Law of Time--

You are now passing through a galactic portal into a vast domain of knowledge based on a major new discovery, the Law of Time.

Great discoveries occur because the time demands them. The more urgent the need, the more necessary is the discovery. The Law of Time was unearthed to facilitate an unprecedented shift in human consciousness. Only by such a shift can the global crisis be resolved and surmounted.

By 2012, according to the Law of Time, we must be ready for this shift, the unparalleled transition into the next stage of our evolution, the noosphere. This signifies the attainment of a unified field of planetary consciousness.

To change human consciousness, one preliminary step is to change the human macroprogram - the calendar. The most practical application of the Law of Time is the Thirteen Moon/28-day calendar. With this elegant tool, the Law of Time lays the foundation for the reformulation of the human mind - the coming of the noosphere. But this is only the beginning of the adventure in time.

Explore with us on this site the on-going revelations of the Galactic Research Institute. Enter a new cosmically elevated perception of reality which is already transforming the way we think of ourselves, our planet, our universe.

Whoever you are, whatever your beliefs, if your cause is for a just future, a regenerated planetary environment, peace, spiritual unity and the furtherance of art and culture, then join with us in the excitement of participating in the discovery and creation of a New Time of Peace on planet Earth.

http://www.lawoftime.org/

MENTAL HEALTH - Persecutory Delusions

Persecutory Delusions

What Are Persecutory Delusions?
     Persecutory Delusions, sometimes called Querulant delusions, are when a person believes (wrongly) that they are being picked on, or threatened by someone/something else.

     This can be someone familiar to them (e.g. a family member, friend, group), someone in the media (e.g. a film star), an organisation (e.g. the CIA), or even aliens.

It is classed under a group of Disorders known as the Delusional (Paranoid) Disorders.

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Paranoia/Definition
     Paranoia is an unfounded or exaggerated distrust of others, sometimes reaching delusional proportions. Paranoid individuals constantly suspect the motives of those around them, and believe that certain individuals, or people in general, are "out to get them."

What is Paranoia?
     Paranoia involves feelings of persecution and an exaggerated sense of self-importance. Paranoia occurs in many mental disorders and is rare as an isolated mental illness. Since the delusions involve only one area, a person with paranoia can usually work and function in everyday life, however, their lives may be limited and isolated. There are different types of paranoia including conjugal paranoia, erotomania, hypochondriacal paranoia, and different types of paranoid disorders such as paranoid personality and paranoid schizophrenia.

Description
     Paranoid perceptions and behavior may appear as features of a number of mental illnesses, including depression and dementia, but are most prominent in three types of psychological disorders: paranoid schizophrenia, delusional disorder (persecutory type), and paranoid personality disorder (PPD).

     Individuals with paranoid schizophrenia and persecutory delusional disorder experience what is known as persecutory delusions: an irrational, yet unshakable, belief that someone is plotting against them.

     Persecutory delusions in paranoid schizophrenia are bizarre, sometimes grandiose, and often accompanied by auditory hallucinations. Delusions experienced by individuals with delusional disorder are more plausible than those experienced by paranoid schizophrenics; not bizarre, though still unjustified. Individuals with delusional disorder may seem offbeat or quirky rather than mentally ill, and, as such, may never seek treatment.

     Persons with paranoid personality disorder tend to be self-centered, self-important, defensive, and emotionally distant. Their paranoia manifests itself in constant suspicions rather than full-blown delusions.

     The disorder often impedes social and personal relationships and career advancement. Some individuals with PPD are described as "litigious," as they are constantly initiating frivolous law suits. PPD is more common in men than in women, and typically begins in early adulthood.

Causes and symptoms
     The exact cause of paranoia is unknown. Potential causal factors may be genetics, neurological abnormalities, changes in brain chemistry, (tumors- lesions etc) and stress. Acute, or short term, paranoia may occur in some individuals overwhelmed by stress.

     The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV), the diagnostic standard for mental health professionals in the United States, lists the following symptoms for paranoid personality disorder:

suspicious; unfounded suspicions; believes others are plotting against him/her

preoccupied with unsupported doubts about friends or associates

reluctant to confide in others due to a fear that information may be used against him/her

reads negative meanings into innocuous remarks bears grudges

perceives attacks on his/her reputation that are not clear to others, and is quick to counterattack - or quick to spread her 'beliefs' of such (mental) occurances - taking the delusional aspect and manifesting it into "real life".


maintains unfounded suspicions regarding the fidelity of a spouse or significant other - family , friends, collegues (etc).


Key Terms

Persecutory delusion:
     A fixed, false, and inflexible belief that others are engaging in a plot or plan to harm an individual.


For Your Information

Resources/Organizations

     American Psychiatric Association. 1400 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005. (888) 357-7924.

     American Psychological Association (APA). 750 First St. NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242. (202) 336-5700. ttp://www.apa.org.

     National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI). Colonial Place Three, 2107 Wilson Blvd., Ste. 300, Arlington, VA 22201-3042. (800) 950-6264.

     National Institute of Mental Health. Mental Health Public Inquiries, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 15C-05, Rockville, MD 20857. (888) 826-9438

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PARANOID PERSONALITY DISORDER


Suspicious
     An unmistakable sign of paranoia is continual mistrust. People with paranoid personality disorder are constantly on their guard because they see the world as a threatening place. They tend to confirm their expectations by latching on to any speck of evidence that supports their suspicions and ignore or misinterpret any evidence to the contrary.

     They are ever watchful and may look around for signs of a threat. Anyone in a new situation--beginning a job or starting a relationship, for example--is cautious and somewhat guarded until he or she learns that the fears are groundless.
     People suffering from paranoia cannot abandon their fears. They continue to expect trickery and to doubt the loyalty of others. In a personal relationship or marriage, this suspiciousness may take the form of pathological, unrealistic jealousy.


Hypersensitive
     Because persons with paranoid personality disorder are hyperalert, they notice any slight and may take offense where none is intended. As a result, they tend to be defensive and antagonistic.

     When they are at fault, they cannot accept blame, not even mild criticism. Yet they are highly critical of others.

Other people may say that these individuals make "mountains out of molehills."


Cold and Aloof
     In addition to being argumentative and uncompromising, the people with paranoid personality disorder are often emotionally cut off from other people. They appear cold and, in fact, often avoid becoming intimate with others. They pride themselves on their rationality and objectivity.

     People with a paranoid outlook on life rarely come to the attention of clinicians--it is not in their nature to seek help. Many presumably function competently in society. They may seek out social niches in which a moralistic and punitive style is acceptable, or at least tolerated to a certain degree.


DELUSIONAL (PARANOID) DISORDER
     Psychiatrists make a distinction between the milder paranoid personality disorder described above and the more debilitating delusional (paranoid) disorder. The hallmark of this disorder is the presence of a persistent, nonbizarre delusion without symptoms of any other mental disorder.

     Delusions are firmly held beliefs that are untrue, not shared by others in the culture, and not easily modifiable. Five delusional themes are frequently seen in delusional disorder. In some individuals, more than one of them is present.

     -- Ruth is a clerk typist who is efficient and helpful. Her employers and co-workers value her contribution to the office. But Ruth spends her evenings writing letters to State and Federal officials. She feels that God has opened her mind and given her the cure for cancer. She wants some leading treatment center to use her cure on all its patients so that the world can see she is right. Many of her letters go unanswered, or she receives noncommittal replies that only make her feel that no one understands that she can save all cancer patients if only given the chance. When one of her letters is answered by an employee of the official to whom she wrote, she is sure that the official is being deliberately kept unaware of her knowledge and power. Sometimes she despairs that the world will ever know how wonderful she is, but she doesn't give up. She just keeps writing. Ruth suffers from one of the delusional disorders, grandiose delusion.

     The most common delusion in delusional disorder is that of persecution. While persons with paranoid personality might suspect their colleagues of joking at their expense, persons with delusional disorder may suspect others of participating in elaborate master plots to persecute them.

     They believe that they are being poisoned, drugged, spied upon, or are the targets of conspiracies to ruin their reputations or even to kill them.

     They sometimes engage in litigation in an attempt to redress imagined injustices. Another theme seen frequently is that of delusional jealousy. Any sign--even a meaningless spot on clothing, or a short delay in arriving home--is summoned up as evidence that a spouse is being unfaithful.

     Erotic delusions are based on the belief that one is romantically loved by another, usually someone of higher status or a well-known public figure. Individuals with erotic delusions often harass famous persons through numerous letters, telephone calls, visits, and stealthy surveillance.

     * Persons with grandiose delusions often feel that they have been endowed with special powers and that, if allowed to exercise these powers, they could cure diseases, banish poverty, ensure world peace,or perform other extraordinary feats.

     Individuals with somatic delusions are convinced that there is something very wrong with their bodies--that they emit foul odors, have bugs crawling in or on their bodies, or are misshapen and ugly. Because of these delusions, they tend to avoid the society of other people, share no photos, memories (etc, and spend much time consulting "others" for their imagined condition. (be it MD - Counselor- Religious Pratictioner - Confidant... etc..)

     Whether or not persons with delusional disorder are dangerous to others has not been systematically investigated, but clinical experience suggests that such persons are rarely homicidal.

     Delusional patients are commonly angry people, and thus they are perceived as threatening.

In the rare instances when individuals with delusional disorder become:violent, verbally abusive, revengeful, instigators, plotting...

Their victims are usually people who unwittingly fit into their delusional scheme. (conviniently)

     The person in most danger from an individual with delusional disorder is a spouse/lover, family, or friend.

How to Resolve Conflict Online

Conflict in Cyberspace:
How to Resolve Conflict Online

Kali Munro, M.Ed., Psychotherapist

www.KaliMunro.com

Have you ever noticed how conflict can get blown out of proportion online? What may begin as a small difference of opinion, or misunderstanding, becomes a major issue very quickly. Conflict can be difficult at the best of times, but what is it about online communication that seems to ignite ?flaming? and make conflicts more difficult to resolve?

There are a number of reasons to explain why conflict may be heightened online. One is the absence of visual and auditory cues. When we talk to someone in person, we see their facial expressions, their body language, and hear their tone of voice. Someone can say the exact same thing in a number of different ways, and that usually effects how we respond.

For example, someone could shout and shake their finger at you, or they could speak gently and with kindness. They could stand up and tower over you, or they could sit down beside you. How you feel, interpret, and respond to someone?s message often depends on how they speak to you, even when it?s a difficult message to hear.

In online communications, we have no visual or auditory cues to help us to decipher the intent, meaning, and tone of the messenger. All we have are the words on a computer screen, and how we hear those words in our head. While people who know each other have a better chance at accurately understanding each others? meaning and intentions, even they can have arguments online that they would not have in-person.

Projections and Transference

While many people are convinced that how they read an email is the only way it can be read, the truth is, how we read a text, or view a work of art, often says more about ourselves than it does about the message or the messenger.

All of our communications, online and in real-time, are filled with projections. We perceive the world through our expectations, needs, desires, fantasies, and feelings, and we project those onto other people. For example, if we expect people to be critical of us, we perceive other people?s communication as being critical - it sounds critical to us even though it may not be. We do the same thing online; in fact we are more likely to project when we are online precisely because we don?t have the visual or auditory cues to guide us in our interpretations. How we ?hear? an email or post is how we hear it in our own heads, which may or may not reflect the tone or attitude of the sender.

We usually can?t know from an email or post alone whether someone is shouting, using a criticizing tone, or speaking kindly. Unless the tone is clearly and carefully communicated by the messenger, and/or we are very skilled at understanding text and human communication, we most likely hear the voice we hear, or create in our head and react to that. This is one of the reasons why controversial or potentially conflictual issues are best dealt with by using great care and explicit expressions of our tone, meaning, and intent.

Where do projections come from? They come from our life experiences - how we?ve been treated, how important figures in our lives have behaved, how we felt growing up, how we responded and coped, etc. All of us project or transfer our feelings and views of important figures in our lives onto other people.

To take a look at your own projections or transference with people online, think back to the last time you felt angry at someone online. What was it about them or their email that made you so angry? What did you believe that they were doing to you or someone else? How did you react internally and externally? Was your reaction to this person (whether spoken or not) influenced by someone or something from your past? While it certainly happens that people are treated with disrespect and anger online, if there are any parallels between this experience and any of your past experiences, it?s likely that how you felt and responded was coloured by your past. When our past is involved, particularly when we are unaware of it happening, we invariably project and transfer old feelings onto the present situation.

Disinhibition Effect

Conflict can be heightened online by what is known as the ?disinhibition effect?, a phenomenon that psychologist, Dr. John Suler, has written extensively about. Suler writes,

?It's well known that people say and do things in cyberspace that they wouldn't ordinarily say or do in the face-to-face world. They loosen up, feel more uninhibited, express themselves more openly. Researchers call this the "disinhibition effect." It's a double-edged sword. Sometimes people share very personal things about themselves. They reveal secret emotions, fears, wishes. Or they show unusual acts of kindness and generosity. On the other hand, the disinhibition effect may not be so benign. Out spills rude language and harsh criticisms, anger, hatred, even threats.? (Suler, 2002)

Suler explains that the disinihibition effect is caused by or heightened by the following features of online communication:

a) anonymity - no one knows who you are on the net, and so you are free to say whatever you want without anyone knowing it?s you who said it.


b) invisibility - you don't have to worry about how you physically look or sound to other people when you say something. You don't have to worry about how others look or sound when you say something to them. ?Seeing a frown, a shaking head, a sigh, a bored expression, and many other subtle and not so subtle signs of disapproval or indifference can slam the breaks on what people are willing to express.? (Suler, 2002)


c) delayed reactions - you can say anything you think and feel without censorship at any time, including in the middle of the night when you?re most tired and upset, leave immediately without waiting for a response, and possibly never return - in the extreme this can feel to someone like an emotional ?hit and run?.



d) the perception that the interaction is happening in your head - with the absence of visual and auditory cues you may feel as though the interaction is occurring in your head. Everyone thinks all kinds of things about other people in their minds that they would never say to someone?s face - online, you can say things you?d otherwise only think.



e) neutralizing of status - in face-to-face interactions, you may be intimidated to say something to someone because of their job, authority, gender, or race. Because this is not visible to you online, you feel freer to say what ever you want to anyone.



f) your own personality style may be heightened online - for example, if your communication style tends to be reactive or angry, you may be more reactive or angry online.

Tips for Resolving Conflict Online

What can be done to prevent unnecessary conflict in cyberspace? The following are tips for handling conflict online with respect, sensitivity, and care:

Don?t respond right away

When you feel hurt or angry about an email or post, it?s best not to respond right away. You may want to write a response immediately, to get it off your chest, but don't hit send! Suler recommends waiting 24 hours before responding - sleep on it and then reread and rewrite your response the next day.

Read the post again later

Sometimes, your first reaction to a post is a lot about how you're feeling at the time. Reading it later, and sometimes a few times, can bring a new perspective. You might even experiment by reading it with different tones (matter-of-fact, gentle, non-critical) to see if it could have been written with a different tone in mind than the one you initially heard.

Discuss the situation with someone who knows you

Ask them what they think about the post and the response you plan to send. Having input from others who are hopefully more objective can help you to step back from the situation and look at it differently. Suler recommends getting out of the medium in which the conflict occurred - in this case talking to someone in person - to gain a better perspective.

Choose whether or not you want to respond

You do have a choice, and you don?t have to respond. You may be too upset to respond in the way that you would like, or it may not be worthy of a response. If the post is accusatory or inflammatory and the person?s style tends to be aggressive or bullying, the best strategy is to ignore them.

Assume that people mean well, unless they have a history or pattern of aggression

Everyone has their bad days, gets triggered, reacts insensitively, and writes an email without thinking it through completely. It doesn?t mean that they don?t have good intentions.



On the other hand, some people pick fights no matter how kind and patient you are with them. They distort what you say, quote you out of context, and make all sorts of accusations all to vilify and antagonize you. Don't take the "bait" by engaging in a struggle with them - they'll never stop. Sometimes, the best strategy is to have nothing more to do with someone.

Clarify what was meant

We all misinterpret what we hear and read, particularly when we feel hurt or upset. It?s a good idea to check out that you understood them correctly. For example, you could ask, ?When you said...did you mean...or, what did you mean by...?? Or, ?when you said...I heard...is that what you meant?? Often times, what we think someone said is not even close to what they meant to say. Give them the benefit of the doubt and the chance to be clear about what they meant.

Think about what you want to accomplish by your communication

Are you trying to connect with this person? Are you trying to understand them and be understood? What is the message you hope to convey? What is the tone you want to communicate? Consider how you can convey that.

Verbalize what you want to accomplish

Here are some examples, ?I want to understand what you?re saying.? ?I feel hurt by some stuff that you said. I want to talk about it in a way that we both feel heard and understood.? ?I want to find a way to work this out. I know we don?t agree about everything and that?s okay. I?d like to talk with you about how I felt reading your post.? ?I hope we can talk this through because I really like you. I don?t want to be argumentative or blaming.?

Use ?I? statements when sharing your feelings or thoughts

For example, ?I feel...? versus ?You made me feel...?

Use strictly feeling statements

Feeling statements include saying you felt hurt, sad, scared, angry, happy, guilty, remorseful, etc. In everyday conversations, we describe our feelings differently than this. For example, we say that we felt ?attacked?, ?threatened?, ?unsafe?, or ?punched in the stomach?. When the person we?re upset with is not present, or able to read our words, this is an understandable way to express the full depth of our feelings and experience. Generally though, these statements are not simply feeling statements because they contain within them unexpressed beliefs. For example, you believe that you were attacked by the person, not that it just felt that way. If you want to communicate with the person involved (or they can read your words), it is best to stick to simple feeling statements otherwise they will hear you as accusing them of attacking them and be angry or upset with you. Some people get confused why other people get upset with them when they think they are only expressing their feelings; usually in these cases there were unstated beliefs expressed which the person reacted to.

Choose your words carefully and thoughtfully, particularly when you?re upset

Do your best to keep in mind that the person will read your post alone. You are not physically or virtually present with them to clarify what you meant, and they can?t see the kindness in your eyes. They must rely entirely on your words to interpret your meaning, intent, and tone. This is why it?s important to choose your words carefully and thoughtfully. You can still be real and honest while being selective.

Place yourself in the other person?s shoes

How might they hear your message? To avoid unnecessary conflict or a lot of hurt feelings, it helps to take into account who you?re writing to. One person might be able to hear you say it exactly how you think it, and another person would be threatened by that style of communication. Think about the other person when writing your email or post. Do your best to communicate in a way that is respectful, sensitive, and clear to them. People often say, to do that feels like they?re being controlled and why shouldn?t they just write it the way they want to. Of course you can write it any way you want, especially online, but if you want to communicate with this person and have them hear and understand what you?re saying, it helps to think about how they will hear it.

Use emoticons to express your tone

In online communication, visual and auditory cues are replaced by emoticons, for example, smiles, winks, and laughter. It helps to use emoticons to convey your tone. Additionally, if you like the person, tell them! Having a conflict or misunderstanding doesn?t mean you don?t like the person any more, but people often forget that reality, or don?t think to say it. It may be most needed during a tense interaction.

Start and end your post with positive, affirming, and validating statements

Say what you agree with, what you understand about how they feel, and any other positive statements at the beginning of your email. This helps set a positive tone. End on a positive note as well.

The Paradox of Online Communication

Handling conflict constructively is hard at the best times, and it can be even harder online. It can take a great deal of effort, care, and thoughtfulness to address differences, tensions, and conflicts online. Paradoxically, some of the same things that contribute to heightened conflict online can contribute to peaceful resolutions as well. The internet is an ideal place to practice communication and conflict resolution skills. Just as the absence of visual and auditory cues, the anonymity, invisibility, delayed reactions, and neutralizing of status free us to say what ever negative thing we want, they can also free us to try new, and more positive communication styles and to take all the time we need to do that. As with any new technology, the internet can be used to enhance our personal growth and relationships, or to alienate us from each other. It?s our choice.

Kali Munro, © 2002

Dealing With Pathological Liars

Dealing With Pathological Liars

How to Deal with Liars
Tips for Coping when Friends and Family Members Lie
© Venice Kichura

When close friends and family members continue to lie, it can be devastating. Here are some tips on how to deal with liars, as well as how to help them.

There’s nothing more frustrating than knowing someone is habitually lying to you. When it’s a small child, it’s considered immaturity. But after a parent has tried to teach basic honesty and the child grows up and continues to lie, creating a fantasy world that you know isn’t real, the lying surpasses immaturity, becoming a serious problem. Both the liar and those close to him (or her) suffer if the lying persists.

Hold Your Tongue
Although you’re tempted to lash back, letting the liar know you don’t believe a word he says, it’s better to hold your tongue. Of course, you do want to let him know you don’t believe the lies, but try to keep your words soft and few, although it’s not easy. Calmly state (resisting the urge to use harsh words) what you know to be true.

State Only the Truth
Be sure you tell only the truth. If you’re known for being an honest person, then others can see the lie for what it is. Also, weigh your words carefully, as you don’t want to be accused of telling any untruths yourself.

Share Your Concerns with the Liar
In a gentle way, meet with the liar to share that you’re concerned about him. Tell him that you have proof of his lying and that you’re concerned for his welfare if he doesn’t change. If you know this approach probably won’t work, then maybe you’ll need to plan a confrontation where other friends and family members confront him in a surprise meeting, urging him to get professional help. Explain how it’s possible he may have a mental illness and need therapy. Be sure to convey that you really care about his welfare.

Seek Counseling Yourself
If your friend or loved one refuses to get professional help, or a confrontation doesn’t work, then you get help yourself, either professional counseling, or with a trusted friend, church elder, or minister with whom you can confide. Often when you associate with a liar, you can feel like you’re losing your mind, so to protect your own sanity, seek help.

Pathological Lying
A pathological liar is someone who exaggerates his stories to impress people. While a normal liar knows he’s lying, a pathological liar may actually come to believe his own lies. This is a serious mental disorder that needs to be corrected. On the other hand, some pathological liars know they’re lying, but continue to do so, as they get rewards in the form of sympathy, attention, etc.

How do you know if someone is a pathological liar? There are several red flags. For example, the liar….

Changes his stories
Acts defensively when questioned
Lies about minor things
Often actually believes his own lies
Exaggerates to an extreme degree about everything
Uses manipulation
Never admits she/he’s wrong

If all Else Fails, Disassociate
If the liar persists in telling untruths, then you may have break off all ties with him until he realizes the seriousness of his problem. Don’t give up on him, but when the opportunities arise, continue to let him know you’re concerned about his mental health. Meanwhile, pray for him, as you go on with your own life.

The copyright of the article
How to Deal with Liars in Personality/Anxiety/Mood Disorders
is owned by Venice Kichura.

Gossip belongs to small, petty minds

Gossip belongs to small, petty minds

Eleanor Roosevelt, known for her sensitivity and her work to improve the lot of the underprivileged, loved and admired by many, said, "Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people."

Father Lawrence G. Lovasik, a missionary in America's coal and steel regions, who said his life's ideal was to "make God more known and loved through my writings," wrote, "Only the ignorant and narrow-minded gossip, for they speak of persons instead of things," and that, "It is just as cowardly to judge an absent person as it is wicked to strike a defenseless one."

Gossip refers to "ostensibly value free" idle chatty talk, but Wikipedia encyclopedia also says, gossip "often specifically refers to talk of scandal, slander or schadenfreude (German word for enjoyment taken from the misfortune of someone else) ... discussed in an underhand or clandestine manner," introducing "errors and other variations" into information transmitted, isolating and harming a person's reputation.

Some say gossip is simply "immoral."

The world's major religions preach against and condemn gossip. Yet, gossip is not a province of any nationality, ethnicity or race. Gossip cuts across national, ethnic and racial boundaries.

Christian Proverbs 16:27 says, "A worthless man digs up evil, while his words are scorching fire," and Proverbs 16:28, "A perverse man spreads strife, and a slanderer separates intimate friends."

The Chinese say, "What is told in the ear of a man is often heard 100 miles away," and the Irish, "Who brings a tale takes two away."

Many nations have this same proverb: "Whoever gossips to you will gossip about you." And a Biblical goes, "Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down."

The Ninth Commandment of the world's largest religion, Christianity, teaches: "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor."

Islam, the second largest, says, to "backbite one another" is to "eat the flesh of one's dead brother" who has no recourse to self-defense.

In Judaism, gossip is sin, and Jewish "lashon ha-ra" (bad tongue) teaches that speaking negatively -- including "negative truths" -- about others "demeans the dignity of man -- both the speaker and the subject of the gossip."

Lord Gautama Buddha teaches, "Killing is evil, lying is evil, slandering is evil, abuse is evil, gossip is evil, envy is evil, hatred is evil, to cling to false doctrine is evil, all these things are evil."

Digging dirt

Yet, "many small minds" find pleasure engaging in what religions prohibit. Look around to see how some busily dig up dirt to throw at their fellow human beings, thereby sowing friction, ending friendships, and alienating people.

On the other hand, there are men who rise above all that: Benjamin Franklin said, "I resolve to speak ill of no man whatever, not even in a matter of truth; but rather by some means excuse the faults I hear charged upon others, and upon proper occasions speak all the good I know of everybody."

Spiritual and political leader Mahatma Gandhi declared, "I look only to the good qualities of men. Not being faultless myself, I won't presume to probe into the faults of others."

Last October, a Reuters article, "Gossip more powerful than truth, researchers say," looked at the findings of Ralf Sommerfield, of Germany's Max Planck Institute, who led a study on gossip by using a computer game. The study found that "gossip has a strong influence ... even when participants have access to the original information."

As Reuters put it, "Gossip is more powerful than truth. ... people believe what they hear through the grapevine even if they have evidence to the contrary," or in the words of the study, "gossip has a strong manipulative potential."

And that's the problem: In spite of evidence, people in general are intrigued by, and continue to give weight to gossip.

Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti wrote in his book, "This Light in Oneself," that it is we, the inhabitants of the world -- whether in family, in school, at the office, in communities, or in nations -- who have made our world what it is. We are the creators of the situation and environment in it. In this world, not only are there frictions and disharmony around us, but within many of us, too, we cannot even find peace, order and happiness.

Constant struggle

Krishnamurti explained life as "a constant struggle," and life journey as "a battlefield not only within ourselves but also outwardly" through marriage, children, jobs, achievements. "That is what we call living," he wrote, and suggested that we engage in an "inward revolution" to remove the "me" from all relationships, actions, thinking, and way of life, to transform the mind, instill compassion, love and energy to transcend life's pettiness, narrowness and shallowness. Only so would we find peace, order, and happiness within ourselves and in our world.

The Indian sage advised that we develop a "psychological detachment" from "things" that should not be a focus of life, and to live the present, here and now, "in goodness," which is life's focus.

"Good" is that which is holy, related to God and to the highest principles -- the holy does not preach love and practice hatred, Krishnamurti said, and God and the highest principles do not preach killing, stealing and smearing someone's good name.

It is not "Do unto others before they do unto you,"

but as the Golden Rule says:

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Article By:

A. Gaffar Peang-Meth, Ph.D.,

Is a New Solar Cycle Beginning?

Dec. 14, 2007: The solar physics community is abuzz this week. No, there haven't been any great eruptions or solar storms. The source of the excitement is a modest knot of magnetism that popped over the sun's eastern limb on Dec. 11th, pictured below in a pair of images from the orbiting Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO).
It may not look like much, but "this patch of magnetism could be a sign of the next solar cycle," says solar physicist David Hathaway of the Marshall Space Flight Center.

Above: From SOHO, a UV-wavelength image of the sun and a map showing positive (white) and negative (black) magnetic polarities. The new high-latitude active region is magnetically reversed, marking it as a harbinger of a new solar cycle.
For more than a year, the sun has been experiencing a lull in activity, marking the end of Solar Cycle 23, which peaked with many furious storms in 2000--2003. "Solar minimum is upon us," he says.

The big question now is, when will the next solar cycle begin?

It could be starting now.

"New solar cycles always begin with a high-latitude, reversed polarity sunspot," explains Hathaway. "Reversed polarity " means a sunspot with opposite magnetic polarity compared to sunspots from the previous solar cycle. "High-latitude" refers to the sun's grid of latitude and longitude. Old cycle spots congregate near the sun's equator. New cycle spots appear higher, around 25 or 30 degrees latitude.

The region that appeared on Dec. 11th fits both these criteria. It is high latitude (24 degrees N) and magnetically reversed. Just one problem: There is no sunspot. So far the region is just a bright knot of magnetic fields. If, however, these fields coalesce into a dark sunspot, scientists are ready to announce that Solar Cycle 24 has officially begun.

Below: Solar Cycle 23 is coming to an end. What's next? Image credit: NOAA/Space Weather Prediction Center.

Many forecasters believe Solar Cycle 24 will be big and intense. Peaking in 2011 or 2012, the cycle to come could have significant impacts on telecommunications, air traffic, power grids and GPS systems. (And don't forget the Northern Lights!) In this age of satellites and cell phones, the next solar cycle could make itself felt as never before.

The furious storms won't start right away, however. Solar cycles usually take a few years to build to a frenzy and Cycle 24 will be no exception. "We still have some quiet times ahead," says Hathaway.

Meanwhile, all eyes are on a promising little active region. Will it become the first sunspot of a new solar cycle? Stay tuned for updates from Science@NASA.

Author: Dr. Tony Phillips

Production Editor: Dr. Tony Phillips

Credit: http://science.nasa.gov/

Robots Simulate Darwin's Natural Selection

Robots Simulate Darwin's Natural Selection -Daily Discovery

The New Scientist reports that robots that experiments designed by a Swiss research team have artificially evolved ways to communicate with one another.

The experiments suggest that simulated evolution could be a useful tool for those designing of swarms of robots.

The "genomes" of the bots that found food and avoided poison most efficiently were recombined, mimicking biological natural selection.

Cooperative communication evolved when selective success was judged at the group level – when many robots displayed efficient behaviour – or when the genomes of the robots were most similar – like biological relatives.

by Jason McManus.

http://technology.newscientist.com/channel/tech/dn11248?DCMP=ILC-Top5&nsref=dn11248

Saturn's Vanishing Rings

Saturn's Vanishing Rings

The planetary jewel of our solar system, Saturn, has bedazzled astronomers for centuries. Named for the Roman god Saturnus, its rings make it one of the most breathtaking sites in the galaxy. However those rings are disappearing, at least, for a little while.

Four hundred years ago, Galileo spotted Saturn and made the first recorded discovery of her rings. He immediately wrote to his patrons saying "I found another very strange wonder, which I should like to make known to their Highnesses…." Unluckily for him though, the rings immediately began disappearing and vanished only a year after he had found them.

What Galileo didn’t know was that this happens every 14 or 15 years, and is known as “ring plane crossing.” Essentially, as Saturn moves around the sun it periodically orbits so that its rings are precisely edge on to Earth. Because they are so thin – relatively speaking – they thus began invisible to us.

Amateur and professional astronomers all across Earth are currently seeing a narrowing of Saturn’s rings. Efrain Morales Rivera and his backyard telescope in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico have captured images (see above). "The rings have narrowed considerably in the last year," he reports. "The Cassini division (a dark gap in the rings) is getting hard to see."

Wadly for Galileo, he stopped viewing Saturn when the rings disappeared. For him, that is bad luck, because at such times as the possibility of discovering extra Saturnian moons or even faint outer rings increase.In addition, it is also a good time to get a look at the unusually blue north pole of Saturn. In 2005 the Cassini – Huygens spacecraft flew over the northern hemisphere and found that the skies, unlike the golden clouds of the rest of the planet, were cloudless and a deep blue like Earth’s. Only Cassini has been able to see this, but now, thanks to the ring plane crossing, the northern hemisphere won’t be obscured by the rings."

Now that Saturn's rings are only open 8 degrees, we can finally view its northern hemisphere's beautiful teal blue colored belts and zones, which really did look blue through my 10-inch telescope," reports Dan Petersen of Racine, WisconsinOver the next months Saturn’s rings will continue to disappear, and will vanish entirely on the 4th of September, 2009.

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Herbal Teas

“and the fruit thereof
shall be for meat,
and the leaf thereof
for medicine.”
– Ezekiel 47:12

Herbal Teas

HERBAL TEAS are pure, simple and delicious ways to stay healthy and revitalize from the inside out. They are the most gentle, natural and beneficial way to absorb the healing properties of herbs. A cup of hot or iced tea has the power to soothe and relax, while also delivering herbal healing agents to the bloodstream. Through teas, herbal healing agents are delivered within the body more quickly than capsules, tinctures or infusions.

As with any herb or medication, caution should be practiced. Herbs should never be used as substitutes for a doctor’s prescription. If you are being treated for any illness and are taking prescription medication, seek the advice and consent of your doctor, prior to taking herbs. Children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers should not take herbs without a doctor’s consent.

There are thousands of different herbal tea varieties. Each offers healing properties unique to the specific blend. Below is a partial listing of available herbal teas, and their associated healing properties:

BLACK: Antioxidant, Overall Health and Immunity, Longevity, Antiviral, Respiratory, Stimulant.

BLACKBERRY: Astringent for cleansing, Fevers, Source of Vitamin A, B-Complex and Citric and Mal ic Acids.

CHAMOMILE: Muscle aches, Strains, Pains, Bladder, Burns, Nausea, Skin Softener, Calming, Tranquilizing.

CRANBERRY: Urinary Tract Infections, Source of Vitamin C, Coli Fighter, Immunity.

DANDELION: Anemia, Constipation, Digestion, Water Retention, Weight Control, Detoxifier, Urinary Tract.

DONG QUAI: Builds “Chi” Energy, Digestion, Disease Resistance, Heart and Blood, Liver, Muscles, Nerves, PMS.

ECHINACEA: Skin Toner, Immunity, Iron for blood, Calcium for bones and teeth, Silica for tissue repair.

ELDER: Chest and Upper Respiratory Conditions, Colds, Coughs, Flu, Throat and Mouth infections, Skin.

EYE BRIGHT: Eye Conditions (tired, dry, inflamed), Nose, Throat, Hay fever, Bronchial Irritations.

GINGER: Circulation, Colds, Chills, Heart, Blood Pressure, Strokes, Nausea, Weight Control, Digestion.

GINKO: Circulation, Headaches, Memory Loss, Anxiety, Allergies, Asthma, High Blood Pressure, Heart, Stroke.

GINSENG: Energy Enhancer, Sexual Vigor, Muscle & Skin Tone, Stress, Nervousness, Immunity, Antioxidant.

GREEN: Powerful Antioxidant, Overall Health and Immunity, Longevity, Antiviral, Respiratory, Stimulant.

HYSSOP: Respiratory System Cleanser, Asthma, Allergic Reactions, Bronchitis, Chest Congestion, Rheumatism.

KAVA KAVA: Mildly sedating, Calming, Mood swings, Relax muscles, Anxiety, Tension, Emotional stress.

LAVENDER: Anxiety, Tension, Headaches, Nervousness, Infectious Diseases, Fevers, Purify, Skin antiseptic.

LEMON BALM: Natural Antihistamine, Allergies, Asthma, Digestive Disorders, Stress, Nervousness.

OOLONG: Antioxidant, Overall Health and Immunity, Longevity, Antiviral, Respiratory, Stimulant.

PAPAYA: Digestive Health, Heart, Lymph System, Weight Loss, Gastrointestinal Distress, Water Retention.

PLANTAIN: Blood, Colds, Deobstruent, Fungal Infections, Lungs, Mucous Infections, Poison Ivy, Skin, Venoms.

RASPBERRY: Nutrition, Female Reproductive System, Kidneys, Urinary Tract.

ROOIBOS (RED BUSH): Healing, Antioxidant, Hay fever, Asthma, Eczema, Insomnia, Headaches, Nervousness.

SAGE: Healing, Antioxidant, Anti-aging, Antibiotic, Digestive Remedy, Respiratory Infections, Night Sweats.

SASSAFRAS: Cleansing, Removes toxins out of blood, Anodyne for pain relief.

ST. JOHN’S WORT: Antidepressant, Immunity, Menses, Menopause, Neuralgia, Nerve pains, Inflammation.

THYME: Infections, Colds, Flu, Viral, Bronchial Dilator, Skin Infections, Urinary tract, Kidney, Mouth and Throat.

WHITE: Most Powerful Antioxidant, Overall Health and Immunity, Longevity, Antiviral, Respiratory, Stimulant.

1st Hiking Map of Mars

Pull on your backpack!!

Scientists using data from the European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft have produced the first 'hiker's maps' of Mars.

These topo maps give detailed height contours and names of geological features in the Iani Chaos region; the maps could become a standard reference for future Martian research.

The contour lines are superimposed upon high-resolution images of Mars, taken by the High-Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) onboard Mars Express.

The map is a fascinating document of an unknown area. To me, it's a work of art, a thing of beauty and mystery and almost religious awe. It reminds me of the early maps of the European explorers in the new world.

Today, there are no remaining white spaces of the maps of our planet. The white space is our "new world" of space exploration -an necessary component I suspect for the DNA-coded curiosity and imagination of the human species.

“Longevity Genes” Solve Centenarian Paradox

     Scientists have long been baffled as to why some people live so much longer than others. Diet and exercise account for some of it, but researchers have found that genetics also factor heavily into the equation, and that long life is somewhat hereditary as it is with the ancient bristlecone pine shown left that was alive when Caesar ruled Rome.

     However, centenarians are known to have just as many—and sometimes even more—harmful gene variants compared with those who die much younger. So what is the secret advantage? That’s a question the experts have been eager to find an answer to.

     Scientists at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have finally unlocked the secret behind the paradox. They were able to identify specific favorable “longevity genes” that offer protection from the harmful effects of “bad genes”. The discovery could lead to new drugs that protect against age related diseases.

     “We hypothesized that people living to 100 and beyond must be buffered by genes that interact with disease-causing genes to negate their effects,” says Dr. Aviv Bergman, a professor in the departments of pathology and neuroscience at Einstein and senior author of the study, which appears in the August 31 issue of PLoS Computational Biology.

     To test the hypothesis, Dr. Bergman and his colleagues examined individuals enrolled in Einstein’s Longevity Genes Project, initiated in 1998 to investigate longevity genes in a selected population: Ashkenazi (Eastern European) Jews. They are descended from a founder group of just 30,000 or so people. So they are relatively genetically homogeneous, which makes it easier to associate traits (in this case, age-related diseases and longevity) with the genes that determine them.

     Participating in the study were 305 Ashkenazi Jews more than 95 years old and a control group of 408 unrelated Ashkenazi Jews. (Centenarians are so rare in any human population—only one in 10,000 people live to be 100—that “longevity” genes probably wouldn’t turn up in a typical control group.)

     All participants were grouped into cohorts representing each decade of lifespan from the 50’s on up. Using DNA samples, the researchers determined the prevalence in each cohort of 66 genetic markers present in 36 genes associated with aging.

     As expected, some disease-related gene variants were as prevalent or even more prevalent in the oldest cohorts of Ashkenazi Jews than in the younger ones. And as Dr. Bergman had predicted, genes associated with longevity also became more common in each succeeding cohort.

     “These results indicate that the frequency of deleterious genotypes may increase among people who live to extremely old ages because their protective genes allow these disease-related genes to accumulate,” says Dr. Bergman.

     The Einstein researchers were able to construct a network of gene interactions that contributes to the understanding of longevity. In particular, they found that the favorable variant of the gene CETP acts to buffer the harmful effects of the disease-causing gene Lp(a).

     If future research confirms that a single longevity gene can buffers against multiple disease-causing genes, then drugs that mimic the action of the gene could protect against a variety of cardiovascular disease and other age-related ailments.

Space 'CaCa"?

Did You Know?" Daily Discovery

Estimates vary, but the U.S. Geological Survey reports at least 1,000 million grams, or roughly 1,000 tons of material and debris enters the atmosphere every year from outer space and makes its way to Earth's surface.

ain't that "HOT SHI(F)T " or not....? =)

Wikipedia Moves into Top 10

Wikipedia Moves into Top 10

As a seminal benchmark, Wikipedia's move into the top ten U.S. websites underscores the power and validity of the Web 2.0 principle: people are the algorithm. The volunteer-powered content of the online encyclopedia, with its more than 5 million articles in more than 200 languages, is now the largest single source of knowledge in history. Wikipedia is already ranked in the top ten list of most popular Web sites globally, has been quickly gaining popularity in the U.S. It's also the world's fourth most recognzied brand.

In January of last year, Wikipedia sites ranked in the 33rd spot with 18.3 million unique visitors. By July, it had climbed to the 18th spot on the list with 28.1 million unique visitors, and in November it ranked 12th with 39.1 million unique visitors, according to comScore.

 

FROM ICEHOUSE TO HOTHOUSE....

FROM ICEHOUSE TO HOTHOUSE:

MELTING ICE AND RISING CARBON DIOXIDE CAUSED CLIMATE SHIFT

Three hundred million years ago, Earth's climate shifted dramatically from icehouse to hothouse, with major environmental consequences. That shift was the result of both rising atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and the melting of vast ice sheets, new research by University of Michigan paleoclimatologist Christopher Poulsen shows.

Poulsen will discuss his findings in a symposium titled "Geosystems: Climate Lessons from Earth's Last Great Icehouse" at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in San Francisco.

The changes occurred during the period of Earth's history when the continents were consolidated into a single supercontinent, Pangaea. Toward the end of the Paleozoic Era, tropical regions of Pangaea became much warmer and drier, winds in the region shifted direction, and tropical flora drastically changed. At the same time, atmospheric carbon dioxide increased and the enormous ice sheets that blanketed Gondwana---the landmass that eventually broke up to become present-day South America, Africa, Antarctica, India and Australia---began disappearing.

"There's lots of evidence for large changes in climate and vegetation, but there's been no clear hypothesis for why those changes occurred," said Poulsen, who is an assistant professor of geological sciences. A few notions have been floating around: some researchers have suggested that the uplifting or erosion of mountain chains might have caused the climate shift; others think the motion of the plates that make up Earth's outer layer played a role. But Poulsen had a different idea. "I wondered whether the melting of the Gondwana ice sheets and/or the rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide could explain these documented climate and vegetation changes," he said.

Poulsen and coworkers used theoretical climate models to experiment with different combinations of carbon dioxide concentrations and glaciation.

"The modeling simulations showed that as Gondwana deglaciated and carbon dioxide rose, the tropics became more arid and the vegetation was fried and replaced with desert," Poulsen said. "Our results also showed that deglaciation and rising carbon dioxide contributed about equally to the observed climate and vegetation changes."

In addition, the model, which relied on estimates of carbon dioxide concentrations, produced more warming than geological evidence actually indicates. This may suggest that carbon dioxide didn't rise quite as much as has been estimated, Poulsen said.

Poulsen is cautious about applying his conclusions to current climate concerns.

"The climate change I'm studying happened a long time ago, so you have to be a little careful, but certainly this work shows there is a very strong connection between carbon dioxide increase and warming," he said. "Another interesting aspect is that for a long time people have thought that the tropics aren't really susceptible to large climate changes. This work shows that the tropics are susceptible."

article- http://umich.edu/~newsinfo/