thelerner

from http://bibhudev.blog...g-true.html?m=1 In fact, from 1997 onwards, the level of earthquakes has really increased all over the globe. For instance, between 1986 and 1996 (inclusive), over a period of 11 years, there were 15 earthquakes listed by USGS having magnitude of 7.0 or greater. But between 1997 and 2007 (inclusive), over a period of 11 years, there have been 99 earthquakes with magnitude 7.0 or greater. This is more than a six-fold increase over the previous period. By limiting the statistic to earthquakes above 7.0, we can ensure that the increase in the number of earthquakes over this period cannot be attributed to a corresponding increase in the number of seismograph stations across the world, since such high intensity earthquakes above 7.0 could have been easily detected by a lower number of seismograph stations. from http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/topics/increase_in_earthquakes.php Are Earthquakes Really on the Increase? We continue to be asked by many people throughout the world if earthquakes are on the increase. Although it may seem that we are having more earthquakes, earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater have remained fairly constant. A partial explanation may lie in the fact that in the last twenty years, we have definitely had an increase in the number of earthquakes we have been able to locate each year. This is because of the tremendous increase in the number of seismograph stations in the world and the many improvements in global communications. This increase in the number of stations and the more timely receipt of data has allowed us and other seismological centers to locate earthquakes more rapidly and to locate many small earthquakes which were undetected in earlier years. The NEIC now locates about 20,000 earthquakes each year or approximately 50 per day. Also, because of the improvements in communications and the increased interest in the environment and natural disasters, the public now learns about more earthquakes. According to long-term records (since about 1900), we expect about 17 major earthquakes (7.0 - 7.9) and one great earthquake (8.0 or above) in any given year.

I learned, it its Buddhist and has more then 6 syllables in its name, expect a flame war .

those debates get the longest. More speculation + less expertise = more argument and personalities brought in.

Back a bit on track. I thought this interview 6 years ago by Jim McMillan and the commentaries after it were informative and interesting: Return of the Jedi: Five Questions with a Neigong Experthttp://www.martialdevelopment.com/blog/five-questions-with-mo-pai-nei-kung-expert/

Yet Kosta no longer practices the system far as I know and some of his writing indicate. That can be telling. Most of the time you find something that connects and is powerful you stick with it. Yet people like Kosta, haven't. Heck people like MPG(doesn't have the time) a rabid promoter, doesn't practice anymore. There are arts that people stick and grow with for a life time.

I greatly respect Rawn Clark who works with the Bardon Hermetic system, he was appalled by many of the quickie routs to AP. I don't remember if he named specific dangers but he warned against some modern systems. He seemed to think you needed to have gone through intermediate or advanced energy and mental work before venturing out. Thus AP was the natural evolution of advanced practice and not necessarily a goal in itself. Yet once developed I think it can be a powerful tool for self development. But caveat emptor, for some there may be dangers external and internal.

This subject was edging into another topic and I thought it deserved its own thread. What do you think about the afterlife? Heaven, hell, reincarnation.. combination.. or nothing. Do we have control? Do we have any proof? Do we have.. hope? Personally, I don't think we can ever be truly sure of what the truth is. Proofwise, its pretty murky, heaven has its proofs, though I find proofs in literature of reincarnation more persuasive. Especially cases of young children remembering past events. I think such interviews are beyond being called away will finish later.

Your right it doesn't reflect the spirit of this board. It did when MPG was here though. He constantly insulted others. When he got his own forum he went whole hog and swore up a storm. Few threads escaped his Fuck You's. Your sensitive about it here, but would never ever mention it there because you're afraid, rightfully so, of Gooch. If you told him anything even mildly critical he'd blow up in your face. You'd be a target, lots of Fuck You's. Boy, maybe you should look to proportion from your friend MPG/Gooch. My writings to you, answering your questions end up there. Do find anything with his insults or profanity? Course not, he's your leader. He can swear at anyone here and it just fine with you, you read it and smile. Your right fun isn't the only you should do, but one needs balance. Otherwise one can become nut spending there time working and writing insults to strangers on the internet like your Gooch. When you write he's 1000x more powerful, what a comic book answer. I understand that your ilk constantly writes what everyone else is doing is fantasy and delusional and your art where you fight with your mind and gain telekinetic powers is the only real thing. But after years of practice and then sorta quitting what can he do? Other then degrade others? I know you and he can't answer, but what has he accomplished? He works so hard he can only practice 30 - 60 minutes a day. That's a fine rationality but we both know he posts constantly on forums. That he can only find 30 minutes a day to meditate doesn't wash and is an insult to those who actually jobs, have household responsibilities and practice. You should tell him from me, less time on the internet, more time practicing and at least he won't look like a hypocrite. I mean how many years until he practices the art he's screaming at others to do?

Some people use apple sauce or prune puree instead of sugar and/or eggs in baking, they'll add a sweet fruitiness and moisture. I often use Vanilla extract to add flavor to things, my sauces, stews and drinks. I don't mind being a little bad and using a little sugar in things. Its not the best, but to your body its not too different then all the other fructoses be it maple syrup, honey, agave etc.,

well so far so good. I was half expecting a message of ' and stay out' . The month day is still young. I'm missing my Burner roots. Missed the regional, soon to miss the Big Burn in Nevada. I enjoy a chance to be less me; the Me thats a father, husband, upstanding citizen and nice guy. Being at the Burn you get to expose facets of your personality that lie dormant. Shed your clothes, run around, meet crazy people, and allow your shadow side some room.

Good stuff, but I think I'll shake things up a bit. Maybe I should say unshake them. I'm sure it'll take me a while to get back into longer sitting times.

Mucho cool.

As you get deeper, its so important to have access to an experienced teacher who can give real feedback. add on edit> I like Michael Winn's take on Healing Tao exercises. Especially if you can take his live seminars.

I enjoy my guided meditations. I listen to cernterpoint rain and some other biaural playings, at times I'll lose myself in them, but I don't consider such things as meditation. They're wonderful tools, but they're also crutches. I don't start the clock unless I'm seated on my zafu, and not even then. Sometimes its quite a while til monkey mind stops. Sometimes it doesn't. These days I mostly keep it short, but in the past, I'd sit many hours at night. Though a couple years ago after listening to Adyashanti, I stopped myself from falling into a trance state. A state where hours passed quickly. I decided that wasn't what I was aiming at. Instead I brought myself, kept myself, more aware, out of deeper trance and closer to awareness. Time passes slower, thoughts appear louder, but its more real. Otherwise the trance state was better then, but maybe not so different then watching TV or sleeping. I'm mostly 20 or 30 minutes lately, but I realize that should change, I should go back to longer sessions. Though meditator beware. During my most intense periods (using Glenn Morris's Pathnotes), I'd get the energetic bliss, the shiny eyes but it'd be accompanied by a certain flakiness.. a don't care bout nothing- hippy-ness. Which was not conducive for my life then. Others who've done heavy duty meditation have ended up increasing anger and paranoia. One needs to be watched during such periods to make sure there's mental balance kept. We need a friend to pull us away sometimes. Because we get too certain; our problems are viewed as signs of progress instead of warnings.

I'm in a firm, Don't Know state when it comes to death & afterlife. I'm open to possibilities, with Protector's death as an off switch as likely as any. Working with dreams I've had some, one especially powerful dream where I was dying, realized I'd taken my last breath, realized I was experiencing my last heart beats. A very lucid and realistic dream, I panicked a bit, then decided to relax into the phenomena. I got to re-experience that a bit 2 months ago. I'd gone into my doctors office complaining of chest pain. He did an ekg, it came out normal diagnosed it as indigestion. Next day I went the emergency room for more chest pain, ekg was mostly normal, blood test came back normal, due to pain that morphine didn't fix I was allowed to stay in the hospital over night, which I did at my wife's insistence. Much pain and no sleep that night, in the morning EKG very bad and blood test showed bits of heart protein floating in blood- not good. Bad news, bit of my heart closing down, good news surgery was available in 45 minutes. Not open heart, angioplasty with tubes, cameras, wires and equipment going in through large arteries. They could go in through groin or arm. Since I have 2 arms, I told'em use them. Your drugged but kept awake during the process. Not unlike my dream I heard the doctor say 'This isn't going well'. That was not welcome, its not that far from 'what's the time? let's call it.' I certainly felt, 'this sucks' but I was pretty calm. It could have been the drugs but I quickly fell into a state of thankful for what I'd had and lets see what's next. Often my preamble before meditation is 'I'm not my body, that's what I inhabit, I'm not my thoughts, they're like clouds passing, I'm not my emotions, possessions, past, present etc. etc. ...' I've repeated that hundreds if not a thousand times. When push comes to shove, maybe it was effective. (oh and it was just one clogged artery, others were clear, thus after stint I'm quite healthy, thank you) Anyway I'm still here. Got a hole in the upper thigh. The surgeon had to pull the apparatus's from the hole in my arm and restring it through there. More importantly in life, I faced death calmly and with gratitude. That's something.. no matter what happens, or where you go. I've always felt we meditate to gain enough silence/emptiness to glimpse the unfiltered truth. Certain masters before have, and often reported vastly different experiences. How much do our preconceptions play? What do I think about the afterlife? Dunno. Open minded. Let the universe decide and keep the faith, a measure of hope too, because there's an off chance, you get .. what you expect. And I prefer experienced woman to virgins, but most of all my paradise is a beach on Hawaii with a camp fire, wife and kids, friends, dancing, drinks..

Are all the sittings done in 'emptiness' or are there energetic components to it? Also if we want to break this out a little more. Do People have any special practices just before and just after long term meditation? For example after meditation, particularly longer sessions, I touch myself. Ie, give my body a rub down, running my hands across long sections, giving particular attention to stomach, hands and feet, particularly the bottom of foot.

That's tightly written. Could you open that up a bit more?

I kinda shivered when I saw the title here but it was an interesting article. I just skimmed it, but it involved the religious aspects and legalities of opening up ayahausa (misspelled) to Shi' Muslims. Interesting, not that it'll have much effect on me, but if a drug brings a little joy and open awareness to some people and taken under intelligent controls, imo why not.

Death, Dying and Next is worthy of its own thread. I'll start it as a new Topic, though I'm sure we've circled it a time or two before.

done. I got in using my US password and 'liked' the first comment (Rebecca's).

As a former boss. Thank you. <its not easy stepping on the little people each day >

My answer is probably Pragmatic; could be nonsense, you'll have to decide. I think you have to keep careful score of the outcomes that happen when you follow your gut. If it generally works out you're one of the blessed people who can dance through life fearlessly with an angel on there shoulder. But some, follow there gut and it ends in crap most of the time. They need to go through life, head first, thinking hard. Most of us are probably inbetween and need a little bit of both.

Cool information SZ I respect and enjoy the works of Rawn Clark. At one time in a Q & A on his website, now erased, he mentioned he'd set up an astral meeting place for himself and a few high level hermetic practitioners. They'd discuss things there and occasionally talk afterwards on the phone to double check there notes. Do I believe it? Yeah, I do, cause I highly respect Mr. Clark. Is that in any way evidence? No, not at all. Its anecdote. Michael Winn talks about setting up a dream school flying classes. Probably did too, still it'd be nice to have the phenomena so well proved and documented that it causes a paradigm shift in societies views of consciousness.

nice :D

20 to 30, twice a day. edit> A long time ago a member here that I highly respect (Taomeow?) once opinioned 'Its not real meditation til you get to 4 hours.' That's a little deeper into the onion then I can usually get, worthwhile though.