Yearly Archives: 2012

The Healing Power of Pets

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Amy D. Shojai, CABC

Animal behavior consultant, author of 23 pet care books

3 Ways Your Pet Can Help You Heal

Posted: 9/4/11

Studies prove that pets provide physical health benefits, offer stress relief and detect or predict health challenges. Some pets now are used prior to health tests like MRIs to reduce patient fear.How can that be? Pets help keep us emotionally healthy.

They keep us connected to the world and other pet lovers, and offer a purpose to get out of bed in the morning. People who wouldn’t go to the store for themselves will make the effort to get dog food or kitty litter.

Sure, walking the dog means people exercise, but studies also show that walking a dog offers more benefits than walking alone. There’s a social and emotional benefit that has no equal.

Emotional Benefits Of Service Dogs

Service dogs have offered people assistance for many years as guides for the blind, ears for the deaf or even an extra pair of hands — fetching everything from the phone and clothing, to turning lights on and off. While we mostly think of dogs, other critters including parrots, cats, lizards and even horses do this work. But service animals also boost emotional health in surprising ways.

Researcher Karen Allen conducted a two-year study looking at individuals with a variety of challenges who had used wheelchairs for a year or longer. She compared the group who received dogs to those who didn’t. After a year, those with dogs showed dramatic improvement in areas such as self-esteem, psychological well-being and generally getting back into life. People were going out and having relationships, they made friends and a couple of people even got married.

This effect was also documented by researchers at the University of California Davis. They found people with pets were approached more often for conversation than when they were alone. Blind and wheelchair-bound kids with their dogs in public places were approached for social contact 10 times more frequently than without their dogs. Beside the day-to-day help service animals provide, they act as a social lubricant that emotionally heals.

When animals are present, Alzheimer patients are more responsive and more positive.But even healthy senior adults benefit emotionally from spending time with pets.

Pets Don’t Judge

Healing includes the mending of broken hearts, lost dreams and painfully poisonous ideas and beliefs. Pets make things safe for emotions. You can express anything to your pet — anger, sadness, joy, despair — without being judged.

Humans suffering from trauma or illness, grief or depression, often withdraw from the world to find a safe and healing place. Kids who are lonely, dealing with death or illness in the family or other trauma have better coping skills when they have access to a pet. Families going through divorce also benefit from this pet effect. People caring for a pet are less likely to suffer from depression.

Psychiatric service dogs alert people when they need to take medication, eat on time or assure them the house and environment is safe and relieve their fears. And pets won’t take no for an answer.

The Human-Animal Bond

The bond refers to feelings of love we have for pets — and they for us — and this biochemical process can actually be measured with blood tests. A study by South African professor Johannes Odendaal proved that the human-animal bond makes us feel good from the inside out. Pets feel it, too!

Our feelings, thoughts and attitudes are influenced by changes in brain chemistry. Odendaal measured blood levels and found that positive biochemicals phenylethalamine, dopamine, beta-endorphin, prolactin and oxytocin increased significantly for both the pets and people when bonding takes place.

People who interact with their own pets have even higher elevations. These chemicals stimulate feelings of elation, safety, tranquility, happiness, satisfaction and love — it’s more than simple contact, it’s the individual animal and the bond we share.

Pets insist on being noticed, yet their presence is safe. They listen without judgment, and are silent without offering unasked advice. Animals know how to just sit and be with someone for as long as necessary. And pets don’t turn away from tears and grief the way humans tend to do. Sometimes our beloved animal companions are the only bridge able to receive and return affection and show us the way home to emotional health.

Amy D. Shojai, CABC, is a certified animal behavior consultant and the award-winning author of 23 pet care books. She also writes for puppies.about.com and cats.about.com and appears on Animal Planet’s CATS-101 and DOGS-101. Check out Amy’s latest book, “Pet Care in the New Century: Cutting-Edge Medicine for Dogs & Cats” and on Red Room, where you can read her blog. 

from:   http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amy-d-shojai-cabc/emotional-benefits-of-pets_b_939715.html?ref=happiness

Nancy Colier on Surviving the Virtual World

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Psychotherapist, interfaith minister, writer and public speaker

Virtual Community: Can We Survive It?

Posted: 01/31/2012 2:20 pm

Community is a hot topic these days. Many people now complain that they feel isolated, that community has disappeared, and with it, the experience that community offers — belonging, inclusion, grounding, shared goals, connection, etc. The institutions that used to provide us with the experience of community — our schools, neighborhoods, spiritual organizations, etc. are not bringing us the same sense of connection that they used to. So what’s changed?

I recently asked a young woman why she spent so much time playing The Sims 3, the virtual character video game. Her answer: she liked the sense of community that it offered her. She could go out into the neighborhood, walk around and see other people in their houses and get a real sense of the community. As a result, she felt less cooped up in her own home and more a part of the world. The world she was talking about of course was a virtual world. When I reminded her that the people she was looking at in the other homes were not real, and the neighborhood she was wandering around in, also fake, she laughed and said she knew all that, but it didn’t bother her.

While people may still be participating in real-world communities, they are not engaging in them in the same way as they used to. Because we now rely on social media for our sense of connection and belonging, for community, we have removed ourselves to some degree from our interaction in the physical world. We are still there but in a less intimate way. At a recent visit to a local café, I noticed the so-called community table, a long wooden farm table that conspicuously evoked the sense of warmth from an earlier time, when generations of families convened over day-long meals. On this day in 2012, nine of the 10 people seated at the community table were staring into a personal screen of some kind. I laughed out loud, imagining the day when ten iPhones will occupy those community seats, sharing stories about the humans that they have to put up with.

Because we know that we can always get on Facebook, or tweet or text, the very manner in which we are interacting in the physical world has changed. We are less engaged and less committed, less dependent upon this moment of being together for our sense of connection and emotional nourishment. Physical interaction has become an impediment to our engaging with technology. We have to hurry up and finish with the people in front of us so that we can get back to tweeting and texting to people who are somewhere else. The system has flipped: People are now the distraction and our on-line world, the main stage.

It used to be that the time we spent together had an inherent importance to it. We could reach each other by telephone, but being together physically was special and an opportunity of sorts. If we were not visiting with each other, we were at home and apart. Now, together and not-together time is blurred. We are living in a continually together space, interacting constantly with no separation between the private and public experience. Sadly however, the more virtually together we are, the less genuinely together we seem to become.

The problem is not that we are shifting our sources of community, but rather that online communities cannot offer the same emotional nourishment that physical communities can. After hours of participating in virtual communities, people report feeling empty and isolated, just the opposite of the experience that physical communities provide. “But the online communities are just launching pads for people to meet in person,” supporters argue. In my research however, I have not found this to be the case. Social media is an end unto itself with its community experience remaining primarily in the online world

Since the beginning of time, humans have come together to create communities — because they are important to our well-being. We need them, to feel grounded and a part of something larger than just ourselves. The young woman who is deriving her sense of community by wandering through a virtual neighborhood, walking her virtual dog, looking into the houses of other virtual characters, is not, in my estimation, receiving the benefits that real community offers.

We are not going to lose our online communities any time soon and in fact they are proliferating. But they are not and should not be a replacement for our real life communities. When we are in direct physical contact with one another, the people we see on a regular basis, we can remind ourselves that such moments matter, can remember to land there in the interaction. It is important to honor the importance of the physical community, and the profound nourishment that it offers — nourishment that we in fact need. Physical and emotional presence are the building blocks of community. Both require effort, but it is effort wisely invested and unmistakably rewarded.

from:    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nancy-colier/technology-dependence_b_1241578.html?ref=unplug-and-recharge

Henry Miller’s Writing Commandments

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Gretchen Rubin

Writer, The Happiness Project

 11 Brilliant Writing Commandments From Henry Miller
Posted: 02/ 2/2012 12:15 pm
Cruising around Pinterest (my new toy), I came across this list of Henry Miller’s 11 work commandments, posted by Sadie Skeels. I’m astounded by how absolutely apt these commandments are for my own writing practices.

For instance, #10. I struggle with this problemall the time. And #2. I remember a conversation I had with my agent when I was writing Forty Ways to Look at Winston Churchill. I was so enthralled with the material that I couldn’t stop researching, and finally she said to me sternly, “No more research.” Also, #5 is terrific advice; when I can’t seem to write, I can review my notes, edit, cut… and pretty soon I’ve started writing again. I think about #11 in a different way; I struggle to make sure that writing doesn’t crowd out other things that are also important to me.

Henry Miller’s Commandments, from Henry Miller on Writing:

1. Work on one thing at a time until finished.

2. Start no more new books, add no more new material to “Black Spring.”

3. Don’t be nervous. Work calmly, joyously, recklessly on whatever is in hand.

4. Work according to Program and not according to mood. Stop at the appointed time!

5. When you can’t create you can work.

6. Cement a little every day, rather than add new fertilizers.

7. Keep human! See people, go places, drink if you feel like it.

8. Don’t be a draught-horse! Work with pleasure only.

9. Discard the Program when you feel like it-but go back to it the next day.Concentrate. Narrow down. Exclude.

10. Forget the books you want to write. Think only of the book you are writing.

11. Write first and always. Painting, music, friends, cinema, all these come afterwards.

These rules seem helpful to non-writers as well; in almost everything we do, it helps to stay focused, refreshed, and perseverant.

What work commandments would you add? And what exactly do you think that Miller meant by #6?

 

* As I mentioned, I’m really enjoying Pinterest — “an online pinboard where you can organize and share the things you love.” If you’d like me to send you an invitation, drop me a request at gretchenrubin1@gretchenrubin.com.

from:    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gretchen-rubin/writing-advice_b_1247003.html?ref=mindful-living&ir=Mindful%20Living

 

Earthquake near Honshu, Japan

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Strong shallow earthquake near Sado Island, Honshu, Japan

Last update: February 8, 2012 at 2:15 pm by By 

Earthquake overview : At 21:01 (09:01 PM) a strpng shallow earthquake occurred close to the coast of Sado Island, Honshu, Japan

Coastal village on Sado Island close to the epicenter – courtesy KatyGoat

Update 14:03 UTC
Fire Department of Japan has reported in his third report that as far as 2 hours after the earthquake,  no damage has been detected in the villages or cities and that the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station has not been damaged neither.

Update 13:44 UTC
The strongest earthquake we could trace at Sado Island was a M 6.6 earthquake which occurred at December 9, 1802.

Update 13:34 UTC
Japan seismological agency, JMA is reporting a 5+ intensity, considered by Earthquake-report.com as moderately dangerous for damage.
5+    Sado-shi Aikawa-sanchome and Sado-shi Kawaharada-hommachi*
5-    Sado-shi Ogimachi*, Sado-shi Hamochi-hongo* and Sado-shi Akadomari*
4    Sado-shi Iwayaguchi*, Sado-shi Ryotsu-minato*, Sado-shi Matsugasaki*, Sado-shi Chigusa*, Sado-shi Niibo-uryuya*, Sado-shi Mano-shimmachi*, Sado-shi Ryotsu-shisho* and Sado-shi Aikawa-sakaemachi*
Japan seismological intensity values are scaled from 0 to 7. 5+ JMA can be compared with 7 MMI (very strong shaking).

Sado Island earthquake – Intensity map courtesy JMA Japan

Update 13:32 UTC
Sado Province was a province of Japan until 1871; since then, it has been a part of Niigata Prefecture. It was sometimes called Sashū or Toshū. It lies on the eponymous Sado Island, off the coast of Niigata Prefecture (or in the past, Echigo Province).
Sado was famous for the silver and gold mined on the island. In the Kamakura Period, the province was granted to the Honma clan from Honshū, and they continued to dominate Sado until 1589, when Uesugi Kagekatsu of Echigo Province took over the island. The Tokugawa shoguns later made Sado a personal fief after Sekigahara, and assumed direct control of its mines.
Since 2004 Sado city has comprised the entire island.
Its rich history and relaxed rural atmosphere make Sado one of the major tourist destinations in Niigata Prefecture. The island has several temples and historical ruins, and offers possibilities for various outdoor activities, as well as fresh local food.
Sado is famous as the major breeding area for the Japanese Crested Ibis. The last known Japan-born Japanese Crested Ibis died in captivity in 2003 on the island. Currently, birds from China are being bred in a captive program in a facility in Niibo area. The Ibis, Toki in Japanese, is a major symbol of the Island and can be found on several tourist items. There are plans to release Ibis in the wild at the end of 2008. (source Wikipedia)

Update 13:31 UTC
The Island area does not seem to be particularly dangerous, although moderate earthquakes are fairly common.

The strong shallow and thus moderately dangerous earthquake occurred almost below Sado Island, an island approx. 50 km from the western Honshu coast.

Most important Earthquake Data:

Magnitude : 5.7
UTC Time : Wednesday, February 08, 2012 at 12:01:37 UTC
Local time at epicenter :  Wednesday, February 08, 2012 at 09:01:37 PM at epicenter
Depth (Hypocenter) : 10 km
Geo-location(s) :
10 km from Sawazakihana Light (Sado Island)
38 km SW Ryotsu (pop 16,359)
72 km NW Nagaoka (pop 195,318)

for more information and updates, go to:    http://earthquake-report.com/2012/02/08/strong-shallow-earthquake-near-sado-island-honshu-japan/

2/8 El Hierro Update

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El Hierro Volcano : Yellow-Red alert – Joke Volta images of tonight’s Smoking Lava Balloons

Last update: February 8, 2012 at 11:29 pm by By 

This is the most recent El Hierro Volcano eruption report

Update 08/02 – 23:18 UTC

Remember our update from 17:56 yesterday, when somebody of CAP told Joke that he had seen much stronger activity than usual in the Jacuzzi. ER reader Sissel has recorded the webcam at that time. The 4 minutes video shows the more intense activity. The activity occurred when we lived through 5 minutes of the most powerful HT since many days. The graph can  be seen at the end of the recording.

Update 08/02 – 21:11 UTC
For the interested people : Etna is erupting right now ! (Thank you Nataly for telling us)
http://www.guide-etna.com/webcam/

Update 08/02 – 20:33 UTC
– There have been 3 more earthquakes while harmonic tremor its continuing at minimum levels:
08/02/2012    18:38      Depth 14 km        M 1.3    W EL PINAR
08/02/2012    18:51       Depth 12 km        M 1.3    W FRONTERA
08/02/2012    19:18       Depth 12 km        M 1.3    W FRONTERA

Update 08/02 – 20:32 UTC
– When Pam and New wrote us “SLS”, we immediately forwarded the message to Joke who was on her way to El Pinar. She asked the bus driver to stop, got a lift from a friendly person to Montana Naos, took some pictures and hitchhiked again towards El Pinar.  These are Jokes pictures.

Update 08/02 – 16:39 UTC
– Just after writing about the calm day, ER readers Pam and New notified us of Smoking Lava Stones.

Update 08/02 – 16:23 UTC
– A calm day at El Hierro with few spectacular events but with the very beautiful pictures of Joke Volta.
– only 1 new earthquake since the last update, but a medium powerful one which can well be seen on the IGN HT graph.
08/02/2012    15:35     Depth 12 km     M 2.2    SW EL PINAR

Update 08/02 – 10:21 UTC
– Very minor harmonic tremor all night and morning so far, a little increase in HT at 03:05 for about an hour.
– Jacuzzi activity was very much present all night long in a very sensitive webcam seting. We enjoy this setting for maximum observation at night.
– 5 earthquakes so far today!
08/02/2012    00:42      Depth 14 km        M 1.3    W EL PINAR
08/02/2012    00:43      Depth 12 km        M 1.3    SW FRONTERA
08/02/2012    02:52      Depth 11 km        M 1.4    W EL PINAR
08/02/2012    06:12      Depth 14 km        M 0.8    SW EL PINAR
08/02/2012    07:33      Depth 20 km        M 1.4    SW EL PINAR

Update 07/02 – 23:55 UTC
2 new earthquakes are making it a total of 10 today.
07/02/2012    22:57     Depth 11 km        M 1.8     SW FRONTERA 
07/02/2012    23:30     Depth 12 km        M 1.7     SW FRONTERA

Update 07/02 – 23:02 UTC
– the current high sensitive webcam image shows the action in the jacuzzi. Hard to say what the light effects are (waves or hot material).  That will be a question for CAP for Joke tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.
– Harmonic tremor has been minimal for many hours again, but the eruption is still going on.
– 2 new earthquakes that make it a total of 8 today
07/02/2012    20:20     Depth 13 km        M 1.0    SW EL PINAR
07/02/2012    22:25     Depth 10 km        M 1.2    S EL PINAR
– Readers like Julian have seen the Ramon Margalef continuing his bathymetry mission after dark.
– Images Joke Volta from today February 7 2012

Update 07/02 – 19:30 UTC
ER reader Julian writes in our comment section : In an interview with Ramon Ortiz (Volcanologist of CSIC) in local newspaper Canarias7, Mr. Ortiz says that according to past experiences, the eruptive process is finishing. The new HT increase of the last couple of days are the normal evolution to a new phase.
He says that two different possibilities are: 1- that this process ends in few days and/or a new eruption is going on in another location.
He says that right now there are two different eruptions. The one in Las Calmas, and another one elsewhere which we may never know where it is, beacuse of the depth in the north area.
(ER : the supposedly second vent in the north has been a fierce debate among scientists from the very beginning).  We refer to some updates we wrote during the weeks after the coloring of the sea).

Update 07/02 – 17:56 UTC
– A CAP scientists who met Joke in El Pinar a few hours ago said to her that he has seen an extraordinary jacuzzi around noon UTC today. He was quiet fascinated about it.
– We are also fascinated about the strange harmonic tremor we see today. A lot of powerful starts gradually winding down, again and again. Now it is calm again, but we cannot remind having seen the same pattern since a long time. It may be very wise to follow HT the following hours in combination with the webcam.

Update 07/02 – 15:08 UTC
– 2 new earthquakes:
07/02/2012    13:31      Depth 12 km        M 1.4     SW EL PINAR
07/02/2012    13:58     Depth 10 km        M 1.6     SW FRONTERA

Update 07/02 – 13:55 UTC
– The Ramón Margalef IEO Oceanographic vessel is back in town. He is making a new bathymetry session enabling IEO to measure the depth of the vent and to make new maps of the submarine cones. Meanwhile the local Canary Island press is quoting local volcanologists who are saying that IEO is not sharing the submarine research details with other (scientific) partners. It will at least take 2 to 3 days to get a new depth figure.
– 4 earthquakes so far today
07/02/2012    02:21      Depth 11 km        M 1.0     SW EL PINAR
07/02/2012    10:29      Depth 15 km        M 1.4     SW EL PINAR
07/02/2012    10:55      Depth 14 km        M 1.3     SW FRONTERA
07/02/2012    11:37      Depth 13 km        M 2.3     SW EL PINAR
 – Harmonic tremor started to grow gradually after 03:00 as Ursula said in the comments (she lives in Australia and is looking at the HT graph and webcam while most Europeans sleep), winding down just before noon. Very suddenly everything restarted forcefully at 13:32 UTC, although nothing more than degassing can be seen at the surface.

Harmonic tremor from midnight UTC until 13:40 UTC – image courtesy IGN

Image Joke Volta

Update 06/02 – 23:55 UTC
– Joke Volta pictures of February 6, 2012. No SLS today.

Update 06/02 – 23:24 UTC
– INVOLCAN has just published two high definition videos of today’s flight. We can see how they measured gas levels and took thermal images, which would be useful if they made public. There is a strong degassing, blue stain, that can be observed.


– Second video shows the green stain in La Restinga port.

– Eruption webcam is showing a good view the stain even now that is dark. A near full moon illuminates the sea enough for the camera to capture an image. Also, the webcam was cleaned today for better image quality.

– Another earthquake since our last update
06/02/2012    21:43    Depth 15 km    M 1.7     W EL PINAR

Update 06/02 – 21:50 UTC
– One more earthquake since last update:
06/02/2012    18:04    Depth 11 km    M 1.7

for more information and updates, go to:    http://earthquake-report.com/2011/09/25/el-hierro-canary-islands-spain-volcanic-risk-alert-increased-to-yellow/

Temperature Rising at Fukushima Nuclear Plant

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Fukushima Update: Temperature Rising at TEPCO Unit 2

 

 
Fukushima Update: Unit 2 Temperature Rise
by Nelle Maxey  
TEPCO increased the volume of water being injected into Unit 2 by 35%  in the early hours of February 7.
This attempt to lower the temperature has stabilized it around 70 degrees C.
But it has not lowered it significantly.
This large increase in volumes of cooling water injection also means that TEPCO is outside the limits of operation for this reactor as I noted yesterday. They acknowledge this at the very bottom of in their morning press release for Feb 7. http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/12020703-e.html
The best article on the net explaining what is going on at Unit 2 is the one from Asahi news. It has the fewest errors and omissions and also has an excellent drawing and an excellent chart which you can see at the link to the article.

TEPCO struggles to cool Fukushima plant’s No. 2 reactor

Tokyo Electric Power Co. is taking steps to prevent a possible self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

Readings from a thermometer at the bottom of the No. 2 reactor’s pressure vessel rose from 50.8 degrees at 5 a.m. on Feb. 1 to 73.3 degrees at 7 a.m. on Feb. 6.

Melted fuel is believed to have accumulated at the bottom of the reactor, but high radiation levels have prevented workers from checking the exact situation within the reactor.

After the flow of cooling water was increased to 10.6 tons per hour on Feb. 6, up from 8.6 tons two days earlier, the temperature fell to 69.2 degrees at 5 p.m. on Feb. 6. That night, TEPCO injected boric acid into the reactor to prevent criticality, the point at which a nuclear fission reaction becomes self-sustaining. Boric acid absorbs neutrons, which induce nuclear fission.

The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) instructed the company to consider injecting boric acid earlier in the day.

TEPCO also plans to increase the amount of cooling water by 3 tons per hour.

At a news conference on Feb. 6, Haruki Madarame, chairman of the Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan, told TEPCO and NISA to keep the public informed.

“We expect them to address the public’s concerns by methodically explaining what could happen and how they plan to deal with it,” Madarame said.

A TEPCO official said there were no signs that the melted fuel had reached criticality. The official said the level of radioactive xenon, an element with a short half-life, remained below a measurable detection limit, and that monitoring devices around the nuclear power plant have not detected a rise in radiation levels.

TEPCO officials said the rise in temperatures was not steep enough to indicate that criticality had been reached.

However, a temperature of 80 degrees or more at the bottom of the pressure vessel would ring alarm bells. TEPCO has assumed a margin of error of up to 20 degrees for the thermometers in the reactor because it is not clear what damage was done to them by the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Therefore, a reading exceeding 80 degrees could mean an actual temperature of more than 100 degrees, compromising the reactor’s status as being in cold shutdown.

The rise in temperatures appears to coincide with changes in the flow of water through two separate systems for cooling the No. 2 reactor: the feed water system and the core spray system. TEPCO temporarily increased the amount of water being pumped through the feed water system and reduced the amount of water going through the core spray system as it strengthened outdoor piping in late January.

After that work was completed, it gradually decreased the amount of water flowing through the feed water system and increased the flow through the core spray system in an effort to restore flows to the setup before the strengthening.

The thermometer that has produced the high readings is located just under the feed water system. Its temperature readings rose when the water passing through the feed water system was reduced and water going through the core spray system was increased. Readings from two other thermometers at the same height in the reactor have been stable at 44-45 degrees.

The temperature may have risen because water has not reached part of the fuel since the amount of water through the feed water system decreased and the flow of water changed,” said an official at TEPCO’s Nuclear Power and Plant Siting Division.

for more information, go to:  http://www.pacificfreepress.com/news/1/10889-fukushima-update-temperature-rising-at-tepco-unit-2.html

Leon Lewis on Getting Outside of the Box

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Consciousness beyond conditioned thought

(Recognizing the Language of Divine Unity)

By Leon Lewis

We live in times where, for those who are consciously awakening, a more intimate and intricate relationship with Spirit — including nature in all its forms — is becoming a priority. The heightened sense of separation from Spirit that many feel is to some extent encouraging humanity towards exploring deeper and more inclusive ways of connecting with all of life, via their own higher nature. The pace of our current lives, in which we are experiencing escalating change in the world and in systems around us, appears to dictate that we act in opposition to our inner process and higher principles. A crisis of purpose emerges, in which many feel unready to effect the necessary changes, in the face of evermore evident and unsustainable contradictions.

Conditioned thought exists as the result of the subconscious absorption of environmental imprinting, which includes social, religious, historical and political influences, etc. The development of our relationship with our higher nature requires that we nurture the ability to transcend those aspects of conditioning that would hold us back.

One of the realizations emerging amongst many who are approaching higher consciousness is the need for dedicated inner work, in order to bring about a state of balance. This work includes the regular practice of meditation, via which the results of a deepening awareness of the spiritual life can be carried into daily activities. Amongst other benefits this practice fuels our essential loving nature. It also supports the expression of conscious creativity and the ability to work with change — qualities which life asks each of us to weave into every aspect of our experience.

 

A fundamental part of being human involves maintaining harmony with nature. Disharmony occurs as a result of being out of touch with nature, including the nature of who it is that we essentially are. Emotional imbalance, illness and various other conditions serve as reflectors (or reminders) that this connection has to some extent been compromised.

Whichever facet of our lives we focus upon, whether it be the food we eat, the attitudes we hold, the company we keep, or the practices that we undertake, it is helpful that we regularly remind ourselves to remain centered within our ‘natural’ self; within the energy of consciously recalling times when we felt at one with nature — thereby carrying the resulting feeling of ‘at oneness’ with us into all of our activities.

Consciousness beyond conditioned thought — where there is a deep inner comprehension of oneness — reflects our original state of being. This state of being, which might also be described as unity consciousness, is gradually re-awakened as we connect more deeply with our higher nature.

This awakening requires a certain dedication to the establishment and maintenance of inner silence. The extent to which we are able to achieve silence and the resulting inner stillness determines the extent to which we can open to the ‘higher mind’ — beyond the thinking mind.

The ‘higher mind’ — beyond the predominantly ego-based intellectual paradigm — creates thought. It brings new thought into being and is intimately linked to the evolutionary process. The ‘higher nature’ (and the experience of the ‘higher nature’ beyond that which we would understand in terms of the mind) involves what might be described as divine experience. It is beyond intellectual description and can only be expressed in terms of feelings and sensations, such as the experience of light, joy, energy or sound.

What emerges from the elevated experience referred to above is (to a certain degree) translated into thought, in our daily experience. We might then put this into practice or ‘walk’ it into our world or environment, thus sharing it creatively with others. It may translate into words or deeds, or manifest as something intangible.

Entering a state of higher consciousness — a term used to explain experience that transcends conditioned thought — takes us into more expanded dimensions of conscious being, involving frequencies that for the most part cannot be ‘measured’, from a conventional scientific perspective. The spontaneous expression of love and kindness are examples of the transcendence of conditioned thinking and doing.

In order to develop a deeper connection with higher consciousness — the realms beyond the physical — it becomes necessary to embrace and develop higher senses; faculties that are in certain ways parallel to the physical senses but exist on higher levels. This process involves remembering who we truly are as spiritual beings. As each physical sense evolves through various higher stages certain conditions become apparent, such as joyful and creative action, dynamic service, profound realization and the conscious striving towards excellence (including the attainment of higher knowledge). As we sense these awakenings occurring within us, we are inspired to reach out to our higher nature as if taking a hand; thus allowing ourselves to be guided through the higher experience.

The dream state also guides us beyond materially based experience. It involves reflected thought patterns, symbols and feelings. When we look at the way dreams are ‘put together’ and recalled, we recognize that we are dealing with a state that is transcendent of logic and the intellect, even though we might use these faculties to describe the dream in attempting to make sense of it, or learn from it.

The conscious experience of dreams is a portal to the journey which transcends the realm of conditioned thought, beyond the realm of thinking and doing — into the state of:

Being, yet creating;

Stillness, yet radiating.

These words attempt to describe what might be referred to as an aspect of enlightenment. However, because the term ‘enlightenment’ has become loaded, like various other terms within society, it has come to be perceived by many as something almost unattainable, unless complicated and all-consuming practices become the daily routine.

Nevertheless, what is being called for by life is a significant shift in practice, replacing certain mundane, habitual practices with conscious inner practices and, where need be, profound life-changes. Life is beckoning us towards these things and it is helpful to pay greater attention, especially when spending time in nature and when feeling in touch with our own higher nature. Life is encouraging us to recognize the guidance that takes us beyond thought, to listen to the bird-song and the wind through the grasses or the trees; and to feel the heat and light of the sun and the moisture in the air. We are being called to open our higher sense perceptions and to allow the analytical senses to wane somewhat — not to disappear, but not to constantly hold ‘center stage’, as they commonly do amongst the majority of humanity.

Most people live in a state of analysis and judgment — seeing all in terms of ‘I’ and ‘other’, instead of experiencing life in terms of ‘I Am’. As we experience all that is around us from the perspective of ‘I Am’, we begin to become one with ‘All That Is’. We begin to transform — via the feelings that transport us into that state of being. As we do that, we recognize the language beyond words, beyond conditioned thought and analysis … the language of divine unity.

Life is guiding us towards new levels of awareness and new states of being in order to help us align with the changes occurring within our reality. It is offering us the opportunity to step up before it becomes necessary to do so as a matter of survival. It is far preferable to consciously effect changes before change is urgently required, and thus to become the embodiment of change within the environment, rather than one who is forced to change by the shifting paradigms.

The process of expansion into higher consciousness requires that we honor universal principles as well as the natural environment, and thus allow ourselves to be guided by them. Achieving this is an enormous step, for when we are truly in harmony with these things; we are able to express the authentic essence of who it is that we are as spiritual beings — thus becoming one with all of life.

-o0o-
Leon Lewis

 

About Leon Lewis

Leon Lewis

 

I am a potter, musician and spiritual teacher, living in South Africa.

My childhood fascination with the unseen realms led to spontaneous mystical experiences, beginning in the early 1970’s.

Since the 1980’s I have lived in a small, rural village, where I have spent much time in relative solitude, making profound connections with aspects of higher consciousness, the Earth, as well as the legacy of the indigenous First Peoples – known as the Bushmen.

In response to a deep longing to establish a closer relationship with nature, I was granted opportunities to become involved in my surroundings in a variety of ways. I gradually came to realize that my experiences were nurturing in me, amongst other things, a deep respect for the ancient ways and wisdom of the First Peoples of our planet. This led to the privilege of becoming acquainted with some of the unseen forces in nature and the opportunity to participate in various miraculous events.

You can contact me at leon.sacredcall@gmail.com

from:    http://www.spiritofmaat.com/feb12/consciousness_beyond_conditioned_thought.html

Ithaca Hours

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What are Ithaca Hours?
Ithaca Hours is a local currency system that promotes local economic strength and community self-reliance in ways which will support economic and social justice, ecology, community participation and human aspirations in and around Ithaca, New York. Ithaca Hours help to keep money local, building the Ithaca economy. It also builds community pride and connections. Over 900 participants publicly accept Ithaca HOURS for goods and services. Additionally some local employers and employees have agreed to pay or receive partial wages in Ithaca Hours, further continuing our goal of keeping money local.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 for more information, go to:    http://www.ithacahours.org/                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  and, from the founder:                                                                                                                                  Ithaca HOUR Factsheet

Since 1991, over $110,000 of Ithaca HOURS (11,000 HOURS at $10.00 per HOUR) have been issued. Six denominations: 2 HRS, 1 HR, 1/2 HR, 1/4 HR, 1/8 HR, 1/10 HR. Includes a commemorative HOUR, the first paper money in the U.S. to honor an African-American.

 

Thousands of people, including 500 businesses, have earned and spent HOURS.

 

They have made millions of dollars value of trades with HOURS, representing hundreds of job-equivalents at $20,000 each.

 

HOURS are thus real money– local tender rather than legal tender, backed by real people, real labor, skills and tools.

 

Most HOURS have been issued as payments to those who agree to be published backers of HOURS, listed in our bimonthly directory HOUR Town. Every year they may send the coupon again to receive a bonus payment– which gradually and carefully increases the HOUR supply.

 

11% of HOURS are issued as grants to community organizations. Over 100 nonprofits have received grants totalling over 1,500 HOURS ($15,000) since we began.

 

5% of HOURS may be issued to the system itself, primarily for paying for printing HOURS.

 

Loans of HOURS are made with NO INTEREST CHARGED. These have ranged $50- $30,000 value.

 

HOURS are legal. Professor Lewis Solomon of George Washington University has written a book titled “Rethinking Our Centralized Monetary System: the Case for a System of Local Currencies” (Praeger, 1996) which is an extensive case law study of the legality of local currency. IRS and FED officials have been contacted by media, and repeatedly have said there is no prohibition of local currency, as long as it does not look like dollars, as long as denominations are at least $1.00 value, and if it is regarded as taxable income.

 

HOURS are protected against counterfeit. They are multicolored, with serial numbers. The 1995 Quarter HOUR and 1997 Eighth HOUR use thermal ink, invented in Ithaca, which disappears briefly when touched or photocopied. The 1993 Two HOUR note is printed on locally-made watermarked 100% cattail paper, with matching serial numbers front and back. The 1996 Half HOUR is 100% handmade hemp paper. Our District Attorney has declared HOURS a financial instrument, protected by law from counterfeit.

 

Benefits

 

  • HOURS expand the local money supply
  • HOURS promote and expand local shopping, with an endless multiplier
  • HOURS double the local minimum wage to $10.00, benefitting not only workers but businesses as well, who find new and loyal customers.
  • HOURS enable shoppers to afford premium prices for locally-crafted goods and for locally-grown organic food.
  • HOURS help start new businesses and jobs
  • HOURS reduce dependence on imports and transport fuels
  • HOURS make grants to nonprofit community organizations
  • HOURS make zero-interest loans
  • HOURS stimulate community pride
  •                                                                                                                                                                from:   http://www.paulglover.org/hourintro.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Negros – Cebu Philippines Earthquake

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Earthquake Negros – Cebu, Philippines – 43 killed, among them 29 due to landslides and 10 by collapsed buildings.

Last update: February 6, 2012 at 3:26 pm by By 

Earthquake overview : an earthquake of magnitude 6.8 occurred in the very highly populated region of Central Visayas in Philippines. The nearest populated places are: Ayungon (20km), Tayasan (12km), Cantaup (16km), Jimalalud (6km), La Libertad (7km), Apanangon (6km), Guihulngan (15km), Villegas (15km). The closest civilian airport is Bacolod (73km).

Most important Earthquake Data:

Magnitude : M 6.8
UTC Time : Monday, February 06, 2012 at 03:49:16 UTC
Local time at epicenter : Monday, February 06, 2012 at 11:49:16 AM at epicenter
Depth (Hypocenter) :  46.6 km
Geo-location(s) :
72 km (44 miles) N of Dumaguete, Negros, Philippines
74 km (45 miles) WNW of Tagbilaran, Bohol, Philippines
80 km (49 miles) WSW of Cebu, Cebu, Philippines

Update 14:42 UTC : Damage report issued at 05:00 PM (17:00) local time by the Philippine authorities. more damage may be expected the coming hours.

Update: 40 killed and many missing with 100 injured due to earthquake induced landslides. The death toll is expected to continue to rise.

Update: 13 have been killed and many are missing following this earthquake. Landslides and aftershocks including a m6.2 in the last hour are making conditions difficult for rescuers.

Update:  5 have been killed and at least 29 missing. more news to follow.

Update : GMA report in mixed Tagalog / English language about the situation in the Philippines after the earthquake.

Update 07:23 UTC : The NDRRMC said both damage to property and aftershocks are expected from the quake, whose epicenter was traced to 5 km northwest of Tayasan, Negros Oriental.

Update 06:23 UTC : Not much more news than the 1 child killed has come from the authorities. Local tsunami alerts have been put out in the Visayas region – Alert Level 2 – stay away from the coast due to unusual waves.

 

for more information and updates, go to:    http://earthquake-report.com/2012/02/06/very-strong-earthquake-close-to-la-libertad-negros/

February 5-11

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This week you can find yourself facing many conflicts most of them brought about by the juxtaposition of the old and the new.  What to keep, what to let go of.  What defines you, what confines you. Never an easy thing.  This can lead to conflict, uncertainty, and anger.  Take time when these kinds of feelings arise to analyzer and follow them to their source.,  There is much to be learned. Lessons are always best when they are over, but this is a week of transitions, so things will not be completed at this time.  But pay attention to what s gong on and new revelations in regards to old friend, new friends, places, and things.  The energetic shifts that are coming about at this time are requiring your cooperation and acknowledgement. Be alert, aware, and observant.  Also, your intuition is very strong at this time.  You will do well to be aware of it.  If you are unsure about what is coming to you, take time to go within and listen to the guidance of your heart.  Be open to what your body is wanting at this time.  The physicality is shifting too.

On a larger scale, there are some painful things that have to be learned right now.  These lessons can come in all areas including the political arena, finances, science, and international relations.  Much of this will go unreported in the news within this country.  If you are desirous of finding out about some of these things, you will need to look to the news in other countries.  The Earth continues its shifts and changes, and there will be a greater  impact of some of these movements this week.  The Sun will have some erratic periods as the Galactic energy moves out of the shadow of the outer planets and closer to the middle of our solar system.  This can lead to some odd science news as they report anomalies, however these things are just new to this era and had a history in the very remote past.

Sunday, February 5:    Light Purple

Everything seems fine to start with, however there is a nagging sense of …. something.  You cannot quite put your finger on it, but you know it is there.  You will find yourself looking around at people and things to find a cause or someone to pin it on, but it will all come back to yourself,  Since this is the case, it is best to take some time to ground and go within.  Look and feel what is going on inside of you.  There is a shift in the energies that is happening now and you are responding.  Take time to know what is going on and be open to any messages you might receive, some perhaps in the form of synchronicity or deja vu.  You can find your answers if you just allow yourself to do so.

Crystal Vibe:    Barite Rose—-This stone brings together many elements and influences in such a way that things can be changes and augmented.  Resonates with the Solar Plexus Chakra.

Monday, February 6:    Dark Blue

There are things in the works, actually things that have been in the works for a long time now, and they are ready to burst into fruition.  Be ready for that.  Some of them can surprise you, so be on the alert for today anything can happen.  People are coming up to you with messages, judgments, and reminiscences.  It is not important for you to respond, just acknowledge.  There are so many emotions and feelings that can be tied up in some of these things that it best to step back, observe, and let them be what they are.  There is a bit of joy unfolding throughout the day, and you will become aware of it as night falls.

Crystal Vibration:    Mangangocalcite—-The energies of this pink stone can bring comfort, solace, and connection.  If you are needing a safe vibration in which to open to the larger whole, this can be helpful. Resonates with the Heart Chakra.

Tuesday, February 7:    Light Periwinkle

The veils are very, very thin today, so things can pop into and out of view quickly.  Just accept that this is the way the energy is tending right now.  Acknowledge that this is the way things are right now, and that sometimes things just are the way they are.  Be ready for some hard questions today as people come up with stuff, a lot of it their own, which they are trying to understand, and, if that is not possible, to redirect to others.  Stay in control of your emotions today.  Becoming angry or upset will not assist in gaining the perspective you are needing to make it through the day.

Crystal Energy:    Leopardskin Jasper—-The energy of this stone reflects both the light and dark vibrations.  It assists in looking for balance and objectivity.  Resonates with the Heart and Tenth Chakras.

Wednesday, February 8:    Light Green

Feelings and physicality issues are going to be very much in the forefront today.  This does not mean that you will be feeling sad and bad, rather you will be more aware of how you are reacting to things on both and emotional and physical level.  Take time to notice how you are responding.  You can learn a lot about the shifts and changes that you are going through at this time.  You can also learn about the new WHO that you are becoming. You are refining and honing many of your core impulses and wisdom.  Listen to the counsel of your heart’s knowing and you can learn much.

Crystal Energy:    Heliodor—-This stone works on the level of one’s purpose.  It can bring focus and light to specific areas of importance.  It assists in protecting one from negativity.  Resonates with the Solar Plexus Chakra.

Thursday, February 9:    Primary Blue

The theme today is Back to Basics.  It is time to see things for what they truly are, what is the basis for the stuff on top, what makes you tick, what makes others tick.  Take time in dealings with others to see what the essential motivations are.  Listen to the words unspoken.  Be aware of the Freudian Slips and reflex moves. There is much to be learned today, and much to be unlearned.  There are revelations that can come forth today.  Some will be new and others are things you already know, but the ones that are truly unexpected can leave you dumbfounded.  Stay centered and true to yourself.  Some of the things you encounter in the day’s energy can bring strong emotional responses.  You will want to be ready.

Crystal Vibration:     Psilomelane—-This mineral assists in grounding, and having grounded, adding to perspective in regards to what you should be looking at.  Resonates with the Root and Third Eye Chakras.

Friday, February 10:     Light Magenta

You might wake up today feeling as if you want to sing or dance or something like that, but at the same time, you feel that you might have a headache coming on or… something.  The day statrs with an up energy that is, nonetheless, somewhat conflicted.  As the day progrewses, you can find yourself a bit distracted.  You may be focused on one task, and then all of a sudden, your attention shifts to something else.  It will be hard to stay with just one thing, but actually that will all be to your advantage in the evening when many things come up, and you get them all

Crystal Vibe:    Staurolite—-The energy of this stone protects you, while at the same time allowing you to stand up for your core beliefs.  Resonates with the Root Chakra.

Saturday, February 11:    Clear

There is something about the energy of this day that you will not quite be able to put your finger on, but you know that is is good.  There will be a number of synchronicities coming your way, and it is your task to put them together and see what is the meaning behind all these things.  People are willing to be helpful; so, if you need help or are looking for information, this is a good day for requesting assistance in these areas.  Be aware also of a close friend or relative who will be needing your care due to come kind of physical issue.  It is important to be strong in the energy of the day.  It shifts, twists, and turns, and in your grounding within your heart center, you can navigate those vagaries and emerge in the evening with a new knowledge.

Crystal Frequency:    Azulicite—-The energy of this stone works with the body’s meridians for cleansing and unification.  It resonates with the Root Chakra with a vibration that penetrates through all the Chakras.