Mythical Beasts?

Mythical Creatures: Beasts That Don’t Exist (Or Do They?)

By Benjamin Radford, Life’s Little Mysteries Contributor
01 March 2011 6:14 PM ET
 

 

A still shot from the newly posted video that some think shows a monster in Lake Champlain in Vermont. Credit: YouTube

When scientists visit a tucked-away part of the planet — say, a deep-ocean hydrothermal vent or an isolated jungle mountain — they routinely find dozens of species that have never been documented. It’s discoveries like these that allow folks who believe in mythical beasts such as Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster and El Chupacabra to hold out hope that these creatures actually do exist.
In most cases, hope is all they have, as the scientific evidence for these 10 animals of urban legend simply isn’t very convincing.

Bigfoot

 to read more and see the list of the other creatures, go to:    http://www.lifeslittlemysteries.com/mythical-creatures-beasts-1412/

Fossil Frankenstein Bug Found

Ancient ‘Frankenstein’ Insect Discovered

Wynne Parry, LiveScience Senior Writer
Date: 19 July 2011 Time: 06:00 AM ET

Insect “Frankensteins” have been discovered among fossils from a deposit in Brazil. The prehistoric creatures had the wings and middle-body segments of a dragonfly’s, wing veins arranged like a mayfly and a praying mantis’s forelegs.

“It is a very strange mix of characteristics that are otherwise only known for the unrelated insect groups,” said one of the researchers to discover this new group of insects, Günter Bechly, a paleontologist at the State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart, Germany.

to read more, go to:    http://www.livescience.com/15100-insect-frakenstein-fossil-order-coxoplectoptera.html

Gallery of Wolves

My, What Big Teeth: Wolves Gallery

1 of 12

A Common Ancestor

A Common AncestorCredit: John and Karen Hollingsworth | US Fish & Wildlife Service

The wolf, an ancestor of the domestic dog, is both a cherished and feared creature. There are many different subspecies of wolves, and in the U.S., the gray wolf, red wolf, Mexican wolf and Arctic wolf are all endangered

to see all 12 images in the gallery, go to:  http://www.livescience.com/15159-wolves-gallery.html .

Weak Italian Earthquake

Quake Flash report : Weak earthquake very well felt in Latina and Rome, Italy

Last update: July 23, 2011 at 6:20 pm by By Armand Vervaeck and James Daniell

Weak but very shallow earthquake. Based on the many Italian people visiting our site, the earthquake has been well felt as strong in the greater epicenter area. This earthquake has also been felt in Rome, approx. 60 km from the epicenter.

to read more, go to:  

Weak but very shallow earthquake. Based on the many Italian people visiting our site, the earthquake has been well felt as strong in the greater epicenter area. This earthquake has also been felt in Rome, approx. 60 km from the epicenter.

F

 

July 24-30

Overall Color for the Week:    Light Apricot

There are going to be so many things coming your way this week, so many memories, so many choices, so many dreams, so many irritations, so many loves, so many hates.  It can leave your head spinning and your heart empty.  But this is the deep well of beginning.  This is the door to the mysteries.  You will learn much this week, lose much this week, find much this week, and find out about love.  This is the time of re-experiencing the childlike and the moments of being the adult at the same time.  There is magic in this week.  But you will need both wonder and courage.  And desire.  Choices have to be made at this time.  Choose well.  But know that there are other opportunities.  Your senses will also be on high alert this week, so you will find that you are more aware of how things are smelling, how they look, what they taste like, what they feel like, and how they sound.  If you are feeling overwhelmed by all of this, it is good to take some time to ward yourself against overload.  You do not want to get burned out.

On a larger scale, there is so much that is going on this week, and so many people in so many different areas that will be affected, challenged, and devastated.  The elements will be making themselves known in all their power and potential. Things will be popping up all over — storms, earthquakes, volcanoes, etc.  Thew news will be particularly unreliable this week as it attempts to skew a lot of crazy activities of people, markets, animals, birds, planets, etc. and make them into things that, well, just happen.  The galactic anomaly is getting closer and there will be reports of odd pulls and effects on some of the outer planets of the solar system.  There is also the possibility of some asteroidal type material, space dust, space clouds, churning in the local galactic regions.  A number of people in the news, although not necessarily political, rather more along the lines of teachers and speakers, who will be making odd pronouncements.  There will be indications also of a new disease, and there will be hints of possible epidemic proportions linked to that.  Expect things to blow up without any warning.  There are rumblings on all levels as people begin to question just what is going on.  As part of this, groups will be forming who are looking for a solution, not through takeover or control, but rather through compassion and understanding.  Crops will be in the news as they are more and more challenged by the weather and over use of pesticides, although that will not be mentioned.  There will be movements by those in power to tighten controls.  Look also for some of the fundamentalist types of religions to make more noise about the need for repentance and the coming judgment.  Some long held truths and laws will be called into question and shown to be inaccurate, in science, but perhaps elsewhere also.

Sunday, July 24:    Cobalt Blue

Things are going to be happening fact and furiously today.  Because of this, it is a good idea to stay grounded in WHO you are and to know your own power.  People will be wanting you to do things, take part in things, decided on things, judge.  Let it all go.  Be the observer.  Let them create their own realities.  You need to be strong these days as things become ever more unpredictable.  Today is the perfect opportunity for exercising your abilities to know what is true for you and to stand firm in that truth.  Listen carefully to the voice of your intuition as it will allow you to make some interesting discoveries in the winds of the day.

Crystal Energy:    Atacamite—-“The Alchemists’ Stone”  It’s energy assists one in bringing things to their proper conclusion.  Resonates with the Heart Chakra.

Monday, July 25:    Bright Lavender

The clock is ticking, and you will be hearing it loud and clear today.  There is a sense that there is something urgent that you need to get done, but you cannot seem to remember just what that is.  This is a day for being alert to signs and symbols.  There will be a lot of Freudian slips around, both from others and from yourselves.  Look for them to be followed by synchronistic events.  You can find yourself being just a bit muddled by it all, maybe even feeling like you have just fallen down the rabbit hole.  But all this is good.  It is time to change your perspective on things in your life, and today gives you the opportunity to begin to looking at people, things, stuff, relationships, etc. from a new vantage point.  There also is some fun and humor in all of this. There are others too who are making differences in their lives, and the energy of the day brings people like that together.

Crystal Energy:    Unakite—–The energy of this stone allows for one to move forward in things that seem stopped up and blocked.  Resonates with the Heart Chakra

Tuesday, July 26:    Light Cobalt Blue

There is something stirring again today, and although you are aware of it, you cannot seem to muster the energy to do anything about it.  This is a day for getting a grip on just what it is that you are wanting to see in your life. There will be bouts of deja vu that will remind you of things from your past that were once so important for you,  There are many questions that you left unanswered, and the current energy brings them into focus.  This is a time for prioritizing what it is that has motivated you from the beginnings versus what was there and convenient.  Take time today to meditate in whatever way is most comfortable for you, sitting, walking, drawing, inventing, painting, singing, just being, etc.  There are things within you that are ready to come to the surface.  It is time to allow them in order that you can move forward. You can be astounded by some of the revelations that come your way.

Crystal Energy:    Clinozoisite—–The energy of this stone assists in clearing emotional issues and dealing with long standing blocks.  Vibrates to the Heart Chakra.

Wednesday, July 27:    Dark Pink

Perceptions can be a little off today, so take time before taking action. Things can be said that are not meant, and if you overreact, you will regret it in the future.  There are people out there who are wanting your companionship and advice.  It is up to you to set your boundaries.  You know what it is that you can deal with and what becomes too much.  This is not a time for being ‘nice’ to the other person,  rather this is the time to honor yourself and what it is you need for your own development and fulfillment.  Look carefully at ‘deals’ that may come your way today.  There are agendas at work on all levels.  Emotions will be close to the surface, and when they come, think about what you are actually feeling.  The feelings could be attached to something very different from what seems obvious.

Crystal Energy:    Blue Celestite—-This stone brings dreams of messages and guidance, along with a peace and knowing that comes from being part of the All.  Vibrates with the Throat and Upper Chakras.

Thursday, July 28:    Light Pink

Opposites attract, or so they say.  This is a day on which you will be seeing a lot of opposites and wondering about that.  The overall theme is balance, and there will be lessons to be learned about balance in the current energy.  Balance oftentimes comes out of confusion and uncertainty.  You can find yourself in situations today where there seem to be way too many choices.  This is the time to center and listen to the wisdom of your heart.  You are being presented with many options because it is time to realize that choices do not mean necessarily getting rid of one things, but rather choices can involve a kind of integration of many themes into one whole.  So expect some shattering today, but that will be followed by new synergistic models which will bring you a sense of peace and accomplishment when the day is through.

Crystal Energy:    Lapis Lazuli—-The energy of this mineral works to calm mental stress and open you to avenues of understanding and expansion. Third Eye Chakra.

Friday, July 29:    Clear Straw

Things are going to be constructed today, but mainly as models.  This is not a time for permanence or rigidity.  This is a time for exploring options, for putting together new combinations, for finding out new directions.  There is fun in the air today and a bit of mischief.  There is much to be learned at this time regarding some friends about whom you have had some questions.  Right now, you are attracting new and different kinds of people into your circle.  This can cause a shake up with old friends.  If you stay true to what you know is right for WHO you are, then all will be well.

Crystal Energy:     Snowflake Obsidian—–The energy of this stone allows for connections on all levels.  Bringing back things once thought to be lost forever.  Resonates with all chakras.

Saturday, July 30:    Deep Salmon Red

There will be emotions coming to the surface today from deep inside.  The energies of the day favor catharsis and renewal.  You can find yourself falling apart all of a sudden, and then just as quickly getting in all together, even wondering what just happened.  You have been holding on to many things that you need to let go of.  While this is always difficult, sometimes the thought of having to do it is more daunting that the actual activity.  This is a day for rehearsals.  You are getting ready for the next act, and trying out your role.  There is much to be discovered in this energy and some joyous revelations.

Crystal Energy:    Dioptase—-The energy of this stone allows for the release and free play of the imagination.  It allows one to access the child within.  Resonates with the Heart Chakra.

Ayahuasca Experience – Discussion w/Jeremy Narby

The Ayahuasca Experience

narbycoverlarge.jpg 

The following conversation is excerpted from The Psychotropic Mind: The World according to Ayahuasca, Iboga, and Shamanism
by anthropologist Jeremy Narby, filmmaker Jan Kounen, and writer/filmmaker Vincent Ravalec, available from Inner Traditions Bear & Company.
Vincent: The ayahuasca experience can be separated from shamanism. We can take ayahuasca, for example, in an urban setting and have a very strong experience, one not necessarily connected to the ancestral experience of shamanism. The experience of shamanism is quite close to nature, which actually functions with interfaces of spirits; and someone who takes ayahuasca is not necessarily going to encounter, I don’t know, the parrot god who will come talk to him in his dreams or the green mouse who drops by to say hello. He is going to see something else. While someone is having the experience in a shamanic setting, one is going to go through its conceptual system. And you can have very strong shamanic experiences without taking ayahuasca. But it so happens that ayahuasca is a very formidable agent for altering consciousness.

Jan: What is ayahuasca, for you?

Vincent: Physically, it is a beverage that is quite unpleasant to drink. Now there are different blends, depending on the shamans who brew it. . . .

Jeremy: Would you agree that it is the Concorde of hallucinogens?

to read more, go to:    http://www.realitysandwich.com/ayahuasca_experience

Transcendental Consciousness

Writer for the David Lynch Foundation and 25-year teacher of Transcendental Meditation

 The Key To Health And Happiness: A ‘Lost’ State of Consciousness?
Posted: 7/15/11 08:32 AM ET

Life happens within the realm of three, ever-changing phases: waking, dreaming and sleeping. Yet most of us intuit there’s more to human consciousness than what we ordinarily experience.

Scientists have long said each of the three major states of consciousness has its own distinct style of physiology and brain activity. Could there be a fourth major state of consciousness that likewise has its own physiological signature and brain pattern, a state that’s been overlooked or forgotten?

What if the loss of this state were the cause for much of what ails us — personally and collectively?

Transcendental Consciousness

Scientists first proposed the existence of a fourth state of consciousness in the early 1970s, when UCLA researchers discovered that people practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique shifted into a state never before seen in a physiology lab. In the history of science, if there has been a single, overarching moment of “East meets West,” surely, it was this. The pioneering research appeared in Scientific AmericanAmerican Journal of Physiology and the journal Science.1 The findings were expanded by numerous follow-up studies done at other research institutes and medical schools, establishing meditation as a new frontier of scientific research.2

to read more, go to:   http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeanne-ball/fourth-state-of-consciousness_b_897085.html

Non-African Neanderthal Connection

ALL NON-AFRICANS PART NEANDERTHAL, GENETICS CONFIRM

Analysis by Jennifer Viegas
Mon Jul 18, 2011 10:25 AM ET 

Neanderthal-zoom
(A museum reconstruction of a Neanderthal/credit: iStockPhoto)

If your heritage is non-African, you are part Neanderthal, according to a new study in the July issue ofMolecular Biology and Evolution. Discovery News has been reporting on human/Neanderthal interbreeding for some time now, so this latest research confirms earlier findings.

Damian Labuda of the University of Montreal’s Department of Pediatrics and the CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center conducted the study with his colleagues. They determined some of the human X chromosome originates from Neanderthals, but only in people of non-African heritage.

“This confirms recent findings suggesting that the two populations interbred,” Labuda was quoted as saying in a press release. His team believes most, if not all, of the interbreeding took place in the Middle East, while modern humans were migrating out of Africa and spreading to other regions.

to read more, go to:   http://news.discovery.com/human/genetics-neanderthal-110718.html

Machu Picchu Theories

A resident llama mows the grass at Machu Picchu in Peru.

Machu Picchu is encircled by the Urubamba River (pictured), considered sacred by the Inca.

Photograph by Michael and Jennifer Lewis, National Geographic

Ker Than

for National Geographic News

Published July 21, 2011

Nestled atop a mountain ridge in Peru, the 15th-century Inca city of Machu Picchu had sat largely forgotten for centuries—until archaeologist Hiram Bingham began excavations of the ruins a hundred years ago this week.

Now one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, Machu Picchu’s original purpose is still unknown—though many archaeologists think they are closer to finding an answer.   (Take a Machu Picchu quiz.)

Here are some of the top theories about Machu Picchu proposed—and in some cases disproven—in the century since its “rediscovery.”

to read more, go to:    http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/07/110721-machu-picchu-100th-anniversary-archaeology-science/