ANY FIRM RESOLUTION FOR 2016?

To create what you really want to achieve in the coming New Year, here is what you do:

1. Identify your intentions and what is important to you.
2. Talk about your intentions with others to become more clear.
3. Pay attention to your feelings and have no fears. Feeling good about what you want to do is a high energy vibration and you will attract more of what you want to yourself.
4. Remember, where you are going is where you are standing now. Don't let negative beliefs distract you and know that your bad memories have no significance at this time.
5. Appreciate what you already have and what is around you. Remind yourself that every morning is a new birth.
6. Connect to your inner being by spending time with yourself to receive the inner wisdom.
7. Be passionate about your resolution and keep following up the steps you take at every moment and with eagerness.

IT WORKS!

SINGULARITY AS A VISION OF HUMAN CAPABILITY: A BRIEF ACCOUNT

You must have heard or read about "Singularity" and the famous book "The Singularity is Near" by the well known futurist and author Ray Kurzweil. Usually, when I want to understand and remember things I have to write about them and this time I decided that the best thing I could do is to make a summary of selected responses of the writer to a series of questions in relation to his book.

The book which is really interesting was published in 2005 and we are now almost at the end of 2015 but the content of the book examines the future, the era of a new civilization and a vision of human capability by 2020 through 2045. Singularity as a word is synonymous with "uniqueness" or "distinctiveness" but in this case the writer has used the term in the context of physics and refers to it as the age of "intelligence implosion". Here is the summary of what is supposed to happen:

1. Human intelligence will be vastly enhanced because of the continuing acceleration of information-based technologies as well as the ability of machines to instantly share their knowledge.We will get to a point where technical progress will be so fast that unenhanced human intelligence will be unable to follow it.
2. By 2020 we will have effective models for all of the brain and a full understanding of the methods of the human brain. We will be able to create non-biological systems or super-intelligent computers that match human intelligence and can share knowledge and skills at electronic speeds. By 2030 there will be a web of computing deeply integrated into the environment, our bodies and brains.
3. Artificial Intelligence "AI" programs will be able to diagnose electrocardiograms, evaluate medical images, fly and land airplanes, guide intelligent autonomous weapons, make automated investment decisions and guide industrial processes.
4. With the advent of technology-based manufacturing in the 2020s we will be able to use inexpensive table top devices to manufacture on-demand just about anything from very inexpensive raw materials using information processes that will rearrange matter and energy at the molecular level.
5. We will meet our energy needs using nanotechnology-based solar panels that will capture the energy in .03 percent of the sunlight that falls on the Earth, which is all we need to meet our projected energy needs in 2030. We will store the energy in highly distributed fuel cells.
6. The impact of these developments will be a radical life extension affected by genetics (biotechnology), nanotechnology, and robotics. At one point we will be able to overcome most major diseases and nanobots could deliver to our blood streams an optimal set of all nutrients, hormones, and other substances we need, as well as remove toxins and waste products.
7. The nanobots will keep us healthy, provide full-immersion virtual reality from within the nervous system, provide direct brain to brain communication over the internet, and otherwise greatly expand human intelligence.
8. Adding new genes or gene therapy, regrowing our own cells and creating new tissues and organs are emerging field of rejuvenation medicine. We may have nanobots that replace our red blood cells and as a result one could sit at the bottom of a pool for four hours without taking a breath.
9. We will have the means to meet the material needs of any conceivable size population of biological humans. Nanotechnology will also provide the means of cleaning up environmental damage from earlier stages of industrialization.
10. We need to give a higher priority to preparing protective strategies and systems. One strategy would be to use RNAi, which has been shown to be effective against viral diseases. We need to create a nanotechnology immune system - good nanobots that can protect us from the bad ones.

We could saturate the universe with our intelligence within a couple of centuries and humans will be defined as the species that seeks - and succeeds - in going beyond our limitations.

***

#singularity, #intelligenceimplosion

THERE IS SO MUCH TO DO AND TO BE!

I am inspired to write this post by what boils within me after watching a TV interview with Jean Huston who is a visionary and according to her these are the most potent moments in human life and history.

The inspirations carry my words beyond thoughts to the form in which I can explain and express my feelings. The point is that I can not taste the essence of my thoughts if I don't depict them in writing.

For long I have heard from individuals, young and old, who have given up on life by declaration blaming the outside world for everything. I would like to ask those individuals to change their negative declarations and become the voice of their own love within which enables them to give love and compassion to others. I believe that giving is a kind of receiving as well.

According to Jean Huston "The times have changed. We are pushing the boundaries of human life and these are moments for radical and new possibilities. Whether old or young this is the most important calling in our lives. We must search, explore deeper and expand our inner capacity for radical empathy and love for others. We must see the deeper aspects of everything and be present to the depth and beauty of each and every being".

Dorothy Maclean has said "There is nothing static in the worlds of the one who forever expresses life and love in an outgoing manner. How then can anything stay as it was".

In this calling the earth and the universe are the best teachers and we will be there to shine with our inner love to help. The world needs to sense that we are all in this together and we are here with a great purpose of becoming who we can become. We need to understand the power of love and loving others, and that we are called to a new possibility to serve all beings. That's why, there is so much to do and to be!


#somuchtobe

THE OTHER IN ME!

It is one thing to process unpleasant memories, but it is an entirely different matter to confront the inner void. 

Carl Jung the Swiss psychologist believed that the human psyche is a self-regulating system that maintains its equilibrium just as the body does. He declared "the components of the psyche have contradictory behaviors and the reconciliation of these opposites is a major problem, thus, the adversary in me is none other than the other in me!"

Scientists agree that each individual has a system of inner parts or several selves with different levels of maturity, excitability, wisdom and pain. According to modern neuroscience mind can be looked at as a society and self is not necessarily a unified being. Michael Gazzaniga who pioneered Split Brain research and wrote the book "Social Brain" has said "there may exist within us several realms of consciousness and there are literally several selves that do not converse with each other internally."

The MIT scientist Marvin Minsky a pioneer of artificial intelligence (AI) declared "it makes sense to think there exists inside your brain a society of different minds like members of a family. Therapists who are trained to see people as complex human beings can help them explore their system of inner parts and take care of the wounded facets of themselves."

Richard Schwartz the developer of internal family systems therapy (IFS) said "the parts or selves have their own history, abilities, needs and world views but the psychological trauma in life can hijack them out of their natural state."

Based on the available literature any psychological trauma can lead to humiliation which, in turn, results in the development of defensive habits and negative behaviors. The defensive habits range from being furious to seeking power, panic attacks, repression, obsession, compulsion and self-destructive actions which will be exhibited by the parts in us. The behaviors will continue until we go through a healing process in relation to the traumas we have endured which should help us feel safe and integrated again. In the meantime, the price we pay is absence of a loving relationship with ourselves.

To identify and revisit the parts of ourselves that are engaged in defensive habits we need to get help from professional therapists. We also need to understand that the parts in us are stuck with burdens of the past memories and they need help with the whole process of addressing the underlying issues. The role of the therapist is collaborative and is to make sure that all parts are welcome no matter how destructive they may be.

The scientists have also concluded that a mindful self-leadership is the foundation for healing because mindfulness increases the activation of the medial prefrontal cortex or the rational brain which has control over our emotions and impulses. In other words, in trauma the balance between the rational and emotional brain is disturbed and mindfulness decreases the activation of Amygdala or the emotional brain by increasing the activation of rational brain.

In IFS model the therapist encourages the clients to identify the parts in themselves and to unblend them from the self. These cycles will come to an end when the self takes charge and starts to own her/his impulses. That is when the system feels safe again. 

#Defensivehabits

 

 

PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA IS NOT JUST AN EVENT!

A BOOK IN BRIEF

(PLEASE READ AND SHARE!)

According to experts one does not have to be a combat soldier, or visit a refugee camp to encounter trauma. Research reports indicate the following:

• One in five people are sexually molested as a child - three million/year
• One in four children are beaten by a parent
• One in three couples engages in physical violence
• A quarter of people grow up with alcoholic relatives
• One in eight witness their mother being beaten
• 29.2% of the total risk of depression at age of eighteen could be explained by bullying during adolescence
• Etc.

All of the above are traumas and leave traces but we act as if nothing happened and move on. We try to leave trauma behind but our bodies keep us trapped in the past with wordless emotions and feelings. The resulting derailment have a profound impact on the capacity for love and work. Trauma makes it difficult to have intimate relationship and one cannot even trust oneself. It takes tremendous energy to keep functioning while carrying the memory of terror, and the shame of utter weakness and vulnerability.

The Impacts of Trauma

Trauma changes perceptions, imagination and the capacity to think. The body has to learn that the danger has passed and to live in the reality of present. Brain has physiological basis and is not very good at denial. Long after trauma, it may be reactivated at the slightest hint of danger and mobilize disturbed brain circuits and secrete massive amount of stress hormones. According to scanner the physiological and other changes in the brain are as follows:

• After trauma the whole world is experienced with a different nervous system
• The limbic or emotional brain through its Amygdala or smoke detector warns us of impending danger to activate body's stress response.  Activation of this fear center triggers the cascade of stress hormone and nerve impulses that drive up blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen intake preparing the body for fight or flight
• The visual cortex that registers images becomes very active
• There will be a decrease of activity in the left frontal lobe of the cortex in Broco's area or the speech center and the victim cannot put their thoughts into words - the same as the effects in stroke patients
• Mirror neurons which explain empathy, imitation, synchrony and development of language are affected and trauma almost invariably involves not being seen, not being mirrored, and not being taken into account. 

The Aspects of Treatment

• Being able to feel safe with other people is the most important aspect of mental health of trauma victims
• Social support is the most powerful protection which means being heard and seen by others
• Treatment should reactivate the capacity to safely mirror and be mirrored by others and resist being hijacked by negative emotions
• Many of the victims are either hyper-vigilant or numb. In order to feel emotionally close to another human being, their defensive system must temporarily shut down. They cannot discern when they are actually safe. They should have experiences that can restore the sense of physical safety
• The memory of trauma is encoded in the body and body keeps the score

People with extreme trauma disconnect from their body and have no self-sensing. Trauma can shut down the inner compass and the imagination they need. There is an inner cry from the body and they are not able to discern what they feel and how to take care of themselves/Alexithymia. They crave touch while terrified of body contact. The body needs to be re-educated. If they are not taken care of it can lead to depersonalization.

***

Reference: Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D. THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE 

                  Penguin Group, 2014

I personally recommend this book to every parent and anyone concerned about well-being of children and others. The book helps us understand how people deal with, survive, and heal from traumatic experiences. It is not as easy as you may think!

FLASHBACK: ONCE UPON A TIME!

Sometimes we lose our balance and we may fall but we can stand up again and feel stronger!

***

I had not seen my family and my home country for over four years and I was very excited about going back for a visit. We had a smooth flight and everything went well. 

On arrival the immigration office at the airport took away my national passport and I was told that they will give it back to me when I intend to return to where I lived. I was a bit nervous about that but as soon as I saw my father and my younger brother waving at me from a distance I forgot the issue and I immersed myself in the joy of seeing them and holding them tight in my arms. My father looked happy and my brother kept talking with me and making me laugh remembering all the funny things we shared when growing up together.

We went home and I was drowned in the affection of the whole family, the good food and everything that I loved. In the meantime, I called my friends and we arranged for a few get together and going to places that I was eager to go.

When walking in the streets I was looking at everything with deep interest and curiosity as if I was inhaling the trees, the snow on the visible mountains, the blue sky and all that was so familiar to me and I had missed them with all my heart. 

In public places I had to cover myself from head to toes which was difficult for me to do. The religious atmosphere and the hardship of daily life was the subject of discussion in every single car that I rented and in every private and friendly gathering that I attended. At the same time, I had to be cautious about what I was saying because I heard that I could get into trouble.

The three weeks of enjoyment was coming to an end and I was getting ready to pack and return. I had a heavy heart because I was not sure when I will be able to see my father and the rest of the family again but it was time to leave and go back to my children who were anxiously waiting for me to return.

On the day of departure my brother took me to the airport and I asked him not to wait for me there. As I was told before, I went back to the immigration office in the airport to take back my passport but to my horror I was told that they don't have it there and I will have to get it from their office in town the next day. That meant I could not leave the country anymore.

I was devastated and I kept questioning one of the officers and he finally told me there are some problems with my passport which have to be resolved first! I said but the passport was issued by your embassy in the country I live  and not by me, in response he said you should say "our embassy" and not "your embassy"! I did not respond to what he said because obviously I did not consider them as "my people".

After the above exchange of words I suddenly remembered that, working for an international organization, I had a UN passport with me so I went forward and informed them about that. The man who took the passport from me called his co-worker and said "come and look at this one, she has a foreign passport." The other man approached us and took the passport from him. 

While all this was going on I noticed that a high ranking and older officer is entering the room. He looked at us and asked "what's going on here?" I walked toward him with determination and told him my story. He took the passport from the man who was holding it and gave it back to me. He also told the men they should get out of my way and allow me to leave. One of them asked for a written order and he did just that.

To make the story short, I took back both passports and checked in with the airline to leave the country while subbing in distress from my traumatic experience. While in the plane I was in tears for all those people who had innocently come home to visit their family but they were never allowed to go back again for some fabricated accusations. I had heard about those sad stories even before my trip!

That was my last visit ever and the last time I saw my father before he passed away a few years later.

BE THE ONE WHO SHOWS UP FOR YOU!

We have all gone through difficult times in life as a child and as an adult and our negative beliefs about ourselves were formed under those circumstances. 

According to the experts, 80% of what goes into our experience as we grow up is from what already exists in us from a very young age, and only 20% is new information.

Our challenge is to become aware of that 80% and wake ourselves up from the old stories that don't serve us anymore. The fact is that we can not always expect to be saved by others and we should start writing up a different story, building upon seeing ourselves as co-creators of our life and not just victims of it.

In general, our experiences of others whether they are kind and loving to us or not, are created as a result of our interpretations based on the personal filters that we have namely:

1. What are my beliefs, positive or negative, about myself
2. Whether I am personally kind and accepting of others
3. What do I see as possibilities in life for myself 

Considering the above and if you are unhappy with your relationships with others, you can take the following steps to improve the situation:

1. Accept the responsibility of being in charge and the one who shows up to help you
2. Explore and identify your negative beliefs about yourself and others
3. Observe and see in what covert ways those negative beliefs are validated
4. Think about the deeper truth about your negative beliefs and see if there is a part of a younger you or a child present
5. Decisively, identify the possibilities for change and the new positive ways of relating to others making sure that the negative beliefs are dismissed

At all times stay connected with your adult self and show an open-hearted compassion for the child or the younger part in you who may have had negative experiences at one time. Take a stand and believe that you deserve better relationships and a happier life by taking charge to help yourself.

#Negativebeliefs

HAPPY SPRING CELEBRATIONS! ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT NOROOZ....

Spring and spring time refer to a new season and also to the idea of rebirth, rejuvenation, renewal and growth. The Persian New Year NOROOZ is on the first day of spring (March 20th) and is an ancient Persian Festival dating back to 1700 BCE.

NOROOZ has no religious affiliations. It is an international day based on the UN declarations and is celebrated by many countries all around the world. At this time of the year days are close to 12 hours long and they get longer as the season progresses (Spring Equinox).

The last Wednesday of the year before the New Year is called "Wednesday Light" and in the evening bonfires are lit and people jump over the fire saying a purification rite.

This year (2015) the first day of spring coincides with occurrence of a Total Solar Eclipse covering 90% of the sun. Based on the available information the eclipse starts at 07.41 UTC and ends at 11.50 UTC. Among other places in the world it also affects West in North America.

On New Year's Day families gather around a traditional table setting called "HAFT-SEEN" to observe the rituals of spring season. The name of the items on the table each starts with the letter "S" in Persian language and each have their own significance symbolizing something special.

The seven essential items can be selected from the following list but you can also use them all:

SABZEH: Sprouts grown in a dish using lentils, wheat, etc. symbolizing rebirth.
SEEB: Apples symbolizing health and beauty.
SENJET: Dry fruit of Lotus tree symbolizing love.
SEER: Garlic symbolizing medicine.
SUMAC berries: symbolizing sunrise.
SAMANOO: Wheat germ pudding symbolizing new life.
SEKKEH: Coins symbolizing affluence
SERKEH: Vinegar symbolizing age and patience
SOMBOL: Hyacinth flower symbolizing constancy

Other items:

Gold fish swimming in water: Symbolizing life
Painted eggs: Symbolizing spring celebrations
Mirror: Symbolizing the sky
Candles: symbolizing fire
Cookies: symbolizing sweetness of life

You can also put other decorative items on the table as you like.
The traditional food of the New Year's Day is a especial kind of vegetable rice with white fish.

Happy Celebrations!!

#NOROOZ

EXPRESSION OF GRATITUDE....

Lessons of Life are not so easily learned but once they are learned they have to be shared as an expression of gratitude:

• Don't cling to or rely on others for your happiness

• Don't fight the facts of life, deal with them

• Have the courage to accept what you cannot change

• Look within before looking without to blame others

• Don't do it if what you are doing is the vanity of your ego and not a service to the wholeness of life

• Detach your self-worth from the opinion and approval of others

• Protect your boundaries by having your own standards in life

• Have the courage to face and own your vulnerabilities. Have no fear of being judged.

#Expressionofgratitude

THE MOMENT...

I feel that
"the moment"
is my share of the pages of history.

A window is enough for me,
a window for a moment of awareness,
for seeing and silence.

Say something to me
I am in the shelter of the window
and I am connected with the sun.


FOROUGH
Modern Persian Poetry

YOU ARE WHAT YOU SEEK....

If the faceless face of the beloved is what you seek
Look within, you are what you seek

You have taken the outward path, many times
Take the inward path, this one time

Knowing the address to the house, a comforting thought
But when you arrived, it was empty was it not?

If you found the garden where is the flower?
If you found the house, where is the owner?

Your search for the external god, fulfilling, but no avail
To reach the beloved, look within, you are the veil!

RUMI

#Lookwithin

OUR TRUE LIFE

Birth of the morning by Yuriyshevchenko

It's January, the start of a new year in my actual existence although many believe that, as souls, we never leave the world in order to come back, moreover, no one knows how to come back again!

Early on at the start of this month I challenged myself with a question - does love guide my every action in life? I was inspired by Kahlil Jibran the poet, philosopher and artist who asks - who among you does not feel that his power to love is boundless?

I have been observing myself day by day to find out where do I stand, and it has been a difficult task to judge myself and be totally objective about it.

In my observation I recognized the "self" at the forefront in everything that I did and everywhere that I moved. That's where I learned that in many instances I was actually pre-occupied with judging the situations as good or bad and getting carried away by trying to maintain the good and happy, and avoid the sad or unhappy.

I learned that even when I was worried and concerned about other people I was in fact stabilizing the position of the "self" in controlling my behavior and forcing me to declare my unhappiness. The big question is, how could I love or be loving in all my actions when most of the time I am busy  judging the situations or worrying about it which in fact it is a kind of feeding the "self". In those moments I was indeed inhibited to be there with my whole being and with my complete attention and love.

The whole experience was an eye opener for me and I realized that in life situations I just have to be there with boundless love instead of trying to judge everything and move up and down riding the waves of my emotions.

That is what RUMI my favorite poet has said about our true life:

As you start to walk out on the way,
the way appears.
As you cease to be,
true life begins.
As you grow smaller,
this world can not contain you.
You will be shown a being
that has no you in it.  

#ourtruelife