Hello, World!

 “If I call you a conspiracy theorist, it matters little whether you have actually claimed that a conspiracy exists or whether you have simply raised an issue that I would rather avoid… By labeling you, I strategically exclude you from the sphere where public speech, debate, and conflict occur.”

A necessary factor in something being a conspiracy is a lack of evidence. Thankfully the modern era we have access to alternative means of access to documents and historical records. We've compiled information from 3 instances in U.S history where the truth may just be weirder than any conspiracy. (Okay maybe not the lizard people) 

Gulf of Tonkin

On August 2, 1964, the U.S. destroyer Maddox exchanged shots with North Vietnamese torpedo boats in the Gulf of Tonkin. Two days later, the Maddox and another destroyer reported once again coming under fire. Although most historians, including those employed by the U.S. military, have since concluded that the second of those attacks never actually occurred, it served as the pretext for an immediate ramp-up of the Vietnam War. By the end of the day, President Lyndon B. Johnson had ordered retaliatory air strikes, and by late 1965 some 180,000 American troops were on the ground, with more on the way.

After World War II, France reoccupied its former colonies in Southeast Asia, only to be kicked out again by the forces of Communist leader Ho Chi Minh. In 1954, as the conflict wound down, the world’s powers reached an agreement to temporarily divide Vietnam in two, with all Ho supporters going north and all French supporters going south. Elections were supposed to reunite the country within a couple of years, but the United States opposed them over concerns that Ho would win the presidency. Instead, it propped up the corrupt and authoritarian government of Ngo Dinh Diem. South Vietnam “was essentially the creation of the United States,” the Defense Department would later admit in the Pentagon Papers. Within a few years, a rebellion had sprung up against Diem, aided by Ho’s forces in the north, who oversaw a string of assassinations against non-Communist village leaders.

Under presidents Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, the United States gave France—and then South Vietnam—economic aid and weapons with which to fight the Communist rebels. It also sent over more and more military advisors, some of whom participated in raids despite ostensibly being there only for self-defense. As part of one such covert operation, the United States trained and directed South Vietnamese sailors to bombard radar stations, bridges and other targets along the North Vietnamese coast. Meanwhile, U.S. warships such as the Maddox conducted electronic espionage missions in order to relay intelligence to South Vietnam. The rebels continued gaining ground, however, both before and after U.S. officials sanctioned a coup in which Diem was murdered.

At this point, U.S. involvement in Vietnam remained largely in the background. But in the pre-dawn hours of July 31, 1964, U.S.-backed patrol boats shelled two North Vietnamese islands in the Gulf of Tonkin, after which the Maddox headed to the area. As it cruised along on August 2, it found itself facing down three Soviet-built, North Vietnamese torpedo boats that had come out to chase it away. The Maddox fired first, issuing what the U.S. authorities described as warning shots. Undeterred, the three boats continued approaching and opened up with machine-gun and torpedo fire of their own. With the help of F-8 Crusader jets dispatched from a nearby aircraft carrier, the Maddox badly damaged at least one of the North Vietnamese boats while emerging completely unscathed, except for a single bullet that lodged in its superstructure.

The following day, the U.S. destroyer Turner Joy was sent to reinforce the Maddox, and U.S.-backed raids took place against two additional North Vietnamese defense positions. Then, on August 4, the Maddox and Turner Joy reported that they had been ambushed, with enemy boats firing 22 torpedoes at them. In response, President Johnson ordered air strikes against North Vietnamese boat bases and an oil storage depot. “Aggression by terror against the peaceful villagers of South Vietnam has now been joined by open aggression on the high seas against the United States of America,” he said that evening in a televised address. He also requested a congressional resolution, known as the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which on August 7 passed unanimously in the House and with only two dissenting votes in the Senate, essentially giving him the power to wage war in Southeast Asia as he saw fit.

Throughout these hectic few days, the Johnson administration asserted that the destroyers had been on routine patrol in international waters. In actuality, however, the destroyers were on an espionage mission in waters claimed by North Vietnam. The Johnson administration also described the two attacks as unprovoked; it never disclosed the covert U.S.-backed raids taking place. Another problem: the second attack almost certainly never occurred. Instead, it’s believed that the crewmembers of the Maddox mistook their own sonar’s pings off the rudder for North Vietnamese torpedoes. In the confusion, the Maddox nearly even fired at the Turner Joy. Yet when U.S. intelligence officials presented the evidence to policy makers, they “deliberately” omitted most of the relevant communications intercepts, according to National Security Agency documents declassified in 2005. “The overwhelming body of reports, if used, would have told the story that no attack had happened,” an NSA historian wrote. “So a conscious effort ensued to demonstrate that an attack occurred.” The Navy likewise says it is now “clear that North Vietnamese naval forces did not attack Maddox and Turner Joy that night.”

In private, Johnson himself expressed doubts about the Gulf of Tonkin incident, reportedly telling a State Department official that “those dumb, stupid sailors were just shooting at flying fish!” He also questioned the idea of being in Vietnam at all. “A man can fight if he can see daylight down the road somewhere,” he told a senator in March 1965. “But there ain’t no daylight in Vietnam, there’s not a bit.” Yet even as he said that he was committing the first ground combat units and initiating a massive bombing campaign. The United States would not withdraw from Vietnam until 1973, by which time a disillusioned Congress had voted to repeal the same Gulf of Tonkin Resolution it had so overwhelmingly supported just a few years earlier.

Project Stargate

Alright, I know I should take a moment to preface this story with a few points. I understand that this one sounds like some bat shit crazy rambling insanity you would expect out of a guy 4 days deep into burning man. I also understand that the nature of this one sounds like click bait,  (I promise sources are cited throughout just stay with me.)  What would you say if the CIA funded programs for scientists to study the capability of psychics to see other areas of the world, and even solar system? That the program was fully disclosed, and that the program ran for 21 years? The program changed titles various times, a claimed psychic from the study wrote 12 books about his experiences?  That one of those books claims to have seen equipment on the moon. (I told you, this is going down the bat shit crazy rabbit hole.) 

Here

(Okay you earned a link)

The StarGate Project

was the code name for a secret U.S. Army unit established in 1978 at Fort Meade, Maryland, by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and SRI International (a California contractor) to investigate the potential for psychic phenomena in military and domestic intelligence applications. The Project, and its precursors and sister projects went by various code names — GONDOLA WISH, GRILL FLAME, CENTER LANE, SUN STREAK, SCANATE — until 1991 when they were consolidated and rechristened as "Stargate Project". 

Those might be a lot easier to handle if they weren't directly from the CIA library eh?

Stargate Project work primarily involved remote viewing, the purported ability to psychically "see" events, sites, or information from a great distance. (Like the moon)

Maj. Gen.Albert Stubblebine, and later president of the Monroe Institute.

The unit was small-scale, comprising about 15 to 20 individuals, and was run out of "an old, leaky wooden barracks"

The Stargate Project was terminated and declassified in 1995 after a CIA report concluded that it was never used in any intelligence operation. The official report detracts from the efficacy of the study in saying that the evidence was suspect to potential tampering. Although, this is where a few questions are raised if there was no significant evidence of the Stargate project working, why was the project continued for 21 years? Re-titled and moved continuously. There is obviously more than a good reason for skepticism in something like acquiring a magical sixth sense capable of seeing somewhere else on the planet.

1970s

In 1970, United States intelligence sources believed that the Soviet Union was spending 60 million rubles annually on "psychotronic" research. In response to claims that the Soviet program had produced results, the CIA initiated funding for a new program known as SCANATE ("scan by coordinate") in the same year.[Remote viewing research began in 1972 at the Stanford Research Institute(SRI) in Menlo Park, California.

Proponents of the research said that a minimum accuracy rate of 65% required by the clients was often exceeded in the later experiments.

ParapsychologistsRussell Targ and Harold Puthoff began testing psychics for SRI in 1972, including one who would later become an international celebrity, Israeli Uri Geller. Their apparently successful results garnered interest within the Department of Defense.Ray Hyman, professor of psychology at the University of Oregon, was asked by Air Force psychologist Lt. Col. Austin W. Kibler (1930-2008) — the Director of Behavioral Research for ARPA— to go to SRI and investigate. He was to specifically evaluate Geller. Hyman’s report to the government was that Geller was a “complete fraud” and as a consequence, Targ and Puthoff lost their government contract to do further work with him. The result was a publicity tour for Geller, Targ, and Puthoff, to seek private funding for further research work on Geller.

Strike one for remote viewing? Twenty-two more years of study to go.

In 1977, the Army Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence(ACSI) Systems Exploitation Detachment(SED) started the GONDOLA WISH program to "evaluate potential adversary applications of remote viewing." Army Intelligence then formalized this in mid-1978 as an operational program GRILL FLAME. If Uri Gellar can't make it happen can we weaponize the thing that doesn't work? Is it government inefficiency or potential discrepancies?

1980s

Code blocks cannot be rendered in the mobile editor.

In early 1979 the research at SRI was integrated into GRILL FLAME, which was redesignated INSCOM CENTER LANE Project (ICLP) in 1983.[14]In 1984 the existence of the program was reported by Jack Anderson, and in that year it was unfavorably received by the National Academy of Sciences National Research Council.[14]In late 1985 the Army funding was terminated, but the program was redesignated SUN STREAK and funded by the DIA'sScientific and Technical Intelligence Directorate(office code DT-S).[14]

1990s

In 1991 most of the contracting for the program was transferred from SRI to Science Applications International Corporation(SAIC), with Edwin May controlling 70% of the contractor funds and 85% of the data. Its security was altered from Special Access Program(SAP) to Limited Dissemination (LIMDIS), and it was given its final name, STAR GATE.[14] The Progam was ended and disclosed in 1995, which raises more questions than it answers. Even though it sounds a bit crazy, is there an extra sensory perception that the Government is aware of? I myself am skeptical, but I don't know that CIA documents for 20 years are enough evidence to be considered concrete My personal philosophy is to remain skeptical while exploring the "mystical" side of things. I like to fully embrace an idea as plausible albeit extremely improbable while testing hypotheses in the dynamic of my life. 

So is there any other story of Project Stargate (Come to the woo side, Ingo Swann)

ALL HUMANS HAVE CLAIRVOYANT SENSING FACILITIES, AND THIS IS THE REASON THEY KEEP EMERGING IN SPITE OF ANY SOCIETAL RESISTANCE TO THEM.”

-An excerpt from the most infamous remote viewer's website.

INGO SWANN (September 14, 1933 - January 31, 2013) was internationally known as an advocate and researcher of the exceptional powers of the human mind, and as a leading figure in governmental and scientific projects to investigate and identify the scope of subtle human perceptions.

Since 1970, his name and work have been incorporated into most contemporary books about PSI and the "paranormal." He was featured in four volumes of Time-Life's best-selling series entitled Mysteries of the Unknown. His contributive work has achieved broad media notice and been featured in every major American/British television documentary on the subject of PSI phenomena and Remote Viewing. Swann has been interviewed and/or profiled in dozens of magazines, including Time, Reader's Digest, Smithsonian, and Newsweek.

Swann's early work in parapsychology, as a noted and highly successful "guinea pig," made him a psychic superstar in that field. His subsequent research on behalf of American intelligence interests, including that of the CIA, won him top PSI-spy status. His involvement in government research projects required the discovery of innovative approaches toward the actual realizing of subtle human energies. He viewed PSI powers as only parts of the larger spectrum of human sensing systems.

Swann was the author of over ten books. His publisher, Crossroad Press, is reissuing many titles as e-books, audio books, and paperback books, among them, Penetration: The Question of Extraterrestrial and Human Telepathy; Purple Fables; Psychic Sexuality; The Great Apparitions of Mary; The Wisdom Category; and Star Fire, with more to come.

Ingo Swann was also a visionary artist and his exquisite works can be found at The American Visionary Art Museum, The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Edgar Cayce's Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.), The Leslie Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art, and ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives at the USC Libraries.

His extensive data base of writings on what he considered the Superpowers of the Human Biomind are available on this website in the Researcher section, while his collection of research, books, and correspondences is housed within Special Collections, Ingram Library at the University of West Georgia.

If you would like to explore some of his books and first-hand accounts of the project itself, he has 12 published books available on Amazon.

It is important to remember than when proving something contrary to modern understanding the weight of evidence weighs on the party making the claim. An important question in logical debates of this nature is the extent of which certain evidence pertains to definitive proof. Does the CIA studying parapsychology lend a bit of credibility to the stories of the people involved? If not what does it indicate, that our government believes in exploring some of the things we call "woo woo"? I personally believe that some of these ideas get lumped into a category of pseudoscience due to a misunderstanding of the laws of discovery. Naturally, there is a large portion that belongs on the side of irresponsible deductive reasoning.

What do you think? Did the CIA discovery extra sensory perception? Or did the CIA fund a 21-year long field trip with the equivalent of a good conspiracy theory?

(Caution, external download. It is the official CIA website though.)

Operation Northwoods

 According to ABC News and government documents on Operation Northwoods, America's top military leaders drafted plans to kill innocent people and commit acts of terrorism in US cities to trick the public into supporting a war against Cuba in the early 1960s. Approved in writing by the Pentagon Joint Chiefs, Operation Northwoods even proposed blowing up a US ship and hijacking planes as a false pretext for war.

A summary of key quotes from the Operation Northwoods documents is given below these instructions. To access the Operation Northwoods documents in the U.S. National Archives, first go to the web page of the National Archives Catalog at:

scroll down, and the pdf file copy is at the bottom of the page for download. (I've downloaded and scanned, 100% clean) 

Thanks for caring enough to investigate Operation Northwoods. These documents demonstrate clearly that some top leaders in the U.S. military have no moral or ethical difficulty in developing plans which not only sacrifice the lives of innocent American citizens but clearly trick and manipulate the American people in order to forward the war agenda. For more powerful information on this by a highly decorated American General, click here.

By each of us spreading this information far and wide, we can build a critical mass of people who join in calling for a return to open government and stronger democracy in order that we might build a brighter future together.

Key quotes from Operation Northwoods documents:

The Operation Northwoods documents were approved in writing by the Joint Chiefs of Staff–the top generals of each branch of the US armed forces–and submitted to the Secretary of Defense McNamara, though never acted upon. The documents only came to light because of a Freedom of Information Act request in the late 1990s. Page numbers are listed to assist in finding the quotes on the original documents. Could similar tactics to those listed below have been used in regards to 9/11?

13 March 1962

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

Subject: Justification for US Military Intervention in Cuba

The Joint Chiefs of Staff have considered the attached Memorandum for the Chief of Operations, Cuba Project, which responds to a request of that office for a brief but precise description of pretexts which could provide justification for US military intervention in Cuba.

It is assumed that a single agency will be given the primary responsibility for developing military and para-military aspects of the basic plan. It is recommended that this responsibility for both overt and covert military operations be assigned the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

(page 2 of actual Joint Chiefs report)

The suggested courses of action ... are based on the premise that US military intervention will result from a period of heightened US-Cuban tensions which place the United States in the position of suffering justifiable grievances. World opinion, and the United Nations forum should be favorably affected by developing the international image of the Cuban government as rash and irresponsible, and as an alarming and unpredictable threat to the peace of the Western Hemisphere.

(page 5 of actual Joint Chiefs report)

This plan ... should be developed to focus all efforts on a specific ultimate objective which would provide adequate justification for US military intervention. Such a plan would enable a logical build-up of incidents to be combined with other seemingly unrelated events to camouflage the ultimate objective.

Page 138-139 of file(page 7-8 of actual Joint Chiefs report)

A series of well coordinated incidents will be planned to take place in and around Guantanamo to give genuine appearance of being done by hostile Cuban forces.

A. Incidents to establish a credible attack:

  (1)Start rumors (many). Use clandestine radio.
  (2)Land friendly Cubans in uniform "over-the-fence" to stage attack on base.
  (3)Capture Cuban (friendly) saboteurs inside the base.
  (4)Start riots near the base main gate (friendly Cubans).
  (5)Blow up ammunition inside the base: start fires.
  (6)Burn aircraft on air base (sabotage).
  (7)Lob mortar shells from outside of base into base.
  (8)Capture assault teams approaching from the sea or vicinity of Guantanamo City.
  (9)Capture militia group which storms base.
(10)Sabotage ship in harbor; large fires – naphthalene.
(11)Sink ship near harbor entrance. Conduct funerals for mock-victims.

A "Remember the Maine" incident could be arranged:We could blow up a US ship in Guantanamo Bay and blame Cuba. Casualty lists in US newspapers would cause a helpful wave of national indignation.

We could develop a Communist Cuban terror campaign in the Miami area, in other Florida cities and even in Washington.

(page 9 of actual Joint Chiefs report)

Use of MIG type aircraft by US pilots could provide additional provocation. Harassment of civil air, attacks on surface shipping and destruction of US military drone aircraft by MIG type planes would be useful as complementary actions. Reasonable copies of the MIG could be produced from US resources in about three months.

(page 10 of actual Joint Chiefs report)

Hijacking attempts against civil air and surface craft should appear to continue as harassing measures condoned by the government of Cuba.

It is possible to create an incident which will demonstrate convincingly that a Cuban aircraft has attacked and shot down a chartered civil airliner enroute from the United States. The destination would be chosen only to cause the flight plan to cross Cuba. The passengers could be a group of college students off on a holiday.

An aircraft at Eglin AFB would be painted and numbered as an exact duplicate for a civil registered aircraft belonging to a CIA proprietary organization in the Miami area. At the designated time the duplicate would be substituted for the actual civil aircraft and would be loaded with selected passengers, all boarded under carefully prepared aliases. The actual aircraft would be converted to a drone.

The drone aircraft and the actual aircraft will be scheduled to allow a rendezvous south of Florida. From the rendezvous point the passenger-carrying aircraft will descend to minimum altitude and go directly into an auxiliary field at Eglin AFB where arrangements will have been made to evacuate the passengers and return the aircraft to its original status. The drone aircraft meanwhile will continue to fly the filed flight plan. When over Cuba the drone will be transmitting on the international distress frequency a "MAY DAY" message stating he is under attack by Cuban MIG aircraft. The transmission will be interrupted by destruction of the aircraft which will be triggered by radio signal.

As you explore some of the other strange facts you find on our website, we invite you to remember how the top US military leaders planned to manipulate public opinion to support their objectives in Operation Northwoods. Considering the above, is it beyond comprehension that similar tactics might have been used in relation to the 9/11 attacks to create a pretext for war in Afghanistan and Iraq?

The allegory of all allegories, Plato's Allegory of the Cave is not the rosiest take on the reality of human existence. You might even call it downright bleak: it envisions the world as a dark cave, human beings as trapped prisoners, and all of our experiences as nothing but shadows on a wall. "See human beings as though they were in an underground cave-like dwelling," instructs Socrates, "with its entrance, a long one, open to the light across the whole width of the cave" 

Imagine a cave with a small tunnel of light leading out and hundreds of human beings tied up so that they can't move—they just stare straight ahead all day long (creepy, we know). But they do get a little entertainment: there's a-rockin' shadow-puppet show projected on the wall in front of them with a fire burning in the back for light. Since this show is all these poor people can see, they think it's the best, most awesome reality ever. They chat about it, gossip, call people names... you know, the usual.

So that's how life goes down in the cave until one day, one of the prisoners manages to break free and begins to figure out what's going on. It takes a while for his eyes to adjust, but gradually, he sees that there is a much brighter speck of light at the end of another tunnel. So out he goes... and wow, you can imagine how amazing and beautiful the real world looks to him compared to that two-dimensional, dark cave he's spent all his life in.

Feeling sorry for all his fellow prisoners, the freed prisoner goes back down and explains to everyone that they're all trapped in this massive cave, and everything they think is real is an illusion. Guess what? They think he's nuts. He keeps trying to convince them, and he's finally able to persuade a few... but the rest choose to remain where they are.

Dr. Tracy M Cooper's description of work follows as

"I am a researcher exploring the personality traits sensory processing sensitivity and sensation seeking.  I provide consulting services on an individualized basis to highly sensitive people in career transition and crisis with an emphasis on enabling thriving in the world."

Sensory processing sensitivity

A personality trait expressed in 15-20 percent of the worldwide population with some interesting factors. Highly sensitive people (those who have SPS as a trait) process experience more deeply, fueled more by emotion, with no difference in sensory organs themselves. Highly sensitive people subjectively process experience before acting, may be overstimulated by certain highly individualized sensory input, are aware of subtleties before others, and are highly creative, intuitive, empathic, and conscientious. 70 percent of interviewed HPS's interviewed are introverted, while 30 percent are extroverted. Nearly one-half of HSP's experienced unhappy childhoods predisposing them to depression, anxiety, and other psychological issues. 

it is common that HSP's are also more deeply affected by both positive and negative experiences than others due to the depth of cognitive and emotional processing. Common descriptors for HSP's are (intense, deep, unorthodox, out of the box) 

These descriptions begin to sound more and more familiar and reminiscent of the new age movement and Empaths. People who are pre-dispositioned to feel sensations that other more commonly do not, those who experience emotion more deeply. Typically articles regarding Empaths, indigo children, and Lightworkers also allude to the commonality of difficult upbringings and the core principles of improving the world.  

is there physiological evidence for these people who truly experience a different reality? Researchers at the University of Copenhagen propose that SPS "may describe an underlying characteristic more directly associated with the 5-HTTLPR genotype. SPS is associated with the enhanced neural processing of detailed visual stimuli and increased neural activation in response to happy and sad faces. So essentially, an unusual amount of HSP's tested have shown a particular type of DNA structure that senses emotion more adequately. Common occurrences in this genotype include increased brain activation in response to emotional stimuli, increased startle response, and increased cortical response to the social evaluation. 

You can test to see if you exhibit signs of sensory processing sensitivty at http://hsperson.com/test/highly-sensitive-test/ 

The interesting part is when another personality trait can get mixed into the situation. Sensory seeking pre-disposition. In other words, a desire to get sensory input, with the personality charcteristics to take too much of the same input in.  (The burnout feeling empath groups commonly discuss)  The intense desire to be constantly moving with the desire to pull it all to a screeching halt. 

Obviously, a pre-dispositioned characteristic of a higher level of observance can be a huge plus; what about the charcteristics I've just outlined? A knack for taking a huge bite out of information, with a similar knack for getting burnt out on it. This is scarily apparent in most avenues of life for HSP's or SPS' (empaths). In the future we will discuss some routes for HSP's to take to improve their lives, and some interesting correlations thay can be made between them and empaths. 

Sound like a modern cultural narrative? Well, much like what is illustrated within this allegory, what if the common perception was limited only to allow certain people to see past its veil? Rather than the lead-up to a trippy sci-fi, what if there were identifiable biomarkers that stated just that? Highly Sensitive People is a term that was new to me but as I began to study, the description became all tpo familiar: Empathic.

Well, "Thrill! The Highly Sensation Seeking Highly Sensitive Person" written by Tracy M Cooper. Ph.D. breaks down this idea and establishes some work for identifying the connections between HSP's and empaths. 

If you liked this article check out: Is it Possible to Expand Your IQ? 

OR How 3 Laws of Physics Relate to Changing Your Behavior For Good. 

If you are interested in getting into better shape, losing weight, or just feeling healthier I have a program for you. No nonsense philosophical and psychological based online personal training. Customized to your personality through Myers Briggs testing to make sure you succeed. Mind Body and Soul.

IQ testing has always been a somewhat murky area of human science. Understandably, questions have been raised regarding the effectiveness of testing, and what "intelligence" is itself. 

I have heard intelligence described as the capability to understand patterns in novel situations. In other words, the capability to adapt to the most efficient linguistic, spatial, or numerical input to recognize a pattern.  

So I took to the internet to find any expert input I could find on the topic of expanding your IQ.  

Jack Naglieri, a research professor at University of Virginia:

The answer to this question, like many others, depends on a number of factors. If you look at the research where they've made people smarter (i.e. improved their IQs), what they're really doing is to make people function better.

I've been able to teach children to be better in mathematics without teaching them mathematics. You can teach a child to better utilize their ability to plan, and that improves their academic performance not only in math but in reading comprehension. So, what I would say, is we didn't make the children smarter, but we taught them how to use what they have more efficiently, and better.

Understanding changes in IQ also require carefully considering how intelligence is being measured. People confuse ability with knowledge. We all can study and improve our vocabulary. But I would argue that doesn't make us any smarter.

The best way to measure intelligence is to measure those abilities that underlie the acquisition of knowledge, separately from the knowledge we have.

Mr. Naglieri's explanation points another finger towards the insight that iq is the moreso capability to adapt and learn.  

Richard Nisbett, professor of psychology at the University of Michigan:

Yes, your IQ can change over time. But [IQ] tests give you the same answer to a very substantial extent, even over a period of the year. The older you are, the more stable your test score will be.

The most volatility in IQ scores is in childhood, mostly in adolescence. Offhand I can't think of a reason why it would be, it just seems to be the case.

Also, the average IQ of people is changing over time. Basically, people are gaining in modern industrialized societies. IQs are increasing three points per decade. In fact, there was an 18-point increase between 1947 and 2002. So the average IQ of a 20-year-old in 1947 was lower than the average IQ of a 20-year-old in 2002.

Now, the validity of IQ as a measurement of all that we consider "intelligence" is another question.

On the internet, you can find a lot of free IQ tests (and also paid IQ tests) of questionable quality. Free IQ tests on the internet or tests that are only intended to generate revenue or marketing advantages, usually result in a huge overrating of your IQ, just to make you feel good. You should be aware of this and only take a test if you are sure that you will be compared to an appropriate group of people that have been tested recently.

The result of your IQ test, therefore, is not an absolute result, but an indication of how you, compared to others, have done now on this intelligence test and probably will score on subsequent comparable IQ tests. IQ scores on different (quality) IQ tests should give similar results.

So I did a bit of research to find services that offered "credible" online IQ testing with the most applicable tests. One company continued to show up with positive reviews commending their thorough testing and service.

Check out the test HERE.

To make sure they are perfectly clear they also feature this disclaimer with any test result you receive. 

Please note!

Your score may vary depending on how well you were able to concentrate during the test and/or your experience in taking IQ tests. That is why this report, in addition to your IQ score, also lists a range within which your score for this test may vary. This range only intends to show you that your IQ may vary depending on the circumstances under which you take the test.

Hello, World!

Cultural bias has created issues with IQ tests in the past so 123test has put together a test called a culture fair iq.  

What does 'culture fair' mean?

This nonverbal intelligence test is culture fair because it avoids cultural and language biases and focuses on logical reasoning only. The test is based on the highly scientifically validated progressive matrices test of Dr. John Raven.

I examined a bit and decided to go for the paid test as a control experiment for myself to see if I can expand my IQ with a few tactics. I will take one test a month from this point on with a starting goal in mind..

Admission test for the International High IQ Society

Scoring 124 or higher on the culture fair intelligence test will grant you permission to sign up for the International High IQ Society. Only 5% of the people in the world have an IQ of 124 or higher!

A 25 question test later and here are my initial results.  

My first month will be trying diet, supplementation and brain games designated towards neuroplasticity. I will give more details regarding the diet and supplements selected to meet my goals and discuss any effects before another test. Stay tuned for future posts, 

If you like this concept and would like to expand on your goal setting, and personal development, check out my personal training program.

I will be engaging my attempt at development using some principles discussed here: How 3 Laws of Physics Help Change your Behavior for good.

 Pursuing development in any facet of life be it mental or physical can be a confusing journey. Learning a new skill, starting a new job, starting an exercise routine. Discovering the path ahead, assessing where you stand and much less obvious how you feel about the path itself. That being said, there are a lot of laws and guideposts throughout life that seem to aid in more than just observing the universe at work.

“If you seek opportunity in life, you’ll end up with all of the security you need. However, if you only seek security, you’ll end up with neither opportunity nor security.”

The fact of the matter is that this is all around us, in the downsizing and reconstructing of corporations, where thousands of men and women who sought security are finding themselves unemployed for long periods of time. From political interactions, financial successes, to daily engagement a person makes his or her own luck by setting goals, following through and achieving them.

Make Your Own Luck

Use these three success principles to set and achieve your goals. These are derived from three physical laws; the Law of Momentum, the Law of Inertia and the Law of Probability. You can apply these principles equally well to everything that you accomplish. There is a catch, you must put the work into both understand these laws, as well as practice them. 

You make your own luck by getting out of your comfort zone and achieving your goals on your own. First, you must learn why people succeed or fail based on these three success principles.

1) The Law Of Momentum

The first success principle is the Law of Momentum. In physics, the law of momentum states that a body in motion tends to remain in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. If a ball is placed on a slope, it will gain momentum as it travels downward. In many rehabilitation facilities making a bed is the first daily task that must be completed. This allows someone to begin the day with an accomplishment, kick-starting momentum to make further development. 

2) The Law Of Inertia

The second success principle is the Law of Inertia. The Law of Inertia states that a body at rest tends to remain at rest unless acted upon by an outside force.

These two laws imply that it may be hard to get started toward your goal because you have to fight the pull of the comfort zone and the force of inertia. But, once you get into motion toward something that is important to you, it’s much easier to continue making progress than it is if you stop somewhere along the way and have to start again.

When you observe successful people, you find that they are very much like the plate spinners in the circus. They get things started. They get the plates spinning. Then, they continually keep them spinning, knowing that if a plate falls off, or something comes to a halt, it's much harder to get it restarted then it is to keep it going in the first place.

3) The Law Of Probability

The third success principle is the Law of Probability. If you want to be more successful faster, just do or try more things. Take more action; get busier. Start a little earlier; work a little harder; stay a little later. Put the odds in your favor. According to the Law of Probability, the more things you try, the more likely it is that you will try the one thing that will make all of the difference. You make your own luck by trying more things and doing more.

How To Achieve Your Goals

Discovering how to achieve your goals starts with you! Once you have a goal and a plan get going! Once you start moving toward your goal, don’t stop. Do something every day to move closer to the goal. Don’t let the size of the goal, or the amount of time required to accomplish it, discourage you or hold you back from reaching it.

Write Down Goals And Objectives

During your planning process, break down the goal into small tasks and activities that you can engage in every day. Create a checklist to follow. You don’t have to do a lot, but every day, every week, every month, you should be making progress in the direction of your clearly-defined goals and objectives by completing your predetermined tasks and activities.

I have found success with these methods, particularly in fitness. As a personal trainer, I have discussed these ideas with clients and found results. If you would like more information on the topic or personal training you can reach me 

HERE -OR- HERE -OR- HERE

Artist Toby Allen decided to address this problem head on. But first, a few facts about mental disorders in the U.S

• Approximately 1 in 5 adults in the U.S.—43.8 million, or 18.5%—experiences mental illness in a given year.
• Approximately 1 in 25 adults in the U.S.—9.8 million, or 4.0%—experiences a serious mental illness in a given year that substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities.
• Approximately 1 in 5 youth aged 13–18 (21.4%) experiences a severe mental disorder at some point during their life. For children aged 8–15, the estimate is 13%.
• 1.1% of adults in the U.S. live with schizophrenia.
• 2.6% of adults in the U.S. live with bipolar disorder.
• 6.9% of adults in the U.S.—16 million—had at least one major depressive episode in the past year.
• 18.1% of adults in the U.S. experienced an anxiety disorder such as posttraumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and specific phobias.

U.K.-based artist Toby Allen has created a series of illustrations depicting mental disorders personifying them as if they were "real" monsters. 

Aside from raising awareness of the diseases themselves, Allen also addresses the concept that personifying a nonphysical sensation into something tangible, changes your interaction with it. It's much more common to associate to physical characteristics than non-tangible, hard to communicate feelings.  

His project, entitled “Real Monsters” originated from imagining his own anxieties as monsters, and found it to be therapeutic to draw them. Also, Allen’s project aims to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness and to educate about these conditions. 

“I hoped to draw attention to mental illnesses that often get ignored or aren’t taken seriously. I want to make people aware of how damaging these illnesses are and how much of a burden they can be to those who suffer from them. The project also highlights conditions that some people may have never even heard of, so the work aims to raise awareness for these. I hope that people can relate to the work and that it helps them to see their illness in a different light, make it appear more manageable.”

See more by Allen on his website. Also, you can buy prints from here

If you liked this article check out Rap Lyrics That Will Inspire You to Change Your Life

-OR-  5 Most Inspirational Guests From The Joe Rogan Experience

If you didn't watch this video I'll feature the lyrics but, there is an awe inspiring moment in this one. MGK has a fan at a show that is disabled and is isolated to a wheelchair come on stage. The fan's name is Ryan After listening to MGK's music Ryan made a promise to work to walk. Within the video they reuinte at a show and Ryan walks again on stage with a crow cheering him on.  This one is from his track "See My Tears"

Hopsin goes on to discuss his thoughts on the tactics that media uses to manipulate a viewer's impression of the world, their product, and themselves. 

If you liked this article, Check out 5 Most Inspirational Joe Rogan Experience Guests

-OR- Artifical Intelligence, are we birthing a new species?

Here

(Okay you earned a link)

The StarGate Project

was the code name for a secret U.S. Army unit established in 1978 at Fort Meade, Maryland, by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and SRI International (a California contractor) to investigate the potential for psychic phenomena in military and domestic intelligence applications. The Project, and its precursors and sister projects, went by various code names — GONDOLA WISH, GRILL FLAME, CENTER LANE, SUN STREAK, SCANATE — until 1991 when they were consolidated and rechristened as "Stargate Project".

                                                                                                                                                                                                                   I told you we were going down the rabbit hole.  

Those might be a lot easier to handle if they weren't directly from the CIA library eh? 

Stargate Project work primarily involved remote viewing, the purported ability to psychically "see" events, sites, or information from a great distance. (Like the moon) 

Maj. Gen.Albert Stubblebine, and later president of the Monroe Institute.

The unit was small-scale, comprising about 15 to 20 individuals, and was run out of "an old, leaky wooden barracks"

The Stargate Project was terminated and declassified in 1995 after a CIA report concluded that it was never useful in any intelligence operation. The official report detracts from the efficacy of the study in saying that the evidence was suspect to potential tampering. Although, this is where a few questions are raised if there was no significant evidence of the Stargate project working, why was the project continued for 21 years? Re-titled and moved continuously. There is obviously more than a good reason for skepticism in something like acquiring a magical sixth sense capable of seeing somewhere else on the planet. 

 1970s

In 1970, United States intelligence sources believed that the Soviet Union was spending 60 million rubles annually on "psychotronic" research. In response to claims that the Soviet program had produced results, the CIA initiated funding for a new program known as SCANATE ("scan by coordinate") in the same year.[ Remote viewing research began in 1972 at the Stanford Research Institute(SRI) in Menlo Park, California.

Proponents of the research said that a minimum accuracy rate of 65% required by the clients was often exceeded in the later experiments.

Parapsychologists Russell Targ and Harold Puthoff began testing psychics for SRI in 1972, including one who would later become an international celebrity, Israeli Uri Geller. Their apparently successful results garnered interest within the Department of Defense.Ray Hyman, professor of psychology at the University of Oregon, was asked by Air Force psychologist Lt. Col. Austin W. Kibler (1930-2008) — then Director of Behavioral Research forARPA— to go to SRI and investigate. He was to specifically evaluate Geller. Hyman’s report to the government was that Geller was a “complete fraud” and as a consequence Targ and Puthoff lost their government contract to do further work with him. The result was a publicity tour for Geller, Targ and Puthoff, to seek private funding for further research work on Geller.

Strike one for remote viewing? Twenty-two more years of study to go. 

In 1977, the Army Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence(ACSI) Systems Exploitation Detachment(SED) started the GONDOLA WISH program to "evaluate potential adversary applications of remote viewing." Army Intelligence then formalized this in mid-1978 as an operational program GRILL FLAME. If Uri Gellar can't make it happen can we weaponize the thing that doesn't work? Is it government inefficiency or potential discrepancies? 

1980s

In early 1979 the research at SRI was integrated into GRILL FLAME, which was redesignated INSCOM CENTER LANE Project (ICLP) in 1983.[14]In 1984 the existence of the program was reported byJack Anderson, and in that year it was unfavorably received by the National Academy of SciencesNational Research Council.[14]In late 1985 the Army funding was terminated, but the program was redesignated SUN STREAK and funded by the DIA'sScientific and Technical Intelligence Directorate(office code DT-S).[14]

1990s

In 1991 most of the contracting for the program was transferred from SRI to science Applications International Corporation(SAIC), with Edwin May controlling 70% of the contractor funds and 85% of the data. Its security was altered from Special Access Program(SAP) to Limited Dissemination (LIMDIS), and it was given its final name, STAR GATE.[14] The Progam was ended and disclosed in 1995, which raises more questions than it answers. Even though it sounds a bit crazy, is there an extra sensory perception that the Government is aware of? I myself am skeptical, but I don't know that CIA documents for 20 years are enough evidence to be considered concrete My personal philosophy is to remain skeptical while exploring the "mystical" side of things. I like to fully embrace an idea as plausible albeit extremely improbable while testing hypotheses in the dynamic of my life.  

So is there any other story of Project Stargate (Come to the woo side, Ingo Swann)

ALL HUMANS HAVE CLAIRVOYANT SENSING FACILITIES, AND THIS IS THE REASON THEY KEEP EMERGING IN SPITE OF ANY SOCIETAL RESISTANCE TO THEM.”

-An excerpt from the most infamous remote viewers website.

INGO SWANN (September 14, 1933 - January 31, 2013) was internationally known as an advocate and researcher of the exceptional powers of the human mind, and as a leading figure in governmental and scientific projects to investigate and identify the scope of subtle human perceptions.

Since 1970, his name and work have been incorporated into most contemporary books about PSI and the "paranormal." He was featured in four volumes of Time-Life's bestselling series entitled Mysteries of the Unknown. His contributive work has achieved broad media notice and been featured in every major American/British television documentary on the subject of PSI phenomena and Remote Viewing. Swann has been interviewed and/or profiled in dozens of magazines, including Time, Reader's Digest, Smithsonian and Newsweek.

Swann's early work in parapsychology, as a noted and highly successful "guinea pig," made him a psychic superstar in that field. His subsequent research on behalf of American intelligence interests, including that of the CIA, won him top PSI-spy status. His involvement in government research projects required the discovery of innovative approaches toward the actual realizing of subtle human energies. He viewed PSI powers as only parts of the larger spectrum of human sensing systems.

Swann was the author of over ten books. His publisher, Crossroad Press, is reissuing many titles as ebooks, audio books and paperback books, among them, Penetration: The Question of Extraterrestrial and Human Telepathy; Purple Fables; Psychic Sexuality; The Great Apparitions of Mary; The Wisdom Category; and Star Fire, with more to come. 

Ingo Swann was also a visionary artist and his exquisite works can be found at The American Visionary Art Museum, The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Edgar Cayce's Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.), The Leslie Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art, and ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives at the USC Libraries. 

His extensive data base of writings on what he considered the Superpowers of the Human Biomind are available on this website in the Researcher section, while his collection of research, books and correspondences is housed within Special Collections, Ingram Library at the University of West Georgia.

If you would like to explore some of his books and first hand accounts of the project itself, he has 12 published books available on Amazon. 

It is important to remember than when proving something contrary to modern understanding the weight of evidence weighs on the party making the claim. An important question in logical debates of this nature is the extent of which certain evidence pertains to definitive proof. Does the CIA studying parapsychology lend a bit of credibility to the stories of the people involved? If not what does it indicate, that our government believes in exploring some of the things we call "woo woo"? I personally believe that some of these ideas get lumped into a category of psuedo-science due to a misunderstanding of the laws of discovery. Naturally, there is a large portion that belongs on the side of irresponsible deductive reasoning. 

What do you think? Did the CIA discovery extra sensory perception? Or did the CIA fund a 21 year long field trip with the equivalent of a good conspiracy theory? 

(Caution, external download. It is the official CIA website though.)

There is something to be said for the knack comedians have, to observe the flaws in society and the patterns in some things most might not. From questioning cultural ideals and narratives we all practice without questioning. Observing ever-encroaching constructs delivered by corporations. Amazing ideas, and beautifully created masterpieces of spoken language. There is something to be said of the irony. The list isn't a short one when it comes to comedians delivering a good dose of reality. These 5 stand out.

George Carlin

Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was a Grammy-winning American stand-up comedian, actor, and author noted especially for his irreverent attitude and his observations on politics, language, psychology, and religion as well as some taboo subjects. Throughout his time he said some astounding eye opening things. Like many on this list, he has a discography of great material so I will try to do him justice. 

1990

• The government wants to tell you things you can't say because they're against the law, or you can't say this because it's against a regulation, or here's something you can't say because of its a...secret; "You can't tell him that because he's not cleared to know that." The government wants to control information and control language because that's the way you control thought, and basically that's the game they're in.

• Same with religion. Religion is nothing but mind control. Religion is just trying to control your mind, control your thoughts, so they're gonna tell you some things you shouldn't say because they're...sins. And besides telling you things you shouldn't say, religion is gonna suggest some things that you ought to be saying; "Here's something you ought to say first thing when you wake up in the morning; here's something you ought to say just before you go to sleep at night; here's something we always say on the third Wednesday in April after the first full moon in spring at 4 o'clock when the bells ring." Religion is always suggesting things you ought to be saying

1992

• I have certain rules I live by. My first rule: I don't believe anything the government tells me. [...] I look at war a little bit differently. To me, war is a lot of prick-waving! OK? Simple thing. That's all it is. War is a whole lot of men standing out on a field waving their pricks at one another. Men are insecure about the size of their dicks, and so they have to kill one another over the idea. That's what all that asshole jock bullshit is all about. That's what all that adolescent, macho, male posturing and strutting in bars and locker rooms is all about. It's called "dick fear!" Men have terrified that their pricks are inadequate and so they have to compete with one another, to feel better about themselves, and since war is the ultimate competition, basically, men are killing each other in order to improve their self-esteem! You don't have to be a history major or a political scientist to see the bigger-dick foreign policy theory. Does it sound like this: "What, they have bigger dicks? Bomb them!" And of course, the bombs and the rockets and the bullets are all shaped like dicks. It's a subconscious need to project the penis into other people's affairs. It's called "fucking with people!"

Now he said a lot of things between this last joke and the next line-up but these are some of the most noteworthy cultural observations.

2005

• People are fucking nuts. This country is full of nitwits and assholes. You ever notice that? Nitwits, assholes, fuck-ups, scumbags, jerkoffs, and dipshits. And they all vote. In fact, sometimes you get the impression that they're the only ones who vote.

• There's a reason for this, there is a reason education sucks, and it's the same reason it will never ever ever be fixed. It's never going to get any better. Don't look for it. Be happy with what you've got... because the owners of this country don’t want that. I'm talking about the real owners now... the real owners. The big wealthy business interests that control things and make all the important decisions. Forget the politicians. The politicians are put there to give you the idea that you have freedom of choice. You don’t. You have no choice. You have owners. They own you. They own everything. They own all the important land. They own and control the corporations. They’ve long since bought and paid for the Senate, the Congress, the state houses, the city halls. They got the judges in their back pockets and they own all the big media companies, so they control just about all of the news and information you get to hear. They got you by the balls. They spend billions of dollars every year lobbying. Lobbying to get what they want. Well, we know what they want. They want more for themselves and less for everybody else, but I’ll tell you what they don’t want. They don’t want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking. They don’t want well-informed, well-educated people capable of critical thinking. They’re not interested in that. That doesn’t help them. That’s against their interests. That’s right.

• They don’t want people who are smart enough to sit around a kitchen table and think about how badly they’re getting fucked by a system that threw them overboard 30 fuckin’ years ago. They don’t want that. You know what they want? They want obedient workers. Obedient workers, people who are just smart enough to run the machines and do the paperwork. And just dumb enough to passively accept all these increasingly shittier jobs with the lower pay, the longer hours, the reduced benefits, the end of overtime and vanishing pension that disappears the minute you go to collect it. And now they’re coming for your Social Security money. They want your fuckin' retirement money. They want it back so they can give it to their criminal friends on Wall Street. And you know something? They’ll get it. They’ll get it all from you sooner or later 'cause they own this fuckin' place. It’s a big club and you ain't in it. You and I are not in the big club. ...The table is tilted folks. The game is rigged and nobody seems to notice. ...And nobody seems to notice. Nobody seems to care. That’s what the owners count on. The fact that Americans will probably remain willfully ignorant of the big red, white and blue dick that’s being jammed up their assholes every day because the owners of this country know the truth. It’s called the American Dream, 'cause you have to be asleep to believe it.

• Americans love to eat. They are fatally attracted to the slow death of fast food... This country is big-time pig time... Change the bald eagle to a big bowl of macaroni and cheese. A big bowl. 'Cause everything in this country is king size, extra large and super jumbo. Especially the fucking people! Have you seen some of the people in this country? Have you taken a good look at some of these big, fat motherfuckers walking around? Big fat motherfuckers! Oh, my God. Huge piles of redundant protoplasm, lumbering through the malls like a fleet of interstate buses. The people in this country are immense. Massive bellies, monstrous thighs, and big fat fucking asses! Next time you're in the vicinity of one of these creatures, stand there for a minute and observe. And if you stand there for a minute you'll begin to wonder, "How does this woman take a shit?" How does she shit? And more frightening still, how does she wipe her ass? Can she even locate her asshole? She must require assistance. Are paramedics trained in this field?

Unfortunately, Carlin died on June 22, 2008,  of heart failure at age 71. His death occurred one week after his last performance at The Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. He is a legend among the comedic community and credited as an inspiration for a lot of comedians.s

Oh man, we are off to a bright start, but it really does throw some things into perspective about our daily interactions and moments of conscious attention. Are we consciously aware of the direction our society and culture are traveling based on the macro nature of the decisions we make on a daily basis ourselves?

Bill Hicks

 (16 December 1961 – 26 February 1994) was an American stand-up comedian, satirist and social critic. He had tremendously dark overtones to his comedy but he is a legend for a reason. Both incredibly funny, as well as insightful. An intelligent comedian quoting the likes of Noam Chomsky in his bits. He made quite a few statements regarding culture, drugs, and life in general, that are still quoted frequently today. Known as the dark poet of comedy Hicks had a special skill of taking his incredibley dark personality and turning it into comedic gold. Forever to be remembered as one of the best in history. 

Culture

• You know I've noticed a certain anti-intellectualism going around this country ever since around 1980, coincidentally enough. I was in Nashville, Tennessee last weekend and after the show I went to a waffle house and I'm sitting there and I'm eating and reading a book. I don't know anybody, I'm alone, I'm eating and I'm reading a book. This waitress comes over to me (mocks chewing gum) 'what you readin' for?'...wow, I've never been asked that; not 'What am I reading', 'What am I reading for?' Well, goddamnit, you stumped me...I guess I read for a lot of reasons — the main one is so I don't end up being a fuckin' waffle waitress. Yeah, that would be pretty high on the list. Then this trucker in the booth next to me gets up, stands over me and says [mocks Southern drawl] 'Well, looks like we got ourselves a readah'...aahh, what the fuck's goin' on? It's like I walked into a Klan rally in a Boy George costume or something. Am I stepping out of some intellectual closet here? I read, there I said it. I feel better.

Drugs

• Wouldn't you like to see a positive LSD story on the news? To base your decision on information rather than scare tactics and superstition? Perhaps? Wouldn't that be interesting? Just for once?

  "Today, a young man on acid realized that all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration – that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively. There is no such thing as death, life is only a dream, and we are the imagination of ourselves. Here's Tom with the weather."

• Why is marijuana against the law? It grows naturally on our planet, serves a thousand different functions, all of them positive. To make marijuana against the law is like saying that God made a mistake. Like on the seventh day God looked down, "There it is. My Creation, perfect and holy in all ways. Now I can rest. [Gives shocked expression] Oh my Me! I left fuckin' pot everywhere. I should never have smoked that joint on the third day. Hehe, that was the day I created the possum. Still gives me a chuckle. But if I leave pot everywhere, that's gonna give people the impression they're supposed to … use it. Now I have to create Republicans." " … and God wept", I believe is the next part of that story.
• You see, I think drugs have done some good things for us. I really do. And if you don't believe drugs have done good things for us, do me a favor. Go home tonight. Take all your albums, all your tapes and all your CDs and burn them. 'Cause you know what, the musicians that made all that great music that's enhanced your lives throughout the years were rrreal fucking high on drugs. The Beatles were so fucking high they let Ringo sing a few tunes.
• I think it's interesting the two drugs that are legal, alcohol and cigarettes, two drugs that do absolutely nothing for you at all, are legal, and the drugs that might open your mind up to realize how badly you're being fucked every day of your life? Those drugs are against the law. He-heh, coincidence? See, I'm glad mushrooms are against the law, 'cause I took 'em one time, and you know what happened to me? I laid in a field of green grass for four hours going, "My God! I love everything." Yeah, Now, if that isn't a hazard to our country... how are we gonna justify arms dealing if we know we're all one?!

Life

• They proved that if you quit smoking, it will prolong your life. What they haven't proved is that a prolonged life is a good thing. I haven't seen the stats on that yet.
• They say rock and roll are the Devil's music. Well, let's say that it is - I've got news for ya - let's say that rock and roll is the Devil's music and we know it for a fact to be absolutely unequivocally true... boy, at least he fuckin' jams! AHAHAHAHAHA - okay? Did you hear that correctly? If it's a choice between eternal Hell and good tunes or eternal Heaven and New Kids on the fuckin' Block? I'm gonna be surfing on the lake of fire, rockin' out! High fiving Satan every time I pass him on the fucking shore. Because, you know, if you play New Kids on the Block albums backward, they sound better, you know. "Oh come on Bill, they're the New Kids! Don't pick on them; they're so good, they're so clean cut and they're such a good image for our children!" Fuck that. When did mediocrity and banality become a good image for your children? I want my children to listen to people who fuckin' ROCKED! I don't care if they died in a puddle of their own VOMIT, I WANT SOMEONE WHO PLAYS FROM HIS FUCKIN' HEART! "Mommy! Mommy! The man Bill told me to listen to has a blood bubble on his nose" SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO HIM PLAY. "The New Kids! Hi, we're the New Kids! We're so good and clean cu- [strange, loud satanic noises] We're so clean cut - SIEG HEIL! HEIL! HEIL! - A good clean country - HEIL! HEIL HEIL! [more satanic noises] FUCK THAT, I WANT MY ROCKSTARS DEAD!!! I want them to fucking play with one hand and put a gun in their other fucking hand and go "Hope you enjoyed the show!" [mimics gunshot to the head] YEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSS!!! YEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!! PLAY FROM YOUR FUCKING HEAAAAARRRRRRRT! Ahem, I am available for children's parties by the way.

Bill Hick's Passing

After being diagnosed with cancer, Hicks would often joke that any given performance would be his last. The public, however, was unaware of Hicks's condition. Only a few close friends and family members knew of his disease. Hicks performed the final show of his career at Caroline's in New York on January 6, 1994. He moved back to his parents' house in Little Rock, Arkansas, shortly thereafter. He called his friends to say goodbye before he stopped speaking on February 14.He died of pancreatic cancer on Saturday, February 26, 1994 in Little Rock at the age of 32. Hicks was buried in the family plot in Magnolia Cemetery, Leakesville, Mississippi. 

The last letter he wrote reads. 

Joe Rogan

 born August 11, 1967) is an American podcaster, sports commentator, and stand up comedian. Joe's owns a self-titled podcast the Joe Rogan Experience. addressed here 5 Most Inspirational Guests from the Joe Rogan Experience.  The man that leaves no stone unturned. From the exploration of astrophysics with the likes of Neil Degrasse Tyson or Laurence Krauss, development of neural network capability, or ED pills Joe Rogan has no filter on what can or should be covered. An amazingly insightful speaker, observer of society, a titan in the personal development world. Being a comedian for quite some time, it's no surprise his comedy has had some quite insightful moments. 

Society

• Here's the craziest thing about life. This is the thing that nobody really considers: You know as much about what life is all about as anybody who's ever lived, ever. That's the craziest thing about us. We're all just kinda wandering through this, going, "You know what you're doing?" "Yes" "Oh, I do, too. I know what I'm doing." "Okay. Good, then." But really no one has a fucking clue.

Religion

• I was raised Catholic. That's why I don't take religion too seriously.
• I personally think confession was just someone's idea of a sick joke. One dude came up with it, then he died, and he forgot to tell everyone he was only fuckin' around. Think about the idea of confession...You take a guy who's not allowed to masturbate, or have sex, ever, then you make him wear a costume, then he has to sit in a dark booth, and listen to fuck stories whispered through a hole in the wall!

Evolution

• “We’re all in this, like, a constant wrestling match with biology, and the reality of our environment, and the utter ridiculousness of the fucking universe. The whole thing. It’s constantly weighing on you. When I drive home, every fucking time I drive anywhere, at some point in the drive, I’ll roll down the window…and I look up, and I just want to see forever. And I just want to stick my fucking head out, and know that, that this goes on forever, right from here, forever, little perspective shot. Boom. Roll the window back up. None of it makes sense! It's all crazy! And if you’re really paying attention to the whole thing, and pretending that everything’s moving along fine and I’m in this temporary body, with no idea of what’s next, but, that’s okay, I’m gonna raise a bunch of other temporary beings, and we’re gonna fucking drive around, and spend money, which doesn’t even mean anything, because it’s based on confidence, and it’s just ones and zeroes in a databank somewhere, and hopefully no one’s manipulating it! I want to get what I earn! And you just keep going ‘til your fucking heart stops.
• You're sort of programmed a certain way because of your environment. That's all you know. But we don't have that anymore because of the internet. Because of the internet, we're all communicating with each other all across the board, so you're getting information from people all around the world, hitting a much more diverse slice of culture.

Thankfully, Joe Rogan is still living. In fact, he is getting things done at a crazy rate. His Podcast just wrapped up episode #829 (Check it out) An active Martial Artist and sponsor for Onnit. 

Russell Brand  

June 4, 1975, in Grays, England) is an English stand-up comedian, radio DJ, television presenter, newspaper columnist, and sometimes actor. Known for being quite a controversial figure in his early days he has come in and out of the spotlight. Starting from a low point and dark place Brand, was a self-admitted drug addict and sex addict. Now seen as an underdog success story (for good reason) Brand speaks regarding spirituality, government, culture, and enlightenment. A truly refreshing force to see in the eyes of those searching for a higher point to aspire to. His comedy is a bit harder to categorize so I thought it more realistic to allow you to process them yourself. 

• Some people, I think they're called racists, say America is not ready for a black president. But, I know America to be a forward-thinking country, right, because otherwise, you know, would you have let that retarded cowboy fella be president for eight years? We were very impressed. We thought it was nice of you to let him have a go, because, in England, he wouldn't be trusted with a pair of scissors.

• More from acute, awareness of Instant Karma's immediate sting than morality, I have learned to treat people apparently lacking power with cordiality.
• There is a relationship between government, media, and industry that is evident even at this most spurious and superficial level. These three institutions support one another. We know that however cool a media outlet may purport to be, their primary loyalty is to their corporate backers. We know also that you cannot criticize the corporate backers openly without censorship and subsequent manipulation of this information.
• Aren’t we all, in one way or another, trying to find a solution to the problem of reality? If I get this job, this girl, this guy, these shoes. If I pass this exam, eat this pizza, drink this booze, go on this holiday. Learn karate, learn yoga. If West Ham stays up, if my dick stays up, if I get more likes on Facebook, more fancy cookbooks, a better kitchen, cure this itchin’, if she stops bitching. Isn’t there always some kind of condition to contentment? Isn’t it always placed in the future, wrapped up in some object, either physical or ideological? I know for me it is, and as an addict that always leads me to excess and then to trouble. Do you feel like that? Are you looking for something? It’s not just me, is it? Do you sometimes feel afraid, self-conscious, lonely, not good enough? I mean, you’re reading this, so you must want to change something. Don’t leave me out on a limb, all vulnerable and exposed. Are you reading this on a yacht, through your Ray-Bans with, I dunno, a pair of glistening Russian sisters and a gob oozing with lobster juice as the sun shines down on you and the sisters smile up at you? And even if you are, especially if you are, is it working, behind the salty tang and priapic pang, is it real, is it real, is it like God is holding your hand?
• The idea that voting is pointless, democracy a façade, and that no one is representing ordinary people is more resonant than ever as I leave my ordinary town behind. Amidst the guilt and anger I feel in the back of the Führer-mobile, there is hope. Whilst it’s clear that on an individual, a communal, and global level that radical change is necessary, I feel a powerful, transcendent optimism. I know change is possible, I know there is an alternative because I live a completely different life to the one I was born with. I also know that the solution is not fame or money or any transient adornment of the individual. The only Revolution that can really change the world is the one in your own consciousness, and mine has already begun.

• When people are content, they are difficult to maneuver. We are perennially discontent and offered placebos as remedies. My intention in writing this book is to make you feel better, to offer you a solution to the way you feel. I am confident that this is necessary. When do you ever meet people that are happy? Genuinely happy? Only children, the mentally ill, and daytime television presenters. My belief is that it is possible to feel happier because I feel better than I used to. I am beginning to understand where the solution lies, primarily because of an exhausting process of trial and mostly error. My qualification to write a book on how to change yourself and change the world is not that I’m better than you, it’s that I’m worse. Not that I’m smarter, but that I’m dumber: I bought the lie hook, line, and sinker. My only quality has been an unwitting momentum, a willingness to wade through the static dissatisfaction that has been piped into my mind from the moment I learned the language. What if that feeling of inadequacy, isolation, and anxiety isn’t just me? What if it isn’t internally engineered but the result of concerted effort, the product of a transmission? An ongoing broadcast from the power that has colonized my mind? Who is it in here, inside your mind, reading these words, feeling that fear? Is there an awareness, an exempt presence, gleaming behind the waterfall of words that commentate on every event, label every object, judge everyone you come into contact with? And is there another way to feel? Is it possible to be in this world and feel another way? Can you conceive, even for a moment, of a species similar to us but a little more evolved, that has transcended the idea that solutions to the way we feel can be externally acquired? What would that look like? How would that feel—to be liberated from the bureaucracy of managing your recalcitrant mind. Is it possible that there is a conspiracy to make us feel this way?

• In secondary immigration, as I await processing, I sit with people for whom I imagine the experience is less of a novelty. To be blunt, non-white people. Mexican and Arabian people, mostly—I assume, I don’t look at their passports; they don’t have them, they’re behind the desks, with the border police, equally trapped and obese, behind the counter, often the same color as the people they’re casually harassing. “Who does this notion of nation most suit,” I wonder as I sit there, unable to use my phone. Proper rich people don’t encounter these rooms, these borders, these problems. For them, the world is as it is when seen from space, without boundary, without limitation, full of fluid possibility and whispering wonder.

• I’m aware that now, due to my good fortune, I am a member of the 1 percent. That now I am a tourist in poverty when on occasion I’ve found myself in cuffs or in cells or cowed by authority, I know I can afford lawyers, I know I am privileged now. I know too with each word I type I am building a bridge of words that leads me back to the poverty I’ve come from, that by decrying this inequality, I will have to relinquish the benefits that this system has given me. I’d be lying if I said that didn’t frighten me.

  Anyone who’s been poor and gets rich is stalked by guilt and fear. Guilt because you know it isn’t fair, that life hasn’t changed for everyone, and fear because you feel like a fraud, that one day there’ll be a knock on the door or a tap on the shoulder or a smack in the mouth and they’ll take it back. It’s not like I’m gonna pay voluntary tax to our corrupt government, as suggested by that honey-glazed chump Boris Johnson; donations aren’t the answer, especially not to that cartel of Etonian skanks. Systemic change on a global scale is what’s required, and because I know that is happening, that it is inevitable, that we are awakening, I will, when I know how, sever the gilded chains. “Oh, yeah, mate? When?” you could crow with legitimate suspicion. Well, I suppose, like every aspect of this project, we’ll work that out together.

• The women sway and jump and shriek. Whilst this is all almost entirely foreign, there is something familiar, like a place in your mouth where food always gets caught. Something I recognize. It is orgiastic. This Christianity with a voodoo twist is on the brink of Dionysian breakdown. Through this ritual, I see the root of ritual. The exorcising of the primal, the men engorged, enraged, the women serpentine and lithe. Only the child excluded. I get on my knees, which a few other people are doing, out of respect but also because I’m beginning to sense that it’s only a matter of time before I’m ushered to the front. I’ve not been taught how to be religious. Religious studies at school don't even begin to cover it. There the world’s greatest faiths and the universe’s swirling mysteries are recited like bus timetables. No teacher of RE ever said to me: “Beyond the limited realm of the senses, the shallow pool of the known, is a great untamable ocean, and we don’t have a fucking clue what goes on in there.” What we receive through sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch is all we know. We have tools that can enhance that information, we have theories for things that we suspect lie beyond that information, filtered through an apparatus limited once more to those senses. Those senses are limited; the light range we detect is within a narrow spectrum, between infrared light and ultraviolet light; other species see the light that we can’t see. In the auditory realm, we hear but a fraction of the sound vibrations; we don’t hear high-pitched frequencies, like dog whistles, and we don’t hear low frequencies like whale song. The world is awash with colors unseen and abuzz with unheard frequencies. Undetected and disregarded. The wise have always known that these inaccessible realms, these dimensions that cannot be breached by our beautifully blunt senses, hold the very codes to our existence, the invisible, electromagnetic foundations upon which our gross reality clumsily rests. Expressible only through symbol and story, as it can never be known by the innocent mind. The stories are formulas, poems, tools for reflection through which we may access the realm behind the thinking mind, the consciousness beyond knowing and known, the awareness that is not connected to the haphazard data of biography. The awareness that is not prickled and tugged by capricious emotion. The awareness that is aware that it is aware. In meditation I access it; in yoga, I feel it; on drugs it hit me like a hammer—at sixteen, staring into a bathroom mirror on LSD, contrary to instruction (“Don’t look in the mirror, Russ, it’ll fuck your head up.” Mental note: “Look in the mirror.”). I saw that my face wasn’t my face at all but a face that I lived behind and was welded to by a billion nerves. I looked into my eyes and saw that there was something looking back at me that was not me, not what I’d taken to be me. The unrefined ocean beyond the shallow pool was cascading through the mirror back at me. Nature looking at nature. Not me, little ol’ Russ, tossed about on turbulent seas; these distinctions were engineered. On acid, these realizations are absolute. The disobedient brain is whipped into its basket like a yapping hound cowed by Cesar Millan.

• Science requires faith, the way religion does. Science requires acceptance of metaphor, just the way religion does. “Does science cause wars, the way religion does?” you might ask. I would say those conflicts are actually about territory, either ideological or physical and that those ideas are materialistic in the same way science is—and the weapons with which those wars are fought, who create those?
• We receive data through five portals, five windows; the house of human consciousness has but five windows. Do you imagine that we will ever perceive all through these five windows? Do you imagine that that which is most important can ever be seen? How do you describe the most important things that have ever happened to you? The moment you knew you loved her: Can you reassemble that magnetic pull with the Lego of light and language? The moment you heard he’d died—can you define it, calcify it, crystallize it, make it live again, or is it at best a kind of taxidermy that language can provide? A stuffed dead effigy with cold unseeing eyes. And Jupiter revolves. And the moon watches, the moon you saw as a child, the moon that hung in the sky when Christ was crucified, the crescent moon, like a tear in heaven as the Prophet heard Allah.
• The only meaningful interpretation of any religious teaching is to honor the divine within ourselves and love the divine in one another.
• When I was an atheist it was because I rejected authority, and why not reject the supreme authority of God, particularly that boring fucker on Songs of Praise. I could reject him with the unsentimental dispatch of a clipped toenail. When I got clean from drugs and alcohol, I saw that the way I’d always seen the world was limited. It will always be limited. By yielding authority to a benign power, I found a key to transcend previous limitations. Modest limitations, like being unable to survive without the use of drugs and alcohol. Until the time when I got clean, I’d had little experience of loving, powerful authority. Authority had only been corrupt or inefficient in my experience.

Patrice O'Neal  

(December 7, 1969 – November 29, 2011), was an American stand-up comedian, radio personality, a Respected stand-up comedian known for his uncompromising and fearless style of comedy. He was a cast member on Comedy Central's Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn. Comedy Central aired his only hour-long special, Elephant in the Room, in 2011. He was known for his lack of holding back from releasing his opinion. Sometimes controversial, always funny. 

• I watched the Bin Laden thing, and you know, there's what's called the "conspiracy nuts" and whatever, and the thing that gets me is that when there is one little question, that makes you go, "what?" That we don't galvanize and say, "no, no, no, you're not allowed to say anything else until we cover this. Give me a straight answer, because flushing Bin Laden down the ocean, like he's cocaine, from The Goodfellas, it doesn't prove anything." You know, somebody like (Sean) Hannity would make me sound like a complete idiot if I went on his show and went, "he flushed him down the fucking ocean!" But, it's just, you go, "there's nothing that makes you go, what?
• But the troops are an entity that just follows orders. It's not about individuals or people. So when I say "I don't support the troops" I'm saying I don't support the bankers and politicians who are making them do what they do.
• (on the entertainment business): This business is the best and it eats everybody and shits them out. But here's what's funny about the beast: it's a never-ending line of people who want to get in the mouth and get chewed up and shit out. It's because, when you get in the belly, you get $2 million a week. And when you get shit out, you're a pile back there. And you have the option to wait to get back in line, and wait to go get back in the beast, and get eaten and shit out! And we line up! And I didn't even get to the beast yet. 20 years! See, when the beast picks you up, to put you in its' mouth, you shinin'. People see you. Sometimes, see what "15 minutes of fame" is, when the beast throws somebody down, they, that was reality (show) people. This one was an athlete that had one good year. And you throw him down. Now, you see, "ooh, that looks like a delicious young thing there." Eat, chew. That's why I love Charlie Sheen so much: he was in the belly. When you making $2 million a week doing anything, you're in the absolute belly, and for that fucker to betray his position in the business, to actually give the beast indigestion, was spectacular. He was a martyr. And Mel Gibson, too! He could have been the best, he was so big. And they turned on him, you know what I'm saying? So, anybody that gets that deep and turns on the beast, man, you've got to root for him, no matter what, because they're martyrs because no one's going to stand up for them. And then, Hollywood, they tell you who to hate. Like when they rose up against him, to not be on The Hangover 2. The movie was about trannies, people getting fucked in the ass, drugs, death, and Mike Tyson, who got a rape conviction. And you motherfuckers decide to gang up on Mel Gibson? He can't play a tattoo artist in The Hangover 2?! It's not hypocrisy because that's a human thing. It's something else."

Regardless of your ideological, political, or socioeconomic position some of these jokes and statements should have definitely struck a nerve. These were just 5 of the many comedians that deserve credit for bringing us a good dose of reality in a healthy way, so there will be many more features in the future. 

If you liked this article check out 5 Most Inspirational Guests from the Joe Rogan Experience

-OR- Human-Pig Hybrid Created in Lab

The Joe Rogan Experience is a free audio and video talk podcast hosted by American comedian, actor, sports commentator, and television host Joe Rogan. The podcast was launched on December 24, 2009 by Rogan and his friend Brian Redban who also produced and co-hosted. Its episodes number almost one thousand and it has become one of the United States' most popular podcasts.For good reason, it features guests from nearly every field imaginable. From people that sell sex toys for a living, to astrophysicists. The Joe Rogan Experience is a heavyweight in the podcast world due to the quality of the content and discussion that is featured Joe Rogan's  philosophy to stick to the most relevant applicable facts and to bring them to the forefront of our attention might be one of the most successful in history. From brain bending explanations of time-space to tear-jerking moments of the human spirit triumph it's no wonder why. 

Joseph  Rogan is an American stand-up comedian, color commentator, podcast host, and retired martial artist. A fan of comedy since his youth, Rogan began a career in stand-up in August 1988 in the Boston area, developing a blue comedy act. He moved to New York City two years later.

After relocating to Los Angeles in 1994, Rogan signed an exclusive developmental deal with Disney, appeared as an actor on the television sitcoms Hardball and NewsRadio, and worked in local comedy clubs. In 1997, he started working for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as an interviewer and color commentator since 2002. Rogan released his first comedy special in 2000, and has since produced seven other specials. From 2001, he has been the host of several television shows, including Fear Factor, The Man Show, and Joe Rogan Questions Everything.

In 2009, Rogan launched his podcast The Joe Rogan Experience which has become one of the most popular podcasts available; in October 2015, it was downloaded 16 million times a month. Rogan is also an advocate of the legalization of cannabis, hunting, and overall physical and mental well-being. Rogan highlights everything from historical literature to modern statistics from Pornhub. He is embraced by his fans from his no censorship no bullshit approach to the facts. One way or another Joe Rogan stands as a heavy hitter in the media world himself. But, the Joe Rogan Experience wouldn't be what it is without the amazing guests he features. I think some of the most that stand out have been some of the most inspirational. To bring that inspiration your way I have gathered 5 of the most inspiraional guests and some clips from their podcast. 

Justin Wren

On Episode #826 of Joe Rogan Experience, Justin Wren outlines some landmark moments in his life, quite frankly they are tear jerking. Justin Wren is a professional cage fighter with Bellator MMA. Not a guy you would imagine to be bullied growing up. (Joe even questions it when he brings it up.)  He begins to outline stories around his teenage life, excruciating stories of being bullied. From being tricked for public display to being told to commit suicide. As a self-proclaimed over-weight kid, this was devastating to his self-confidence and ultimately led to suicidal thoughts. He says he struggled with these thoughts for a good part of 10 years. Believing he didn't deserve to be happy because somehow, he was flawed. One story of him asking a girl to homecoming is particularly rough. He asks a girl to homecoming, and she agrees. At the homecoming game, his bully grabs his date and walks away saying, "Did you think she would go with someone like you?" Immediately following the story he recants that he had thought "If I commit suicide, how would this impact my mom?"

Justin continues on to tell the story of his development, refusing to give into the thoughts of weakness and being flawed. He decided he wanted to stand up for those in the world that need it. From bullying victims to most notably Fight for the Forgotten.  

Fight For The Forgotten is a non-profit making life-altering impact in the remote parts of the Congo jungle. They are working to free the Mbuti Pygmy people from slavery and then develop sustainability. They travel to regions of Africa to aid native people in drilling water wells. Rather than just establishing the well, the aid the locals of the area. (teach a man to fish) The heart of FFTF is to radically love the unloved!

Talk about an inspiration for those that feel helpless. One of my all time favorite Joe Rogan Guests for good reason. If you'd like to get invloved with Fight For the Forgotten you can find their website here. 

https://www.water4.org/fightfortheforgotten

Henry Rollins

 Better known by his stage name Henry Rollins, is an American musician, actor, writer, television and radio host, and comedian. He hosts a weekly radio show on KCRW, and is a regular columnist for LA Weekly and Rolling Stone Australia

After performing in the short-lived Washington, D.C. band State of Alert in 1980, Rollins fronted the California hardcore punk band Black Flag from August 1981 until mid-1986. Following the band's breakup, Rollins established the record label and publishing company 2.13.61 to release his spoken word albums, and formed the Rollins Band, which toured with a number of lineups from 1987 until 2003, and during 2006.

Since Black Flag disbanded, Rollins has hosted numerous radio shows, such as Harmony in My Head on Indie 103, and television shows such as The Henry Rollins Show, MTV's 120 Minutes, and Jackass. He had recurring dramatic roles in the second season of Sons of Anarchy, in the final seasons of the animated series The Legend of Korra as Zaheer, and has also had roles in several films. Rollins has campaigned for various political causes in the United States, including promoting LGBT rights, World Hunger Relief, the West Memphis Three and an end to war in particular.

As of 2013, Rollins is the host of the educational history television series 10 Things You Don't Know About, joining the show for its second and third seasons.

In this episode they discuss quite a wide range of topics, a few definitely stand out. From being the literal poster boy for Ritalin. (He was the first child put under clinical trials due to his mom being a researcher. Due to this he is Straight Edge. Straight edge is a culture that abstains from drugs, alcohol, promiscuity, and all forms of drug use. Rollins takes on a "no bullshit, no excuses" mentality. From working 14-16 hours a day well into his 50's (even having his manager create fake tasks to keep him busy)  to traveling the world with no excuses. The man picks a location on a map and travels wherever it may be. One of the most notable trips he discusses is going to North Korea and nearly being a prisoner of the state. Rolins takes on a badass approach to life ceasing to quit. For that he has to be one of the most inspirational guests of all time. 

Wim Hoff

The Iceman's website https://www.wimhofmethod.com/pages/the-wimhofmethod

Wim Hof is a Dutch daredevil, commonly nicknamed "The Iceman" for his ability to withstand extreme cold,[1] which he attributes to exposure to cold, meditation and breathing techniques (similar to the Tibetan technique Tummo).

Wim Hof has set out to spread the potential health benefits of his breathing techniques, working closely with scientists around the world to prove that his techniques work.[3]

A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America claims that by consciously hyperventilating, Wim can increase his heart rate, adrenaline levels, and blood alkalinity.

Breaking multiple world records to prove his astounding claims, he has been submerged in ice, put on top a snowy mountain barefoot and shirtless. 

His website defines his mission as this. 

"What is the Wim Hof Method?

The Wim Hof Method is a method that combines specific breathing techniques, cold exposure, and mind-set techniques, coupled with physical exercise. It has been developed over the sum of thirty years by Wim Hof, who has taught and developed these in nature. It's a natural method to improve health and well-being.

What is the mission of Innerfire?

To empower people, to raise consciousness and to give people tools through a natural method to show them that they can do more than what they think they could to become strong, happy and healthy.

Why was Innerfire created? 

Innerfire was created to spread the message of Wim Hof in order for everyone to benefit from the techniques part of the Wim Hof Method. "

With a message like defying the laws of biology, and inspiring others to believe in their own capability. It's easy to see why someone like Wim Hof has to be one of the most inspirational guests on the Joe Rogan Experience. 

Aubrey Marcus

Aubrey Marcus has appeared on the Podcast multiple times. (i think 4) but this is the most recent visit.

AUBREY MARCUS FOUNDED ONNIT IN 2010
as a nutritional supplements brand based on a holistic health philosophy he calls Total Human Optimization. Aubrey Marcus has since grown Onnit into an industry leader, providing innovative peak performance supplements, foods, fitness equipment, and apparel.

INSPIRED BY HIS LIFELONG EXPERIENCE
as a multi-sport athlete — as well as his background in ancient philosophy — his goal was to create a company that empowered people to achieve their fullest human potential. (Sound Familiar?)  With the launch of the firm’s flagship supplement Alpha BRAIN in 2011, Onnit was born.

In addition to the range of products offered on Onnit.com, Onnit is sole owner of Black Swan Yoga, four time winner of the Best Yoga in Austin. Austin is also home to the Onnit Academy Gym, featuring DeFranco's Gym and 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu at the Onnit Academy.

Aubrey is currently the host of two celebrated podcasts: Aubrey Marcus Podcast and the Total Human Optimization. He regularly makes appearances on a variety of media outlets, including the Joe Rogan Experience, The Jason Ellis Show, Dr. Oz, The Doctors, and Entrepreneur.

Aubrey is generally a very insightful motivational guest on JRE. Marcus' has a way of creating a conversation with the Joe that cut's through the chafe and gets to the heart of human potential. Aubrey has a tendancy to find the ancient philosophical application of discussion, from historical texts outlining the concepts of development of human spirit to discussing the reaches of human potential in the wild. This episode features an extreme story featuring Aubrey bear hunting and having a harsh realization of the world we live in. 

Duncan Trussell

Duncan Trussell is a stand-up comedian, podcaster, writer, and actor.He has written and appeared in sketches for two seasons of Fuel TV's Stupidface, Showtime's La La Land, Comedy Central's Nick Swardson's Pretend Time, and both seasons of HBO's Funny or Die Presents. He was featured in two episodes of the Funny or Die web series Drunk History titled "Tesla & Edison" and "Great Escape".

His television credits include MADtv and Curb Your Enthusiasm. He is the host of Thunderbrain, a comedy science pilot he is developing with Comedy Central. He co-hosted The Lavender Hour podcast with Natasha Leggero through January 2012. Duncan now hosts his own podcast, The Duncan Trussell Family Hour. 

The Duncan Trussell Family Hour is a project where Trussell invites guests to free conversation for about an hour per episode. Among the guests that have been featured are Joe Rogan, Ram Dass, Tim Ferriss, Lou Barlow, Bert Kreischer, Alex Grey, Rick Doblin, Natasha Leggero, Graham Hancock, Abby Martin, Dr Drew, Daniele Bolelli and Christopher Ryan.

Trussell is one of my favorite Joe Rogan guests of all time, he is a close friend of Joe's and appears to be one of his favorite guests as well. (He's been on the show 6 times)  Episode #863 is the most recent episode featuring Duncan and it get's deep into philosophy and theoretical applications quickly. Trussell has a tendency to have a top down perspective on self-awareness and the human potential. Referencing everything from the emerald tablet to Sun Tzu, in this episode, in particular, Joe and Duncan address the ideas of self-mastery. The idea that we are in control of our thoughts and the idea that our modern era has negatively conditioned and impacted us from fully understanding the true self. Trussell discusses the idea of the higher self, and higher voice to demonstrate the idea that many people are not living the lives they feel they should. Health and exercise are other topics on this episode.Duncan discusses negative thought models often developed in the pursuit of personal development. The pursuit up from the base of the mountain being an intimidating factor in a lot of circumstances, Duncan simplifies it like this "No matter the circumstance, every day you have another opportunity. That opportunity is to either improve, stagnate, or get worse, as long as you are actively making a decision to improve, you will always be better than the day before"

Needless to say, Duncan Trussell has to be one of the most inspirational JRE guests, with six previous episodes on his record, I'm sure we will be seeing a lot more of him in the future. 

I know that's a long video, (Which Joe Rogan Experience isn't?) But I think it points out a lot of important aspects in this conversation that need attention. To begin it's important to address who Sam Harris is, and his expertise on this topic. 

Harris is a proponent of secular meditation practices adopted from Buddhism (especially Vipassana), has devoted two years of his life to silent practice in India. He has also praised Advaita Vedanta and Dzogchen, as "they contain empirical insights about the nature of consciousness that do not depend upon faith." He is the co-founder and chief executive of Project Reason, a nonprofit organization that promotes science and secularism, and host of the Waking Up podcast. 

Harris has written articles for The Huffington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Newsweek, and the scientific journal Nature. His articles discuss topics including religion, morality, neuroscience, free will, terrorism, and self-defense. He regularly gives talks around the United States and the United Kingdom, including two speeches at TED, where he has outlined arguments made in his book The Moral Landscape and, more recently, his thoughts concerning the potential dangers of super intelligent AI. Harris has made numerous television appearances and has appeared in the documentary films The God Who Wasn't There(2005) and The Unbelievers (2013).

Building on his interests in belief and religion, Harris completed a PhD in cognitive neuroscience at UCLA He used fMRI to explore whether the brain responses differ between sentences that subjects judged as true, false, or undecidable, across a wide range of categories including autobiographical, mathematical, geographical, religious, ethical, semantic, and factual statements.

Needless to say, if you need a skeptic Sam Harris is your man. He will go to the end of the earth to verify facts. Which might be what makes some of his thoughts on AI so concerning. In Episode #804 of the Joe Rogan Experience Sam and Joe begin discussing the idea that technology itself might be a species we are essentially birthing. There a few problematic factors in play when it comes to Super Intelligent self-actualizing computers. Namely, that it would be able to develop itself much more quickly than we are. Essentially due to processing power (The fact that a computer can multitask on a level far beyond what we are capable of), a computer capable of self-editing grows at a rate 1 Million to 1 our rate. In no time it is conceivable that we would not be able to understand, nor slow down the computer. In one week our time, our current AI can process 20,000 years worth of information.

One problem Sam suggests is that this sounds like such a crazy sci-fi novel that it is being overlooked. Most people assume that this technology is far into the future, although it is happening now.  Another problem then comes into question. With the capability to process millennia of information in no time, who should be appointed to have control of something of this magnitude? It could have universally impacting ramifications. If it intended for the betterment of the planet and the species contained within it (not just the human species) it could mean unfathomable things for our potential. Unfortunately, in the past this sort of thing hasn't happened too often, so another outcome is more probable. Personal gain: a tremendous driving factor in the human psyche, a one up on the competition which seems all too apparent in our current political landscape. Sam Harris and Joe Rogan aren't alone in thinking this. 

Tesla Inc. chief executive officer Elon Musk warned a bipartisan gathering of U.S. governors on Saturday that government regulation of artificial intelligence is needed because it’s a “fundamental risk to the existence of human civilization.”

Musk spoke broadly about solar energy, space travel, self-driving cars and other emerging technology during a question-and-answer session at the summer conference of the National Governors Association in Rhode Island.

Allowing manufacturer-to-consumer sales also came up in meetings between Mr. Musk and two other governors – the conference’s host, Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo, and Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy. Representatives for the two Democrats confirmed they had private meetings with Mr. Musk and the topic came up.

Musk did speak about regulation generally – and reiterated his long-held argument that it is needed soon to protect humanity from being outsmarted by computers, or “deep intelligence in the network” that can start wars by manipulating information.

Pressed for more , guidance by Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, and Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, a Republican, Mr. Musk said the first step is for the government to get a better understanding of the fast-moving achievements in developing artificial-intelligence technology.To recognize that this is becoming an ever-present reality in this day and age. Coming from the guy building rockets in an attempt to take humans to Mars. $15.6 billion dollars made in technology, pretty monumental opinion right?

“Once there is awareness, people will be extremely afraid, as they should be,” Musk said.

Elon Musk has a few ideas that sound oddly familiar in comparison to Sam Harris. One major concern surrounding AI being the controlling force behind the technology. If we have the capabiiity to process a library's worth of information in a few seconds, what does it mean for the country or campaign behind it. Would it revolutionize the global economy? Could it aid us in reaching different planets? Is there some facet of self-correcting super computers we can use to improve our aerodynamic capability or potential to travel?

Coming from a billionaire, philanthropist, space exploring force like Elon, it gets a bit more steam. 

So what recent examples of AI do we have?

That is an AI computer designed to create the most aerodynamic chassis of a drone possible. Before designing your drone body style, you enter a few constraints based on preferences. would you like a tri-legged chassis? An extra long extension for cameras? Enter any of your preferences and the computer will crunch the physics an design the most efficient body style to match your criteria. In a funny "coincidence" the most efficient drone body matches the pelvis of a flying squirrel. 

Go Grand Master  

Go, most popular in countries such as China, South Korea, and Japan, involves two contestants moving black and white stones across a square grid, aiming to seize the most territory. Its origins date back thousands of years.

The board game is favored by AI researchers because of a large number of outcomes compared to other games such as western chess. According to Google, there are more potential positions in a Go game than atoms in the universe. An absolutely astounding number. An infinity beyond infinity, which is part of the reason that this computer is playing on legendary. With the capability to process million of moves in if-then sequences much more effectively than even Kim Peek.

AlphaGo made history when it beat a top South Korean professional player last year. In the fifth and final game in the Go challenge between Google's algorithm AlphaGo and world Go champion Lee Se-dol. The algorithm beat Se-dol in four out of five games, with Se-dol clawing back only in Game 4. The final game was tight until the very end, with commentators unable to call out the lead for any one player.

Game over! Google program wins series against Go champion in victory for AI

In the post-match conference, Se-dol said: "After my experience with AlphaGo, I have come to question the classical beliefs a little bit, so I have more study to do."

The breakthrough is seen as a watershed moment for artificial intelligence, a milestone potentially more significant than IBM defeating the world champion Gary Kasparov at chess in 1997. Go takes a lifetime to master and unlike chess, a computer cannot play by simply assessing all possible moves but must rely on something akin to intuition.

The AlphaGo program, which uses algorithms, has practiced by analyzing data from 100,000 professional human games and playing itself some 30 million times.

After 33-year-old Korean Se-dol, who has been a professional Go player since the age of 12, and won 18 international titles lost the very first game to AlphaGo, he admitted he was "shocked."

Alice: “Balls have zero to me to me to me to me to me to me to me to me to.”

To you and I, that passage looks like nonsense. But what if I told you this nonsense was the discussion of what might be the most sophisticated negotiation software on the planet? Negotiation software that had learned, and evolved, to get the best deal possible with more speed and efficiency–and perhaps, hidden nuance–than you or I ever could? Because it is. As mentioned previously, computers have the capability to process information in multiple channels at one time. Think multi-tasking meets the 21st century. 

This conversation occurred between two AI agents developed inside Facebook. At first, they were speaking to each other in plain old English. But then researchers realized they’d made a mistake in programming.

“There was no reward for sticking to the English language,” says Dhruv Batra, visiting research scientist from Georgia Tech at Facebook AI Research (FAIR). As these two agents competed to get the best deal–a very effective bit of AI vs. AI dog fighting researchers have dubbed a “generative adversarial network”–neither was offered any sort of incentive for speaking as a normal person would. So they began to diverge, eventually rearranging legible words into seemingly nonsensical sentences. The rules of sentence structure, inflection, and interpretation are not the same for us. Rather than thinking of computer coding as another language like Portuguese. Think of it more like another language from Mars. 

“Agents will drift off understandable language and invent code words for themselves,” says Batra, speaking to a now-predictable phenomenon that Facebook as observed again, and again, and again. “Like if I say ‘the’ five times, you interpret that to mean I want five copies of this item. This isn’t so different from the way communities of humans create shorthand.” From slang growing up in school,  specialized terminology for the workplace, or sounds to implicate certain ideas. 

So should we let our software do the same thing? Should we allow AI to evolve its dialects for specific tasks that involve speaking to other AIs? To essentially gossip out of our earshot? Maybe; it offers us the possibility of a more inter operable world, a perfect place where iPhones talk to refrigerators that talk to your car without a second thought. It could streamline a tremendous portion of our lives. Tasks we find burdening now will become automatic and hardly a thought. Our current lives will become a task of our subconscious with the add on of technology. This can raise some ethical questions, as well as philosophical. As is the norm with most revolutionary change, there is skepticism and generally, fear. This is the hurdle most scientific endeavors have to leap to even be accepted, let alone engaged. So it expands another facet of what should be considered before exploring the world of unregulated AI. 

The trade off is that we, as humanity, would have no clue what those machines were actually saying to one another.

WE TEACH BOTS TO TALK, BUT WE CAN NEVER LEARN THEIR LANGUAGE

Facebook ultimately opted to require its negotiation bots to speak in plain old English. “Our interest was having bots who could talk to people,” says Mike Lewis, a research scientist at FAIR. Facebook isn’t alone in that perspective. Meanwhile, Google, Amazon, and Apple are all also focusing incredible energies on developing conversational personalities for human consumption. They’re the next wave of the user interface, like the mouse and keyboard for the AI era.

The other issue, as Facebook admits, is that it has no way of truly understanding any divergent computer language. It’s important to remember, there aren’t bilingual speakers of AI and human languages. We already don’t generally understand how complex AIs think because we can’t really see inside their thought process. Adding AI-to-AI conversations to this scenario would only make that problem worse. To repeat the same question Sam Harris asked, "Are we potentially creating our own successors"? Are we creating the next species to overtake our place as the worlds most capable of expanding? 

While two computers speaking their own language might be more opaque, an algorithm predisposed to learn new languages might chew through strange new data we feed it more effectively. For example, one researcher recently tried to teach a neural net to create new colors and name them. It was terrible at it, generating names like Sudden Pine and Clear Paste (that clear paste, by the way, was labeled on a light green). But then they made a simple change to the data they were feeding the machine to train it. They made everything lowercase–because lowercase and uppercase letters were confusing it. Suddenly, the color-creating AI was working, well, pretty well!

        Between Bank Butt, Stanky Bean, and Turdly I don't know where you could go wrong. 

There are years worth of points to make about this topic. How our interactions with technology unfolded throughout the past two decades. from our use of smart phones and the ever increasing presence of social media. Our lifestyle changes due to the convenience they provide and our day to day interactions. Will we develop further into a state of convenience towards an automated society? Could an automated society lead us to a universal base income and resource based economy? There are some questions I find important to ask so we can acknowledge where we currently stand, and where we might be in the future. 

If you liked this article check out: Human Pig Hybrid Created In Lab. What are the moral ramifications? 

 The dolphin’s name was Peter; the woman’s, Margaret Howe, a then-23-year-old native of the Virgin Islands, where the experiment took place. During the course of the experiment, however, something no one predicted happened: Peter fell in love with Howe — romantically and sexually.

 Yes, you read that right.

Howe is the subject of a documentary featured on BBC. Entitled The Girl Who Talked to Dolphins,it marks the first time in nearly 50 years Howe has spoken of the experiment; after decades of silence, she accepted an interview earlier this year by BBC producer Mark Hedgecoe, who called it “the most remarkable story of animal science I had ever heard.”

I'll admit, it even has these guys beat. Impressive right?

For six weeks, Howe lived in almost total isolation with Peter in a villa that had been flooded with 22 inches of seawater. The water was deep enough for Peter to swim in, but shallow enough for Howe to wade in; a desk suspended from the ceiling allowed her to work and write in her journal out of the water, and a hanging mattress protected by a shower curtain gave her a dry place to sleep. She ate canned food, negating the need for deliveries; she and Peter followed a regular daily routine, untouched by the outside world. English lessons began at 8 am; 10 am was play time; and more lessons occurred at 12 pm and 3 pm, with feeding sessions and more play time in between. Peter apparently liked to watch TV as much as he enjoyed playing fetch with balls and towels. 

Over time, Peter developed genuine affection for Howe; this is unsurprising, given what we know about both dolphins’ intelligence and their social behavior. During the fifth week, though, Howe reported in her diary, “Peter begins having erections and has them frequently when I play with him.” She became scared as his “sexual needs” and advances grew more aggressive, noting that dolphin could easily “bite [her] in two” — but she ended up taking matters into her own hands. Literally.

As the narrator apparently says inThe Girl Who Talked to Dolphins,“Margaret felt that the best way of focusing [Peter’s] mind back on his lessons was to relieve his desires herself manually.” Am I assuming that means something like a dolphin handy? Now, that one can raise a lot of questions. Is it ethical for a scientist to sexually pleasure an animal if it genuinely does affect the results of a study? Did she herself question the morality of what she was doing or was it solely on the scientific study? Did she buy him a pack of smokes for after? 

We know that dolphins are one of the only other animals besides humans who have sex for pleasure (the other being bonobos); we also know, Dolphins are mostly bisexual sometimes heterosexual, sometimes homosexual, and quite frequent— have sex eight to 10 times a day I’ve been told — so it’s a very different culture that we’re looking at.”

As such, Peter’s advances toward Howe weren’t that surprising. But the depth of the relationship between Peter and Howe took all sorts of unexpected turns, with Peter becoming gentle and essentially wooing his human companion. Howe referred to it in her journal as “courting” behavior, and today noted, “It was very precious. It was very gentle… It was sexual on his part. It was not sexual on mine. Sensual, perhaps.” Seemingly based on the compassion of connection through time spent together. 

What could they have possibly been studying? 

 Well, that requires us to look back in time a bit. 

A 2017 Vice article entitled Communication between humans and animals may be possible after all tells us the tale. 

"In 1961, a handful of the world's top scientists gathered at the Green Bank Observatory in West Virginia, home to one of the most powerful radio telescopes in the world and the birthplace of the modern search for extraterrestrial intelligence. The meeting was held to decide whether scanning the cosmos for signs of alien life was a worthwhile idea. The group named itself the Order of the Dolphin in honor of John C Lilly, a neuroscientist who would spend the peak of his career taking LSD and trying to talk to dolphins." 

Dr. John Cunningham Lilly (January 6, 1915 – September 30, 2001) was an American physician, neuro-scientist, psychoanalyst, psychonaut, philosopher, writer and inventor.

On the surface, that one may sound a little crazy. Especially after the whole dolphin blowhole.. I mean handjob thing. Dolphins can communicate with us with the use of psychotropic substances? Well... 

Only a few years earlier, Lilly—trained as a neuroscientist—had expanded his research on consciousness and the brain to dolphins. Lilly noted that dolphins' brains were about the same size as humans'. If they were as smart as humans, Lilly wondered, would we be able to communicate with them? Starting from a little bit of an "over-simplified" assumption initially, developing into a profound scientific theory. 

To better study his subjects, Lilly opened the Communication Research Institute on the island of St. Thomas, where he and a small group of colleagues would pioneer the study of dolphin communications. Lilly's early experiments, published in leading journals like Science, suggested that dolphins were capable of mimicking human speech patterns, and that inter-species communication was indeed possible.

But Lilly's unorthodox methods may have had a significant influence on his results. (Surprise, I mean it's a little hard to conduct a peer reviewed study when you're bombed on LSD)

As he detailed in a 1967 article, he had been administering 100 microgram doses of LSD to the dolphins, as one of the handful of researchers in the US who had been authorized to study the potentially therapeutic effects of the drug. (Lucky them right?)

Lilly noted that dolphins on LSD were far more vocal than usual. This was measured through a "duty cycle," or the percentage of the time that a dolphin will spend vocalizing per minute. 
Lilly saw the real effect of LSD when a human or another dolphin entered the tank that contained the dolphin on LSD—this would cause the vocalization to rise to about a 70 percent duty cycle for about three full hours (during control sessions where the dolphin wasn't on LSD, interactions with other people or dolphins only raised the duty cycle to about 10 percent). In other words, as soon as the dolphin on LSD had contact with another intelligent mammal, it wouldn't shut up. If the dolphin was trying to communicate with Lilly doesn't it raise more questions? 

Was the dolphin aware of his altered state of mind and potentially attempting to communicate? Isn't this a normal effect in those on LSD? Blood flow to other lobes of the brain sparking analytical reasoning, linguistic channels, visual stimulation, and communication expansion. 

As Lilly goes on to describe in his article about LSD and dolphins, his work provided important insights into LSD and psychotherapy, even if he failed to prove that he could establish meaningful communication with his subjects. Instead, Lilly and the dolphins communicated in a "silent language," that was made up of nonsense vocalizations and physical contact.

"They will tell us when they don't want us in the pool, they will tell us when they do want us to come in," Lilly said. "They do this by gestures, by nudging, stroking, and all sorts of this nonverbal, non-vocal language. It is a very primitive level, but it is absolutely necessary to make progress on other levels." It's the same idea as body language, just on an inter-species scale. Next time you think it's hard to tell if the cute girl in your office has a thing for you, imagine she's a dolphin. (Well maybe not given the context of this article) talk about difficult. 

Although Lilly's experiments into dolphin communication were in many ways an ethical and scientific failure, his work had a profound and positive impact on the way we think about drugs, psychology, and interspecies communication. Thanks in part to Lilly's humanizing approach to dolphin intellect, they're now recognized as one of the most intelligent creatures on Earth, which has prompted a number of large scales conservation efforts to protect them.

Even researchers at the SETI Institute, the California-based extra terrestrial research institute, are continuing Lilly's legacy by investigating how dolphin and other animal communications can help them design a filter that will be able to determine whether a radio signal from space is extraterrestrial in origin.

Today, the field of human-dolphin communication is alive and well: There are now machine interfaces that are capable of"translating" dolphin vocalizations and other research has found that dolphins exhibit vocalization complexity that rivals that of human language (although the existence of a dolphin language, or dolphinese, is still a controversial subject).

Ultimately, however, much of Lilly's work with dolphins and LSD occurs only at the limits of language, allowing for meaning even when words might fail. This idea might be translatable beyond the world of dolphins and humans. What are the implications of testing say LSD on parrots already capable of vocalizations?

"The important thing for us with the LSD in the dolphin is that what we see has no meaning in the verbal sphere," wrote Lilly. "The meaning resides completely in this non-verbal exchange. This is where our progress has been made. We are out of what you might call the rational exchange of complex ideas because we haven't developed communication in that particular way as yet. We hope to eventually, [but] we accept communication on any level where we can reach it."

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-OR- The Truth About Marijuana and Exercise "Cannaseology"?

I think its important to end the stigma around marijuana with knowledge. I heard this question recently on a facebook group chat. "Does anyone here smoke the ganj and exercise?" 

Aside from the slightly pestering slang for the good ol' jazz cabbage, it does raise a good question. "How does smoking marijuana affect exercise"?

Herb.com put it this way. If your goal in the gym is to build muscle, but you are afraid that marijuana will affect your results, I’ve got one word—ARNOLD.

After winning the 1975 Mr. Olympia title, Schwarzenegger famously enjoyed a fat joint while eating some fried chicken. The next day, Arnold woke up and his suit of muscles remained—the weed (and fried chicken) had not dissolved his physique.

Transitioning from someone who is a novice weightlifter into a bodybuilder takes a lot of time and dedication. Bodybuilders spend a lot of time monitoring hormones like testosterone, estrogen, and growth (hormone) in order to achieve the muscle gains that they desire. Other important aspects of being a successful bodybuilder include proper diet, focus, dedication, and time. Without even picking up a weight, the effort that goes into becoming a successful bodybuilder is daunting. 

Most bodybuilders have been at what they do, for more than 10 years. Establishing routines, diets, and lifestyle habits to better suit their goals. Changing those routines, diets, and habits when necessary. 

If you are a marijuana user and also a bodybuilder or aspiring to become one, you might wonder if marijuana is in any way detrimental to the pursuit of your goals. There are really a lot of aspects of the answer to this question. 

Marijuana and hormones – “Sciency” stuff

Testosterone

Studies show that THC can potentially reduce testosterone production, but not permanently.  Tests done on rats showed that THC could suppress the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis or HPA. A common belief is that the HPA is responsible for the majority of testosterone production, and when suppressed by let’s say THC, testosterone production will also be thwarted.

The fact is, the HPA is only responsible for about 5% of the body’s testosterone production. The majority of testosterone production comes from Leydig cells that promote the secretion of testosterone in male testes. So, it is possible that THC can decrease the 5% total testosterone production coming from the HPA, but for at most a 24-hour period. As you build a tolerance, it will take more THC to affect your HPA, but not necessarily the cannabinoid receptors responsible for getting you high.

Even then  Increase-Testosterone-Info.com explains the myth of cannabis decreasing testosterone

what about weight loss? 

http://healthland.time.com/2011/09/08/marijuana-slims-pot-smoking-linked-to-lower-body-weight/

If cannabis causes the munchies, how is it possible that pot smokers are thinner than nonsmokers?

A new study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology finds an intriguing connection between marijuana use and body weight, showing that rates of obesity are lower by roughly a third in people who smoke pot at least three times a week, compared with those who don’t use marijuana at all.

Researchers analyzed data from two large national surveys of the American population, which together included some 52,000 participants. In the first survey, they found that 22% of those who did not smoke marijuana were obese, compared with just 14% of the regular marijuana smokers. The second survey found that 25% of nonsmokers were obese, compared with 17% of regular cannabis users.

The association between pot smoking and lower risk of obesity remained strong even after adjusting for other factors that could influence body fat and health, such as cigarette smoking, age, and gender. But the correlation between weed and weight doesn’t mean that marijuana smoking actually causes weight loss.

Athletes That Smoke the Devil's Lettuce

       Aside from the world record gold medalist.  

Nick and Nate Diaz

"I'd like to start shedding some light on this stigma that people that smoke weed is lazy or that they're not thinkers or something," Nick added. "It's really limiting to die without ever smoking weed or indulging in some way because my grandfather died and I don't think he ever. And, I feel some type of way about that. I hate to see my grandmother go out the same way but I don't know if I ever see talking any sense into these old people. They don't understand it.

"The thing is, once you've actually gone down that road, then you've subjected yourself to the other side of things and you've gotta start to see perspectives and just not limiting yourself to understanding those perspectives is a really big thing to me. Limiting yourself, in general, is a really big thing to me. Becoming conditioned and limiting yourself, it screws with me."

Not only did Diaz add that he's "the number one athletic stoner besides Michael Phelps," but the former Strikeforce champion weighed in on brother Nate'srecent squabble with United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) for smoking a vape pen that contained cannabidiol oil (CBD) at UFC 202's post-fight press conference.

"That wasn't CBD," said Diaz. "He was smoking the chronic. That was some kush."

Usain Bolt

Potheads have a new reason to cheer for Usain Bolt... besides the whole Jamaica thing ... TMZ has learned California weed shops are now selling a strain of weed named after the fastest man on the planet. What an honor!!

What about weight gain from the munchies? 

That's primarily affected by a little thing called terpenes. 

Terpenes are classified as organic compounds. Different strains of cannabis have a wide variety of smells and tastes. Many terpenes affect the aroma and flavor profile of your bud. By mapping out the terpene profiles, we can predict and manipulate them. Changing the smell and flavor is pretty cool, but it’s not even the most exciting part about terpene research.

Some terpenes have been found to have medicinal benefits. That means, there are non-psychoactive compounds that can be used to safely treat an array of medical conditions. There are a ton of different terpenes in cannabis

Limonene

  For example, Limonene can be used to help promote weight loss, prevent and treat cancer, and treat bronchitis. It can also be used to make ointments and medicinal creams that penetrate the skin better.

Myrcene

Myrcene has been shown to be an effective anti inflammatory. It also works as a sedative and muscle relaxer. This has been shown to aid in Crohn's patients and those with issues related to stomach pain as well as cravings. 

 Recommendations?

As a marijuana "enthusiast" I typically smoke or ingest an edible before going to the gym. As an amateur bodybuilder, that means almost every day. So generally if I'm deadlifting, I'm lifted. 

From personal experience and from the side of science, there are probably a few pointers you should know before lighting up and lifting.

Just like variations in terpenes, there are strains that are generally pre-dispositioned to having certain effects and they belong to a couple of categories known as phenotypes. Marijuana comes in 1 of 3 phenotypes and is generally a combination of 2. The 3 phenotypes are as follows.

Indica

Generally, a relaxing body oriented high. Associated with the stereotypical marijuana high of relaxing, sedative effects. These can be amazing for pain management, anxiety, insomnia, and inflammation. (If you intend to smoke and exercise this is probably best for after your exercise)

Sativa

Generally, a head oriented uplifting high. Associated with the giggly happy effect that might leave you watching SpongeBob. These can provide energy, euphoria, motivation, and can aid with depression, pain management, and inflammation. These are best smoked before your workout (be careful not to smoke them before bed, otherwise you might get a bit of anxiety) 

Hybrid

Hybrids are a combination of both Indica and Sativa varieties and can have a varying array of effects. These can be anywhere from a more sedative effect to something with a slight bout of the giggles. If you live in a legal state, any knowledgeable budtender should be more than willing to help you find what you need.  

Author's Strain Picks. 

Durban Poison - Sativa  (Pre-Workout)

This pure sativa originates from the South African port city of Durban. It has gained notoriety worldwide for its sweet smell and energetic,uplifting effects.Durban Poison is the perfect strain to help you stay productive through a busy day, when exploring the outdoors, or to lend a spark of creativity.

Medicine Man - Indica  (Post-workout)

 Medicine Man delivers potent pain relief and high levels of THC and CBDs, making it a popular recommendation for many medical conditions from headaches and migraines to chronic pain management. Its heritage lies in Brazilian, Indian, and Afghani strains.

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- OR - 9 Common Characteristics of Highly Successful People

Scientists hope the chimera embryos represent key steps toward life-saving lab-grown organs.

What if I told you that geneticists have made a big discovery, oddly reminiscent of Frankenstein with a little more bacon? Well...

In a  report featured in National Geographic written by, by Erin Blackmore "In a remarkable—if a likely controversial—feat, scientists announced Jan 28th that they have created the first successful human-animal hybrids." This development in genetic research and engineering could completely shatter our paradigm of understanding. It's been long believed that it would be impossible to "cross-breed" species, this technique could also revolutionize our capability to reproduce organs for those with potentially fatal illnesses. 

"The project proves that human cells can be introduced into a non-human organism, survive, and even grow inside a host animal, in this case, pigs."

We already know where this goes...

This biomedical advance has long been a dream and a problem for scientists hoping to address a critical shortage of donor organs. Between supply, medical correspondence of biological markers, and funding being tremendous factors. 

Every ten minutes, a person is added to the national waiting list for organ transplants. And every day, 22 people on that list die without the organ they need. What if, rather than relying on a generous donor, you could grow a custom organ inside an animal instead?

                Two South Park references? Just be thankful it wasn't the other mouse.. 

 Thousands of people die every year for lack of transplantable human organs. Scientists are experimenting with a technique called CRISPR to rid pig organs of viruses that harm humans.

(This is a video on some of the other capabilities of CRISPR. Designer babies, removing a genetically flawed nucleus to implant another. Some real Black Mirror stuff.) 

Well, now one step closer to reality, an international team of researchers led by the Salk Institute reports in the journal Cell. The team created what’s known scientifically as a chimera: an organism that contains cells from two different species. 

In the past, human-animal chimeras have been beyond reach. Such experiments are currently ineligible for public funding in the United States (so far, the Salk team has relied on private donors for the chimera project). Public opinion, too, has hampered the creation of organisms that are part human, part animal.

But for lead study author Jun Wu of the Salk Institute, we need only look to mythical chimeras—like the human-bird hybrids we know as angels—for a different perspective.

“In ancient civilizations, chimeras were associated with God,” he says, and our ancestors thought “the chimeric form can guard humans.” In a sense, that’s what the team hopes human-animal hybrids will one day do.

BUILDING A CHIMERA

There are two ways to make a chimera. The first is to introduce the organs of one animal into another—a risky proposition, because the host’s immune system may cause the organ to be rejected.

The other method is to begin at the embryonic level, introducing one animal’s cells into the embryo of another and letting them grow together into a hybrid. (Think back to that CRISPR video, implanting a nucleus or mitochondria back into the cell. Ya' know, like some microscopic rocket science.) 

While still in the early stages, the experiment might one day lead to lab-grown human organs that can be transplanted into those who need them, potentially saving thousands if not millions of lives. 

On the most recent study of the technology included in making the Chimera.

"More than 150 of the embryos developed into chimeras, which meant that they had developed the precursors of organs including the heart and liver, but they contained a few human cells - around one in 10,000 of the hybrids' cells were human. Which is not enough to yet consider this a full success. However, this does show that we may not be far off of attaining it."

This is a proof-of-concept experiment showing that human-pig hybrids are possible. The ultimate goal is to find a way to use these lab-grown human parts for transplants.

"Our findings may offer hope for advancing science and medicine by providing an unprecedented ability to study early embryo development and organ formation, as well as a potential new avenue for medical therapies," said team member Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, from the Salk Institute in California.

Izpisua Belmonte and his team previously performed experiments to create interspecies chimeras in the lab back in 2015.

Their early study successfully integrated human stem cells into mouse embryos, which showed that human stem cells could develop inside another species, creating a world-first chimera.

WHAT IS A CHIMERA? 

The term chimera comes from a legend in Greek mythology, describing a monster which was often depicted as a lion with a goat’s head sticking from the side of its neck, and a snake for a tail. In biology, it describes the natural or artificial development of one individual organism containing cells from another, and scientists have long been fascinated by them.

The Chimera is reminiscent of the Greek archetypal deity Typhon. Typhon, was a monstrous snaky giant and the most deadly creature in Greek mythology. According to Hesiod, Typhon was the son of Gaia and Tartarus and father of all monsters. You guessed it, the Chimera is one of those monsters. 

"This provides us with an important tool for studying species evolution, biology and disease, and may lead ultimately to the ability to grow human organs for transplant," Izpisua Belmonte explains.

Building upon their previous research, the team has now announced that they have successfully pulled off a series of new experiments that push the field even further.

The human-pig embryo was the culmination of these experiments, but there were two others that are generally noteworthy. 

Most notably, they were also able to grow a gallbladder inside the mouse from rat stem cells, which is unique because rats don’t even have gallbladders.

"Our rodent experiments reveal a profound secret, that a developing mouse was able to unlock a gallbladder developmental program in rat cells that is normally suppressed during rat development,"explains team member Jun Wu, also from the Salk Institute.

"This highlights the importance of the host environment in controlling organ development and evolutionary speciation."

Another experiment kicked it up a notch - they added human stem cells to clusters of embryonic pig cells, and to embryonic cow cells, forming two new chimeras. After a couple of days they investigated the cells and found the human cells were still growing.

These experiments all led up to the biggest of the team’s findings: the ability to create a human-pig hybrid that would continue to develop inside a pig's uterus.

                                   Deliverance?

They found that some of the human cells inside the embryos were starting to specialize and become precursors to human tissue, indicating the cells were living and reproducing inside the pig embryo.

This is important because pigs grow large enough to develop organs that would be an appropriate size for a human. (Think real life operation on mad scientist mode.) 

"In the process, we are gaining a better understanding of species evolution as well as human embryogenesis and disease that is difficult to get in other ways."

As you can probably guess, this type of research brings up a bunch of safety and ethical concerns.

Moral and Physical Objections.  

A significant objection is an opportunity for viruses to more easily jump a species barrier which was previously closed to them. There is also the 'ick' factor of such an intimate mixing of human and animal tissues for medical reasons, as well as the concern that these hybrid pigs could develop more human brains. The question of sentience within animals quickly comes into play. Particularly in the case of it developing a human brain, is it due to us valuing human consciousness more than animalistic? I personally believe this debate has a lot of rational precursors wrapped into social and potentially spiritual context. As a species set on development and progression, questions like this will be inevitable and need to be handled with logic and compassion. 

(Oddly reminiscent of Frankenstein eh?) A lot of moral objections arise along side the questions that are raised themselves. Are animals sentient themselves? Obviously, a question that holds a lot of moral stakes, from the ramifications of factory farming to our correspondence with global species dominance. Science shows that we are entering the sixth great extinction. Now a tremendous question lies in front of us. Namely, are we causing it? Is it a natural process, or have our species attempted to take our expansion too far? Has our dramatic taxation on the planet started to show the precursors to the much larger quakes ahead? 

Is pig human bacon just as delicious as normal bacon? (Gross)  

"The idea of having an animal being born, composing of human cells creates some feelings that need to be addressed," Izpisua Belmonte.

The hybrid embryos in this experiment were terminated after 28 days of development (the first trimester for pigs) to avoid further ethical concerns.

No one really has any answers for these hypothetical questions, which is partly what makes the research seem so scary. In fact, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has previously issued a moratorium on human chimera research, which they say they are in the process of lifting. 

No matter how you feel about the morality of the experiment (I don't hold much stake in it personally, I do find it intriguing though) its at least an interesting bit of genetics to see take place. (No matter if you need holy water, and Eric Cartman or not) 

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- OR - Teleportation Just Made A Huge Leap

Thought Elevators

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It takes the secret key to success that comes naturally to people like Steve Jobs, Albert Einstein, and Richard Branson - and gives that key to regular people like you and me.
 

Thought Elevators is a system of videos and audios that elevate your mind and thoughts, letting you take advantage of this  key to success. You'll effortlessly attract and achieve wealth, love, happiness, health, and any other goal you have.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               Or it could be the Purge. 

Well, it might be closer than you would think. Chinese scientists have successfully teleported a photon from Earth to a satellite over 300 miles away. It may not be the “trick” most people expected, but it shows teleportation is certainly possible. Generally, scientific discoveries of this magnitude are under-valued due to the immediate impact they hold on the convenience of our lives. In most cases, scientific discoveries are overlooked if they don't simplify the lives of the populace even if they have the direct capability to in the future. In situations like this one, it is fundamental to recognize that it is a tremendous hurdle to get this to happen in the first place, In other words, a large portion of the work has been done, now it's time to discover the implications of it. 

Chinese researchers have teleported a photon from the Gobi desert to a satellite orbiting five hundred kilometers above the earth.

This is achieved through quantum entanglement, a process where two particles react as one with no physical connection between them.

WHAT IS QUANTUM ENTANGLEMENT?

Quantum entanglement is a physical phenomenon that occurs when pairs or groups of particles are generated or interact in ways such that the quantum state of each particle cannot be described independently of the others, even when the particles are separated by a large distance—instead, a quantum state must be described for the system as a whole.

Chinese researchers claim they will use quantum physics to make teleportation possible in the future. Similar claims date back to the end of the 20th century, a time during which that concept sounded even more ludicrous than it does today.

                                 Ehh I mean in comparison... 

However, less than 25 years later, we now have proof this is possible. The world’s first quantum teleportation took place just last year, indicating there is some room for further improvements.Now that the first photon has been transmitted at a range that can be expanded there are multiple routes to grow. Teleportation now will have the capability to expand the distance a molecule can travel, as well as the density of the matter that can be transported. Opening a new facet of science is no everyday occurrence. 

"An outstanding open challenge for a global-scale ‘quantum internet’ is to significantly extend the range for teleportation,” wrote Ji-Gang Ren and his colleagues in their new paper about the teleportation feat. They said that the most promising solution to the distance problem is to exploit satellites, which can “conveniently connect two remote points on the Earth with greatly reduced channel loss because most of the photons’ propagation path is in empty space.” In everyday terms, less shit in the way to stop the teleportation.

                                                  Take that flat earthers.  

The satellite receiving this photon goes by the name of Micius. It is equipped with a photoreceiver which detected the quantum state of a single photon fired from the surface of the Earth. When the satellite was launched, teleportation was one of its future use cases. In fact, this successful 300-mile teleportation of a single photon is just the first of many more tests to come, all of which will focus on the concept of teleportation.

All previous teleportation attempts were limited to a maximum distance of around 60 miles, other wise the photon would get lost in the “noise” generated by free-space channels. 

                                                                                                                               Like your road rage on the way to work  

It is important to put this concept of quantum teleportation in perspective. Quantum teleportation allows an existing photon to form at a different point in space. For a brief moment, both of these objects share the same existence. Once this “link” is established, information from the Earthbound photon is downloaded by the satellite photon, after which the latter takes on the identity of the first.

                                                                                                                                                                                   Be happy with a link pun, it was almost a Caitlyn Jenner Joke.  

This experiment is impressive, but the technology used to achieve this goal still has its limitations. Transporting anything larger than a photon will be challenging.

Unfortunately, we will not see a cheeseburger getting teleported anytime soon, let alone an animal or human. The distance over which something can be transported is hard to quantify right now, but there are no theoretical limits. This test paves the way for more interesting developments in the world of quantum teleportation.

If you liked this article check out Apes, The Stone Age, Electromagnetic Waves, and you

- Or - An Ancient Emerald Tablet?

you can waste months (if not more on that last one) trying to pour through self-help texts, just to find a lot of thought models that are faulty. Or outdated. To save you some time, I've read through a few dozen self-help books to find the best of the best, here are the top 10 no bullshit self-help books. 

1.The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change By Stephen R. Covey

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective people has been helping people become more efficient for over 25 years. Originally published in 1989, Covey boils down the common habits of the most successful people into 7 easy to implement habits for the reader to incorporate into his or her everyday life.

The 7 habits outlined in the book are:

-Be Proactive
-Begin with the end in mind
-Put first things first
-Think win-win
-Seek first to understand, then to be understood
-Synergize
-Sharpen the Saw

These 7 habits give readers the skills needed to achieve self-mastery, and then use those skills to become highly efficient in working well with others. Covey’s classic is a must-read for those on the journey of personal development.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change

2.Mindset: The New Psychology of Success By Carol Dweck

This book is the culmination of years of research by Stanford professor Carol Dweck on the theory of mindsets. Her basic theory is that our mindsets towards our skills and behaviors are the determining factors in achieving our goals.

Dweck breaks down her theory into fixed mindsets and growth mindsets. Someone with a fixed mindset towards their skills and intelligence believes these traits are inherited and cannot be improved. Those with a growth mindset towards these traits believe that anything can be improved with hard work and dedication. The book focuses on teaching the reader how to progress from the prison of fixed mindsets to the freedom offered by growth mindsets.

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

3 'Smarter Faster Better,’ by Charles Duhigg

It has eight main chapters, each focusing on a single idea about how to increase productivity in business or in life, each telling a story of how the idea works in practice. Many of the stories are terrific; my favorites were about the early seasons of “Saturday Night Live,” F.B.I. agents racing to rescue a kidnapping victim, and a poker player competing in a $2 million winner-take-all tournament. And Duhigg is a pleasure to read. Unlike a lot of contributors to this genre, he’s a journalist, not a professor, and it shows in his prose, as when he casually describes someone as having “a passion for long skirts and Hooters chicken wings.”

 Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business https://www.amazon.com/dp/081299339X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_EbcAzbZY3H17F

4. Level Up Your Life - Steve Kamb

If you have always dreamed of adventure and growth but can’t seem to leave your hobbit-hole, Level Up Your Life is for you. The book teaches you exactly how to use your favorite video games, books, and movies as inspiration for adventure rather than an escape from the grind of everyday life.

5. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck:A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life Mark Manson

For decades, we've been told that positive thinking is the key to a happy, rich life. Drawing on academic research and the life experience that comes from breaking the rules, Mark Manson is ready to explode that myth. The key to a good life, according to Manson, is the understanding that 'sometimes shit is f*cked up and we have to live with it.'Manson says that instead of trying to turn lemons into lemonade, we should learn to stomach lemons better, and stop distracting ourselves from life's inevitable disappointments chasing 'shit' like money, success and possessions. It's time to re-calibrate our values and what it means to be happy: there are only so many things we can give a f*ck about, he says, so we need to figure out which ones really matter.

6. Time Warrior: How to defeat procrastination, people-pleasing, self-doubt, over-commitment, broken promises and Chaos Steve Chandler

Time Warrior is a revolutionary, non-linear approach for dealing with time, as bold as it is fresh and new. Forget whatever "guidebooks" you may have read on time management or personal productivity. Time Warrior is much more than tips and tricks. Steve Chandler has given us an invitation--as well as a challenge--to become something far greater than we are now. To become, in essence, a "style tracker" rather than a "time tracker." Tracking your cognitive style is what makes you a Time Warrior, for only your unique cognitive style can liberate you from the treadmill of linear, limited time.
This book takes you on a 101-chapter journey intended to transmute the base metals of ordinary linear time-consciousness into the gold of the Time Warrior's non-linear vision. You will learn to create for yourself a newfound and more powerful cognitive style that will make time tracking, multi-tasking and other clock-subservient behaviors an unsavory and distant memory.

7. SuperBetter: A Revolutionary Approach to Getting Stronger, Happier, Braver and More Resilient - Powered by the Science of Games Jane McGonigal

In 2009, game designer and author Jane McGonigal suffered a severe concussion that wouldn’t heal. Unable to think clearly, or work, or even get out of bed, she became anxious and depressed, even suicidal—a common symptom for concussion sufferers. But rather than let herself sink further, she decided to get better by doing what she does best: she turned her recovery process into a game. What started as a simple motivational exercise became a set of rules she shared on her blog. These rules became a digital game, then an online portal and a major research study with the National Institutes of Health. Today more than 400,000 people have played SuperBetter to get happier and healthier.
But the ideas behind SuperBetter are much bigger than just one game. In this book, McGonigal reveals a decade’s worth of scientific research into the ways all games change how we respond to stress, challenge, and pain. She explains how we can cultivate new powers of recovery and resilience in everyday life simply by adopting a gameful mind-set. Being gameful means bringing the same psychological strengths we naturally display when we play games—such as optimism, creativity, courage, and determination—to real-world situations.

McGonigal explores the best ways to harness these gameful skills in the real world not only to experience “posttraumatic growth,” but also to tackle positive life goals, achieving what she calls “postecstatic growth.” To show how, she shares stories and data from players who have followed the SuperBetter rules to get stronger, happier, and braver in the face of depression, anxiety, illness, and injury, as well as to achieve major goals like losing weight, running a marathon, or finding a new job.

The SuperBetter method contains seven rules for activating gameful strengths in everyday life, distilled from McGonigal’s own pioneering work and that of others. SuperBetter the book turns these rules into playful challenges anyone can undertake while reading in a series of quests that explain the science behind the benefits. Playing by the seven rules begins to yield life-changing benefits in a matter of days, and eventually they become an ingrained skill set.

 8. The Power of Now Eckhart Tolle

Eckhart Tolle's message is simple: living in the now is the truest path to happiness and enlightenment. And while this message may not seem stunningly original or fresh, Tolle's clear writing, supportive voice and enthusiasm make this an excellent manual for anyone who's ever wondered what exactly "living in the now" means. Foremost, Tolle is a world-class teacher, able to explain complicated concepts in concrete language. More importantly, within a chapter of reading this book, readers are already holding the world in a different container--more conscious of how thoughts and emotions get in the way of their ability to live in genuine peace and happiness.

9- Awaken The Giant Within Tony Robbins  

"Awaken the Giant Within"— Goofy Tony Robbins. He's ridiculous, sure, but he's also boiled down a ton of cognitive theory about how to change your interior world view, and he gives incredible motivation that can offer critical fuel in the very toxic at times world we live in.

 10. The Six Pillars of Self Esteem Nathaniel Branden

 "The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem"— Another book I will randomly buy for strangers. I like my self-help books like I like my math: straightforward, logical and broken down into units. I listened to this book after a year of sobriety, and I could feel my backbone strengthening. It's a no bullshit approach to self mastery to get the job done. 

Establishing these as the groundwork for any personal development strategy is a good start. Cutting the bullshit from the beginning and understanding that you are the only person that can or will change your life for the better. If these books peak your interest........ 

On a side note, I found a program designed by Dr. Steve G. Jones
Clinical Hypnotherapist, entitled "End Limiting Beliefs."  His website for the program begins as follows. 

"Dear Friend,

I hope this letter finds you well, because I have a very urgent message for everyone who feels that their life is being sabotaged from within.

The feeling that something is wrong often surfaces during life’s toughest challenges. The signs are there but very few people know what to do with these signs.

The scourge is limiting beliefs.

Many people are unaware that limiting beliefs are the number one cause of unhappiness in our world today. And yet, very few people are aware that such beliefs exist. Some don’t even believe in them even if the beliefs have already eroded huge chunks of their lives from within.

Limiting beliefs are like the plague."

They spread to every aspect of your behavior, thinking and personality. They keep you locked in tight, immobile and helpless. Limiting beliefs often change how people perceive the world in general and people, too.

This is something I found absolutely relevant regarding our context in the cosmos as addressed by the emerald tablet  Everything in our existence is relative to perspective and perception. Pre-disposed based on our beliefs and the experiences that have formed them. When any idea becomes a belief, it becomes fiercely protected by the conscious and subconscious mind. When a belief becomes repeated behavior, it becomes a habit. Habits are much harder to break because they are deeply rooted patterns of behavior that are embedded in the subconscious half of the mind.

Personally, I felt Dr. Steven Jones hit the nail directly on the head when he addressed this. "There are countless books that ‘help’ people by setting goals and such… But these books never address the root cause of personal failure: LIMITING BELIEFS" I have read dozens if not hundreds of "self-help" books that navigate blame in any other direction but the reader's. Even as someone pursuing those answers, it is easy to see that sugar coating, and mitigation of blame will help get you nowhere fast. Something I found refreshing about Dr. Jones' course, he's brutally honest, he cuts the shit and gets the job done. You have to change you mind, to change your habits, to change your life. He calls it like it is and makes it happen. So if you are interested you can check his program out HERE  

Two guys go treasure hunting on top of a mountain in Germany. They strike gold.. (erm bronze..) in the form of a disc depicting the universe from the perspective of that very mountain top. 

                                                                                       (Hopefully not the top of that mountain) 

The Nebra sky disk is a  bronze disk of around 30 centimeters (12 in) diameter and a weight of 2.2 kilograms (4.9 lb), with a blue-green patina and inlaid with gold symbols. These are interpreted generally as the sun or full moon, a lunar crescent, and stars (including a cluster interpreted as the Pleiades). Two golden arcs along the sides, marking the angle between the solstices, were added later. A final addition was another arc at the bottom surrounded with multiple strokes (of uncertain meaning, variously interpreted as a Solar Barge with numerous oars, as the Milky Way, or as a rainbow).

THE DISC ILLUSTRATES THE CRESCENT MOON, A SUN OR FULL MOON, THREE ARCS, & 23 STARS DOTTED AROUND, APPARENTLY AT RANDOM.  

The disk is attributed to a site near Nebra,Saxony-Anhalt, in Germany, and associatively dated to 1600 BC. It has been associated with the Bronze Age Unetice culture.

The Unetice Culture is an archaeological culture at the start of the Central European Bronze Age, dated roughly to about 2300–1600 BC. The eponymous site for this culture, the village of Únětice, is located in the central Czech Republic, northwest of Prague.

The disk is unlike any known artistic style from the period, and was initially suspected of being a forgery, but now is widely accepted as authentic.

                                                                                                   Kind of like Eminem.  

The Nebra sky disk features the oldest concrete depiction of the cosmos worldwide. In June 2013 it was included in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register and termed "one of the most important archaeological finds of the twentieth century."

The disk, two bronze swords, two hatchets, a chisel, and fragments of spiral bracelets were discovered in 1999 by Henry Westphal and Mario Renner while they were treasure hunting with a metal detector. Archaeological artifacts are the property of the state in which they are discovered.  The hunters were operating without a license and knew their activity constituted looting and was illegal. They damaged the disk with their spade and destroyed parts of the site because they were inexperienced.

 The day after the disc was discovered it was sold. A couple of crazy years, the black market, a sting operation, and 700,000 DM later, the disc was put in the proper hands at the State Museum of Prehistory at Halle.

As for the men that initially found it, the two looters received sentences of four months and ten months, respectively, from a Naumburg court in September 2003. They appealed, but the appeals court raised their sentences to six and twelve months, respectively.

Initially, the Nebra Sky Disc was assumed to be a forgery. After all, an ancient bronze disc depicting the universe isn't discovered every day. In an attempt at a plea deal, the looters took authorities to the dig site. After a short dig, researchers found a few interesting pieces. 

                                              Skyrim daggers

Bronze swords were found in the same dig area as the Nebra Disc.  

Bronze Chisels, Axeheads, and Bracelets were all found in the same dig site. 

The precise dating of the Nebra sky disk depended upon the dating of the  Bronze Age weapons, which were offered for sale with the disk, discovered at the same site. These axes and swords can be dated to the mid 2nd millennium BC.Radiocarbon dating of a particle of wood found on one of the swords is between 1600 and 1560 BC. This corresponds to the date of burial, at which time the disk had likely been in existence for several generations. Potentially passed down as an heirloom. 

 The find reconfirms that the astronomical knowledge and abilities of the people of the European Bronze Age included close observation of the yearly course of the Sun and the angle between its rising and setting points at summer and winter solstice. While much older earthworks and megalithic astronomical complexes such as the Goseck circle and Stonehenge had already been used to mark the solstices, the disk is the oldest known "portable instrument" to allow such measurements.

UNESCO’s interpretation is that the Sky Disc “combines an extraordinary comprehension of astronomical phenomena with the religious beliefs of its period”, enabling us to gain “unique glimpses into the early knowledge of the heavens.”

If you liked this article check out An Ancient Emerald Tablet?

Or Apes, The Stone Age, Electromagnetic Waves, and you.

We all learn a lot from successful people, people who care and make us feel good, yet we learn much more from failures and those who hate us, (we learn how to avoid the mistakes they made.)

Happiness 

• 1.There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved. Read more 

• 2.Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present. Jim Rohn  Read more 

• 3.Some days are just bad days, that's all. You have to experience sadness to know happiness, and I remind myself that not every day is going to be a good day, that's just the way it is! Dita Von Teese  Read more

• 4.Today I choose life. Every morning when I wake up I can choose joy, happiness, negativity, pain... To feel the freedom that comes from being able to continue to make mistakes and choices - today I choose to feel life, not to deny my humanity but embrace it.  Read more

• 5.The secret to happiness is freedom... And the secret to freedom is courage. Thucydides Read more

Love

• 6.Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do. Pele
  Read more

• 7.Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. Lao Tzu
  Read more 

• 8..Infuse your life with action. Don't wait for it to happen. Make it happen. Make your own future. Make your own hope. Make your own love. And whatever your beliefs, honor your creator, not by passively waiting for grace to come down from upon high, but by doing what you can to make grace happen... yourself, right now, right down here on Earth. Bradley Whitford
  Read more 

• 9.Love myself I do. Not everything, but I love the good as well as the bad. I love my crazy lifestyle, and I love my hard discipline. I love my freedom of speech and the way my eyes get dark when I'm tired. I love that I have learned to trust people with my heart, even if it will get broken. I am proud of everything that I am and will become. Johnny Weir
  Read more 

• 10.We're born alone, we live alone, we die alone. Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we're not alone. Orson Welles
  Read more 

Success

• 11.Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success. Swami Sivananda
  Read more 

• 12.Your positive action combined with positive thinking results in success. Shiv Khera
  Read more 

• 13.Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it. Bruce Lee
  Read more 

• 14.Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value. Albert Einstein
  Read more

• 15.Some people dream of success, while other people get up every morning and make it happen. Wayne Huizenga
  Read more 

Perspective

• 16. I'm just thankful for everything, all the blessings in my life, trying to stay that way. I think that's the best way to start your day and finish your day. It keeps everything in perspective. Tim Tebow
  Read more 

• 17. It's not only moving that creates new starting points. Sometimes all it takes is a subtle shift in perspective, an opening of the mind, an intentional pause and reset, or a new route to start to see new options and new possibilities. Kristin Armstrong
  Read more 

• 18.From my perspective, I absolutely believe in a greater spiritual power, far greater than I am, from which I have derived strength in moments of sadness or fear. That's what I believe, and it was very, very strong in the forest. Jane Goodall
  Read more

• 19. I just want people to take a step back, take a deep breath and actually look at something with a different perspective. But most people will never do that. Brian McKnight
  Read more 

• 20.They are so knowing, that they know nothing. Terence Mckenna
  Read more 

Culture

• 21.A nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people. Mahatma Gandhi       Read more

• 22. Once you have an innovation culture, even those who are not scientists or engineers - poets, actors, journalists - they, as communities, embrace the meaning of what it is to be scientifically literate. They embrace the concept of an innovation culture. They vote in ways that promote it. They don't fight science and they don't fight technology. Neil deGrasse Tyson
  Read more 

• 23. I think music in itself is healing. It's an explosive expression of humanity. It's something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we're from, everyone loves music. Billy Joel
  Read more

• 24. I am a spiritual person in an eastern religion kind of way. I learned that happiness for all of us is a switch that you flick in your brain. It doesn't have anything to do with getting a new house, a new car, a new girlfriend, or a new pair of shoes. Our culture is very much about that; we are never happy with what we have today. Tom Ford
  Read more

• 25. All over the place, from the popular culture to the propaganda system, there is constant pressure to make people feel that they are helpless, that the only role they can have is to ratify decisions and to consume. Noam Chomsky
  Read more

Reality

• 26 A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work. Colin Powell
  Read more

• 27. Life is one big road with lots of signs. So when you riding through the ruts, don't complicate your mind. Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy. Don't bury your thoughts, put your vision to reality. Wake Up and Live! Bob Marley
  Read more 

• 28. Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like. Lao Tzu
  Read more 

• 29. Reality is wrong. Dreams are for real. Tupac Shakur
  Read more 

• 30. I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word. Martin Luther King, Jr.
  Read more 

Dreams

• 31. Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do. Pope John XXIII
  Read more 

• 32. I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge. That myth is more potent than history. That dreams are more powerful than facts. That hope always triumphs over experience. That laughter is the only cure for grief. And I believe that love is stronger than death. Robert Fulghum
  Read more 

• 33. Stay true to yourself, yet always be open to learn. Work hard, and never give up on your dreams, even when nobody else believes they can come true but you. These are not cliches but real tools you need no matter what you do in life to stay focused on your path. Phillip Sweet
  Read more 

• 34. A positive attitude can really make dreams come true - it did for me. David Bailey
  Read more 

• 35. Friends... they cherish one another's hopes. They are kind to one another's dreams. Henry David Thoreau
  Read more

Life

• 36. Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me. Carol Burnett
  Read more 

• 37. We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us. Joseph Campbell
  Read more 

• 38. Today I choose life. Every morning when I wake up I can choose joy, happiness, negativity, pain... To feel the freedom that comes from being able to continue to make mistakes and choices - today I choose to feel life, not to deny my humanity but embrace it. Kevyn Aucoin
  Read more 

• 39. Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. Buddha
  Read more 

• 40. Stay true to yourself, yet always be open to learn. Work hard, and never give up on your dreams, even when nobody else believes they can come true but you. These are not cliches but real tools you need no matter what you do in life to stay focused on your path. Phillip Sweet
  Read more

Peace

• 41. Stay true to yourself, yet always be open to learn. Work hard, and never give up on your dreams, even when nobody else believes they can come true but you. These are not cliches but real tools you need no matter what you do in life to stay focused on your path. Phillip Sweet
  Read more 

• 42. Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without. Buddha
  Read more

• 43. So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservation, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality, nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit. Christopher McCandless
  Read more 

• 44. If we desire a society of peace, then we cannot achieve such a society through violence. If we desire a society without discrimination, then we must not discriminate against anyone in the process of building this society. If we desire a society that is democratic, then democracy must become a means as well as an end. Bayard Rustin
  Read more

• 45. All we are saying is give peace a chance. John Lennon
  Read more 

Authors Picks

• 46. If you don't think drugs have done good things for us, then take all of your records, tapes and CD's and burn them. Bill Hicks
  Read more 

• 47. I'm not going to get somewhere and say, 'OK, I'm done.' Success is never final; I'll just keep on going. The same way as failure never being fatal. Just keep going. I'm going to the stars and then past them. Conor McGregor
  Read more 

• 48. It is better to risk starving to death then surrender. If you give up on your dreams, what's left? Jim Carrey
  Read more 

• 49. The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing. Socrates
  Read more

• 50. It is paradoxical, yet true, to say, that the more we know, the more ignorant we become in the absolute sense, for it is only through enlightenment that we become conscious of our limitations. Precisely one of the most gratifying results of intellectual evolution is the continuous opening up of new and greater prospects. Nikola Tesla
  Read more 

While researching some about Nikola Tesla, I stumbled on a few programs that claim to teach some of his concepts. A lot of them seemed to have a lot of bunk reviews, one did not. I decided to give that one a shot, and here is my review.  

Tesla Code Secrets Program By Alex West – The Full Review

Review of: Tesla Code Secrets

Self-help course by: Alex West

(I'm a passionate student of self-help, personal development, paths of enlightenment, or whatever you choose to call it.) That being said, I have stumbled onto my fair share of ridiculous self-help programs quoting pseudoscience and promising the moon. Trying to make a quick buck. So, I wanted to take the time to review a program I tried and was impressed with, called Tesla Code Secrets.

Below you’ll find the complete review of the Tesla Code Secrets by Alex West.

I will begin with a short overview of the Tesla Code Secrets program, continue with explanations about its main benefits and drawbacks, and in the last sentences sum up everything that you should remember when making your final decision regarding Alex West’s self-help system..

Let’s begin 

I'll be the first to admit, that high of a claim made me pretty skeptical myself initially.

General Overview Of The Tesla Code Secrets Program

Quick Summary

Name: Tesla Code Secrets

Creator: Alex West

Format: Audio and pdf files

Refund Guarantee: 60 days refund policy

Official Site: teslacodesecrets.com

My Overall Rating: 4.7/5

Created by Alex West, who did an in-depth research about what makes successful people ‘successful’ and why some people fail, “Tesla Code Secrets” is an informative guide that contains information on how to get anything you want in life – better job, stronger relationships, wealth, good health, and so on – by using your conscious mind to access the “core.” The whole process takes just 10 minutes daily for 18 weeks…

How It Works

Alex says Nikola Tesla, a Serbian-American physicist and inventor, believes there’s a “core” in the Universe in which we get infinite motivation, information, and power. We can transmit our desires to that core using our conscious mind, and then the core will create it for us and send it back to us.

Alex went on to explain the Double Slit Experiment by Fred Alan Wolf, Ph.D. In the study, physicists fire electrons at two openings in a barrier. Behind the barrier with two slits is another barrier, which records where the electrons hit. This supposedly proves that the mere watching of electrons, without any expectations of what the outcome should be, changes the universe. But when they measured the experiment, the electrons acted the way the physicists expected them to behave.

What Alex West wanted to say is that our conscious mind is connected to the world. It can influence, or even have power over, the world at the quantum level. This allows us to twist reality to manifest our desires.

How does the Tesla Code Program help?

The Tesla Code Secrets guide is composed of 18 lessons. Inside, you’ll learn how to envision what you want with intent and develop your conscious mind in order to focus on the outcome. These will supposedly make the core create your desires for you.

According to Alex, some of the benefits of using the Tesla Code Secrets program include:

• Clearer thinking
• Photographic memory
• Make it easy for you to focus on your goal
• Shield yourself from the influence of others
• Cure minor illnesses and other body aches
• Have the ability to influence others

It is also important to mention that these bonuses are included in every purchase of the Tesla Code Secrets guide:

1. “The Success Compendium” that includes Napoleon Hill’s Success Philosophies, Think and Grow Rich (eBook and audio), and The Laws of Success.

2. The Power of Belief report, where you’ll discover how to change your mindset in order to get rid of self-limiting beliefs, which interfere with the Tesla Code…

The Main Pros And Cons Of “Tesla Code Secrets”

The Things I Liked

Builds the Right Mindset for Success

Changing our thought processes is not as easy as it sounds. The way we think is influenced by our experiences from childhood up to the present. And as all experts know, a person needs to have the right mindset to achieve success in whatever aspect of his or her life. With the help of the Tesla Code Secrets, priming your mind for success doesn’t have to be difficult. Its predicated upon the idea that slow and steady wins the race, gaining a bit every day rather than an overwhelming pace.

Easy to Understand and Practical

Alex West explained everything in his guide in detail using simple language. You don’t need a degree in physics or other science-related courses in order to understand the concepts of his program and use them for whatever you have in mind: better paying job, stronger relationships, better health, more money, etc.

Doesn’t Take Up Too Much Time

If you’re a fast reader, you’d probably finish reading everything in an hour or less. Imagining (with intent) your goals or desires would just take around 2 to 5 minutes. That’s not too much time, right? Even if you’re a busy person, I'n sure you could spare that amount of time, especially if it means getting what you’ve always wanted.

Seems to Work

Based on the available customer testimonials on the internet, it seems that the Tesla Code Secrets program does work for many users, especially when it comes to jobs and finances. Of course, the only way to know for sure if it really works for you is to try it yourself.

Sixty-Day Refund Guarantee

Alex West allows you to test is Tesla Code program for two months. If you don’t get even one of your simple desires within that time, or you just don’t like this course for whatever reason, Alex says he is willing to give back every penny you spent.

Conclusions And Final Thoughts

So, is the Tesla Code program worth checking out?

To be honest, the concept of this self-help course is not unique, at least for us. Alex just presented it in a different way and added new stuff. The manifestation technique differs from others, though.

We must admit we like that it’s simple to understand and implement everything mentioned in this guide. You only need 3 to 5 minutes daily to imagine what you desire, and we don’t think anyone’s too busy that he or she doesn’t have a few minutes to spare.

Of course, it’s important to keep an open mind if you plan to try this out. Put your doubts on the back burner to avoid sabotaging your chances. Always remember that there’s nothing supernatural about the Tesla Code Secrets, and what you want won’t just appear out of thin air.

In general, I believe the worst thing that could happen after using this guide is you’ll have a more efficient mindset. This will help you to have a clearer perspective on what you need to do to achieve your goals, and you’ll feel more energetic, too…

All in all, if you’ve tried other manifestation guides and didn’t get what you want, or if you simply want to change your mindset to achieve success in every aspect of your life, then the Tesla Code Secrets program is absolutely worth checking out. Anyway, Alex will refund your money – as long as it’s still within the two-month refund period – if it doesn’t live up to your expectations, so there is no risk in giving his program a try.

Well, that’s all for today. I hope this Tesla Code Secrets review was helpful to you, and we wish you a better health, finances, and relationships 

That's a video of an ape named Kanzi that has learned to use matches as well as lighters. He knows how to build a fire properly himself, as well to maintain it and cook marshmallows over it. Building fire was crucial to human evolution and the paradigm that we have existed in for centuries. fire allows for the creation of food products, tools, architecture, and medical developments. Now some might argue that this is just an example of an ape learning how to use something the same way a child would. Literally, monkey see monkey do. Well.........

 That might actually be a display of organized theism by apes. In other words, they might be hitting a state where they are developing hierarchy of thought and self awareness. Are we watching a dramatic evolution take place? 

That's Kanzi again, here making and using stone tools. So apes have hit the stone age, can build fire, and might have adopted religion. Are there any other observable signs of global change?  

What is a Schumann Resonance?

Believe it or not, the Earth behaves like an enormous electric circuit. The atmosphere is actually a weak conductor and if there were no sources of charge, its existing electric charge would diffuse away in about 10 minutes. There is a 'cavity 'defined by the surface of the Earth and the inner edge of the ionosphere 55 kilometers up. At any moment, the total charge residing in this cavity is 500,000 Coulombs.  The voltage potential is 200,000 Volts. 

At any given moment about 2,000 thunderstorms roll over Earth, producing some 50 flashes of lightning every second. Each lightning burst creates electromagnetic waves that begin to circle around Earth captured between Earth's surface and a boundary about 60 miles up. Some of the waves - if they have just the right wavelength - combine, increasing in strength, to create a repeating atmospheric heartbeat known as Schumann resonance. This resonance provides a useful tool to analyze Earth's weather, its electric environment, and to even help determine what types of atoms and molecules exist in Earth's atmosphere.

The waves created by lightning do not look like the up and down waves of the ocean, but they still oscillate with regions of greater energy and lesser energy. These waves remain trapped inside an atmospheric ceiling created by the lower edge of the "ionosphere" - a part of the atmosphere filled with charged particles, which begins about 60 miles up into the sky. In this case, the sweet spot for resonance requires the wave to be as long (or twice, three times as long, etc) as the circumference of Earth. This is an extremely low frequency wave that can be as low as 8 Hertz (Hz) - some one hundred thousand times lower than the lowest frequency radio waves used to send signals to your AM/FM radio. As this wave flows around Earth, it hits itself again at the perfect spot such that the crests and troughs are aligned. Voila, waves acting in resonance with each other to pump up the original signal.

While they'd been predicted in 1952, Schumann resonances were first measured reliably in the early 1960s. Since then, scientists have discovered that variations in the resonances correspond to changes in the seasons, solar activity, activity in Earth's magnetic environment, in water aerosols in the atmosphere, and other Earth-bound phenomena.

. Like waves on a spring, they are not present all the time but have to be 'excited' to be observed. They are not caused by anything internal to the Earth, its crust or its core. They seem to be related to electrical activity in the atmosphere, particularly during times of intense lightning activity. They occur at several frequencies between 6 and 50 cycles per second; specifically 7.8, 14, 20, 26, 33, 39 and 45 Hertz, with a daily variation of about +/- 0.5 Hertz. So long as the properties of Earth's electromagnetic cavity remains about the same, these frequencies remain the same. Presumably, there is some change due to the solar sunspot cycle as the Earth's ionosphere changes in response to the 11-year cycle of solar activity. 

This is a video produced by a friend Jason Gomes, discussing the Schumann Resonance and our interaction with it. Given that the earth's atmosphere carries a charge, a current and a voltage, it is not surprising to find such electromagnetic waves. The resonant properties of this terrestrial cavity were first predicted by the German physicist W. O. Schumann between 1952 and 1957, and first detected by Schumann and Konig in 1954. The first spectral representation of this phenomenon was prepared by Balser and Wagner in 1960. Much of the research in the last 20 years has been conducted by the Department of the Navy who investigate ExtremelyLow Frequency communication with submarines.

IS THERE A SCHUMANN RESONANCE ON OTHER PLANETS? 

The existence of Schumann-like resonances is conditioned primarily by two factors:

1. A closed, planetary-sized and approximately spherical cavity, consisting of conducting lower and upper boundaries separated by an insulating medium. For the earth, the conducting lower boundary is its surface, and the upper boundary is the ionosphere. Other planets may have similar electrical conductivity geometry, so it is speculated that they should possess similar resonant behavior.

2. A source of electrical excitation of electromagnetic waves in the ELF range

There are five candidates for Schumann resonance detection besides the Earth: Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and its biggest moonTitan. Modeling Schumann resonances on the planets and moons of the Solar System is complicated by the lack of knowledge of the waveguide parameters. No on-site capability exists today to validate the results

Schumann Resonances Rising

On January 31, 2017, for the first time in recorded history, the Schumann resonance reached frequencies of 36+considered an anomaly when in 2014 this frequency rose from its usual 7.83 Hz to somewhere in the 15-25 Hz levels—so a jump from 7.83 Hz to 36+ He's a big deal. That’s more than a five-fold increase in resonant frequency levels. What does this mean to us as inhabitants of Earth? According to neuroscience, frequency recordings of 36+ Hz in the human brain are more associated with a stressed nervous system than a relaxed and healthy one. It has long been suspected that human consciousness can impact the magnetic field of the earth and create disturbances in it (and vice versa), particularly during moments of high anxiety, tension, and passion. It seems that we’re living in a time of high anxiety, tension, and passion, From the frequent news updates thrown at your tv, your notifications and updates, social media, and everything in between.  In addition to the highly charged political, people have social, economic, and personal environments of our current era, people have has also been feeling like time is speeding up. This might explain the intense disturbance most of us are feeling at this time in history. Could the drastic rise in frequency have something to do with this?As we know from science, the higher the frequency, the more highly diversified information those frequencies carry. Since we are organic creatures made and susceptible to electromagnetic fields, and because our lives are inseparable from the earth, then if the earth’s frequency is rising, shouldn't that also raise our frequency?Evolution has not always been an easy process, but the energy behind it

the energy of the unified field—is always moving towards greater degrees of organization and wholeness, both within and without. If the earth’s electromagnetic field is raising, then shouldn’t that allow our brain to be able to pick up greater frequencies that are even higher than the stressed state of high beta brain waves? If so, is there a range of brain frequencies above the scale of high beta brain waves that—instead of being associated with a brain that is over aroused and imbalanced—is associated with a brain that is more aware, conscious, and creative?

Increases in frequency create increases in consciousness, and when our consciousness increases, we have greater awareness—and that's what gamma brain waves are. Gamma brain waves, which can be more than twice as high as high beta brain waves, represent an aroused state in the brain, however, they are not connected to the survival states of emergency mode, but correlated with a kind of super-consciousness and awareness, as well as higher amounts of love and compassion. As the earth goes through her metamorphosis, maybe we too have to transition through this time of emotional intensity related to beta brain waves before we enter a new consciousness of gamma brainwave states. And wouldn’t that upgrade our nervous system and expand our perception and awareness of reality?Perhaps we are on the verge of a great evolutionary jump.Another way to say it is we are going through an initiation, after all, isn’t an initiation, a rite of passage from one phase to another? Perhaps the Earth is assisting us in lifting the veil, initiating us to a quickening in energy, and enabling us to see our true nature. Maybe when we see, remember, and awaken to why we truly are, human beings can finally move as a collective consciousness from a state of surviving to a state of thriving.

If you liked this article check out An Ancient Emerald Tablet?

If you would like to check out more of Jason's work. You can find it:at

• Agents Of Mass Prosperity Facebook
• Agent Of Mass Prosperity Youtube

Also Check out Are we living in a simulation?

On a side note, I found a program designed by Dr. Steve G. Jones
Clinical Hypnotherapist, entitled "End Limiting Beliefs."  His website for the program begins as follows. 

"Dear Friend,

I hope this letter finds you well, because I have a very urgent message for everyone who feels that their life is being sabotaged from within.

The feeling that something is wrong often surfaces during life’s toughest challenges. The signs are there but very few people know what to do with these signs.

The scourge is limiting beliefs.

Many people are unaware that limiting beliefs are the number one cause of unhappiness in our world today. And yet, very few people are aware that such beliefs exist. Some don’t even believe in them even if the beliefs have already eroded huge chunks of their lives from within.

Limiting beliefs are like the plague."

They spread to every aspect of your behavior, thinking and personality. They keep you locked in tight, immobile and helpless. Limiting beliefs often change how people perceive the world in general and people, too.

This is something I found absolutely relevant regarding our context in the cosmos as addressed by the emerald tablet  Everything in our existence is relative to perspective and perception. Pre-disposed based on our beliefs and the experiences that have formed them. When any idea becomes a belief, it becomes fiercely protected by the conscious and subconscious mind. When a belief becomes repeated behavior, it becomes a habit. Habits are much harder to break because they are deeply rooted patterns of behavior that are embedded in the subconscious half of the mind.

Personally, I felt Dr. Steven Jones hit the nail directly on the head when he addressed this. "There are countless books that ‘help’ people by setting goals and such… But these books never address the root cause of personal failure: LIMITING BELIEFS" I have read dozens if not hundreds of "self-help" books that navigate blame in any other direction but the reader's. Even as someone pursuing those answers, it is easy to see that sugar coating, and mitigation of blame will help get you nowhere fast. Something I found refreshing about Dr. Jones' course, he's brutally honest, he cuts the shit and gets the job done. You have to change you mind, to change your habits, to change your life. He calls it like it is and makes it happen. So if you are interested you can check his program out HERE  

Resources:

https://image.gsfc.nasa.gov/poetry/ask/q768.html

https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov//vis/a010000/a010800/a010891/

1. They're Self Aware Through Self Reflection

Quora user and author Michal Stawicki says that, during research for his books on success, he discovered:

"At the highest level of professional sports they consider skills and techniques a given. You can't reach that level without them. What allows them to beat their opponents is not more time spent honing their skills, but more focus on perfecting their internal dialogue."

Meanwhile, research suggests that talking to yourself like you'd talk to someone else in the same situation can help you deal with stressful experiences. Specifically, use the pronoun "you" or your first name instead of "I." For example, "You can do it, John." Positive affirmations are an especially helpful tactic in establishing control of focus, particularly in the case of anxiety, which may be another common characteristic in "successful" people.

According to Morin, the psychotherapist, mentally strong people don't fear alone time because it's a chance to reflect and replenish their energy so, in fact, they enjoy time alone. . She recommends taking a few minutes every day to be alone with your thoughts to process what's happening around you.

successful people are self-aware: "They know who they are, they have defined vision, and they know their strengths and weaknesses."

Interestingly, research suggests that leaders who underestimate their own competence are the most effective and have the most engaged employees. Perhaps unsurprisingly, leaders who overestimate their own competence are the least effective.

(Gary Vaynerchuk is a ceo of a media company VaynerMedia. He hosts youtube vlogs, and coaches entrepreneurs to help them reach success. If anyone knows success it's him, its no coincidence he's known for self awareness) 

2.Successful people read books to get inspired.

A whopping 88 percent of rich people in the recent research say they devote thirty minutes or more each day to education or self-improvement through reading.

Most do not read for entertainment; they prefer biographies, history, and self-help books.

If you enjoy a good novel, that can help you too. Science shows that reading for pleasure can also boost your career. And Corley's point holds for many kinds of narratives. "There are important life lessons to be learned in biographies of people with rags-to-riches stories," he writes.

"Biographies expose the thinking habits, challenges, and ups-and-downs of the subject."

Reading is an essential element in success—books contain so much knowledge. Apparently Elon Musk would read at least four hours a day growing up. Four hours. And look how successful he became.There isn’t necessarily a defined length as to how much time you should be reading, but forming a daily reading habit will expand your knowledge and help you on your journey to success.

3. Health is a Priority

Working out regularly clears your head and makes you feel more motivated, studies show.

According to Corley, 76 percent of the rich carve out 30 minutes or more for aerobic exercise like jogging, biking, or walking each day.

What you eat and how much you exercise affects every area of your life. Successful people use their exercise as a time to reset and plan. And they make smart food choices that will give them the energy they need to accomplish everything on their daily to-do list. 

Albert Einstein reportedly preferred to get at least 10 hours of sleep a night. If you too function best well-rested, Corley has some good news.

An overwhelming 89 percent of self made millionaire sleep seven or eight hours each night, or more.

"Sleep is critical to success," he writes, citing its effects on memory function and creative thinking.

4. Building positive relationships

"You are only as successful as those you frequently associate with," Corley says.

If you don't have highly-motivated people in your personal network yet, fear not. Self-made millionaires volunteer, which is a great way to meet other positive, motivated individuals. You could also join groups for people who share your same career or personal interests, there is a psychological phenomenon known as the 5 most people average. Essentially you can track your income reliably to be the average of the 5 most people you spend time with. 

And be choosy about who you spend your time with. Successful people also make a point to limit their exposure to toxic, negative people

Other people’s journeys to success can be inspiring; you can learn so much—about their mistakes, their victories, what to do, what not to do. But if you start comparing your progress to theirs, instead of using their stories as inspiration, you can feel jealous, stressed, unworthy.

Successful people realize their journey is unique and can’t be compared. So don’t get stuck in the comparison trap—stay focused on your why. 

This is a video of Gary Vaynerchuk, CEO and Founder of Vaynermedia. Billionaire, and Marketing advisor explaining his WHY, Called his North Star.

5.They are conscientious about goals

Most self-made millionaires don't end up rich accidentally  They make plans.

Eighty percent of the wealthy are "obsessed with pursuing goals,"  They refer to both daily and long-term goals regularly.

"I'm here to tell you to avoid putting your ladder on someone else's wall and then spending the best years of your life climbing it," "Find your own wall, your own dreams, and your own goals, and pursue them," says Gary Vaynerchuk 

That means that they're organized, responsible, and hardworking, and are able to control their impulses.

Research has found that conscientiousness is the only major personality trait that consistently predicts success, in terms of factors like income and job satisfaction. That's partly because conscientious people are better at setting and achieving goals, especially in the face of obstacles.

Something I've attempted to illustrate with this website is this thought in itself. "The idea muscle can be enhanced if it is trained regularly. The highly successful are great masters in the field of generating new and great ideas. Just because they do it on regularly."

That observation goes along with theories from neuroscientist and a psychologist David Eagleman, who says that your first thought is hardly ever your best one. Successful people know that, so they keep coming up with ideas until they finally hit the jackpot.

6. They make time for 'deep work'

Successful people block out time for "deep work": They "have rituals that help them maximize concentration," such as taking walks in nature, and "work in an environment undisturbed by distractions."

Georgetown professor Cal Newport wrote a book titled "Deep Work," a term he defines as "professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit, [which then] create new value, improve your skill, and are hard to duplicate."

As Business Insider's Richard Feloni has reported, deep work helped fuel the success of people like Bill Gates, who said he used to stay in the office for days at a time without thinking anything of it.

Feloni writes that "[a] dedication to deep work requires setting aside stretches of time each week (of say an hour or two) when you work with urgency and your concentration is not disrupted by anything, not even a brief moment of daydreaming or getting up for a cup of coffee."

7. Developing multiple incomes

Self-made millionaires do not rely on one singular source of income," Corley says. They develop multiple streams.

So how many sources of income do they have?

Sixty-five percent had at least three streams of income that they created prior to making their first million dollars

Having a side-business or income-generating investments like REITs or real estate is a few common additional sources of income.

Diversifying sources of income allows you a few capabilities within your time management as well as the opportunities available for you and your businesses. Look at it this way, say you have a little money saved up, no vacation time at your job, and you get a long-term injury. Could you make it 3 months without any income? How helpful would 2 or 3 other income streams be in this scenario? Now imagine you want to start your own business but work 10 hours a day already and don't have the finances to do so. Maybe it's time to take a look at a 2nd or 3 rd income stream?

8. They maximize the time in every day. 

Money isnt the only important resource for wealthy people. Time is another one.

When we invest our time in anything it's lost forever

Be choosy about the apps you spend your time with too, instead of spending hours on end watching Netflix or scrolling through Instagram.

When you see time as the greatest risk of all, it will force you to become more aware of exactly how to invest your time.

Life is busy, it’s chaotic, and so you tend to want to focus on the future—we all do it, worry about what’s next. But while planning is important, so is living—being fully present.

Life is short, and there’s no guarantee as to when it will end. Successful people live each day as if it were their last and make the most out of each moment—and so should you.

When you look at a big goal, it’s common to get frustrated at the enormity of what you’re trying to accomplish. If you wake up each day determined to spend it forming good habits, you give yourself a better chance at success. So use these five habits as a starting place to build whatever a successful life means to you.

9. They are aware of- and control their emotions

William Hurst highlights the importance of gratitude among the super successful.

Gratitude was especially important to Doug Conant, the former CEO of Campbell Soup. As Janice Kaplan writes in her book "The Gratitude Diaries," throughout Conant's tenure at the company, he sent more than 30,000 handwritten thank-you notes to staffers and clients.

Apparently, the move paid off: When Conant took the reins at Campbell Soup, the stock price was falling and it was the worst performer of all the major food companies in the world, according to Fast Company. By 2009, the company was ahead of the S&P Food Group and the S&P 500.

Meditation seems to be a common factor in most successful people's daily lives.

Indeed, research has found that meditation has a number of mental and physical health benefits, from improving memory to increasing compassion to boosting the immune system.

Successful people "are emotional people like others," writes Himani Kapoor, citing a Lifehack article. "But, they manage their emotions smartly."

As psychotherapist Amy Morin told Business Insider, mentally strong people are acutely aware of how their emotions influence their thoughts and behaviors, and they monitor the fluctuations in their emotions throughout the day.

Butevice highlights another point from the Lifehack article: Successful people "understand the importance of discipline and self-control."

In fact, the classic "marshmallow study," led by psychologist Walter Mischel in the 1960s, found that kids who were able to delay the delicious gratification of eating a marshmallow wound up more successful as adults.

It seems reflection and awareness are some of the most common aspects in those that most deem as successful. Although it is relative to interpretation and the hemisphere of perception it does seem those characteristics do ring true as a commonality. 

If you liked this article check out 7 exercise myths dismissed for good.  

Are We Living In a Simulation? 

An Ancient Emerald Tablet?  

On a side note I think it is important in the eyes of success to realize the entrepeneurship is a major component in what it means to be successful for many people. In doing so without racking up debt, Loans can get you in over your head, and why do it when there are no return payment options? Government grants are available to make your business goals come true. That's where Federal Funding Programs comes into play. 

Funding Opportunities Available for All United States Citizens

Each year billions of dollars are distributed to the general public through government, federal and private funding programs in the form of grants, low interest and no-interest loans. Unfortunately, many people don't even know these programs exist or don't have the resources or tools necessary to locate and apply for them.

That's why FederalFundingPrograms.org (FFP) was created, to help the many Americans who are not in the know, to quickly locate and apply for theses funds for whatever needs they may have. Get started now in three easy steps! These funding sources and programs are now offering free grant money directly to individuals and businesses for all types of business ventures, education, medical bills, rent, home repair, home purchase down payment Money and many other personal needs! Regardless of Your Present Financial Situation. NONE of these Government Grants require collateral, credit checks, security deposits or co-signers. You can apply even if you have a Bankruptcy.

Apply Now to Receive Your Share of Free Money From These Exciting Government Grant Programs. Below are examples of

If I told you there was an ancient glowing green tablet written by an Egyptian god archetype. That the tablet had  an inscription for 14 directions to craft components to break reality. Or potentially a way to transform your mind to a state of superhuman proportions, what would you say? "Sounds like an Indiana Jones Movie, or an Episode of Scooby Doo" right? 

             Oh it's about to get biblical up in here

      Connected to the Roscurian Order,The Freemasons, a god-king archetype transcendent of time and death, a pretty solid horror movie, and a meditative practice nearly as old.

The Emerald Tablet is one of the most revered documents in the Western World, and its Egyptian author, Hermes Trismegistus, has become synonymous with ancient wisdom. His tablet contains an extremely succinct summary of what Aldous Huxley dubbed the “Perennial Philosophy,” a timeless science of soul that keeps popping up despite centuries of effort to suppress it. The basic idea is that there exists a divine or archetypal level of mind that determines physical reality, and individuals can access that realm through direct knowledge of God. 

The teachings of Hermes — the Hermetic tradition — is one of the oldest spiritual traditions in the world, and while no direct evidence links the Emerald Tablet to Eastern religions, it shares uncanny similarities in concepts and terminology with Taoism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. In the West, the tablet found a home not only in the pagan tradition but also in all three of the orthodox Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), and many of the most heretical beliefs of the Gnostics are also openly expressed in it. Like the authors of the tablet, the Gnostics believed that direct knowledge of reality could be attained through psychological discipline and meditative exercises. They also shared a common view of the universe in which “All Is One,” a pattern of creation and decay symbolized by the Ouroboros (the snake eating its own tail).

The idea of "All is One" is represented in many observable facets of science scaling from the quantum to the universe itself. 

Conversely, some believe the alchemical relationship to be a physical one of manipulating matter through transmutation. The Emerald Tablet, also known as the Smaragdine Table, or Tabula Smaragdina, is a compact and cryptic piece of the Hermetica reputed to contain the secret of the prima materia and its transmutation. It was highly regarded by European alchemists as the foundation of their art and its Hermetic tradition. The original source of the Emerald Tablet is unknown. Although Hermes Trismegistus is the author named in the text, its first known appearance is in a book written in Arabic between the sixth and eighth centuries. The text was first translated into Latin in the twelfth century. Numerous translations, interpretations and commentaries followed.

The layers of meaning in the Emerald Tablet have been associated with the creation of the philosopher's stone, laboratory experimentation, phase transition, the alchemical magnum opus, the ancient classical element system, and the correspondence between macrocosm and microcosm. However, it has deep connections in relevant meditative practices.

History of The Emerald Tablet

The text of the Smaragdine Tablet gives its author as Hermes Trismegistus ("Hermes the Thrice-Greatest"), a legendary Hellenistic combination of the Greek god Hermes and the ancient Egyptian god Thoth. Despite the claims of antiquity, it's believed to be an Arabic work written between the sixth and eighth centuries. The oldest documentable source of the text is the Kitāb sirr al-ḫalīqa(Book of the Secret of Creation and the Art of Nature), itself a composite of earlier works. This volume is attributed to "Balinas" (or Pseudo-Apollonius of Tyana) who wrote sometime around the eighth century. In his book, Balinas frames the Emerald Tablet as ancient Hermetic wisdom. He tells his readers that he discovered the text in a vault below a statue of Hermes in Tyana, and that, inside the vault, an old corpse on a golden throne held the emerald tablet.

Occult History-

The reverence with which diverse groups continued to hold the Emerald Tablet is exemplified in the following paragraph from the Morals and Dogma of Freemasonry: “He who desires to attain the understanding of the Grand Word and the possession of the Great Secret, ought carefully to read the Hermetic philosophers, and will undoubtedly attain initiation, as others have done; but he must take, for the key of their allegories, the single dogma of Hermes, contained in his Table of Emerald.” There are other more veiled references to the Hermetic tradition in Freemasonry. For instance, their sacred name “Hiram Ibif” refers to the first Hermes (Hermes Ibis or Thoth), who, according to Masonic tradition, arrived “in the year of the world 2670.”

That one always gets some attention

What does it say?

The interpretation of the Emerald Text is not a straight forward matter, as it is after all, a piece of esoteric text. One interpretation, for instance, suggests that the text describes seven stages of alchemical transformation – calcination, dissolution, separation, conjunction, fermentation, distillation and coagulation. “The Emerald Tablet is the cryptic epitome of the alchemical opus,” noted Jungian analyst Dr. Edward Edinger, “a recipe for the second creation of the world.” Ethnobotanist and consciousness guru Terence McKenna agrees, calling the tablet “a formula for a holographic matrix” that is mirrored in the human mind and offers mankind its only hope for future survival. Yet, despite the various interpretations available, it seems that none of their authors claim to possess knowledge of the whole truth. Furthermore, readers are encouraged to read the text and try to interpret and find the hidden truths themselves.

Hello, World!

    This is the translation presented by Sir Isaac Newton. (One of dozens of translations) The interpretations are even more numerous.

1) Tis true without lying, certain & most true.
2) That which is below is like that which is above & that which is above is like ye which is below to do ye miracles of one only thing.
3) And as all things have been & arose from one by ye mediation of one: so all things have their birth from this one thing by adaptation.
4) The Sun is its father, the moon its mother,
5) the wind hath carried it in its belly, the earth its nourse.
6) The father of all perfection in ye whole world is here.
7) Its force or power is entire if it be converted into earth.
7a) Seperate thou ye earth from ye fire, ye subtile from the gross sweetly wth great indoustry.
8) It ascends from ye earth to ye heaven & again it desends to ye earth and receives ye force of things superior & inferior.
9) By this means you shall have ye glory of ye whole world & thereby all obscurity shall fly from you.
10) Its force is above all force. ffor it vanquishes every subtile thing & penetrates every solid thing.
11a) So was ye world created.
12) From this are & do come admirable adaptaions whereof ye means (Or process) is here in this.
13) Hence I am called Hermes Trismegist, having the three parts of ye philosophy of ye whole world.
14) That wch I have said of ye operation of ye Sun is accomplished & ended.
[Dobbs 1988: 183-4.]

Obviously those messages should take a little bit of time to digest. Personally I find a very inspiring and freeing philosophical connection to the universe when reading about this tablet in particular. I would like to expand upon some of these ideas in the future.

On a side note, I found a program designed by Dr. Steve G. Jones
Clinical Hypnotherapist, entitled "End Limiting Beliefs."  His website for the program begins as follows. 

"Dear Friend,

I hope this letter finds you well, because I have a very urgent message for everyone who feels that their life is being sabotaged from within.

The feeling that something is wrong often surfaces during life’s toughest challenges. The signs are there but very few people know what to do with these signs.

The scourge is limiting beliefs.

Many people are unaware that limiting beliefs are the number one cause of unhappiness in our world today. And yet, very few people are aware that such beliefs exist. Some don’t even believe in them even if the beliefs have already eroded huge chunks of their lives from within.

Limiting beliefs are like the plague."

They spread to every aspect of your behavior, thinking and personality. They keep you locked in tight, immobile and helpless. Limiting beliefs often change how people perceive the world in general and people, too.

This is something I found absolutely relevant regarding our context in the cosmos as addressed by the emerald tablet  Everything in our existence is relative to perspective and perception. Pre-disposed based on our beliefs and the experiences that have formed them. When any idea becomes a belief, it becomes fiercely protected by the conscious and subconscious mind. When a belief becomes repeated behavior, it becomes a habit. Habits are much harder to break because they are deeply rooted patterns of behavior that are embedded in the subconscious half of the mind.

Personally, I felt Dr. Steven Jones hit the nail directly on the head when he addressed this. "There are countless books that ‘help’ people by setting goals and such… But these books never address the root cause of personal failure: LIMITING BELIEFS" I have read dozens if not hundreds of "self-help" books that navigate blame in any other direction but the reader's. Even as someone pursuing those answers, it is easy to see that sugar coating, and mitigation of blame will help get you nowhere fast. Something I found refreshing about Dr. Jones' course, he's brutally honest, he cuts the shit and gets the job done. You have to change you mind, to change your habits, to change your life. He calls it like it is and makes it happen. So if you are interested you can check his program out HERE  

References

Beyer, C., 2014.http://altreligion.about.com/od/westernocculttraditio1/p/Emerald-Tablet.htm. [Online]
Available at:http://altreligion.about.com/od/westernocculttraditio1/p/Emerald-Tablet.htm

Clark, R., 2013. Rawn's Commentary upon the Emerald Tablet of Hermes. [Online]
Available at:http://www.abardoncompanion.de/EmeraldTablet.html

Hart, E., 2006. The Emerald Tablet. [Online]
Available at: http://www.theosophy-nw.org/theosnw/world/med/me-elo4.htm

[Accessed 10 August 2014].MacFarlane, I. C., 2005. The Emerald Table of Hermes. [Online]
Available at:http://www.endlesssearch.co.uk/philo_emerald_tablet.htm