Month: December 2008

The Spiritual Experience Explained… sort of

This article makes sens if you look at things from a scientific viewpoint.  However, the scientific viewpoint doesn’t account for how awareness, consciousness, and the penetrating force of LIfe impacts the brain.  If you don’t include consciousness as one of the parameters that you are observing you will miss the cause and believe erroneous conclusions.

Selflessness, Core Of All Major World Religions, Has Neuropsychological Connection

ScienceDaily (Dec. 17, 2008) — All spiritual experiences are based in the brain. That statement is truer than ever before, according to a University of Missouri neuropsychologist. An MU study has data to support a neuropsychological model that proposes spiritual experiences associated with selflessness are related to decreased activity in the right parietal lobe of the brain.

The study is one of the first to use individuals with traumatic brain injury to determine this connection. Researchers say the implication of this connection means people in many disciplines, including peace studies, health care or religion can learn different ways to attain selflessness, to experience transcendence, and to help themselves and others.

The rest of the article is at   http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081217124156.htm

This is like claiming that leaves create chlorophyll by ignoring the role of sunlight.    But understandable because these scientists haven’t yet figured out how to measure consciousness, and those other elements that affect matter.  But that’s not surprising when you consider that as far as they are concerned, those things don’t exist.    It’s kind of a Catch-22 where they will never see the impact from something because they have already concluded it isn’t there.   It is quite difficult to find something when you assume it doesn’t exist.

Lesson to be applied here:   Don’t Make Assumptions

For an intro on how you can affect your brain by focusing your attention start with this article from the Wall Street Journal.

http://psyphz.psych.wisc.edu/web/News/wsj_1-19-07_begley.html

Misconception about Anger

Some people think that anger is a valuable or important step in personal change.  Your anger rising high enough will motivate you to change.  There are some benefits to anger, but this isn’t one of them.

Anger is an emotional reaction.  When it is strong enough it can bring your attention to an issue.   In that moment your tolerance for the situation, or your behavior, is exceeded and you make a commitment to change. It is not your anger that makes the change happen.   It is your attention and your commitment to change that will make the difference.

If you want to make changes in your life, relationships, or your self, letting things go to until you end up angry is not required.  What is required for change is your attention to the matter and your resolve to make it happen.

For more on how to make changes in your life listen and practice the exercises in self awareness in the Self Mastery audio program.