Fight Paper With Fire

The Moon Lay Hidden Beneath a Cloud video footage

2011-11-03T17:51:00.001-07:00

Finally found some online live footage of one of my favourite bands, The Moon Lay Hidden Beneath a Cloud:

TMLHBAC - Live at the Beltaine festival from Christian I.S. on Vimeo.

How Revolutionary Tools Cracked a 1700s Code

2011-10-25T00:29:00.000-07:00

"Discovered in an academic archive in the former East Germany, the elaborately bound volume of gold and green brocade paper holds 75,000 characters, a perplexing mix of mysterious symbols and Roman letters. The name comes from one of only two non-coded inscriptions in the document.

"Kevin Knight, a computer scientist at the Information Sciences Institute at the University of Southern California, collaborated with Beata Megyesi and Christiane Schaefer of Uppsala University in Sweden to decipher the first 16 pages. They turn out to be a detailed description of a ritual from a secret society that apparently had a fascination with eye surgery and ophthalmology."

Religion Debate: Christopher Hitchens vs Tony Blair

2010-11-29T16:02:00.000-08:00

"Is religion a force for good in the world?" was the topic debated at Roy Thompson Hall in Toronto.

Existentialism

2010-11-23T15:43:00.000-08:00

Responded to a question on reddit today about existentialism:

"So i have some time on my hands and wanted to explore a little further into Existentialism.
As I have learned it, especially through Nietzsche's writings, there is no ultimate purpose or goal in the universe. When you die, nothing happens and that's all there is. However, it is up to the individual to create his own purpose in life and reason for living. This belief doesn't justify any sort of living. If a man's purpose in life is to kill and steal, there is his purpose. This also applies to the religious people...their purpose in life is to praise God and be a religious/good person. As an extistentialist, you can't blame them because that is their purpose.
That's kinda my philosophy on life so far....and Existentialism as I understand it. Am I getting the point of the theory or am I incorrect in what I believe what existentialism is?"

The following is my response:

If a man's purpose in life is to kill and steal, there is his purpose. This also applies to the religious people...their purpose in life is to praise God and be a religious/good person. As an extistentialist, you can't blame them because that is their purpose.

I don't think anyone should stick to any one purpose, especially if it is something as appalling as killing. If someone has come to a place where they have decided that killing and stealing is their purpose, then I think it is only inevitable that others will make their own purpose a reaction against that.

As an extistentialist, you can't blame them because that is their purpose.

Yes you can blame them for things like screwing up the world if they have made something awry of their purpose in life, and if you have the capacity you can show them their errors in a hope that they may reconsider their ambitions.

It's true that we, especially those of us who aren't subject to enforced doctrines of 'right living', do have to at times to generate or find our own purposes to direct our will and energy.

Many people don't really seem think about this, and simply follow the social norms that are ingrained within whatever culture they are raised in. It's not that these norms are in themselves harmful, but they can be limiting if they are viewed as exclusive and regard deviation as anathema.

there is no ultimate purpose or goal in the universe. When you die, nothing happens and that's all there is.

I myself do not agree with this assertion. It's true that the purpose of existence itself is a baffling mystery that many people come up with their own answers for, but it is not something readily realized by everyone equally, like, say, the purpose of hunger and thirst. There are, however, clues that cause us to see patterns in life that point toward perceived purposes, like the evolution of species or the strive toward peace and equality. Also, I believe in (or rather, hold a high favour with the concept of) reincarnation, but I don't think that in any way would hinder my own perception of existentialism itself.

Religious Discourse

2010-11-21T16:59:00.000-08:00

Below is a comment I posted in response to an article published in The Guardian today, titled Is religion a force for good... or would we be happier without God?. The article is an interesting read, asking five 'leading thinkers' what their take on religion is.

The sphere of religion today, as perceived by the general public, is in definite need of elucidation. As the article shows, the commentators themselves hold on to the negativities of religion as things that, for them at least, actually constitute what religion is about.
The role and purpose of religion itself is heavily scrutinized because many only see it for the harm that ignorant and non-understanding religious followers have done, using their faith as an excuse for their own misplaced infallibility.
Ideally it should be about encouraging benevolence, including non-violence and moral discipline. Other beneficial traits of religion include the search for mystical truths and spiritual discernment within ourselves and the world we live in, in order to better understand our place in existence (both personally and collectively).
Would we be happier without God?
This is irrelevant. Yes, some people may be happier without the god in their head that they think is god. Others would say that without god they would have no reason for being, but this only illuminates their lack of understanding and courage in the face of life itself, or their incapacity to at least hold their friends and family as reasons for being.
Even as a mystic, I cannot fully describe my conception of god, or even hope to convince another person as to the validity of my conception, unless they too have had similar spiritual experiences as mine. Still, I choose to seek the divine, keeping sacred these aspirations, even if only to have the solemn experience of sacredness toward life itself.
Although I am spiritually inclined at times, and hope to see religion someday in better favour with the general public, I also understand the animosity toward its insult to reason among the intellectuals and free-thinkers. With them I am in accordance; I easily dismiss much of what religious people pander to the masses, because they think they speak for the divine when they are only promulgating biased and one-sided doctrines and philosophies. Yet I am also put off that many disdain spirituality itself in light of these inaccuracies, and would rather tear down everything it is associated with than seek an open-minded and cautiously skeptic reciprocity of learning and tolerance.

Funny Heckler

2010-11-19T21:41:00.000-08:00

I'm always checking out heckler videos from stand-up comedy shows, and this is one of the better ones I've seen in a while. The comedian's name is Joe Klocek.

There's a pretty interesting interview with him as well:

Alien Warrior: Stand Up Comic

2010-11-19T21:13:00.001-08:00

This guy is interesting; in the clip he responds to a heckler. His outfit is pretty well made, and his spiel is intriguing.

Documentary blog

2010-11-09T20:04:00.000-08:00

Have been watching a lot of documentaries lately (as usual), and decided to compile a blog of some of my favourites that are available for watching online.

Check it: http://documentary-addict.blogspot.com/

Reddit Adventures

2010-11-09T00:13:00.000-08:00

Have been on reddit.com a lot recently. A lot of interesting discussions and debates seem to happen on there, and I am happy to participate. Recently someone posted in the philosophy section with a question regarding the criticism of others' beliefs. Here is a response I posted:

"is it legitimate to criticize religious beliefs in others?"

I suppose any criticism is legitimate, but what is the intent of the criticism? Hopefully it is to bring to surface an inconsistency with what you think is false, or inaccurate, or simply superstitious.

As with most areas, self-criticism is a key to a well-developed confidence, and religious people who criticize their own beliefs are usually better at explaining to others exactly why they believe what they believe.

Many times a skeptic will criticize a religious person because that skeptic has a preconceived notion as to why the believer is in line with a certain way of thinking. And in some cases, belief does start out as superstition, only to be illuminated later in life as to that belief or superstition's usability in life.

Take prayer for example. The skeptic says, 'Why pray? It doesn't work. You won't get what you want. God doesn't even exist.' To which a religious person might answer, 'I do not pray to ask for things, but to express to a higher power my desire to be a better person, or to express my worries and desires to help my friends or to think of a way understand an issue that has been on my mind. I have found an applicable use for it to which I use because in the long run I have found it to be helpful in times of distress and confusion.'

I will have to find more of the thought-provoking discussions I partake in and post them here. Or, if you're a registered user of Reddit, feel free to add me as a friend.

Documentary: Secrets of the Occult

2010-11-08T00:00:00.001-08:00

This is the best documentary I've ever seen about the history of occultism:

Part 1: The Magicians

Part 2: The Scientists

Part 3: What is Occult?

Harmonograph (aka Pendulograph)

2010-11-01T17:14:00.000-07:00

Have been reading up on John Keely, an 19th century inventor from Pittsburgh who experimented with an alternative 'etheric' energy source he termed 'vibratory sympathy.' A lot of interesting and controversial claims that the scientific community eventually gave up on partly due to his staunch secrecy and eventual claims of fraud.

An article on his history of work, written by his friend and sponsor, Clara J. Bloomfield Moore, makes reference to what is known as Pendulograph, described as such:

A system of Pendulums tuned to swing the various ratios of the musical scale, form a “Silent Harp” of extraordinary interest. This “Silent Harp,” D.C. Ramsay, of Glasgow has shown to his students of harmony for many a year. A pen, placed by means of a universal-jointed arrangement between any two pendulums of this “Silent Harp”, so as to be moved by a blend of their various motions, writes, with all the precision of gravitation, a portrait of the chord which two corresponding strings of a sounding harp would utter to the ear. This spiral writing is a Pendulograph; exquisite forms such as no human hand could trace

My curiosity prodded, I managed to find a video example of how such an apparatus works:

Pierre Berton Interviews Bruce Lee

2010-11-01T03:34:00.000-07:00

Bruce Lee "The Lost Interview" 1971 - Be like water my friend - Pierre Berton Show from Maximilian on Vimeo.

We Day

2010-10-31T16:10:00.000-07:00

Today I was watching a program on television called We Day, put together by the Free The Children organization. It captivated my interest in many ways, mostly from the curiosity of its intent, and from seeing a social setting of what has been used primarily by religious bodies as a way to garner inspiration and generate excitement among followers.

The televised program was a compilation of hi-lighted events that took place in stadiums in Toronto and Vancouver. Packed with extremely excited audiences, the hosts of E-Talk Daily, Ben Mulroney & Tanya Kim struggled to introduce the opening speakers over the shrieking audience. It wasn't exactly a concert or a seminar, but it was very close to the massive religious rallies I have attended as a youth, yet the message was a vague and varied support of positive outlooks of the world and each other.

The emphasis of the speakers for the most part was on the excitement of such things like 'making the world a better place' or 'believing in yourself' and 'looking to the future.' I suppose it was a general motivational rally aimed at younger people's altruistic aspirations, to which I applaud wholeheartedly, but there was something I felt that was lacking which I cannot place my finger on, so I will simply outline my perception of the event and offer the insight that came to my mind.

To begin the event, the two co-founders of Free The Children, Craig Kielburger and Marc Kielburger, came out to pump up the audience, talking about how they started Free The Children. The tone was a bit showboatish as the audience cheered at the lists of accomplishments they rattled off. They were quite charasmatic, and seemed intent on priding themselves for being 'shameless idealists', to which the audience gave much approval.

An opening video showed African people in poverty who were in need of things like better education and medical technology. There were shots of kids saying statements like 'we need your help', 'it's not a handout' and even 'it's not charity'. This confused me. Is it that obvious that much of our culture is developing a disdain for helping others? Also, while the needs of the global community are indeed important, to me it also seemed to be misplaced in terms of the immediate help much of our own regions are in need of in terms of poverty and community spirit.

One thing that irked me was that, judging from the selected hi-lights anyway, the people who were invited to speak were mostly American idealists like Al Gore, Martin Sheen and Jesse Jackson. As a patriotic Canadian, I am interested in seeing who we look to among ourselves for inspiration, and to see and hear an audience full of young Canadians idolizing non-Canadians in such a setting was a bit unsettling. On the other hand, as an international citizen I am also interested in hearing from whoever is in the spotlight. For me, however, I was hardly inspired by most of what was said, probably given that I have heard most of it before and found myself rolling my eyes at the redundancies that I was hearing. It was not all so trite, though, as most were there simply to offer support and be a part of the inspirational atmosphere.

Al Gore's appearance was first, and set the stage as to what would ensue from most of the speakers; that is, sharing a speech of general inspiration and offering encouraging words of hope and positivity. Most of the talks were quite short, and didn't delve into any specific sort of suggestive advice, but one of Gore's more memorable moments was when he at one point touted 'practical idealism and commitment to the future.'

Martin Sheen talked about activism, his family history and went on about his own history also, bringing up predictably noticeable events of his generation like Vietnam and JFK. He seemed quite out of touch as the audience began to lose interest, yet he continued on to read the statistics based on the world's population being condensed to 100 people. What eventually caught my attention was a bit of wisdom he shared when he said something to the effect of, "while none of us make the rules that govern the universe, we all make the rules the govern our own hearts."

Jesse Jackson started off talking about Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy. Like Sheen's introduction, the audience's attention seemed to wane, until he simply went off with a string of affirmations for the audience to repeat like: I am somebody; Respect me; Never neglect me; We are all precious in God's sight; Stop the bullying; Stop the violence; Save the children; Keep hope alive. That was pretty much the gist of what he had to offer, which I'm sure for many was an important experience, but for the most part it came across as a bit repetitive.

Rick Hansen, talked about difference makers like his high school teacher, Bob Redford, who encouraged him to chase his dreams. He encouraged others to find that same kind of inspiration from people in their own life, but like the rest of the speakers his train of thought lead to a string of empowering, non-specific, aphorisms like 'go for it' and 'make a difference.'

Not everyone was so invigorating. Philippe Cousteau, chief ocean correspondent for Animal Planet and Planet Green, came out to talk about the oil spill, and I was a little shocked when he brought up some point about "governments and corporations willing to destroy the environment at our expense." It made me wary at the tone of negativity such a statement could create when, while in actuality this may be regrettably true in some instances, creating a more knowledgeably accurate and useful portrait of the institutions that are involved in so much of our modern lives would probably have been a better angle to shoot for. The rest of his talked was riddled with so many of the cliches that one would expound to blindly encourage pretty much anyone.

When the speakers weren't talking, bands took over to hype the audience, sharing generalized heartfelt advice and stories of inspiration before playing one or two of their songs.

Personally, my favourite performance by far was from Barenaked Ladies who played Four Seconds. I had never heard it before, and it was a nice change of pace from the tone of overtly-enthusiastic ecstaticity of the crowd. Some of their shared words of inspiration included the words, "you are a community. Not a small community but a global community."

Internet sensation-of-the-week Greyson Chance performed as well. During his introduction, a comparison to Justin Bieber was mentioned, and not even two seconds after the utterance of his name the crowd went into an immediate fury of screaming and cheers, which was probably a little off-putting for the performer. He maintained his composure as he took to the stage and offered an air of friendly positivity that seemed well-polished for his age.

The two co-founders eventually came back out and went off about the importance of freedom, and brought to attentions the lives of people like Susan B Anthony, Mahatma Ghandi and Nelson Mandella, among other visionaries who have shaped our conception of things like social justice. It is ideally a sobering and noble subject, but the tuckered-out crowd had little of eagerness left as noticed when encouraged to shout 'freedom' at the end of each sentence that the co-founders were shouting.

K'Naan ended the event playing Wavin Flag which I enjoyed. The chorus lyrics of the song are When I get older I will be stronger / They'll call me freedom, just like a wavin' flag. It created a nicely settled atmosphere of contentment and empowerment and was one of the more calmly uplifting moments of which the rest of the event was lacking.

I am quite happy with most of what transpired, and would like to see more of similarly structured events happen outside of the religious circles they are usually used for. Much could be approved on, however, like finding speakers who can offer more than overheard advice and predictable words of inspiration. Then again, my impression is undoubtedly impaired by being privy to only what CTV decided to select for the on-air presentation. In the end, however, from what I saw I am myself inspired simply by seeing for what purposes the world is coming together to celebrate: positivity, a better future, and each other's desires to be a part of that.

The Elements

2010-10-29T00:21:00.000-07:00

Totally had a eureka moment just now, thinking about the classical elements of Earth, Water, Air and Fire which correspond not to those things specifically, but to the four know states of matter, namely: solid (earth), liquid (water), gas (air) and plasma (fire). I had propositioned this to myself in the past, but never really looked into it until now because I was unsure as to the physical nature of fire, which I may have simply corresponded with energy.

A quick search affirmed my presumption: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_element#Modern_elements

There is also a fifth classical element, Aether, which many correlate with spirit, or Akasha.

Theosophical Endevours

2010-10-28T22:06:00.000-07:00

Started a Theosophical writing blog today, which will be sharing articles written by prominent Theosophists from as far back as the 19th century. The first post is a letter written by H.P. Blavatsky to the Archbishop of Canterbury (the official head of the Church of England) that was published in 1887. It charmingly begins with 'My Lord Primate of all England', and goes on to expound the Theosophical view of religion and spiritual teachings in general.

Here is a snippet from the letter:

We Theosophists believe that a religion is a natural incident in the life of man in his present stage of development; and that although, in rare cases, individuals may be born without the religious sentiment, a community must have a religion, that is to say, a uniting bond — under penalty of social decay and material annihilation. We believe that no religious doctrine can be more than an attempt to picture to our present limited understandings, in the terms of our terrestrial experiences, great cosmical and spiritual truths, which in our normal state of consciousness we vaguely sense, rather than actually perceive and comprehend; and a revelation, if it is to reveal anything, must necessarily conform to the same earthbound requirements of the human intellect. In our estimation, therefore, no religion can be absolutely true, and none can be absolutely false. A religion is true in proportion as it supplies the spiritual, moral and intellectual needs of the time, and helps the development of mankind in these respects. It is false in proportion as it hinders that development, and offends the spiritual, moral and intellectual portion of man's nature. And the transcendentally spiritual ideas of the ruling powers of the Universe entertained by an Oriental sage would be as false a religion for the African savage as the grovelling fetishism of the latter would be for the sage, although both views must necessarily be true in degree, for both represent the highest ideas attainable by the respective individuals of the same cosmico-spiritual facts, which can never be known in their reality by man while he remains but man.

Theosophists, therefore, are respectors of all the religions, and for the religious ethics of Jesus they have profound admiration. It could not be otherwise, for these teachings which have come down to us are the same as those of Theosophy. So far, therefore, as modern Christianity makes good its claim to be the practical religion taught by Jesus, Theosophists are with it heart and hand. So far as it goes contrary to those ethics, pure and simple, Theosophists are its opponents. Any Christian can, if he will, compare the Sermon on the Mount with the dogmas of his church, and the spirit that breathes in it, with the principles that animate this Christian civilization and govern his own life; and then he will be able to judge for himself how far the religion of Jesus enters into his Christianity, and how far, therefore, he and Theosophists are agreed. But professing Christians, especially the clergy, shrink from making this comparison. Like merchants who fear to find themselves bankrupt, they seem to dread the discovery of a discrepancy in their accounts which could not be made good by placing material assets as a set-off to spiritual liabilities. The comparison between the teachings of Jesus and the doctrines of the churches has, however, frequently been made — and often with great learning and critical acumen — both by those who would abolish Christianity and those who would reform it; and the aggregate result of these comparisons, as your Grace must be well aware, goes to prove that in almost every point the doctrines of the churches and the practices of Christians are in direct opposition to the teachings of Jesus.

I am also on board to be a helping contributor to an upcoming Theosophical wiki, which will be up at http://theosopher.net.

Acedia

2010-10-27T23:40:00.000-07:00

Have been reading through Robertson Davies' One Half of Robertson Davies and recently came upon his essay 'The Deadliest of the Sins' which appears to be a speech given to a graduating class at Queen's University. What he speaks of is acedia, or what is commonly referred to as sloth. As he explains, "it meant intellectual and spiritual torpor, indifference and lethargy."

An excerpt from the piece:

"How can it be recognized? Anatole France said that the great danger of increasing age was that the feelings atrophied, and we mistook the sensation for the growth of wisdom. It is true that as one grows older, one's sense of proportion may become greater, and things which troubled us or wounded us deeply in our youth seem less significant. But that is a different thing from feeling nothing deeply, and leaping to the conclusion that therefore nothing is really very important. As one grows older, one learns how to spare oneself many kinds of unnecessary pain, but one is in great danger if one ceases to feel pain of any kind. If you cannot feel pain at some of the harsh circumstances of life, it is very likely that you have ceased to feel joy at some of the satisfactions and delights of life. When that happens, one lives at all times under a mental and spiritual cloud; it is always wet weather in the soul. That is Acedia, and it was called a Deadly Sin because it dimmed and discouraged the spirit, and at last killed it."

The similarities to clinical depression are apparent, and the prescription that Davies offers is inspiring:

"You must look clearly at the things which make your life happy and enviable, and you must give yourself up to a grateful contemplation of them. Never take such things for granted. I have seen many a promising marriage shrivel up and dry up because one or both of the parties to it assumes that happiness was something that came by right, and could never be diminished. Consciously summoning up, and consciously enjoying, the good things that life brings us is a way of preserving them. It is not in their nature to last forever; they will change, and if you cherish them gratefully, the change is much more likely to be change for the better than if you accept them as gifts which a grateful providence has showered upon you as a recognition of your magnanimity in condescending to inhabit the earth"

Much of our perceived happiness can be methodically contrived from that habits we develop to soothe our being, but whether wholesome or shallow, a build-up of indifference seems unavoidable. The consideration I get from regarding Acedia is the recollection of times when I've felt disconnected from the purposefulness I deem myself, or the activities I partake in that bring feelings of validation to my existence.

As the entry on Wikipedia mentions, "Acedia was originally noted as a problem among monks and other ascetics who maintained a solitary life." For many, after experiencing moments of great contentment or spiritual revelation, it is easy to become comfortably lost to the old ambitions that brought us to these feelings in the first place. Past joys seem paltry in comparison to the levels of existential ecstasy we have sought to achieve and cherish on our path through life. Yet, as they fade, which they are inevitably prone to do, so have those desires that once propelled our curiosity and motivation. Luckily, these desires are the very triggering points that are worth revisiting in times of confusion and despair.

2010-09-30T17:54:00.000-07:00

This is funny... from a Toronto comedian, doing a monologue with an image. Saw her do a bit on a This Hour Has 22 Minutes.

TV SUCKS : 2010 edition.

2010-08-26T18:10:00.001-07:00

So I've been watching TV recently and noticing how most of the people I see are acting like complete noobs, especially in commercials. There's usually some sort of consensus among television programmers about what "the people want to see", and these days much of it is central to the every-day norm of what is somehow considered ordinary, and therefore highly-relatable, people.

Somewhere along the way, traits of innocent stupidity and cherished selfishness have become hallmarks of what we condone, or even celebrate, as ordinary behaviour. It makes sense, though, considering our appreciation of similitude in the people we see who occupy our attention. I certainly appreciate seeing others make the same mistakes I have embarrassingly made, letting me be at least a little bit less uncomfortable with my failures.

The unscripted candidness of the reality TV format has no doubt propelled these situations into the limelight, along with the constantly negative reproach felt just knowing about all the failures of humanity that news and gossip bring to our senses on a nightly basis. I can hardly watch without cringing, perturbed by not only what I am forced to watch as my accumulation of current-event knowledge, but also by what I am not and hardly ever going to get to see on a daily basis. That is, people acting courageously, selflessly, decently, honestly, intelligently and emotionally sympathetic toward each other or even the process and wonder of life itself.

Hereupon the cliches arise, along with opposing sentiments. "Who wants to see the hero win? That's played out. People are interested in seeing the darker reality of the oppressed and the dynamic between contradictory characters." I agree, these are interesting things to see unfold before our passive attention span, while we are comfortably relaxing in front of the screen. When that is all we see, however, and we idolize and reenact it in our own lives.

Most of what I watch on TV is discouraging to my inner desires to find, understand, imitate and replicate beauty. It is so much more infuriating when this media capable of exposing sincerely positive examples of life only has a preference that moves further and further from that.

Studies in Mysticism

2010-05-26T23:45:00.000-07:00

Mysticism, to me, has always seemed a most basic influence to how I envision the ideal unfolding of my internal life. It starts with an enticing curiosity, underlying the attentive focus of what the imagination is lead to seek out about the world outside of itself. What is there that will hold my attention, that will draw me to explore, that will encourage me to share my own discoveries?

There are paths through life-- observed, categorized, practiced and abandoned-- but the lure of wisdom's reward needs no embellishment by wishful thinkers, for whenever the path itself can be realized as the reward for being, a timeless moment ensues. Yet it may leave as easy as it came, as the mind seeks to further justify past confusion still lingering in the mind. The clash leads on, between finding the primal desires of self and beginning to wonder the same of what belongs to others.

Questioning purpose in life becomes a vast chasm of unknowns. Aside from a few instinctual formalities, it seems futile to attempt the wandering mind to 'solve' life and existence from the standpoint of one individual; perhaps not realizing the limited perspective, but still maintaining that it is still worth a try.

Finding the emotional force of purpose within ecstasy, the confirmation of like-mindedness between the ever evolving person of stylized ideas, and the intellectual beauty of perpetual life that builds upon the past into a future of limitless possibilities, becomes a ground to gauge where the convictions of the heart should be guiding each being.

Studdies in Occultism

2010-05-05T23:51:00.000-07:00

Have started reading through H.P. Blavatsky's The Secret Doctrine again, for the third time (the first two time I didn't get very far into it). Cosmogenesis isn't exactly my forté, but the general tone of the book I enjoy following is one that clarifies classical conjectures in regard to ancient philosophy, or the tenets of esoteric Buddhism that are ordinarily hard to wrap your head around.

For the most part I would define my own study of occultism to be centered mostly around the order of existence. It stems from the curiosities of the makeup of the mind and body, and wanders cautiously from purpose to purpose in the realms of collected knowledge. It's engaging when it enlightens, yet can wisp away or frighten in an instant of confusion.

Religion in America: A marketplace of variety

2010-02-02T16:48:00.000-08:00

Via Wren's Nest

Dr. J. Gordon Melton, the newest Distinguished Senior Fellow at Baylor's Institute for Studies of Religion, talked Monday about major trends in American religion since the founding of the country.

He highlighted the continued prevalence of Christianity and described growth in Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and the organized community of Unbelief.

"[Gordon]'s a legendary figure and an internationally acclaimed scholar... He's literally a giant in the field," said Dr. Byron Johnson, director of the Institute for Studies of Religion. Melton is the director of the Institute for the Study of American Religion in Santa Barbra and is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church.

Haiti Earthquake & Voodoo: Myths, Ritual, and Robertson

2010-02-02T16:23:00.000-08:00

Via National Geographic

The thing about African religion is that it's very dynamic and astonishing. To see someone possessed by the spirit and actually become a god and handle burning coal with impunity and cut into the skin and so on—your reaction is either fear or disbelief for those of us who don't know our god in this direct way.

There's no question that in African religion there are very theatrical displays of faith.

The reason you cut yourself or handle burning embers is to show that a person taken over by the god is a god and can't be harmed.

There are things like animal sacrifice that we get very upset about. Well, actually what's going on there is—as in many religious traditions—a sense that disease or misfortune must be addressed by reestablishing energetic equilibrium. So you make an offering, and that offering is something precious to you, whether it be human blood or animal blood.

Carl Jung's Red Book

2010-01-29T12:45:00.000-08:00

Via Brain Pickings

In Jungian circles, it was as hotly anticipated as the new Dan Brown thriller, and the story of how it came to light reads like one to match. The Red Book — or Liber Novus (Latin for “New Book”), as it’s known by his disciples — was created by Swiss psychoanalyst and theorist Carl Jung over a main period of six years beginning in 1913. Like a cross between an illuminated manuscript, personal journal, and a tome of mini Buddhist mandalas, The Red Book provides a singular and extraordinary insight into one of the 20th century’s most celebrated minds. What’s more, it documents what happened when one of the world’s premier psychoanalysts lost his, according to some accounts.

Religion could survive discovery of ET?

2010-01-28T11:50:00.000-08:00

Via New Scientist

The survey, designed by Ted Peters, a professor of Systematic Theology at the Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, asked 1300 people whether they thought the discovery of extraterrestrial intelligence would shake their individual belief, the strength of their religion as a whole or would adversely affect the beliefs of other religions. The survey included both religious and non-religious people, and most respondents were based in the US.

I can see why some people would want to pose this question; holding fast to an idea that this world and the religious peity it spews upon itself are all that is needed for their perfected vision of existence. Whether or not cosmic intelligences are discovered, it will have no bearing on religion of itself which, ideally, stresses importance of shaping the internal, personal world alone as our Buddhist friends seem to already understand.

None of the 70 Buddhists questioned thought that the discovery of ET would undercut their belief systems, although 40 per cent thought it could pose problems for other religions.

The evolution of death and dying

2010-01-26T13:05:00.000-08:00

Via Mind Hacks

The New Yorker has a wonderful article on the psychology of death and dying which is carefully woven into the curious life story of psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, the originator of the 'stage' model of grief.

If you only read one popular article on grief, you'd do a lot worse than reading this carefully researched and sensitively written piece which journeys through both the social and cultural rituals of dying and how psychological theories have changed over the years.