May 28, 2012
Fibromyalgia Symptoms - Symptoms & Overlapping Conditions

http://www.ehealthguild.com/fibromyalgia-symptoms-symptoms-overlapping-conditions/

Fibromyalgia Symptoms – Symptoms & Overlapping Conditions

Fibromyalgia is classified as a syndrome because it is a collection of symptoms and overlapping conditions. Because it can mimic other illnesses or coexist with other diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or even cancer, fibromyalgia is difficult to diagnose.

As the original research collaborators found, there is a group of complaints that are consistent with the majority of people with fibromyalgia. Although each person does not necessarily have all the symptoms, individuals often experience many of the symptoms at one time or another.

Fast Fact

Women tend to be better at translating nonverbal signals of communication then men. This might make them more susceptible to recognize and express their pain. Women are usually more willing to acknowledge and talk about their physical discomforts than men.

In the following chart, add a check mark indicating which of the following you have experienced. When you see a health-care professional, you can take a copy of this list to share the information with him or her.

Symptoms and Overlapping Conditions:

Overlapping Condition Had in Past Have Now Date of Onset
Bodywide Muscle and Joint Pain
Fatigue
Altered Sleep
Stiffness
Dizziness (Balance Problems)
Sensitivity to Environmental
Factors (light, sound, smells, temperature)
Umporomandibular Dysfunction
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Headaches
Migraines
Anxiety/ Panic Attacks
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Paresthesia (Numbness and tingling)
Allergies and Chemical Sensitivities
Restless Legs Syndrome
Dry Mouth and Eyes
Skin Rashes and Irritations
Cognitive Impairments
Vulvodynia
Endometriosis
Interstitial Cystitis
Painful Periods
Mitral Valve Prolapse
Neurally Mediated Hypotension
Ringing in Ears
Depression
Myofascial Regional Pain Syndrome
Reynaud’s phenomenon
Irritable Bladder
Reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome
Hypermobility
Hypoglycemia
Hypothyroid
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

The main symptom or chief complaint is constant widespread pain, above and below the waist and on both sides of the body. Individuals with fibromyalgia often feel like they have the constant flu and they are completely out of energy! The pain can be described as stabbing, burning, tingling, aching, or even cramping.

A fibromyalgia person might experience nights of sleeplessness and of waking up even more tired than the day before. Many people with fibromyalgia experience super sensitivity to touch, light, sound, and even the weather. Cognitive difficulties are quite common and are affectionately referred to as fibro fog.

Because fibromyalgia will cause you to experience multiple symptoms that come and go at random, at times it becomes difficult to lead a routine life. Some symptoms appear for no rhyme or reason and can disrupt your plans, expectations, and even your lifestyle.

The intensity of one’s symptoms can also vary from mild to extreme. It is frustrating to feel less pain one day and more the next—especially when you cannot understand the reason for the increased symptoms.

With some situations, you can discover what causes the pain to “flare up,” but at other times, it is best to spend less energy trying to continually analyze what made the symptoms worse, and concentrate on what can be done to make your body hardier over all. It is important to get an early diagnosis and begin to identify your symptoms and decide what treatment options you want to try.

Fibromyalgia Symptom Frequency:

As I have already mentioned and listed, people with fibromyalgia often have multiple symptoms; however, many of these symptoms can occur in people who do not have fibromyalgia. It is important to find out what your symptoms mean.

The following list describes the frequency at which some of the symptoms and overlapping conditions affect people with fibromyalgia. Additional research will be necessary in order for us to understand to what degree patients experience all the symptoms and over-lapping conditions.

Vocabulary Lesson

When your health-care professional uses the term hardier, he or she means that you should work toward becoming healthier, stronger, and more capable of surviving unfavorable situations. The result is a reduction of symptoms and an overall improvement in your physical and emotional condition.

Symptom Frequency (%)
Widespread muscle and joint pain 100%
Fatigue 80%
Sleep difficulties 75%
Numbness and tingling 64%
Dizziness 60%
Swollen feeling in tissues 40%
Aggravating Factors of Pain
Cold temperature 80%
Anxiety 80%
Poor sleep 76%
Stress 63%
Overuse or trauma 62%
Physical inactivity 48%
Noise 24%
Overlapping Conditions/Symptoms
Chronic fatigue syndrome 64%
Irritable bowel syndrome 60%
Multiple chemical sensitivity 55%
Headaches 53%
Dizziness 47%
Primary dysmenorrheal 45%
Restless legs syndrome 31%
Female urethral syndrome 12%
Dry mouth 12%
Temporomandibular dysfunction Common*
Periodic limb movement Common*
Cognitive impairment Common

*These conditions are common in crucial practice, but there is specific data regarding their frequency.

It is not unusual for a person with fibromyalgia to experience multiple symptoms and a variety of other chronic conditions. An explanation for this is that these syndromes share a common pathophysiological mechanism.

In other words, unlike illnesses that have structural damage (such as cancer or a broken leg) or a psychiatric component (such as schizophrenia), these illnesses have neurological and endocrine system abnormalities that are causing hypersensitivity and dysfunction within the central nervous system.

Because this is a whole new way of looking at and understanding certain illnesses, it means that researchers must accept a whole new direction for research.

It is no wonder that health-care professionals have been slow to understand why people with fibromyalgia come to them with a long list of complaints and they appear to be sensitive to everything!


Fibromyalgia Symptoms – Symptoms & Overlapping Conditions

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May 22, 2012
10 Essential Ways to Hack Your Life (Instead of Letting Life Hack You)


10 Essential Ways to Hack Your Life (Instead of Letting Life Hack You)


1. Stop waiting for things to change – change yourself NOW! 

Most often that means changing your attitude! Too many times people have preconditions to happiness, only to find even if they reach that goal, there are even more pre-conditions to happiness. Aside for a temporary “high” when we attain our goal, we very quickly go back to a general baseline mood unless we change our thinking habits. If you tend to be a pessimist, you will continue to be no matter what happens on the outside, unless you change from the inside. Real attitude change is an inside job!  

2. Build on your regrets, rather than let them keep you stuck in the past.  

All too often, we use the past as a hitching post rather than a guide post. What’s done is done, and you can’t change it now. Use lessons from the past to improve your life NOW!  See even failure as feedback, not as a referendum of your self worth. Regrets can propel you forward, make you wiser and help you develop empathy for others. Regrets give us many useful lessons to build upon if you do not let them weigh you down. Forgive yourself for now knowing everything when you were six! We are all works in progress. Use your regrets as stepping stones towards a better future, rather than rocks in your emotional backpack.

3. Learn something every day.

The end of school does not mean the end of learning. We are learning all the time, even if we are not aware of it. Life gives the best lessons of all, and it constantly teaches us lessons no one ever could. If you open up to the wonder of growing and learning, even if the lessons are something you never wanted to learn, you will keep moving in a forward direction.

4. Stop lying to yourself! 

People who are the most honest to others are often the biggest liars to themselves. They feed themselves all sorts of fiction that they are not good enough, not smart enough, not attractive enough, to the extent that they feel at times like “failures”. The critical inner voice is hard to quell, especially if you learned early on those messages that were judgmental and critical.  People who lie to themselves treat fact like fiction.  Change your self talk from statements like “I should be further along in my life than now” to “I am disappointed at where I am in my life, and I have learned many lessons to build on to make different decisions now.”  

5. Forgive…for goodness sake!

Forgiveness does not mean condoning behavior – it means you give up the bitterness you harbor that eats at you and robs you out of happiness in life.  People who wrong us are not inherently evil, but rather more likely unhealthy and maybe very very, very unhealthy. Switching from seeing from being “bad” to being “unhealthy” can free you of the resentment and bitterness. Whether it is your parents, coworkers, friends, or as a result of a love relationship gone sour, forgiveness will help you open up your heart to try again.  Of course, the most important person to forgive is yourself, and keep in mind you are a work in progress.

6. Think straight to feel great!

Irrational thinking lays the foundation for a lot of unhappiness and helplessness. Irrational thinking can be so automatic, that it is hard to catch, as our thoughts become solidified into “truths.” Our perceptions shape our reality, and that is what determines our attitude. As you become more aware of irrational patterns of thinking and change them into more rational thoughts, you will be empowered to change your attitude to change your life. “I can’t stand this” is irrational – nothing makes you melt into the ground! A more rational perspective is, “I am having a hard time with this”. The less you immobilize yourself with judgmental thoughts, the more you will feel empowered and optimistic.

7. Try to change what is in your control, not what is out of your control.  

Who is the only person we can change? Ourselves!  Who do we often try to change? Others!  Even trying to change someone else’s mind, however well meaning, can lead to frustration as people do not change just because you want them too – they need to want to! If you find yourself trying to change others, you will tend to be aggressive rather than assertive.  Bossiness and insensitivity will limit your ability to be accepting of others, flaws and all.  Of course, accepting people does not give them a “carte blanche” to say or do anything they want – it is up to us to set limits on how much we let them into our inner world. People who tend to be negative and focus on changing others rather than themselves are more likely to be dissatisfied with their lives.

8. Make peace with the fact that life is not fair.

We all know that life is not fair, but all too often we still expect it to be!  Expecting that life and people in it should be fair is the source of countless pain. Life gets quite tedious with that type of entitled mentality. Life is really more like Swiss Cheese with all its holes. It is not smooth and predictable like cream cheese or American.  It is actually the holes in our lives that offer us challenges that make us stronger and develop depth of character.  If we embrace the holes in our lives and grow through them, we become healthier in mind and spirit. Try as hard as you can to make life fair, and accept the rest and work around it.

9. Let yourself smile from within.

People who are grateful for what they have instead of comparing themselves to others, feeling bitter about what they do not have, tend to feel less hacked by life. Pre-conditions to gratefulness is like pre-conditions to happiness – gratefulness will never happen unless we learn to be grateful for things in our life now.  Life can be tough and it is easier to find faults with it, but it will be an easier journey if we stop to smell the roses, slow down, and enjoy beauty in your world today.   Immerse yourself in nature, breath in the fresh air, slow down and savor each bite of food, and stop to lovingly gaze on those close to you.  Don’t take them for granted.  Are you too busy for that?  Let yourself be a human being instead of a human doing. 

10. Don’t wait to change your life – do it today!  Start right now!

You want your life to change?  Don’t wait!  Tomorrow is forever put off, and today is the day to start.  You can empower yourself by using “victor” language instead of “victim” language.  Replace “I should” with “I will”  and “I hate to” with “I don’t like”. The more flexible your self talk, the more you feel empowered and will be proactive.  Proactivity is one of the 7 habits of highly effective people according to Stephen Covey. Those who are proactive are more likely to be masters of their destiny, as opposed to those who are reactive, who allow others to control their moods. Make an action list of things you want to accomplish, and start today!  You do not have to do things all at once, and breaking large goals such as losing weight, can be broken down into little sub-goals.  The important thing is to begin today!

Each day that you choose to remind yourself of these ten skills to hack life rather than let life hack you, you will increase your sense of self-mastery and enjoy life more.

I welcome ideas of how you hack life!

(Photo credit: A Better Life Sign via Shutterstock)


Página Original: http://feeds.lifehack.org/~r/LifeHack/~3/VAaBbGPRYoE/10-essential-ways-to-hack-your-life-instead-of-letting-life-hack-you.html

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May 19, 2012
Science and the nature of absolute reality (Part 3)

 

Science and the nature of absolute reality (Part 3)

advaita-vision.org |by Dennis on May 18, 2012 

Read part 2

The world is mithyA

The universe and everything in it, including the objects that are being investigated, the person doing the investigation and the discipline of science itself are all mithyA – they are not themselves real at all. Here is a short definition of mithyA that I give in the new edition of ‘Book of One’:

Literally, the word means ‘incorrectly’ or ‘improperly’ and this refers to our treating things as independently ‘real’ when they are not. The word ‘independently’ is important here, because we are not saying that the chair on which you are presently sitting is illusory – obviously it is not! What is being pointed out is that it is not a substance-in-itself. It is probably made of pieces of wood, connected together by special joints and adhesive. The final form is designed to be suitable for sitting upon comfortably. In theory at least, you could disassemble the chair and use the pieces to build a table. ‘Chair’ is simply the name that you give to this particular form. The actual substance is wood.

Or at least that is what seems to be the case at first sight. But, as was described in the example of the gold ring, wood is not actually a fundamental substance either. It is a mixture of cellulose fibers and proteins and chlorophyll (or whatever!). These, in turn, are molecules made up of atoms, which are made up of particles…

The same analysis may be applied to anything in the universe. It is more difficult to apply to subtle things such as thoughts and emotions but the same principle applies. What Advaita says is that everything in the universe, indeed the universe itself, is only name and form of one, non-dual, fundamental reality called brahman (or Consciousness or Self etc.) The word for reality is satyam. Every (seeming) thing else is mithyA. Another definition, therefore, for mithyA is ‘dependent’ reality. Things have no reality of their own; there are no other ‘substances’. Every seemingly separate thing is actually just a name and form of brahman.

The Book of One, Dennis Waite, O Books, 2010. ISBN 978-1846943478. Buy from Amazon US or Amazon UK.

Thus, the chair has no independent existence of its own; it depends for that existence upon the wood. The wood does not depend in any way upon the chair and so could be regarded as real with respect to the mithyA chair. But when we look at the wood, we discover that it depends for its existence upon cellulose etc. so it has to be regarded as mithyA from the vantage point of the cellulose. And so on. The only thing that can be regarded as ‘truly’ real or satyam is that which is not dependent upon anything else for its existence. This ‘reality’ cannot be further broken down in any manner whatsoever – it is irreducibly real. This description is simply not applicable to any material object. All objects are made up of something else and can be further divided or reduced. So, if the ultimate reality cannot be an object, it can only be a subject. ‘I’ am the final, independent reality – Consciousness; the non-dual ‘background’ reality of all of the apparent creation. And satyam can never be investigated (as an object) because it is non-dual. It can only be pointed to, using the proven techniques of Advaita, and eventually recognized as one’s own self.

Advaitins understand that reality is non-dual, but are nevertheless able to accept and make use of scientific findings at the level of the world. But, as long as scientists continue to think that their findings have some validity from the standpoint of absolute reality, they will get nowhere at all in understanding the nature of that reality. The mithyA universe has no independent existence so that any data obtained from it can tell us nothing about satyam.

States of Consciousness

One of the key teaching methods in Advaita is known as the avasthA traya prakriyA – the three-state teaching. Advaita regards all three states of consciousness, namely waking, dreaming and deep sleep states, as equally valid from an experiential point of view. They are also mutually exclusive, so that it is not meaningful to investigate the dream state, for example, from the vantage point of the waking state because the dreamer ego and its dream world no longer exist. It is not true to say that the dream world is unreal – it is perfectly real from the vantage point of the dreamer and, indeed, from that vantage point, it is the waking world that is unreal. Science, however, regards only the waking state as ‘real’ and believes that it is perfectly valid for the waker to inquire into the other states.

Krishnaswamy Iyer had this to say on the topic (Ref. 10):

Life presents three independent aspects commonly recognized as the three states of the soul, viz. waking, dream and deep sleep. A notion of Reality derived from the observation of the waking consciousness alone must be necessarily imperfect and hence involve endless contradictions. Our knowledge obtained by intuition of the other two states should be placed side by side with that of our waking experience to ensure its correctness. Vedanta has done this in its own inimitable manner, and claims for its dictum both infallibility and finality.

And:

Sleep, dream and waking are independent experiences. Each is essentially reality in its entirety, being an expression of the real. But the world and the egos appearing in each have a real value only within the state and none beyond it. Although the dream world is stultified now, it was real at the time, our sense of reality having since passed on to the present waking world. Hence the dream-world is regarded as a mere hallucination while waking life is looked upon as unquestionably real. This reality, however, cannot be the ultimate reality, since waking life is but one expression of life which runs through all the three states. The highest reality is to be found in the Pure Consciousness of sleep which is usually identified with unconsciousness. But the fact is that while Pure Consciousness remains entire and unchanged throughout the three states, yet in waking and dream it splits itself up into subject and object; and waking and dream must derive their genesis from Pure Consciousness alone, as apart from it there is and cannot be any other reality.

Vedanta or the Science of Reality, K. A. Krishnaswamy Iyer, Adhyatma Prakasha Karyalaya, 1930. No ISBN. (Currently out of print.)

Experimental versus Transcendental Method

Narain differentiates between the Experimental or Induction method for philosophical investigation and the Transcendental Method used by Advaita. The former method, used by Science, aims to analyze the Self as though it were an object. Narain points out that: “The most pernicious character of this method is its constant and obstinate ‘objective attitude of mind’ resulting in the decentralization of the self so that the self instead of being presented in its real aspect is identified with the pseudo egos or the spurious selves, as they are called, such as the intellect, the mind etc. …the ‘subject’ being the transcendental condition of the ‘object’ cannot be identified with it.”

The Transcendental method recognizes the subject as the basis of knowledge and that it is forever separate from any object that might be under investigation and, in particular, “all distinctions, whether between the subject and the object or between the objects themselves, are within consciousness itself.

“The self, therefore, is the prius, the foundation and the precondition of all empirical and transcendental knowledge.”

The Fundamentals of Advaita Vedanta, K. Narain, Indological Research Centre, 2003. ISBN 81-88260-00-2. Buy from Amazon US or Amazon UK.

‘I’ am always the one who knows, but I cannot ever know ‘I’ in an objective sense, since I am prior to all knowledge. But, despite this fact, nothing is more certain than that I exist. This is direct and immediate, self-evident knowledge. Shankara explains this in his commentary on the Brahmasutra (II.iii.7):

“Any idea of the possibility of denying the existence of the Self is illogical, just because it is the Self. The Self is not an adventitious effect of any cause, it being Self-established. For the Self of anyone does not require to be revealed to anyone with the help of any other means. For such means of knowledge as perception etc, that are taken up for proving the existence of other things that remain unknown, belong to this very Self. …And it is not possible to deny such a Self; for it is an adventitious thing alone that can be repudiated, but not so one’s own nature. The Self constitutes the very nature of the man who would deny it.” Brahma Sutra bhAShya of Shankaracharya. Translated by Swami Gambhirananda. Advaita Ashrama, 1996. ISBN 978-8175051058. Buy from Amazon US or Amazon UK.

Note that all of this is not to say that Advaita proceeds in some sort of intuitive or illogical manner, as opposed to the rigorous and repeatable methods of science. Indeed, the scientific approach, using reason and observation, is intrinsic to Advaita. Atma vichAra – the inquiry into oneself – embodies the best of the ‘scientific method’, in so far as this refers to those principles. Similarly, the methodologies of Advaita – the prakriyA-s that are utilized by qualified teachers based upon the material in the Upanishads – are totally reasonable and able to be validated through one’s own experience. Furthermore, lest there should be any doubt about this, Advaita makes use of the mind just as much as science. The mind may be the source of our problem but it is also the only means for solution – enlightenment itself takes place in the mind.

To be continued…

advaita-vision.org |by Dennis on May 18, 2012
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Página Original: http://www.advaita-vision.org/science-and-the-nature-of-absolute-reality-part-3/

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May 19, 2012
Consciousness - Quantum Consciousness: Our Evolution, Our Salvation


Consciousness - Quantum Consciousness: Our Evolution, Our Salvation


The Indian sage Sri Aurobindo spoke of the emergence of superconsciousness in ever more people, and this, he said, is the harbinger of the next evolution of human consciousness. In a similar vein, the Swiss philosopher Jean Gebser spoke of the coming of four-dimensional integral consciousness, rising from the prior stages of archaic, magical and mythical consciousness. The Canadian mystic Richard Bucke called the new consciousness “cosmic,” and in the colorful spiral dynamics developed by Chris Cowan and Don Beck, it’s the turquoise stage of collective individualism, cosmic spirituality and Earth changes. For philosopher Ken Wilber, these developments signify an evolutionary transition from the mental consciousness characteristic of both animals and humans, to subtle consciousness, which is archetypal, transindividual and intuitive, to causal consciousness, and then, ultimately, to “consciousness as such.”

Psychiatrist Stanislav Grof summed up the characteristics of the emerging consciousness as “transpersonal.”

There is remarkable agreement among these visionary concepts. Superconsciousness, integral consciousness, cosmic consciousness, turquoise-stage consciousness, and consciousness as such are all forms of consciousness that transcend the divide between you and me, the individual and the world, the human being and nature. If these thinkers are right, this kind of consciousness will be the next stage in the evolution of the consciousness of our species.

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May 19, 2012
What Is Ayurveda?


What Is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda approaches health from the perspective of mind, body and spirit

The word Ayurveda means knowledge of life. Ayurveda is nature’s medicine and approaches health from the perspective of mind, body and spirit. By understanding how nature works, we can apply the principles of Ayurveda to all aspects of life and know how each choice, action and interaction impacts our thoughts, emotions, and physical body.

Ayurveda finds the root cause of an imbalance and seeks to understand what drives a person’s health and happiness to maximise his natural healing potential. Ayurveda recognises we are unique individuals and that health and well-being means honouring our own unique needs.

Eliminates toxins
Ayurveda is the ultimate form of preventive medicine. We can interpret signs and symptoms about ill-health and make immediate corrections through diet and lifestyle. Living the Ayurvedic way encourages us to take action and responsibility for our own health.

In addition to teaching us how to make the right choices in diet and lifestyle, it reduces toxins that contribute to disease, alleviates stress, fatigue and tension, and strengthens the immune system by creating a strong digestive fire and flushing out toxins. It promotes self-inquiry and enhances self-awareness and supports a balanced life that hinges on the harmonious practices of yoga, meditation and mindful living. It uses the body’s own natural intelligence to facilitate healing.

Our natural body type
Ayurveda explains we’re made up of three body types that correspond to our physical and personality traits, known as doshas. These are vata, pitta and kapha — each representing two of the five universal elements. We contain varying proportions of each dosha, generally one or two in dominance. Our naturally dominant dosha does not signify imbalance, but rather how or who we are in our natural, healthy, balanced state.

Mind, body, health and harmony are challenged when any dosha is aggravated or imbalanced. An Ayurvedacharya can Identify your predominant dosha and potential imbalance, then suggest how to keep your balance in check. Each dosha type displays varying characteristics.

Vata is naturally creative, sensitive, has a light build, dry skin and prefers warm, humid climates. Pittahas a medium, muscular build, is productive, hardworking, irritable, has fair skin and prefers cold climates. Kapha has a heavy build, oily skin, prefers dry climate and is stable, methodical and easygoing.


Página Original: http://spiritualnetworks.com/blog/86213/what-is-ayurveda/

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May 19, 2012
Vital Consciousness:

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Vital Consciousness:

Meditation that helps us overcome our ego.

Ego must be surpassed, the ocean of the unconscious must be crossed, only so we can take our place in the stream of life and submit ourselves to that supra-personal value which alone can give significance and dignity to the individual.

Ego-consciousness, the ‘i’ is an outgrowth of the unconscious, since unconscious life exists before any trace of ego-consciousness is present. He who has outgrown his mental swaddling clothes will not fail to abandon both the geocentric view in astronomy and the egocentric theory in psychology. The soul is larger than the ego, and larger than the unconscious, the subconscious and the super conscious…

Unity of consciousness involves a real owner, a pure spiritual entity, relation to whom makes the constituents of consciousness stick together. This agent, the Nam or Holy Name is within and beyond each man and continuous with him, an omniscient power, most friendly to him and to his ideals, and in whom all opposites are reconciled and fulfilled.

Man can no more set himself free from the action of his instincts, which are the cause of passions and means for his growth, than he can alter the life-processes of his body, which flow from the chemical and physical constitution of the living protoplasm of which it consists. Through the transforming and unifying powers of the Nam, one is transported into Sahaja bhava, the state of egolessness. Here the soul is in its real nature, free and unfettered, unlimited by the ego and full of bliss, where desire cannot possibly arise.

Ego is the root of discontent, desire, and the fever of possession, arch-deceiver and enemy of right knowledge; and yet this ego is the proof of the true soul or Self within. The state of egolessness is not nothingness; here the full being, the soul, is manifest, of which ego was only a fragment. He who is firmly established in the sahaja state will not be moved by the severest trials. Those who have not won this state through meditation and the grace of the guru and God, react just like ordinary men to praise and blame. They are still bound to duality — the conditioned existence. They have moods; rather, moods have them.

The methodology of winning this sahaja state must be learnt from the guru. The soul has to be cauterised to rid it of the infection of egoism, burning away the passion for possession, the carnal craving and the brutal reach for power. It is foolishness to seek to end the ego by the ego itself. Find its source, become united to it, and experience this unity; then the sense of separation or ego will fade away itself. Seek its sources and surrender, to be transformed by the supreme power of His shabad — the Word. Attainment of the sahaja state is true spiritual birth; then death is dead once and for all…

The sojourner of the sahaja state is egoless, master of his mind and heart. His activity is far more efficient because of his egolessness, than it would be if he willed it; his state is of utmost activity. The true guru pushes the disciple’s mind inside out, and pulls it in from within, and joins him to the Holy Nam and thus grants him the experience of the fullness of his soul, which will make him free. And for this work of grace to be accomplished, the disciple must practice devotion to the guru….So long as an individual’s action is in relation to personal and ego ends, no development of the psyche will take place.

Only when a relation to a value beyond personal wishes and desires has been established, can any real development and maturity result….There is a force, which pulls the soul upward to unite it with God, from whom now it is separated, and there is a force of the earthly elements that drags it down into the meshes of mind and matter. To be detached is to be loosened from every tie that binds the soul itself.

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May 17, 2012
Vida perene…

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May 17, 2012
Notes

Note

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May 1, 2012
Brahman Speaking through Dr. Amit Goswami


Brahman Speaking through Dr. Amit Goswami

(By L.Gopalan)

Today, science and religion say that a single entity or force created the universe and is omnipresent, maintaining and governing the fundamental machinery of everything in this and other universes. In Hinduism, Brahman is the one supreme, universal Spirit that is the origin and support of the universe.  The very first book of Hindus named Rig Veda proclaims, “Ekam Sat, Viprah Bahudha Vadanti,” which means “there is only one truth, only men describe it in different ways.”  Recent scientific discoveries validate the concept of Brahman, the ultimate reality for the Hindus (as are Abraham, Jesus, Moses, Allah, Siva, Vishnu Buddha, Mahavira, Gurunanak, Sarathustra, and others, for other religions).

Physicists and cosmologists call this divine source the Unified Field. In a profound sense, Brahman (the Vedantic concept) and the Unified Field of physics appear to be synonymous. Vedanta is a word used in Hindu philosophy as a synonym for that part of the Veda texts known also as the Upanishads.  Vedanta philosophy has two main concepts. The first is the human’s real nature is divine and the second concept is that the aim of human life is to realize this divinity.

In the Vedic language God and the realized individuals are  described as “anor aniyan mahato mahiyan” (Katha Upanisad 1-2-20), meaning “God is smaller than the smallest and greater than the greatest.” This means that whether something is extremely large or infinitesimal, it is still made of the same divine source.  God is present everywhere and in everyone.

Paradigm Shift

Quantum physicists, neuroscientists, psychologists and mystics have evolved to the point where a significant paradigm shift is happening as predicted by Dr Amit Goswami, endowed with a Rishis insight: “While mainstream science remains materialist, a substantial number of scientists are supporting and developing a paradigm based on the primacy of consciousness…”  Goswami is convinced that the universe, in order to exist, requires a conscious sentient being to be aware of it.

The universe is and can be viewed as symbiotically and totally unbroken, interconnected, highly networked, integrated, and harmonized.  The entire universe is contained holographically in each of its parts, unifying matter, energy and consciousness by systems, subsystems and sub, sub, systems at macro and at micro levels through nonlocal, local, vacuum energy, strings and other entities yet to be understood or to be established.

The consciousness that comprises the universe can be tapped into by practicing the yogic art of laser focusing of the mind through Gayatri Mantra, leading to downloading of the contents of transcendent domains through tuned resonant circuits by kindling one’s mind there while tending towards Brahmatejas (the effulgence of Brahman),

The Gayatri Mantra (GM)

The GayatriMantra is a highly revered mantra in Hiduism, based on a Vedic Sanskrit verse from a hymn of the Rigveda (3-62-10):and is universal in its directive “Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat” meaning let our Buddhi/Mind Complex (BMC)  be kindled

Om Bhur Bhuvah Svaha
Tat Savitur Varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi
Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat.

GM on YouTube:

The meaning of GM is this: let the omnipresent, primordial force, Brahman, govern our BMC.  Swami Vivekananda paraphrased the GM as follows: “We meditate on the glory of that Being who has produced this universe; may He enlighten our minds.”

The Gayatri Mantra (GM) is said to enable one to tune to this field and if tuned up as prescribed, will ultimately make anyone realize that he is none else than that primordial force:

“My dear boy, when a man dies, his voice is absorbed (sampad) into the mind, his mind into breath, breath into light, heat and light, and heat into the highest substance. This finest essence—the whole universe has it as its Self; that is the Real: that is the Self: That you are, Svetaketu!”  ~ Chandogya Upanishad 6-8-7

Anyone can profit from kindling his BMC, gradually shedding his ego, greed etc. By chanting the Gayatri  Mantra, one can tend to achieve Brahmatejas and for the mundane world, collectively a better place to live in.

Ashtanga Yoga

GM paves the way and opens the door for Ashtanga Yoga, which aims at the final state of spiritual absorption through eight component parts. The eight limbs of Yoga according to Patanjali taken together is called as Raja Yoga. The eight limbs are:

  1. Yama aims at internal purification or moral code
  2. Niyama aims at external purity or personal discipline
  3. Asana consists in the performance of the postures of Yoga
  4. Pranayama is breath control
  5. Pratyahara results from the withdrawal of sense organs from the corresponding sense objects
  6. Dharana is concentration
  7. Dhyana is meditation
  8. Samadhi is the final state of spiritual absorption

The first five steps are the preliminaries promoting Samanya (normal) Dharma, infusing and elevating the personality of individuals.

These five steps are within the reach of most of the people to usher all its unlimited worldly benefits. Such individuals forming sizable groups in every nation and across the globe will be eligible citizens of “VASUDEVA KUTUMBAM” (the world as one family).  After the family acquires a critical mass, it will set up its own chain reaction to multiply its growth exponentially and in the process gradually and eventually eradicating ethnic, religious, and political tensions that fuel violence and conflict between individuals, communities and nations.

Such a trend is now seen picking up globally stemming out of all-round increasing frustrations. Many right thinking people and institutions are very earnestly involved in integrating massive network of brains to input positive emotions and to cultivate “do good” attitudes as a global mass movement. Of them, the most prominent one is the “Quantum Activists” movement, catalyzed and led by Dr. Amit Goswami.

That is why it is said that in earlier Yugas, (cosmological time cycle of Hindus) there was profound happiness, peace, prosperity, health, and all round fragrance as those who lived then is attributed to have lead a highly Dharma life, (forming and inputting benevolent Strings instead of malevolent ones of the present days) creating a better world, each previous Yuga being better than the succeeding Yuga. Garbage in garbage out phenomena is thus conspicuous.

Unity Consciousness

British historian, Arnold J. Toynbee, wrote the following regarding the Hindu philosophy of life and its culture: “We witness such unique mental approach and consciousness among Indians as may help humanity progress like a family unit. If we do not wish to perish in this atomic age, we have no other alternative left.”

According to David Pratt in his article “David Bohm and the Implicate Order,” Bohm believed that the general tendency for individuals, nations, races, social groups, etc., to see one another as fundamentally different and separate was a major source of conflict in the world. It was Boehm’s hope that one day people would come to recognize the essential interrelatedness of all things and would join together to build a more holistic and harmonious world. What better tribute to David Boehm’s life and work than to take this message to heart and make the ideal of universal brotherhood the keynote of our lives.

In his introduction to the book The Highest State of Consciousness, editor John White said:

“If the border between self and environment can be made to disappear, this is likely to have profound effects on man’s attitude to his environment, both social and physical. If the self is experienced as actually embracing other people, self-consciousness becomes social consciousness.”

Such words match in spirit, if not in letter, the profound sayings of the Upanishads: Yas-tu sarvani bhutani Atmani-evanupasyati, Sarva-bhuteshu catmanam tato no vijugupsate.Yasmin-sarvani bhutani Atmai-vabhudvijanathah,Tatra ko mohah kah sokah ekatamanupasyathah (Isa up), which means: He who sees all beings in his own self and his own self in all beings, he does not feel any revulsion to any being.

Dr.S. Radhakrishnan, one of the most profound philosophers of the 20th century, author, educator and past president of India advocated the world embrace the Indian approach in order to save humanity:

“Today, the western scientific progress has physically united the world. It has not only got rid of the ‘space’ factor, it has also equipped the various countries of the world with deadly arms. But they have not yet learnt the art of knowing and loving one another. If we want to save humanity at this most critical juncture, the only option is the Indian approach. India has a perception of life force and has a vital role to play in the performance of human conduct, which will be beneficial not only to India but to the whole world in the present sorry state of affairs.” (source: East and West: Some Reflections – By S. Radhakrishnan p.128)

Gayatri Mantra only deals with nature and we all of us are part of it. GM is therefore an universal tool to cut across borders, shattering barricades, has the potential to generate Viswa Mitras (meaning friends of the world) and can create a better world to live in manned by evolved souls of VASUDEVAKUTUMBAM which is “Quantum Activism” substantiating the title of this write up.

May that tribe increase – Sarve Janaha Sukuno Bhanatu- Shanti, Shanti, Shanthihi – Let peace surround all of us.

#######

CONTACT AND OTHER  DETAILS—-LAKSHMINARAYA .GOPALAN, B.E (Mechanical,college of Engineering, Guindy,Madras-  Age 77 yrs- Managing Director Of Hetrogenous communication Technologies, Pvt , ltd a Telematics .M2Mcompany at Chennai

Email –Gopalan@gmail.com

My father,late professor S.Lakshminarayanan, inspired and shaped me towards  this attitude of scientific spiritualism. He is accredited to having started physical chemistry for the first time in India at the Presidency Collage, erstwhile Madras where Dr and Mrs Chandrasekar, FRS ,NL were his students.


Original Page: http://consciouslifenews.com/brahman-speaking-dr-amit-goswami/1127764/

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April 30, 2012
Alquimia psicológica: haciendo consciente el inconsciente para revelar el sueño del espíritu


Alquimia psicológica: haciendo consciente el inconsciente para revelar el sueño del espíritu

Hacer consciente nuestro inconsciente es el proceso fundamental para manifestar la individualidad (la indivisibilidad entre cuerpo, mente y espíritu); hacer consciente el inconsciente colectivo es también revelar la unidad que nos identifica con el universo entero.

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La división entre la realidad y los sueños en ocasiones se puede difuminar o puede tener una demarcación arbitraria. La fusión de estos mundos oscila entre la locura y la divinidad, la alucinación y la creación mental: aquellos que viven la continuidad onírica-real son fantasmas o bodhisattvas, la diferencia es la conciencia. Sin embargo, aquellos que vivimos la fragmentación psíquica de los estados de vigilia y sueño de cualquier forma estamos sometidos a nuestro inconsciente –la porción mayor y dominante de la mente humana, que participa en la mente universal. Lo que procesa nuestra psique cuando dormimos o incluso cuando estamos despiertos pensando en algo, pero también siempre procesando información que se filtra debajo del umbral cognitivo, construye y programa nuestra personalidad: que es un compuesto. En cierta forma somos también lo que no hemos sido. Como el poeta Fernando Pesssoa viviendo en universos paralelos, seres heterónimos que se proyectan en jardines que se bifucran. O como el filósofo Robert Anton Wilson atisbó a través de la exploración psicodélica, más allá de que el término pueda sonar pretencioso, la psicología tiene una mecánica cuántica, existimos en estados superimpuestos, aquí y allá, muertos y vivos, soñando y despiertos, como aquel mítico gato de Schroedinger, o como el bit que es ceros y unos. Integrar esto, las ramas que son nuestras vidas inconscientes, que se desprenden del espíritu nodal, creo, es la alquimia del enigma existencial. El paraíso perdido, esa larga letanía humana, es ser muchos; el paraíso recobrado, es la unidad.

En la psique, como un crisol cósmico, cohabitan los ángeles y los demonios, las aves y los reptiles. Hay un deseo de ir hacia la luz, pero la única duración luminosa se erige sobre la sombra hecha consciente. Existe en el hombre una sed de divinidad, de experimentar un sentimiento océanico, de ser todo uno, una cópula o fusión con aquello que sustenta el universo, pero para apuntalar este impulso –que podemos llamar celeste– necesariamente se debe de partir del reconocimiento de que el estado actual de nuestra psique es la multiplicidad, de que, aunque asumimos la narrativa de la personalidad como una unidad (un yo constante), en realidad nuestra mente es plural: la individualidad (la indivisibilidad) es algo que  se  puede lograr, pero no está de suyo dado. Para hacerlo es necesario integrar todas nuestras personas, esto incluso significa integrar todas nuestras vidas –si es que se suscribe a la teoría de la reencarnación– o al menos integrar los elementos arquetípicos del inconsciente colectivo que se multiplican (y nos dividen) dentro de nuestra psique. Jung lo explica:

Es bajo esta evidencia [el estudio de los sueños] que los psicólogos asumen la existencia de una psique inconsciente –aunque algunos filósofos y científicos niegan su existencia. Argumentan ingenuamente que asumir esto implica la existencia de dos “sujetos”, o (para usar la frase común) dos personalidades dentro del mismo individuo. Pero esto es exactamente lo que implica –correctamente. Y es una de las maldiciones del hombre moderno que muchas personas padecen esta personalidad dividida. No es en ningún sentido un síntoma patológico; es un hecho común que puede ser observado en cualquier lugar y en cualquier momento. No se trata sólo del neurótico cuya mano derecha no sabe lo que la mano izquierda está haciendo. Este predicamento es un síntoma de un inconsciencia general que es innegablemente la herencia común de toda la humanidad.

A más de 100 años de que Freud y Jung empezaran a sondear las profundidades de la psique humana, el inconsciente (y la mente en general) sigue siendo un enigma. Una forma de describir el inconsciente es como una memoria holográfica de todo lo que hemos vivido que, aunque no lo percibimos, se proyecta constantemente en nuestras redes neurales y de manera un tanto subrepticia influye en nuestro estado conciente, moldeando nuestra personalidad. Pero, si Jung estaba en lo cierto, esta memoria no se limita a lo que hemos vivido como individuos sino se extiende a lo que hemos vivido como especie –algo que coincide claramente con la teoría de la resonancia mórfica y la memoria de la naturaleza de Rupert Sheldrake: todo lo pasado sigue pasando, es presencia perpetua. Así tenemos un instinto, rasgos reptileanos y todas las quimeras jamás ideadas por la mente, algunas más activas y habituadas que otras, aún gestándose por debajo de la superficie del mar de la conciencia. “Nuestras mentes están compuestas por la historia de la humanidad: lo que los hombres han pensado ha influido la estructura de nuestras propias mentes”, dijo Jung.

Aunque nuestro inconsciente es por mucho la parte dominante de nuestra mente –ya que difícilmente podríamos ser consciente de tanta información y vivir en un estado de alerta interactuando con el mundo–, el “socio mayoritario” en el argot de los psicólogos, raras veces, por definición, hacemos conscientes sus procesos –y por lo tanto vivimos supeditados a la veleidad o a la voluntad de otra “persona”, nuestro íntimo desconocido. Los sueños son por mucho la forma más común en la que podemos observar los procesos in-formativos de esta naturaleza oculta de nuestra mente, y revelar la película (otras formas incluyen la meditación y el uso de sustancias psicodélicas). Pero hay un predicamento en esta (auto)observación: los sueños se producen en símbolos; para descifrar estos símbolos hay que aprender a hablar su lenguaje, el cual es bastante complejo, intuitivo y a la vez arquetípico. Tiene cierta lógica económica que lo onírico se manifieste en símbolos: ya que el inconsciente contiene tanta información y es, en la gran mayoría de las personas, tan escasa la apertura a su canal de comunicación, debe de comprimir su mensaje. Esto además condimenta la existencia, le da, por así decirlo, cierto dramatismo; los sueños son consustancialmente misterio y seducción.

¿Cuál es la importancia de descubrir nuestro inconsciente y develar nuestros sueños? Primero, la mayoría de las personas realmente no saben lo que quieren o, si es que existe una razón o misión álmica, para qué están en este mundo, en este tiempo, en cierto cuerpo, con ciertos padres. Pero si alguien lo sabe, es el inconsciente, ya que contiene y maneja toda la información de lo que somos y hemos sido. Poéticamente podemos decir que los sueños son las voces del espíritu que busca manifestar su deseo en un cuerpo o las estrellas de los antiguos navegantes que guíaban las exploraciones hacia nuevos mundos en la noche. Segundo, en un plano que puede prescindir de lo espiritual, el inconsciente al contener la memoria, los traumas y lo hábitos enraizados de nuestro ser, nos permite conocer por qué somos así, cómo nos hemos hecho así. Si queremos modificar una conducta o sanar una patología es vital primero conocer las causas, entender los mecanismos con los que opera y entonces, en esa conciencia, podemos articular un cambio profundo. De otra forma nunca podremos liberarnos de nueestro pasado y acceder a la totalidad renovadora del presente. No podremos tomar control del auriga que lleva nuestra existencia. “Uno no alcanza la iluminación fantaseando sobre la luz sino haciendo consciente la oscuridad” y “Lo que no se hace consciente se manifiesta en nuestras vidas como destino”, escribió Jung. Y tercero, el no observar detenidamente e interpretar el lenguaje de los sueños nos impedirá acceder a una de las poderosas fuentes de creatividad, algo que es como un curso para manifestar la mente en la realidad. El sueño con sus imágenes y su narrativa surreal nos acerca a la conciencia de que la realidad puede ser manipulable y que podemos intervenir en su desarrollo.

Es simple, pero quizás no haya sabiduría más profunda que el axioma de: “sé tú mismo”. Para ser tú mismo es indispensable invocar otro de los aximos populares que con mayor inteligencia atraviesan la historia del pensamiento humano “conócete a ti mismo” (inscrito inmortalmente en Delfos y recientemente en Matrix). Recurrimos a chamanes, adivinadores, psicólogos y demás intermediarios para conocer o intentar descubrir el cauce de nuestro futuro, pero nosotros somos el oráculo (los maestros son el espejo). El oráculo es nuestro pasado, y no dejaremos de  vvivir en el pasado hasta que no hagamos lúcido nuestro inconsciente; y es que queremos quizás escapar de nuestros atavismos, limpiar lo pasado y encontranos con lo que nos predijimos en el amanecer.

La individuación, tan solo eso, sin épicas ensoñaciones de grandeza, es suficiente para la realización humana. Las particularidades de nuestra vida, si tenemos esta u otra profesión, esta u otra pareja, son sólo detalles formativos, posibles procesos de revelado, que sólo tienen significado en la medida en que contribuyen a la manifestación de nuestra individualidad. Creemos que nuestra realización está cifrada en ser algo o en estar con alguien, pero me parece, haciendo eco de Jung, que la profunda realización humana es simplemente hacer consciente lo inconsciente: esto inevitablemente hace que el sueño de nuestro espíritu se realice. Más allá del bien y el mal, el ser surge desde el abismo, desde las aguas profundas donde aletea la serpiente primordial. Finalmente hacer consciente nuestro inconsciente, surfear lúcidamente por los mundos paralelos de los sueños es la enseñanza principal para atravesar el río de la muerte con sus espejismos, donde, de otra forma, cairíamos en la inconsciencia absoluta y seríamos devorados por Anubis –reintegrándonos al Todo, pero sin mantener nuestra individualidad, nuestra conciencia de ser el Todo.


Original Page: http://pijamasurf.com/2012/04/alquimia-psicologica-haciendo-consciente-lo-inconsciente-para-revelar-el-sueno-del-espiritu/

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