German supermarket Edeka release heartbreaking Christmas advert A Christmas advert released by German supermarket Edeka is melting hearts worldwide. Similar to John Lewis’ emotive “Man On The Moon” advert; it focuses on an elderly man alone at Christmas. But, some viewers believe it has trumped the British advert as the most powerful yet. The advert shows an elderly man spending several Christmases alone; with his children providing a different excuse each year: "I just wanted to call and let you know that we can’t make it for Christmas this year… we’ll try again next year. Time passes and tragically the children receive news of their father passing away. The children return to the family home to attend his funeral and pay respects; but as they enter the dining room, their father appears and says: "How else could I have brought you all together?" Tears quickly turn to smiles as the family indulge in a Christmas dinner that has been long overdue.
Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution Written partly in response to Social Darwinism and in particular to Thomas H. Huxley's Nineteenth Century essay, "The Struggle for Existence", Kropotkin's book drew on his experiences in scientific expeditions in Siberia to illustrate the phenomenon of cooperation. After examining the evidence of cooperation in nonhuman animals, in pre-feudal societies and medieval cities, and in modern times, he concluded that cooperation and mutual aid are the most important factors in the evolution of species and the ability to survive. Discussion[edit] Daniel P. Todes, in his account of Russian naturalism in the 19th century, concludes that Kropotkin’s work "cannot be dismissed as the idiosyncratic product of an anarchist dabbling in biology" and that his views "were but one expression of a broad current in Russian evolutionary thought that pre-dated, indeed encouraged, his work on the subject and was by no means confined to leftist thinkers Editions[edit] See also[edit] References[edit]
Transcendental Consciousness Transcendental Consciousness Objectively Verified The existence of Transcendental Consciousness can be objectively verified—due to the profound connection between mind and body. Changes in mental states are matched by changes in physiological functioning. Although scientists cannot tell what you are thinking about in the waking state, or envisioning in the dreaming state, they can clearly distinguish between the three major states of consciousness—waking, sleeping and dreaming. These three major states of consciousness can thus be identified by unique styles of physiological functioning—especially by particular combinations of metabolic rate and brain wave patterns. This is all significant because, in the Vedic literature, the direct experience of the unified field of natural law during Transcendental Consciousness is said to take place in a fourth major state of consciousness. References: American Psychologist 42 (1987): 879–881. Science 167 (1970).
Support for ISIS in the Muslim World - Perceptions vs Reality - Metrocosm According to a Brookings report from last January: 40% of Americans believe most Muslims oppose ISIS.14% think most Muslims support ISIS.And 44% (the plurality) of Americans believe Muslim views are evenly balanced on the issue. American perceptions of Muslims’ support for the Islamic State are all over the map. And you only have to search Google for “how many muslims support isis” to see why. The first result shows “81% of respondents support the Islamic State.” The range of answers to this question reported by the media is enormous, partly because much of it comes from online polls, social media sentiment analysis, and other non-scientific / unrepresentative studies. Last month, the International Business Times cited a study from Pew Research Center concluding ISIS is “almost universally hated.” What the Muslim world actually thinks of ISIS Looking only at scientific opinion polls, the results are actually very consistent. In the Muslim world, support for ISIS is low across the board.
Limbic System: The Center of Emotions This structure has ample connections with the other prosencephalic areas and the mesencephalus. Lesions of the hypothalamic nuclei interfere with several vegetative functions and some of the so-called motivated behaviors, like thermal regulation, sexuality, combativeness, hunger and thirst. The hypothalamus is also believed to play a role in emotion. Specifically, its lateral parts seem to be involved with pleasure and rage, while the median part is like to be involved with aversion, displeasure and a tendency to uncontrollable and loud laughing. However, in general terms, the hypothalamus has more to do with the expression (symptomatic manifestations) of emotions than with the genesis of the affective states. When the physical symptoms of emotion appear, the threat they pose returns, via hypothalamus, to the limbic centers and, thence, to the pre-frontal nuclei, increasing anxiety. 1 - The intense and long-lasting care and nursing of females towards their offsprings. About the Authors:
The Pranic Body Dr. Swami Satyamurti Saraswati, PhD (Belfast) The nature of prana is light. It is a form of energy existing everywhere, within us and outside us. It is a force capable of being dispersed as well as concentrated within the body. According to yoga, within the physical body is a subtler body known as the pranayama kosha, which forms the subtle network through which prana flows. Researchers working with the Kirlian high voltage photographic apparatus obtain what is believed to be photographs of this subtle pranic field. The pranic field is sometimes called psi plasma due to the fact that it can be likened to the plasma (charged gases) studied in plasma physics. The five pranas "Just as an emperor posts his officials in different parts of his realm, similarly the chief prana allots functions to the lower pranas." Traditionally prana is divided into five zones in the body. 1. There is another subdivision of the pranic force called the upa pranas. Mahaprana Prana and consciousness
Edward Snowden Divulges the 5 Easiest Ways to Protect Yourself Online by Natalie Shoemaker In a recent interview with The Intercept, Edward Snowden offered some advice for what average citizens can do to reclaim their privacy. Because the sharing of information should be a conversation, not an enigma buried in a site's 'Terms of Service.' 1. This includes Signal, an easy-to-use app that encrypts your mobile phone messages, as long as the person you're calling or texting also has the app installed. 2. 3. 4. 5. By using these programs, people have already changed the conversation about security and privacy. The trick is getting more people to adopt these programs (think of it like herd immunity). “I think reform comes with many faces,” Snowden told the site. The sharing of information should be a conversation — not an enigma buried somewhere in the Terms of Service of a site. Natalie has been writing professionally for about 6 years. Photo Credit: ADAM BERRY / Stringer/ Getty
Perception - StumbleUpon . . . Something To Think About. . . Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. 4 minutes later: The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk. 6 minutes: A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again. 10 minutes: A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. 45 minutes: The musician played continuously. 1 hour: He finished playing and silence took over. No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. This is a true story. The questions raised: *In a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? *Do we stop to appreciate it? *Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context? One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: How many other things are we missing?
Consciousness and Creative Trance Trance is an altered state of consciousness which individuals can enter through a variety of techniques, including hypnotism, drugs, sound (particularly music, percussive drumming etc.), sensory deprivation, physical hardships (eg. flagellation, starvation, exhaustion) and vigorous exercise (particularly dance). People can also use trance, particularly in the context of ‘ritual’ events, to learn new strategies of thinking or of relating to one another. There are different types of learning: for example what Eric Jantsch calls ‘conscious learning’ is a transaction between consciousness, the environment and memory. Jantsch also identifies ‘superconscious learning’, which takes place with the addition of ‘outer’ and ‘inner’ ways of learning. The feedback link between consciousness and superconsciousness gives rise to inner experiential learning or tuning-in to the dynamics of meta-systems transcending man and his immediate environment. Accessing Trance States Trance, Spirit and Consciousness
Elon Musk Wants to Make Sure AI is Developed for the Benefit of Humanity (Not Its Destruction) by Natalie Shoemaker Elon Musk wants to protect humanity from the robot apocalypse. Artificial intelligence has been growing at a rapid pace thanks in part to deep learning, but the world's brightest minds worry. Facebook and Google have announced big plans to advance AI in their respective research divisions. The organization believes it's “important to have a leading research institution which can prioritize a good outcome for all over its own self-interest.” Below, futurist and entrepreneur Michael Vassar runs through a worst-case scenario: In the past, Musk has signed an open letter calling for the prevention of an autonomous robotic army, warning of the disastrous consequences for humanity and future advancements. “It's hard to fathom how much human-level AI could benefit society, and it's equally hard to imagine how much it could damage society if built or used incorrectly,” says the OpenAI blog entry. Natalie has been writing professionally for about 6 years.
Life Seeker Tapping the immense power of thoughts The ability to heal, love and create is in our minds, says Harsh Kabra If scientists from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences are to be believed, the human race is going to have direct contact with aliens in the next 10-15 years, not through radio waves, but through "the power of thought." For many of us, thoughts are nothing more than routine creations of a functioning brain, a la water flowing from an open tap. However, in taking a simplistic and abstract view of what philosophy professor W D Hart called "the artefacts of an analysis of a mind", we fail to appreciate the real energy that brainwaves embody. In fact, the power of thought is no longer limited to the realm of philosophy. An Austrian health care company has invented a thought-powered prosthetic arm, which works based on the impulses from the wearer's brain. A study by researchers at University College, London, corroborates that brainwaves have a direct influence on a person's behaviour.