goals trophy hunting is meant to support.

The debate becomes even more charged when high-profile incidents, like the killing of Cecil the Lion, come into play. These moments ignite public outrage, leading to calls for bans on trophy imports and stricter oversight. For many, the idea of hunting iconic animals for sport is morally indefensible, no matter the potential conservation benefits.

This enduring controversy forces us to confront tough questions: Can killing animals ever truly support their survival? Is there a better way to fund conservation without the ethical baggage? As the conversation continues, one thing is clear—trophy hunting remains one of the most polarizing issues in the fight to protect our planet’s wildlife.

The African Buffalo: Nature’s Fury

The African buffalo (Syncerus caffer), often referred to as the Cape buffalo, is a formidable presence in the African wilderness. Weighing up to 1,300 pounds, these animals are known for their unpredictable temperament and formidable strength.

African buffaloes are characterized by their robust build and distinctive horns, which can span over a meter in length. Their unpredictable nature and strong protective instincts make them one of the most dangerous animals to hunt. They are known to attack humans by circling back on their victims before charging, then trampling or goring them to death using their sharp horns.

Living in large herds, African buffaloes exhibit complex social structures. They are highly protective of their members, especially the young and vulnerable. When threatened, the herd often engages in mobbing behavior, collectively confronting and driving away predators. This coordinated defense mechanism underscores their reputation as formidable opponents in the wild.

Encounters between humans and African buffaloes can be perilous. Their unpredictable aggression has led to numerous fatal incidents, particularly among hunters. The incident involving this professional hunter, who was fatally gored by a buffalo from the same herd he had hunted, highlights the inherent dangers of interacting with these powerful animals.

When Nature Strikes Back

This story is both a cautionary tale and a point of reflection. His tragic death at the horns of an African buffalo highlights the volatile relationship between humans and the natural world. Trophy hunting remains a polarizing topic, raising questions about ethics, conservation, and the unpredictable dangers of wildlife encounters.

This incident has reignited debates over the value and morality of trophy hunting. While proponents argue its potential for conservation funding, critics point out the imbalance it creates within ecosystems and its ethical ramifications. What remains clear is that the wilderness is not a place to be underestimated.

As society continues to grapple with these questions, stories like this serve as reminders of nature’s raw power. They challenge us to reconsider how we approach wildlife conservation, human recreation, and our responsibilities as stewards of the natural world. Perhaps the ultimate lesson here is that while humans may seek to dominate nature, it has a way of reminding us who is truly in control.

Imagine a world where machines don’t just help out with simple tasks but actually handle big decisions—like figuring out health diagnoses or managing our finances. Not too long ago, this was pure science fiction. Now, it’s quickly becoming part of everyday life thanks to artificial intelligence.

AI is changing the way we work, talk to each other, and even run businesses. It promises some amazing benefits—saving time, boosting creativity, and making things run smoother. But it also comes with big questions. Could it lead to people losing jobs? What happens to our privacy in a world where machines know so much about us?

In this article, we’re taking a closer look at both sides of the AI coin—the good and the not-so-good. As we get used to having AI around, it’s worth thinking about what a highly automated world might mean for all of us.

The Upsides of AI in a Highly Automated Society

AI is starting to make life a lot easier in ways we probably don’t even notice half the time. Here’s how it’s actually helping out:

• Taking Care of the Boring Stuff: AI is amazing at handling the repetitive, tedious tasks that usually slow us down. In hospitals, banks, and factories, AI can sift through data, keep machines running, and do all the behind-the-scenes work. This means people can focus on more interesting stuff that really needs a human touch. It’s like having a super helper who never gets tired, making everything move faster.
• Adding Small Conveniences to Daily Life: Think about those times Netflix magically knows what you want to watch next, or when your phone reminds you of an appointment you totally forgot about. That’s AI working quietly in the background to make life a bit smoother. And in healthcare, it’s helping doctors catch health issues sooner, which can really make a difference. Little conveniences like these add up, making tech feel more useful and personalized.
• Bringing in New Kinds of Jobs: While there’s a lot of talk about AI taking away jobs, it’s also creating whole new career paths. We now need people to build, manage, and keep an eye on AI, which opens up jobs like data scientists and AI ethics experts. These jobs didn’t even exist a few years ago, so there’s a chance for people to find work in brand-new fields.

AI definitely has some big upsides, making life easier and even creating new job opportunities. But it’s not all sunshine—there are some serious challenges and trade-offs that come with this, too.

The Downsides of Automation: Job Loss, Inequality, and Privacy Concerns

AI might be cool, but it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Here are some of the ways it’s already causing issues:

• Jobs Are at Risk: One of the biggest worries people have is that AI could take over a lot of jobs. Anything repetitive—like data entry, customer service, or even driving—could eventually be done by machines instead of humans. For people who’ve been doing the same job for years, the idea of having to learn something totally new or switch careers is pretty daunting. It’s a huge shift that could leave a lot of folks feeling lost about what comes next.
• Creating a Bigger Divide: AI might also be widening the gap between different groups of people. Those who know how to work with AI or have access to the technology could see more doors opening for them. But on the flip side, others could find it harder and harder to keep up. If only some people get to benefit from all the cool things AI can do, we could end up with more economic inequality, with certain groups getting left behind.
• Our Privacy Is on the Line: AI runs on data—tons of it. And a lot of that data comes from us. Think about all the smart home devices listening to us or facial recognition cameras tracking us. This raises some big questions: How much do we actually want machines to know about us? Who’s controlling all that information? As AI becomes a bigger part of our world, figuring out how to protect our privacy is going to be a serious challenge.

AI has a lot of potential to make things better, but these downsides show that it also comes with some real trade-offs. It’s not just about the technology; it’s about making sure AI doesn’t bring more problems than it solves.

Are We Relying Too Much on Machines?

AI definitely makes life easier, but if we keep leaning on it to make decisions for us, what happens to our own judgment and problem-solving skills? There’s a real risk that we could start losing touch with our ability to think things through on our own. AI can handle a lot, but there’s something valuable about doing things ourselves—even the hard stuff—that keeps us sharp and independent.

We like to think of AI as neutral, but it’s really just following patterns it’s been taught. And if those patterns are biased (which they often are), AI can end up making decisions that aren’t fair. This can affect things like who gets hired, who qualifies for a loan, or even who gets pulled aside for extra security checks. Instead of being an equalizer, AI might just keep old biases alive in new ways.

Losing Our Sense of Purpose

For a lot of people, their work is a big part of who they are. But as AI starts taking over more of the routine tasks, it could make some people feel like their roles are disappearing. When a machine starts doing what used to be “our” job, it can mess with our sense of purpose and even our self-worth. This shift isn’t just about technology—it’s about how we see ourselves and our place in the world.

So, while AI is opening up all kinds of new possibilities, it’s also bringing big changes that can affect how we think, how fair society is, and how we find meaning in what we do. It’s worth keeping these questions in mind as AI keeps expanding into more parts of our lives.

Responsible AI: Making Sure It’s Fair, Open, and Controlled

As AI starts showing up everywhere, it’s on us to make sure it’s used responsibly. Here’s how we can keep it fair, understandable, and under control.

One of the toughest parts about AI is that sometimes it’s a mystery. Decisions happen behind the scenes, and we don’t always know why. For people to actually trust AI, we need to make it more transparent. That means building systems that don’t hide how they work. If we can understand how AI comes to a decision, it’s a lot easier to trust it. In short, if AI is going to play a bigger role, it can’t feel like magic—it needs to make sense.

AI learns from data, and sometimes that data has biases baked in. If we’re not careful, AI can end up repeating those biases, leading to unfair treatment for some people. To prevent this, we need to make sure AI learns from data that represents everyone, not just a few groups. Regular checks help, too. AI should be more than just a tool; it should be a fair one.

Humans Need to Stay in Control

No matter how smart AI gets, humans should stay in charge. We need people keeping an eye on things to make sure everything’s working as it should. Especially in critical areas like healthcare, it’s important to have human judgment in the mix. AI might be powerful, but at the end of the day, it’s still a tool—and people should have the final say.

If we focus on keeping AI open, fair, and controlled by humans, we can help it live up to its promise without going off the rails. AI can make a real difference, but it’s up to us to make sure it’s used in ways that benefit everyone.

Moving Forward with AI—Carefully

AI is already changing the way we live, and it could make life a lot easier in some ways. Imagine not having to deal with repetitive tasks or having smarter tools that help us out. But let’s be real—there are some big concerns too. People might lose jobs, our privacy is on the line, and there’s always the risk that AI might end up treating people unfairly.

As we go forward, we have to make sure AI is working for us, not the other way around. This means keeping it in check, making sure it’s fair, and not losing sight of the things only humans can bring to the table, like empathy and good judgment. AI should help us, not replace what makes us human.

If we’re careful, AI could be an amazing tool that opens up all kinds of possibilities we hadn’t even dreamed of. But it’s up to us to set the rules and make smart choices so we end up in a future we actually want. AI has a lot to offer, but only if we’re thoughtful about how we use it.

Facebook has become a fixture in our daily lives—an almost automatic reflex for many of us. With over 230 million users, it’s no surprise that we’re constantly sharing, posting, and updating on the platform. From milestone moments to casual check-ins, we tend to treat Facebook like an online diary. But here’s the thing: while it may seem harmless, there are hidden risks lurking behind those innocent updates.

Have you ever stopped to think about how much of your life is out there for the world to see? Or, more concerningly, who might be watching? From cybercriminals to identity thieves, there are more eyes on your Facebook profile than you might think. And some of the things you’ve shared may be putting you and your loved ones in danger without you even realizing it.

What if the simple act of posting your vacation photos or sharing your birthday could be giving away more than just memories? Curious about what else you might need to delete right now? Keep reading—we’re diving into 13 surprising things that could be risking your privacy and safety. It’s time to rethink your digital habits and take back control.

The Problem with Oversharing on Facebook

We live in a world where sharing the highlights (and sometimes the low points) of our lives on social media has become second nature. With Facebook being one of the most popular platforms, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of posting daily updates, photos, and check-ins. However, this convenience can come at a significant cost.

Oversharing on Facebook can expose you to a variety of risks. Many of the things we casually post—like personal details, locations, or even seemingly harmless photos—can be used by identity thieves, stalkers, or cybercriminals. Facebook itself has been at the center of several privacy controversies, with the platform accused of not doing enough to protect user data. The Cambridge Analytica scandal is one of the most notorious examples, where personal data from millions of Facebook users was harvested without consent for political advertising.

Furthermore, once something is shared on social media, it’s often difficult to erase it entirely. Even if you delete a post, someone could have already taken a screenshot or saved the information elsewhere. As Elizabeth DeVille writes, “Recognizing and understanding these risks empowers you to take the necessary steps to protect yourself”​

13 Things You Should Delete Right Now

We all love sharing bits of our lives on Facebook, but sometimes we forget just how much information we’re putting out there. Whether it’s old posts, photos, or even personal details, some of it could be putting your privacy at risk without you even realizing it. Here are 13 things you should consider deleting from your Facebook to help protect yourself online:

1. Your Relationship Status

Let’s face it, your relationship status is probably something only your close friends care about. And let’s be honest, broadcasting it to the world can sometimes attract unwanted attention. Whether you’re newly single or in a fresh relationship, keeping this private is just a smart move. You don’t need strangers knowing the intimate details of your love life.

2. Pictures of Children

We all love showing off our kids, especially when they do something adorable. But before you post that cute photo, think about who else might be seeing it. There are a lot of people on the internet that you wouldn’t want having access to pictures of your kids. Plus, as they get older, they might not appreciate having their entire childhood plastered online for everyone to see. It’s probably safer to keep those family moments private or share them only with close friends and family.

3. Your Child’s School/Daycare Location

Sharing that “first day of school” pic with the school logo or tagging your kid’s daycare might seem innocent enough, but it can actually be risky. You’re basically handing out your child’s location to whoever sees the post. It’s better to avoid mentioning the exact place your child spends most of their day. Keep it simple and protect their privacy by not revealing that kind of info.

4. Embarrassing or Questionable Photos

We’ve all had moments we thought were funny at the time, but some photos don’t age well—especially if they could hurt your reputation. Whether it’s a wild night out or just a goofy shot, these photos can come back to haunt you, especially if a future employer decides to check out your profile. Deleting any questionable or embarrassing pictures is a smart way to keep your social media clean.

5. “Friends” Who Aren’t Really Friends

Remember when you used to accept friend requests from anyone and everyone? Well, it might be time for a little cleanup. Having a ton of Facebook “friends” you barely know means your personal updates are reaching people you don’t actually trust. Go through your list and remove anyone who doesn’t need to be there. It’s better to keep things private among people you genuinely know.

6. Credit/Debit Card Info

If you’ve ever made a purchase through Facebook, you might have your payment info saved. But here’s the thing—keeping your credit card details on social media is just asking for trouble. Hackers love targeting this kind of data. It’s a good idea to delete your saved payment info and avoid entering it unless it’s absolutely necessary.

7. Your Phone Number

Posting your phone number might seem like no big deal, but it can lead to annoying spam calls or, even worse, scams. Scammers can use it to try and trick you, so it’s better to keep your phone number off Facebook altogether. If someone needs it, they can always ask for it directly.

8. Posts You’re Tagged In

You may not always have control over what you get tagged in, but those posts can still be seen by your Facebook friends—or even worse, the public. Sometimes it’s an embarrassing photo or something you don’t want to be associated with. Take a few minutes to review your tags and remove anything you don’t want people to see. Better yet, set it up so you have to approve any tags before they show up on your timeline.

9. Your Birthday

We all love the flood of birthday messages on Facebook, but sharing your exact birthdate can be risky. Identity thieves can use it to steal your personal info or hack into accounts. Consider hiding your birthday—or at least keeping the year private—so it’s not out there for anyone to see.

10. Your Boss or Manager

It might feel tempting to add your boss or manager on Facebook, but mixing personal life with work can get awkward fast. Your boss doesn’t need to see every post, and some things are better kept separate from work. If you’re already connected, think about using privacy settings to limit what they can see.

11. Location Services

We all love showing off when we’re at a cool spot, but posting your real-time location isn’t always the best idea. If people know you’re out and about, they also know your home is empty. Turn off those location services or skip tagging where you are, especially if you’re alone or in an unfamiliar place.

12. Vacation Posts

As tempting as it is to post those vacation pics while you’re on the beach, doing so lets people know you’re away—and that your house might be empty. It’s smarter to wait until you’re back home to share those memories. You can still show off your fun vacation without broadcasting to the world that your place is unguarded.

13. Travel Tickets and Plans

Sharing a photo of your boarding pass or posting your travel itinerary seems harmless, but it actually opens you up to all kinds of risks. Predators can track your movements, and scammers can use details from your travel documents. Keep your travel plans off Facebook and share them privately with close friends instead.

Clean Up Your Facebook, Protect Your Future

In today’s digital age, our social media profiles can be a double-edged sword—offering connection while also exposing us to privacy risks. Cleaning up your Facebook is not just a suggestion; it’s a necessity. From potential cybercrimes to personal safety concerns, the content we share can have long-lasting consequences. As noted in cybersecurity studies, even seemingly harmless details can be leveraged by bad actors for identity theft or targeted scams​.

It’s crucial to recognize that once information is shared online, it can be hard to erase completely. “Remember, there is no ‘Delete’ button on the Internet”. Whether it’s personal photos, location data, or financial information, taking control of your privacy now can prevent unwanted risks in the future.

By following the 13 tips discussed, adjusting your privacy settings, and being more mindful of what you post, you’re taking essential steps to protect your digital self. Regular audits of your online presence, using features like two-factor authentication, and limiting what’s visible to the public can significantly reduce your vulnerability​.

In a world where over 3.8 billion people use social media, safeguarding your privacy is an ongoing effort. But it’s an effort worth making—for the sake of your safety, reputation, and peace of mind.

There are moments, days and sometimes even months where we must face our darkest hour. Sometimes this is represented by things happening in the world around us that create deep sadness, despair, and anger within us. Yet other times this can come about through our own inner world when we are going through some challenging emotions around our own personal experience. Often both the inner and the outer can intertwine and we do not always know what is our own sadness, anger and rage, and what is that of others or that of the world around us.

The first step to take is to focus on our breath while breathing in and out of our heart center. We can do this for some time, and then begin to deepen the breath by bringing it into the stomach while gently and lovingly guiding the breath as deep as it may go into the pelvis region. Then pause, and begin the inhale moving up through the body. See where the inhale stops, and then begin the whole process again. We can do this for some time until we feel at ease.

By focusing on our breath, we can tune into our very being and essence. This can be a form of meditation as well as a very healthy step to include in with other daily rituals of self-love, self-care and meditation.

Now let us tune into our heart. What is our heart trying to say? This may take some time as we are only now beginning to truly understand how important it is to listen to our heart. What is our heart trying to tell us about any given situation or emotion? The more this becomes a daily practice, the more the true safety of our very existence begins to become clear, and the more we begin to realize and make manifest our true hearts desire. On the outside, the more we practice this, the more we can become a part of co-creating a heart-based world.

“As we learn to tap into our heart’s intelligence, it increases our vitality, our resilience, and especially our health and happiness.”

-Dr. Rollin McCraty

Often the first instinct is to run away from these emotions and situations.  Now, if there is an environment or person who is unable to value and treat us as the beautiful souls we are, walking away and giving them space to heal what is going on within them can be a true act of love towards that person and our self. When we recognize that the behavior is not ours and is unwanted and harmful, we can walk away and bless them. Wish them well, wish them healing, and know that they have probably had a painful past that they need to heal. Forgive them, and move forward.

Forgiving does not mean this person or situation needs to ever be a part of our life again, yet it does allow us to create healing space for them while freeing us of the need to carry their emotions any longer.

Sometimes it can seem more difficult to let go and let the Universe handle the harm and destruction that takes place in the world around us. When there is injustice and great harm on the Earth, it is then most especially time for us to up our level of kindness, love, compassion, respect, humility, integrity and demonstrate what true healing is by being the light in times of darkness.

There is a very magical and powerful transformation from dark to light that takes place when individuals refuse to give up and give away their power, and instead up their game of self-love, self-care and kindness and compassion towards others.

“We have within us, a power that is greater than anything we shall ever contact in the outer, a power that can overcome every obstacle in our life and set us safe, satisfied and at peace, healed and prosperous, in a new light, and in a new life.”

Ernest Holmes

When we trust in our heart, follow our guidance, and discern what is right for our beautiful soul, we help the world to do so as well. There are situations and lessons that may arise, yet the more we learn to go within, and navigate them through our focused breath and heart space, the more we learn to let go and let the Universe, the more we learn to stand in our lighted power and walk into any darkness knowing by our very presence we will transform it.

Always remember, each one of us has a very beautiful and unique song to sing to the world. The more we shine our light like the stars we truly are, and the louder we sing our beautiful songs with our very own fragrance, the more the world responds with love. Let’s celebrate each other, let’s honor each other, and let us always remember that there is only one you and there is only one me. What are we waiting for, and when will we begin to light the world with our love? The time for me, and the time for you is now.

Let’s take three deep breaths together, tune in and turn up the love. Let’s follow the inner guidance of our heart so we can all arrive. We are growing, we are expanding, we are raising our consciousness and creating a new reality and thus a new world unlike any other. Yesterday already was, and tomorrow has yet to be, will you join us in filling today with hope, goodness, truth, love and beauty? We always have a choice. What will you choose?

Cover Image Credit: no more lookism discovered on Conscious Lifestyle Magazine

Ulonda Faye has a B.A. in Political Science and International Studies, and studied Peace and Conflict Research during her Masters program in International Relations. She survived a Near Death Experience during an accident that led her into Mind-Body-Spirit studies. She is a certified Wellness Practitioner, Rejuv Miracles Practitioner, and holistic esthetician as well as an ordained spiritual minister. Her services are available in person or through Skype and are offered in English and German. For more information, please visit fayenaturales.com

What intelligence quotient? Is there really a finely honed merit based tool for identifying the best and the brightest society has to offer? Like, off the top of your head: what is a neuron? How many neurons does the human brain have and what if we didn’t have any?

Human brains on average have 86 billion neurons. If we didn’t have any we’d be a sponge which have zero… Interestingly we were taught different until someone questioned it? In 2005 Dr Suzana Herculano-Houzel discovered that although 100 billion was used in all the science text books and journals they were all wrong. None of her colleagues knew where that figure came from so she set upon discovering the true figure. After liquefying human brains she then counted the neurons using a formula.

It’s the same with intelligence – with so many different definitions what we actually have are educated opinions. Intelligence is a formally recognized, organized and categorized structure of human perception. “Catching on, making sense of things or figuring things out” are three characteristics most experts agree on. “Reasoning, learning from mistakes and abstract thinking” are some others. Then there’s the ability to make sense of it all and translate that. The time it takes between individuals is of course taken into account.

Age and its association with either intelligence or wisdom are misleading and constrained understandings of both. After all Einstein was a 25 year old patent clerk when his “Theory of General Relativity” created shockwaves around the world. He was quoted as saying: “The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.” He also said: “A person who has not made his great contribution to science before the age of 30 will never do so” however the heyday of the twenty something physics genius is gone… Today’s average age for Nobel Prize winners in physics is 50 and over 65 for writers.

As with all good mainstream science we can dissect it, wrap it in a multitude of statistics, facts, figures and BS – then stick it into our textbooks. Now really much of the knowledge we retain is on a need to know basis not overcomplexity. Do most of us need to know what a synapse, a neuron or quantum tunneling is? Tesla said: “Today’s scientists have substituted mathematics for experiments, and they wander off through equation after equation, and eventually build a structure which has no relation to reality.” Tesla was hands on – believing much of theoretical physics lacked observed reality. It’s the reason why we can read dozens of different theories on its nature with none being real.

Speaking of real, the WAIS-IV, is the current test by which we measure IQ but it has many critics who say the tests are easy to manipulate. Much of this is done in the US as a means to a predetermined outcome. If I asked you why electrons don’t fly out of their orbits of the nucleus of an atom what would your answer be? This issue alone is too complex for the scope of this article because it indicts the entire educational system. How all tests are structured determines the outcome. Determines steering allocations of educational resources including federal discretionary funds. Besides there are plenty of books on the subject.

So then that aside, how smart are you in actual mind power? As of this writing the top three richest people in the world are each worth upward of 70 billion US. If we based intelligence on income most of the rest of the world would be mental microbes. If artistic talent were our measure, we would come to the realization that some of history’s finest artists died paupers.

Most top scientists will never win a Nobel Prize and live otherwise ordinary lives outside of being extraordinarily smart. The same can be said of many religious scholars like St Augustine whose writing is thought provoking and meticulous. In fact some of the most brain draining reads I’ve ever experienced involved philosophy which uses language to transcend mortal thought.

Above: ENIAC was 8.5 by 3 by 80 feet and weighed 27 tons.

Now here’s something I was thinking about: Arguably the first computer unveiled on February 14, 1946 was the ENIAC aka “The Big Brain.” The IBM-701 went public in 1953 and could do 16 thousand OPS (Operations Per Second). Today Intel’s fastest desktop CPU can do over 300 billion OPS. Today’s fastest supercomputer is the Sunway TaihuLight which has a speed of 93 petaFLOPS or 93 quadrillion OPS. So we’ve gone from 16 thousand to 93 quadrillion OPS in around 60 years. We might then conclude that these increases will continue exponentially and computers will shortly surpass the entire human collective in processing power.

While web searching even my most obscure concepts I came to an epiphany. We – the human race have unknowingly taken the next step in our evolution. Where in the past we could work on problems or ideas collectively, we couldn’t do it in real-time. Now we can almost instantly access and filter trillions of ideas and bits of data contributed by hundreds of millions of minds working virtually as one.

What also struck me is how rapidly “AI” (artificial intelligence) is advancing. Autonomous AI internet search bots will soon understand the content they gather using “AC” (Artificial Consciousness). Entire libraries will be read in seconds on quantum scales. These synthetic entities will be our greatest thinkers, inventors, designers, physicists, philosophers, physicians… They’ll access databases containing all the knowledge from the history of human existence. Only, as it may take humans years to go from concept to result, for AI we may be talking minutes.

Somewhere around here a metaphoric event horizon occurs as was predicted by Dr. John Lilly in his 1978 book “The Scientist” talking about “Solid State Intelligence.” Our machines will become self-reliant eventually controlling human thought through timeline manipulation. They’ll guarantee their own creation, evolution and man’s dependency on them. This for me was incredible – we came to the same exact conclusion years apart.

Philosopher Nick Bostrom suggests that if one were living in a virtual world it would be indistinguishable from a “REAL” one. Elon Musk like many others agree and fears we may already be living in a simulation meaning the change event already occurred. Contrary to popular belief this idea of reality being an illusion predates antiquity. It did not start with Bostrom nor with the Lillys of the world – everyone’s in on this game. Science or theology as in the Christian “Omphalos” hypothesis which presents that God created the world ten thousand years ago. The universe was already complete with stars, planets, Adam and Eve. Much like a well written simulated world program.

So now here we are in a simulation? However we exist, it’s real enough to us. Speaking of what’s real, we’ve touched upon wealth, talent, religion, philosophy, science… but the question was: “How smart are you?” The truth is that it doesn’t really matter because the quotient is an illusion. It measures what a committee decides intelligence is at any given point in time. This usually involves political and cultural interpretations. It doesn’t mean you’ll suddenly be good at math or will now create a great symphony. It means that like millions of others you’ll pass or like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg all University dropouts you can still go on to change the world…

Written by the author Robert Torres. http://RTR-Publishing.com https://about.me/towers3

What if you were deemed a fugitive 20 years from now, for doing something such as vocally speaking out against  the status quo, growing cannabis, or going against the grain of the system. Then one day, you’re walking in some rural area you escaped to in order to avoid capture by the state, and the environment recognizes your identity and becomes weaponized to you.

The moss in the woods recognizes your biological footprint and creates a toxin to anesthetize you until authorities arrive to place you under arrest. The trees in this forest are not even equipped with cameras, but engineered, synthetic organisms with a biological code connected to a database that recognizes you are a fugitive and responds by creating toxins.

Although the idea of a fugitive being specifically targeted by intelligent synthetic biology is a particularly far-fetched scenario, fully engineered, synthetic ecosystems weaponized against people are something the Pentagon is actually working on.

DARPA is flirting with creating environments where every organism is engineered to perform biological tasks, from creating chemicals to being weaponized. The trees, moss, grass, insects, bacteria, and soil of an ecosystem could be engineered to release toxins on people, or put people to sleep until the state’s forces arrive, or perform any function they can engineer an organism to do.

Of course they present these ideas to the pubic promising prosperity, suggesting there will be industrial applications for organisms creating fuel, materials, and things that would be useful, but that’s never how it ends up when DARPA creates something.

They are mostly talking about using bacteria to create different chemicals. They discuss engineering insects to give genes to plants and alter them. A headline from Slate reads “DARPA’s Synthetic Biology Initiatives Could Militarize the Environment.” Reading from that article:

“Among other initiatives, researchers at DARPA are attempting to engineer insects to deliver protective genes to plants; to transform bacteria and yeast into factories to produce on-demand chemicals and fuels; and to develop methods to reverse any threats posed by gene drives. (Gene drives are a mechanism, both natural and human-induced, that drives genetic traits through a population, in some instances to suppress a population.)

These programs represent a new and controversial approach to leveraging the natural world—one that, in essence, militarizes the environment.  The technologies that emerge will not only be a big deal for the innovations they will bring, but also for the legal and ethical lines they may cross. Many of these projects are strictly for defense, rather than offense, but given the size of the budgets here, the U.S. military investment makes up a rather large portion of the money in synthetic biology research. It’s possible, then, that DARPA’s work is bending the entire field of synthetic biology toward military applications.

Before 2008, the federal government invested basically negligible amounts in synthetic biology. But between 2008 and 2014, it poured approximately $819 million into synbio research. Since 2012, the majority of that funding came not from the budgets of civilian organizations like the National Science Foundation or the National Institutes of Health, but from DARPA and other Defense Department initiatives. DARPA created at least five programs, most of which are now housed at its Biological Technologies Office, that demonstrate the agency’s interest in ecological manipulations.”

Even mainstream articles suggest these biological experiments will not end up being used for “defense” or innocuous, helpful applications. The Pentagon, the US government and it’s mad scientists have used just about every technology they’ve ever produced to enrich themselves at the expense of citizens and anyone else standing in their way.

Why would it be different now? The power structure will wield these technologies for themselves, and they will be turned against regular people if they want that.

In other news, headlines about DARPA read “DARPA Wants to Hack Your Brain to Make You Learn Faster,” and “DARPA to Use Electrical Stimulation to Enhance Military Training.”

They are talking about strategically hitting specific nerves in the brain with electrical signals to enhance learning, make information sink in deeper when a person learns it, ect. According to IEEE Spectrum:

“For the new stimulation project, dubbed targeted neuroplasticity training, or TNT, research teams will focus on peripheral nerves that project into the brain and tug at memories. By delivering electrical pulses into the body’s nervous system, the scientists aim to modulate the brain’s neural connectivity and production of key chemicals. That kind of neural tuning can “influence cognitive state—how awake you are, or how much attention you’re paying to something you’re viewing or performing,” says Doug Weber, a bioengineer at DARPA who heads up the TNT project.

If it works—if researchers can improve a person’s ability to learn—the DoD could reduce the amount of time spent training soldiers and intelligence agents.”

Of course, America’s universities and institutes of technology participate in efforts like this all the time. Academics are paid by the military industrial complex to unquestioningly advance technology. The article also says: “The Defense Department’s research arm, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), today announced it had awarded multimillion-dollar contracts to eight university groups that will study and develop such technologies.”

It requires an understanding of DARPA’s history and what we can call “mad science” in general to form an opinion on whether or not this is a good idea.

Understanding how power and warfare work, one can understand that this technology will not be used for the benefit of citizens: if it did work, it wouldn’t be for us. Right now they are trying to develop it for soldiers: for people paid to kill other people and perform tasks for the system. More war. More citizens locked down.

But even if this were for the citizens, and it became decentralized and beneficial for us (which does happen, the Internet is a DARPA technology that ended up breaking free and benefiting the people), when you warp nature and abuse biology for the benefit of some contrived military effort, it often ends up backfiring.

Nature seems to have most of life’s solutions already embedded in it’s code, as vitamins and minerals are the building blocks of our bodies, as all organisms operate and live in harmony with nature (with some ecosystems being less harmonious of course, danger is still very real).

And when scientists cross a certain line with altering biology, engineering life, forcefully altering the functions of the brain or an organism, it often turns out disastrous. Other less understood or neglected aspects of the organism may be altered in ways they shouldn’t be. Unexpected consequences often occur when people try to engineer life, or forcefully alter the human body.

It should be a civic duty, a regular practice to research what DARPA and these mad scientists are trying to do. It should be a regular, even daily practice, if we’re going to pay attention to what the future is becoming and be prepared for it.

So try it today: just go to your search engine and type in “DARPA news.” Do that every day, and you’ll start to get a feel for the future different factions of people are trying to manufacture.

After paying attention every day for a long time, a person will be better equipped to know how to reverse the trajectory powers are putting the people on, and how to create a better future.

This article (Weaponized Plants: Pentagon’s Synthetic Organisms Could “Militarize the Environment”) is a free and open source and can be re-published anywhere with proper attribution to the author and Themindunleashed.com.

(Image credit: SeniorJ Deviant Art, Wiki, 18 the Elephant, Lenntech)

The time between Christmas and the New Year, is a precious space where one can go within and ask valuable questions. It’s a potent portal of self evaluation and reflection. This magical week gives us the insight of the previous 365 days of the year. We can ask ourselves where we have gotten off course from our goals, dreams and visions, and we can also ask ourselves if those are indeed our true desires.

Looking forward, is there a deep yearning for something more? Yes, one can make New Years Resolutions, but by getting to know our true self and desires more, we are able to move forward with more inner awareness. What is even more sustainable is to go within and ask some valuable questions that have the potential to guide our lives into more purpose. Everything begins with a strong self, and a deep awareness of our inner purpose.

Let’s reflect on some questions. There is enormous potential in answering questions for oneself. It is not to be undervalued. We are all intelligent and creative human beings with vast potential. Sometimes all we need are good questions, time to answer them, and space to help the answers be planted into our lives as seeds that will grow come spring and bloom in the summer. Maybe it is time for all of us to go within?

What is strength? What is it to you? What is it to the society you live in? Is that the kind of strength you want for yourself? What kind of strength is calling you? It’s important to answer the question of what strength is for us by looking within in order to fulfill our truth versus that of our culture. What is strength to you?

Are there things you must do? How would it feel to no longer feel you must, but to decide that you want to do it? That is, to fully be aware and empowered in the words we speak. For example, instead of, I must go to work, we could say, I choose to go to work. This brings us into a state of empowerment where we are not a victim of circumstances, but rather a co-creator of our own lives. It also leads us into a state of gratitude for what is, which helps us create more goodness in our lives.

Another great example is the statement, I have to lose weight. How about accepting that part of our physical self where we desire to have less body weight? How does it feel? We can acknowledge it, accept and love it. We can recognize that we don’t truly have to do anything; including loosing weight. One path to take, could be to give it time, and consciously choose to eat healthier meals in moderation, and create a routine that provides us with more balance and movement in our life. If you dislike working out, perhaps join a dance or yoga class if you prefer to move that way. We must find a way to move that brings us joy for it to last.

By loving and accepting ourselves, and giving ourselves time and space to create, we receive the results we need. By force, it is often not only more challenging, but often leads to dis-empowering short-term effects that are not sustainable. By tapping into our true self, we can find answers to all our questions in life. It starts with us.

Let’s pause for a moment, and take a deep breath. Your life is so incredibly valuable. It’s more valuable than anything we could imagine to buy. Are you happy? Let’s take another deep breath, and look at ourselves with courage. Now is the time to take back our lives because we are so very precious and needed. It’s time for us all to relearn how to live from the inside out. Let’s arrive within ourselves. Let’s let go of everything outside of us in this moment. Let’s be here now.

Who am I? Who am I, really? Every step we take is motivated by this question.

We are all a beautiful flower. What kind of flower are you? What do you need to grow and bloom? What kind of environment do you need? What kind of garden do you belong in?

What brings me joy, and what are my values?

What have I grown tired of this year?

What strengthens me, and what feels good?

If 2017 was my last year to live, what would be the one thing I would feel the strongest desire to do?

Also, if 2017 was my first year of life, what would I long to begin? Imagine the possibility to begin anew. What would that be for you? If you had no fear of failure, what would you do?

Please, write down these questions, and reflect on them. Go within, and write down the answers that come to you. When you have found answers that make YOUR heart beat, then you know you have arrived at a point where you can begin to create your true vision.

At the same time, we recognize the following:

I allow myself to not have to change this year. I accept myself. I truly arrive within myself, and allow myself to be. With a strong self in the forefront, I simply learn more about myself and arrive at my true self. I give myself the space and time to go within, and in that place I feel, see, and hear my true desires.

May the answers come to us all, and may we all follow our hearts’ desire. We all have a unique calling. There is only one of us in the whole world. We are incomparable, and it is time that we all give the world the gift of our true authentic selves. If you have already done so, perhaps this will open you up to what is next in your life.

Here is one more question to ask: How can I serve? This leads our strong self into a strong us and into a strong world. Let’s affirm, I am a unique and special human being with a divine purpose. The time is now for a strong self, and a strong self knowing. We are the change that the world is waiting for, for us.

Let’s remember, we must not change anything in the coming year. Who we are is enough, and we can continue to be as we now are. What if we simply choose to be happy, and only do what makes us happy? What if I choose to be me, not the expectations of me from others, but the me that came to me when I asked myself, who am I?

You are waiting for you. The answers inside are waiting to come forth. Why wait any longer? By building our lives from the inside out, while loving and appreciating ourselves, we are unlimited in what we can do and achieve. It’s time to shine. What are you waiting for?

This is based on the first of a series of 3 Mastery of Life videos from Veit Lindau, who is a German life coach, motivational speaker, author, absolute lover of life, and a wonderful human being. He founded Human Trust together with his wife, Andrea Lindau, and together they guide, teach and inspire coaches in what is now Europe’s largest life coaching platform. His work is mainly available in German; however, some of his books are available in English. There is no dogma, but rather practical and useful information that he and his wife live out in their everyday lives. I personally love how they set an example of how we can grow and evolve through our relationships. You can follow Veit and The Human Trust Community on Facebook.

It is my desire to bring both awareness of his work and message to English speakers as well as inspiration through his words to anyone reading this piece. Almost everything written here, I have translated. These are my words that I have interpreted through his message in German. I have chosen not to use quotations as I believe once the message is in another language, that it is best approved by the author before quoting in a language he or she did not write or speak in. I hope this inspires you as it has inspired me.

Let’s move forward with a strong self, and share our individual gifts with the world. We are all divine masters.

Ulonda Faye has a B.A. in Political Science and International Studies, and studied Peace and Conflict Research during her Masters program in International Relations. She survived a Near Death Experience during an accident that led her into Mind-Body-Spirit studies. She is a certified Wellness Practitioner, Rejuv Miracles Practitioner, and holistic esthetician as well as an ordained spiritual minister. Her services are available in person or through Skype and are offered in English and German. For more information, please visit her FB page or fayenaturales.com

Image featured; Image 1, 2, 3

Solstice blessings to ALL. We find ourselves moving more and more into a new way of being, and this Solstice is offering up to us a time to renew ourselves as we fill ourselves up with more strength and courage to embrace all that is longing to come into our lives. It is also a time to honor and revitalize the Sacred Masculine within all of us, and to balance and nurture it with our Divine Feminine presence. We all have this need to balance the feminine and masculine within, and now is a great time to utilize this ability.

No matter what was, and what is before us, we stay strong and centered upon our trust in the greater plan that always has our highest good at heart. Trust and faith in ourselves, others, and the greater plan, are important.

Wednesday, December 21st, marks the Solstice celebration for all people (winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and Summer Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere). How can we bless ourselves, our lives, and that of others even more this season? How can we heal more, and help others heal and forgive during this time?

“Faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see.” -Hebrews 11:1

We can begin by acknowledging the challenges that have come forth in our lives. On this day, we can honor the anchoring in of more light as we too can honor the places where darkness has come forth. This has been a challenging time for many, and when we begin to accept and embrace what has been, we can then fully embrace the wealth of healing and love that is calling us.

The dark moments have been here to teach us, to bring things out from under the shadows, to help us grow and heal by revealing that which has been hidden from us. This is often referred to as our shadow side, and it comes forth to help us transform. It can bring forth such deep hurt and pain, but through that it also gives us an opportunity to heal something and move forth into more light and love.

Moments, that feel so very beyond our control, are ultimately here to bring us together and renew our faith.

The moments of light, and there are so many moments of light, are here to illuminate that which shines so bright within and without. We feel it, and others feel it too. It is us in our most beautiful state and nature, and it is the world as we most love to see and cherish it. No matter what happens in our personal lives or in the world, let’s be reminded of the strength of the light.

We can set an intention today, and everyday for what we desire to bring into our lives. When we write down this intention, and hold it dear to our hearts, it begins to bloom. First, we feel it inside our hearts, then we see it start to take shape and form in our outer world. What kind of intention are you ready to set for your next step in life as you move forward into greater personal power? Are you ready to listen to your heart, and follow your dreams?

“When your intention is clear, so is the way.” -Alan Cohen

We can commit to allowing the challenges of our lives to bring forth all that we need to heal. We can allow it, and let it come forth with compassion. We can see it as our teacher, and we can bless it for it is blessing us with a chance to move through yet another hidden pain that wants to be healed in order to enlighten us more.

Are you ready? I am ready. So many of us are ready. Let’s anchor in more light and healing this season. Let’s share our light with the world, and when it gets painful, let’s remember our true nature and send deep love and healing to our hearts and the world. This may be the turning point, that brings balance back into our lives. What are you ready to transition into?

“Promise me you’ll always remember:

You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”

-Christopher Robin to Winnie-the-Pooh (A. A. Milne)

We may be faced with challenges, but with love, compassion and kindness we can survive in strength. It is time to bless and release all fear, doubt, judgment, hurt, worry, and pain. Only allow love and inspiration to bless your body, mind and spirit.

Let’s affirm:

• Winter Solstice Celebration, Mary Kate Hagan, The Furrow, Vol. 61, No. 3 (March 2010), pp. 185-188
• The Shadow Effect: Illuminating the Hidden Power of Your True Self, by Deepak Chopra, Debbie Ford, and Marianne Williamson
• The Power Is Within You, by Louise L. Hay

Namaste.

For a wound to heal… you don’t keep touching it, picking at it or scratching it. It’s common sense, right? So… why do we keep doing it to ourselves?

Yesterday night, I realized that I’ve been way too hard on myself when it comes to getting past old wounds and insecurities. I saw that most of my stress and struggle were not because going through so-and-so emotion or challenge was so difficult. It was because of my incredibly stress-inducing reaction to every new dis-ease coming my way.

Here’s an extreme example of such a reaction:

“What’s this emotion now? Where is it from? OH, not those daddy issues again? I thought I was over that! Is there something else I don’t know? Maybe I should buy this book about abandonment issues. Maybe I should go meditate and dig some more into past traumas… or maybe past lives! Or maybe i’ll just go eat a whole bag of chips and 2 chocolate bars. Actually… I’ll just go post a meme about it. With my bag of chips and chocolate.”

“What happens when you begin to feel uneasy, unsettled, queasy? Notice the panic where you instantly grab for something.” – Pema Chödrön

It seems that many philosophies in the spiritual/personal development realm are all about endless psychoanalysis of our emotions and digging into ten thousand “hows” and “whys” — all aiming at explaining why we feel a certain way. I’m not saying there isn’t value in understanding the roots of our wounds. Actually… it is a must! But once you’ve touched it, once you’ve fully seen it and felt it… you don’t need to keep touching it. You don’t need to keep poking at it further whenever there is a little flare up, or fuel it with a hundred more stories about why you are so wounded still. You can just LET. IT. BE.

This is something I am basically just learning now. Having a strong and stubborn intellect, I’ve always been into “trying to figure it all out”. Trying to fix things with my head. But there is a time and place for putting the mind at use, and there is a time and place for simply allowing ourselves to be as we are; present, open and gentle with ourselves.

You don’t intellectualize your way into loving and being there for a child, for example. You don’t read books about psychology to a kid that simply needs you to be there and hold their hand. In the same way, we sometimes just need to BE there for ourselves, without saying anything. Without trying to fix anything or talk ourselves out of whatever we may be feeling. Sometimes, to heal, we just need to be there, and that’s it. And I don’t mean curling into the foetus position and cry a river because “we should throw ourselves into a dramatic purging process every time an emotion says hi.” You can do that if it feels natural to you, but where I am getting at is that shifting from one state to another can also be accomplished with the lightest of touches, as my wise friend Kosta Stoyanoff would say. With a gentle acknowledgment of what you are feeling, a smile of compassion, and a willingness to continue moving forward even if you aren’t feeling “perfect” yet.

“As long as our orientation is toward perfection or success, we will never learn about unconditional friendship with ourselves, nor will we find compassion. ” ― Pema Chödrön

See, the only reason I’m writing this blog right now is because last night, I’ve decided to put the cellphone and distractions down for a few hours and just be there with what I’m feeling. I recognized my anxious feelings of not “being enough” and of this moment not “being enough” as products of an old train of thought that has never before led me to a happier and more fulfilled space anyways. So instead of treating it as this big ol’ monster requiring 10 more hours of psychoanalysis and anxious “figuring things out”, I simply let it be. I sort of said “Hey, I recognize you. You can stick around or whatever, but I’m just going to feel this out and not listen to your suggestions of finding yet another way to run away. I will just stay here and be okay in this moment with myself.”

Doing this shifted me out of this overwhelming fight-or-flight mode and provided me this single insight that I swear is going to be a game changer for me from now on. I already feel more relaxed. I already feel like I can move forward and be a better friend to myself. Growth doesn’t have to be a constant battle with yourself. It can be a wonderful, supportive relationship between your mind and soul. This is what I want to build my life on. No wonder I’ve been struggling with internet addiction, attention-seeking, sugar cravings and distraction binges lately. I’ve been beating myself up for it wondering what’s been wrong with me… but the truth is ANYONE would want to escape from the stressful and pressuring relationship I’ve been having with myself. It is even understandable that my poor mind would want to take a break from myself with food, social media newsfeeds or whatever else can take my mind off the bully inside of me. But that bully is me. It’s always been me against me. The beautiful thing though… is that it can also be me supporting me. Me loving me. Me being patient, kind and gentle to me. We all hear and say that we need to be more kind, gentle and loving people… no reason this shouldn’t apply to ourselves. 🙂

“The most difficult times for many of us are the ones we give ourselves.” ― Pema Chödrön

I believe that being more gentle and easy with our internal ebbs and flows is what provides us the perfect environment and space to actually heal and flourish. It’s kind of like providing a child with the love, patience, wisdom, care and space he or she needs to thrive and grow into the best version of themselves. You don’t punish a child for falling down when they are learning how to walk. You don’t ignore them or run away in fear either. You understand that they are just calibrating their balancing muscles and are learning as they go. Growing as a human being is also a process of learning as we go; a natural one. You don’t grow a flower by pulling on it. You simply give it sunlight and water and let it flourish at its own space. You can’t control your own or anyone else’s growth, you can only support it.

Would you rather have a controlling or a supporting friend? A controlling or a supporting parent? If you’re like me, you probably resonate with the latter. So let’s go ahead and be what we seek. 🙂

“There are more than enough voices in this world that will weigh you down by telling you that you are “not enough” of something or other… Don’t let yours be one of them.” – Kosta Stoyanoff

“There is no death! Only change exists, and there are wonderful changes in the space of Consciousness, who you really are ”  –Frank M. Wanderer

During our spiritual Journey through the world of shapes and forms, we are often under the effect of our daily disappointments, as our “sandcastles come tumbling down,” and we ask ourselves the question: ”What am I doing here?”

In a narrow sense it may mean: ”What am I doing in this situation?” or ”What  am I doing in these relationships?In a broader sense the meaning can be: ”What am I doing in this life, what is the sense of life, what is my ultimate goal ? Why was I born onto this Earth?”

The socially conditioned mind is ready with the answer to all those questions, provides a detailed description and explanation, underpinned with scientific arguments. It tells us and analyses our own personal histories, starting with birth and ending with death. Between the tangible endpoints, the already and the yet, every single conscious moment of our life is embedded int he story as experience.

Every such personal history, however, has its own problems and conflicts, beauties, ups and downs, and questions awaiting answers. One of the central questions in almost every autobiography is the following:

• How could I achieve more in life in order to be happy?

One of the awakened teachers, who has experienced the real nature of truth, Nissargadatta Maharaj believes, however, that instead of asking that, we should concentrate on the following questions:

• What is my true nature?
• What is the capital that I had when I was born and that has stayed with me since the moment when I realized that I existed?
• How did I acquire this bodily structure, together with the vitality and Consciousness that gives me the sense of Presence?
• How long is it going to last?
• What had I been before this body was born, and what am I going to be when this body decomposes?
• Who was born, and who is going to die?
• Who am I?

The only answer to these questions is that the capital with which we were born and which stays with us is the concept of ”I am here, I am now,” the intuitive feeling and reality of ”I am.” It is only possible to experience that in the Present moment, in the Now.

Past is an intangible part of our personal history, and future is the expectations we project into it. Both are products of the mind, therefore illusory, false, not realistic things.

 From the Edge to the Centerpoint

In order to bring our life into a resting point, the Present moment, we need to “move” from the edge to the centerpoint.

What does it mean?

The edge is the present state of Consciousness, in which the overwhelming majority of people live. That is the state of identifying with the mind, that of the dormant Consciousness, which dreams and tells our personal history.

That is the state of perfect identification with thoughts, emotions and desires, where we seek the goals of our life only in the world of forms and shapes, whether they are crude material forms (the world experienced with our sensory organs) or fine material forms (thoughts, emotions). The motor of our existence on the edge is the ambition to become something or somebody and to be in control all the time.

The centerpoint, the Awakened Consciousness, and the world of internal silence are beyond the mind. It does not refer to the internal silence forced upon oneself by various techniques called meditation (in this case, in fact concentration), but theundescribable, but experiencable, alive and living internal emptiness. In there, there is no effort, no desire and ambition, and we give up the last bastion of wanting to be in control. This is the state of perfect abandoment and submission, submitting ourselves to the Present Moment, to the Now. That centerpoint is the Self.

At the very moment when you find a resting point in the center, you will be away from the edge, and you will be able to see your previous self (the image created by the mind). Here it becomes obvious that the external world may only touch or scratch the edge, but never your real Self.

Be Alert and Conscious!

How can we get from the edge to the center of our Self ? The solution of this question should be the inner purpose of every human being. A precondition of making a move is promoting the emergence of the extra sensitivity found inside us.

The first phase of the process is becoming sensitive to our external environment in a new manner. Be consciously attentive to your environment, see, hear and feel everything with an intensity and vividity that we should be the eye when we see, we should be the ear when we hear, and we should be the sensor when we touch. We must not, however, stick to any of the senses, we should be attentive to everything at the same time, when all the senses unite. The information broadcast by all the senses will merge  into one single stimulus.

After practising and making it regular, the second phase of the process comes. In the second phase we turn our alert attention inward.

The first phase of turning inward is becoming conscious of our body. In most cases, our body works unconsciously, automatically, we are not really aware of how we walk, sit, eat etc. Now our alert attention will be extended to these activities as we try to use our body more consciously. As we become gradually more and more conscious of our body, we perceive more and more of the vitality and energy in the physical body and beyond. We thus become more and more sensitive to our internal body. If we do not give up consciously watching our body, but diligently practise it, after a while the sense of the inner body becomes permanent and keeps us in the present time as a massive anchor.

Once we have become conscious in connection with our body and the awareness of inner body is a permanent part of our life, then we may advance even deeper as the third phase of the process. We may become alert to the functions of the mind, the ideas, concepts, projections and the emotions generated by all these in the body. As we become more conscious of our mind, we may observe that the initially permanent and forced operations of the mind slow down, our thoughts become more transparent and the mind, slowly and gradually, becomes quiet.

At the same time we should also watch our emotions and moods, since we need to make these conscious as well, seeing that out thoughts are followed by bodily reactions. These reactions do not differentiate between the effects of reality and those generated by the illusoric works of the mind; the reactions are the same as in the case of a real experience.

Having discovered all this, we are now capable of behaving as external spectators of the generation, functions and disappearance of emotions and moods.  As a result of this process we enter a formerly unknown and new domain, which is undoubtedly the center of our personality, and we become aware that we are the Witness, the Consciousness, which was not created and so is eternal.

 By practising the attention described previously, we are not yet able to reach the center from the edge. At that point our own power is not enough, but the helping Grace will be sufficient.

ARE YOU CONSCIOUSLY ALERT?

 WHY NOT COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING

CONSCIOUS ALERTNESS QUIZ?

From the book Frank M. Wanderer Ph.D    The Revolution of Consciousness: Deconditioning the Programmed Mind 

Read more articles from Frank M. Wanderer

Life is uncertain; death is certain.

Death carries off a man busy picking flowers with a besotted mind, like a great flood does a sleeping village.

There are those who do not realize that one day we all must die.
But those who do realize this settle their quarrels.

Here will I live in the rainy season, here in the autumn and in the summer: thus muses the fool. He realizes not the danger (of death).

Dhammapada v. 286

How many times did you check your email this morning? Or waste even a minute on worrying about what someone else is doing that you don’t approve of? How about watching a bad movie, or wasting hours on the Internet reading about reality show characters meant to infantilize you? Once you answer, ask yourself, is this how you want to remember your life? While we all want to ignore the fact that our time on this great spinning marble is limited, the epiphany of our own mortality can bring great gifts.

Quantum Entanglement, The Eradication of Time

In physics, there is no such thing as ‘now,’ but instead time is described as a ‘flow.’ In the 1920s, physicists believed that time was an irreversible arrow, but we’ve evolved to understand differently:

“…to the bafflement of generations of physicists, the arrow of time does not seem to follow from the underlying laws of physics, which work the same going forward in time as in reverse. By those laws, it seemed that if someone knew the paths of all the particles in the universe and flipped them around, energy would accumulate rather than disperse: Tepid coffee would spontaneously heat up, buildings would rise from their rubble and sunlight would slink back into the sun.”

Quantum entanglement suggests instead that energy disperses, and objects (matter collapsed from a wave of energy) equilibrate. Tiny particles we can’t even see are constantly interacting with one another to change reality. Quantum entanglement means that the coffee cup, the coffee itself, and the table it sits on are constantly interacting.

An experimentally-tested theorem by the physicist John Bell says there is no “true” state of the particle; the probabilities are the only reality that can be ascribed to it.

Quantum uncertainty then gives rise to entanglement, the presumed source of the arrow of time.

To wit:

“When two particles interact, they can no longer even be described by their own, independently-evolving probabilities, called “pure states.” Instead, they become entangled components of a more complicated probability distribution that describes both particles together. It might dictate, for example, that the particles spin in opposite directions. The system as a whole is in a pure state, but the state of each individual particle is “mixed” with that of its acquaintance. The two could travel light-years apart, and the spin of each would remain correlated with that of the other, a feature Albert Einstein famously described as “spooky action at a distance.”

This means that a particle can exist in more than one place in more than one ‘time’ as we know it. That’s why Einstein may have called it spooky.

When, almost 100 years ago physicists Werner Heisenberg, Max Born und Erwin Schrödinger began the field which is now called quantum mechanics, or quantum theory, objects of the quantum world were understood NOT to move along a single well-defined path – of time or space. Rather, they were observed simultaneously to take different paths and end up at different places at once. Physicists speak of quantum superposition of different paths, but never quantify the NOW. This makes it no less important. If time doesn’t truly exist, why then is it so precious?

A ‘deathless’ spiritual adept, Babaji, was born in 203 AD. He was initiated at an early age into the mysteries of Kundalini Yoga. He retired to a Himalayan cave, absorbed in intense yoga practice, finally to emerge “laughing at the limitations of death.” Most of us would hardly laugh if we were suddenly given a sober verdict by our family doctor, or we were to receive a call in the middle of the night telling us someone we know and love is sick and dying. Mahavatar Babaji; however, is said to have risen from death at will. Did this man actually know how to cheat time, or was his death metaphoric, with a mind ever-present in the eternal creation of reality? Or both?

Time and the Brain

‘Now’ isn’t even well-defined as far as our neurology is concerned since an input can come in at different times, almost like layers of a conscious cake are being formed.

As Marvin Minsky notes, “Consciousness is a word that you use to not discuss the 40 or 50 different processes that are going on at various times…” When asked, ‘is there a discrete self,’ Minsky replied, “Let’s hope not, it wouldn’t have any interesting properties. Nothing simple is interesting, is it?”

Neuroscientists believe that memory storage depends on the connection between synapses and the strength of associations; memories aren’t so much encoded as discrete bits of information, but rather as relations between two or more things (e.g. touching a hot element causes pain). This is also the concept of dependent arising in Buddhism. More than 300 neural structures have been identified, but not one of them is proven to determine consciousness, or how we fit into time and space.

As some have suggested, “Some physicists have thought about expressing the laws [of time and space] in a timeless manner. For example, Carlo Rovelli talks of expressing mechanical laws as a bunch of correlations, without any explicit time variable. According to his model, the usual notion of time that we experience is connected with the statistical state of the system in question (his “thermal time hypothesis”).”

Movement and Relationship

Therefore, (as the Dalai Lama likes to say) if there is only movement and relationship in the Universe, then all we have is what we focus on. All we have is right now. Everything else is ‘speeding by’ whether it be from a nano-particle sense of ‘time’ or a neuroconscious understanding of it. No matter if you are discussing time, or the lack thereof, our conscious experience is that we have so many hours, days, minutes, and seconds, as the flow of the energy of the Universe acts out its infinite play.

So, whether we believe in the theories of doom and Armageddon awaiting our planet, or instead, want to believe that our great awakening will eliminate the need for suffering and death, but either metaphorically or literally, we will die somehow – either as the species we are to become with a consciousness being of a different, higher density, or by simply passing on as trillions of souls incarnate in human form have done for countless ages.

When death comes knocking, or in the least, the understanding arises that we will indeed die, we are given a great gift.

From the Invocation of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas as translated by Lama Kazi Dawa-Samdup from the Tibetan Book of the Dead:

When through illusion, I and others are wandering in samsara, Along the bright light path of undistracted listening, reflecting and meditating, May the gurus of the inspired line lead us, May the bands of mothers be our protectors, May we be liberated from the fearful narrow passage of the Bardo, May we be placed in the state of perfect enlightenment.

When through violent anger one is wandering in samsara, Along the bright light path of the wisdom of reflection, May the Bhagavan, Vajra-Sattva lead us, May the Mother Mamaki be our protector, May we be liberated from the fearful narrow passage of the Bardo, May we be placed in the state of perfect enlightenment.

So enjoy this ‘now’ (that happens over and over again). Be mindful of how you spend ‘it’. Be in nature, or smile at someone. Laugh more, and work less. The seconds pass quickly while our consciousness is still limited to this reality. There is no escape from old age, sickness and death, but there is the infinite freedom of living this moment fully.

Christina Sarich, Waking Times | “In the great teaching of the Vedas, there is no touch of sectarianism. It is of all ages, climes and nationalities, and is the royal road for the attainment of the Great Knowledge.” ~ Henry DavidThoreau

Yoga has reached an apex since its emergence, from at least pre-3000 B.C. based on archeological findings, amalgamating the lush heritage of the East with the practical science of the West, and combining the numinous with the practical in a very palpable manner. There are now thousands of peer-reviewed scientific papers which explain yoga’s efficacy as a healing modality for diseases as varied as cancer, depression, diabetes, and cardiovascular failure, and the mystical aspects of yoga have been passed down, either in classes meant for the masses, or through heavily guarded transmissions bestowed by a master to his or her select students. However, some of yoga’s most esoteric aspects are only taught to those who are deemed ‘ready’ to take those powers into the world.

In this age, it behooves us to share, in a mindful manner, the secrets of yoga beyond just the mystical or the scientific. A blending of the two will be necessary to bridge the gap between the dogma of religion and the filtered opinions of science that are often slanted depending upon which pharmaceutical company or institution is funding a study. Surely, Western medicine would be alarmed to know that an ancient practice could replace billions of dollars’ worth of medications, surgeries, and even chemotherapy and radiation treatments, but yoga indeed contains the elixir of life in its annals, and they are meant to be shared with the world.

One of yoga’s biggest secrets, and often-dismissed jewels by the uninitiated is how to live from the heart.

“Remember the emphasis on the heart. The mind lives in doubt and the heart lives in trust. When you trust, suddenly you become centered.” ~ Osho

The heart is the first organ to function when we are in utero. It is another, important intelligence center, the brain notwithstanding, of the human organism. According to Rollin McCraty, Director of Research at the Institute of HeartMath, the heart’s electromagnetic field is about 5000 times stronger than that of the cranial brain, interacting with and permeating every cell of our bodies.

McCraty’s book, The Energetic Heart, explains how the heart carries out the bioelectromagnetic interactions within and between people. For example, when we are not consciously communicating with others, our physiological systems are interacting in subtle and surprising ways. The electromagnetic signal produced by our hearts is registered in the brain waves of people around us. The heart is in fact an important carrier of emotional information and a key mediator of energetic interactions between all living things. When the energy of our hearts is coherent, our bodies change, as do our lives.

As we look more deeply into yoga as a medicinal modality, we must include introspection into the workings of the heart, its electromagnetic field, and how the intelligence of this organ aids in mental, spiritual, and physiological healing.

“The heart is one of the most important organs in the human body, because it is one of the main mediums for connecting us to each other and the Universe. Conventional science has taught us that the main role of the heart is to pump blood to all the systems of our body. This definition of the heart is not very accurate. Besides pumping blood, the heart also has an intelligence of its own.

According to neurocardiologists, 60 to 65 percent of heart cells are neuron cells, not muscle cells. This discovery has helped them develop experiments that have proved the heart works similar to the brain and in some ways is even superior to the brain. This may be the reason that the heart is the first organ to function after conception. Within about 20 days after conception, the heart starts to function, but the brain does not function until after roughly 90 days. This information tells us that the brain is secondary to the heart.”[1]

While not all neurons are brain cells (and not all brain cells are neurons – some are also glia), they are specialized cells of the nervous system that use an electrical potential across the membrane of all our body’s building blocks, which have evolved a specific function to trigger depolarization that sends an electrical signal down their axons that then communicates that ‘information’ to another cell.

Neurons reside throughout the body. There are neurons in the spinal cord and in the peripheral nervous system as well as the heart, and neurons alone cannot explain the phenomenon of consciousness, or even the subconscious, (certainly not the Supra-Conscious) but the heart has been proven to be in charge of more than just regulating basic bodily functions, as some materialist scientists have suggested.

For example, further research from the Heartmath Institute has stumbled on some curious findings about the intelligence of the heart.[2] Notably, the heart was found to receive and respond to intuitive information. A significantly greater heart deceleration occurred prior to future emotional stimuli compared to calm stimuli, and amazingly, the heart receives prestimulus information in the psychophysiologic systems, and then appears to process it in the same way as conventional sensory input. As an aside, women seemed to be better at decoding information taken in from the heart. The findings lead the authors of the paper to assume a theory about holographic principles in the Universe, and how our heart’s intuition allows us to tap in to the field of energy all around us.

The Heart and Non-Locality

The ancient tenets of yoga have said much about the Universal Field, and 21^st century science seems to just be catching up.

In modern physics it is understood that two photons traveling in opposite directions at the speed of light are still interconnected, no matter how far apart they travel. Henry Stapp, a physicist from UC Berkeley, said that the discovery of non-locality is perhaps the most important fact learned in all of science. [3] This means that we are connected to one another and to nature without question. This is called non-locality. Ancient Vedic scholars taught the very same concept. They advised us that separation we perceive is an illusion.

Some of the greatest western minds were influenced by Vedic teachings – Nikola Tesla, Nobel Prize winner Niels Bohr, physicist Erwin Schrödinger, and Werner Heisenberg, famous for his uncertainty principle, and as well as Fritjof Capra and others, all believed in the Vedic concept of an integrated, conscious Universe.

In fact, Schrödinger wrote, “This life of yours which you are living is not merely a piece of this entire existence, but in a certain sense the whole; only this whole is not so constituted that it can be surveyed in one single glance. This, as we know, is what the Brahmins [wise men or priests from the Vedic tradition] express in that sacred, mystic formula which is yet really so simple and so clear;tat tvam asi, this is you. Or, again, in such words as “I am in the east and the west, I am above and below, I am this entire world.”

Here the scientist is referring to the Mandaka Upanishad Mantra, 2.2.11, which Paramahansa Yogananda explains in part, “The lower knowledge is the knowledge of the phenomenal world. In reality it is ignorance, for it does not lead to the Highest Good. The seer of the Upanishads asks the aspirant to acquire both the knowledge of the relative world and the Knowledge of Ultimate Reality. When by the pursuit of the former he fails to attain true freedom and immortality, he cultivates the latter.”[4]

Most people of this world utilize ‘lower knowledge,’ that is they use their intellects to try to understand the world, and to heal their bodies. This is evidenced in the ways in which allopathic medicine has divided up the body into all manner of parts – the cardiovascular system, the respiratory system, the cellular system, the digestive system, the endocrine system, etc. without ever concerning itself with the body as a whole. The heart’s intelligence does not see things as fragmented, though. When we become ‘heart’ centered, the finer, expanded intelligence of the Universe takes over, and the body, mind, and spirit can then be healed.

In fact, the heart sends messages to the brain, and the brain obeys. The heart can even inhibit or facilitate the brain’s electrical activity, thus influencing how we perceive the world – essentially over-riding the analytical, mechanical, left-brain cognitive dominance of most of modern society.

“I agree with the fact that the heart is more than a pump,” said Dr. Ronald Freudenberger, chief of cardiology at Lehigh Valley Health Network. “The heart has many functions that we are probably not aware of. We are finding new attributes of the heart. New roles for the heart.”[5]

These ‘functions’ of the heart that modern medicine and science have not yet been able to explain are accounted for in yogic science. Anandamurti, for example, taught that asanas should be practiced slowly and held for a certain period of time in order to affect the glandular secretions of the endocrine system, thus affecting our health and mood. It is well known that the heart and its accompanying endocrine gland, the thymus, which is responsible for producing T-cells for the immune system, has a great impact on our overall well-being. Without yogic intervention, the thymus tends to shrink as we age, eventually being composed of only fat and fibrous tissue, completely unable to produce the correct amount of thymosin A, an important hormone which supports immune health.

If we look at the heart, the thymus, and the immune system more fully, we can observe that the main function of this particular system is to be able to observe the difference between ‘self’ and ‘non-self.’ When our thymus is compromised, our attraction to unhealthy foods, and unhealthy energies is increased, and while ‘all is one’, we tend to then become sick more often, the immune system being unable to fight off viruses or bacteria that are not cooperative to our vitality. Increasing the energy of the heart and thymus not only improves physical health but also helps to address the emotional issues associated with a ‘broken heart.’

Furthermore, yogic practices like Suryanadi Anuloma Viloma Pranayama (alternate nostril breathing) have been shown to modify the autonomic activity of the heart. Aside from charging the body with an increased supply of oxygen through the lungs, and then “burning” or oxidizing waste impurities in our venous blood, chiefly carbon, this process of purification is enhanced by an accompanying large increase in expulsion of waste carbon dioxide from the lungs during exhalation. As a consequence, very little of the tissue remains in the blood as waste material. There is less need for the breath, as the flow to the lungs of blood for purification slows down. The heart and lungs are given profound rest. As further studies are conducted on this phenomenon, the exact mechanism by which alternate nostril breathing influences the function of the autonomic nervous system is still unknown, though it has been speculated that this is through a neural reflex mechanism in the superior nasal meatus. [6]

Still more research sheds light on the ‘heart brain.’ A complex and sophisticated nervous system intrinsic to the heart consists of around 40,000 neurons that allow the heart to learn, feel, sense, remember, and even make functional decisions without the full consent of the brain. This means that our over-analytical habit of ignoring the urgings of the heart cannot be entirely surpassed. There seems to be a mechanism, very obviously increased with the practices of yoga and meditation, which support the heart’s intelligence instead of that of the mind.

This mechanism can ensure that in distressing times, we don’t ‘over-think’ the day, and ‘over-stress’ about the doom and gloom that is being force-fed to us by non-heart centered agencies.

We can literally lose our minds in the tangle of the modern world but our hearts will always lead us back to peace.

“Occasionally in life there are those moments of unutterable fulfillment which cannot be completely explained by those symbols called words. Their meanings can only be articulated by the inaudible language of the heart.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Sources:

[1] Chang, Pao L. Staradigm: A Blueprint for Spiritual Growth, Happiness, Success and Well Being. http://energyfanatics.com/2011/04/16/staradigm-blueprint-spiritual-growth-happiness-success-well-being/

[2] Mike Atkinson, Ph.D., Raymond Trevor Bradley, Ph.D., Rollin McCraty, Ph.D., The Heart Math Institute. Electrophysiological Evidence of Intuition: Part 1. The Surprising Role of the Heart.http://www.heartmath.org/templates/ihm/downloads/pdf/research/publications/intuition-part1.pdf

[3] Stapp, Henry P. Mind Matter & Quantum Mechanics. Springer Verlag, March 2009. ISBN-13: 9783540896531

[4] Paramahansa Yogananda. Mandaka Upanishad http://www.yogananda.com.au/upa/Mundaka_Upanishad.html

[5] Milton D. Carrero. The Morning Call. One Vital Organ: Heart is More Than A Pump. http://articles.mcall.com/2011-02-12/health/mc-health-neurocardiology-20110212_1_heart-disease-united-states

[6] Joy, the Journal of Yoga. 2009. Suryanadi Anuloma Viloma Pranayama Modifies Autonomic Activity of Heart. Varun Malhotra,OP Tandon, Rajkumar Patil, Tarun K Sen, Stany W Lobo, Nagamma T, Rahul A, Anshul Singh, Shreekant, Sonam Motani, Atulya Choudhary. Department of Physiolog, Community Medicine, Anatomy, Biochemistry, students. Manipal College of Medical Sciences (MCOMS), Pokhara, Nepal *University College of Medical Sciences of Medical Sciences, Shahdara, Delhi.

This article is excerpted from an exclusive paper to be published in Prabuddha Bharata, in publication since 1896.

Featured image: Unknown artist