Global Awakening

Incredible Facial Reenactment Technology Can Manipulate Trump & Putin Videos In Real Time (VIDEO)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 23 Feb 2017 06:17:00 +0000

Imagine what this could be used for.

The world of technology just got a little more interesting. Researchers have developed a pretty mind blowing new piece of video technology that allows a person the ability to transfer their facial expressions on to another person in real-time – creating a video that looks real enough to convince almost anyone.

The technology comes out of a collaborative effort between Germany’s University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, the Max-Planck Institute for Informatics, and Stanford University in California. The incredible technology has already being tested on George W Bush, Donald Trump, Barack Obama, and Vladimir Putin.

The study, Face2Face: Real-time Face Capture and Reenactment of RGB Videos, “animates the facial expressions of the target video by a source actor and re-renders the manipulated output video in a photo-realistic fashion,” according to the researchers.

via GIPHY

The way the technology works can be explained simply, it tracks the facial expressions of both the source and target video and addresses details like teeth by finding the mouth interior that best matches the re-targeted expression and warping it to produce the right fit.

Watch below as the technology is put into action in live demonstrations.

Do you think this technology is safe to have? Given the implications of what this could be used for with the proper voice tone recreation technologies out there, couldn’t this make anyone say anything someone wanted?

via Collective - Evolution

Why We Become Friends With Genetically Similar People

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 17:16:00 +0000

It makes sense that we choose friends based on compatibility. I mean, why would we want to form relationships with people who disagree with everything we say or do?

As you grow, you may absolutely find the importance of creating a circle of friends whose perspectives differ from yours, and in fact, interacting with people with opposing viewpoints can be incredibly beneficial to your overall growth, from you how you interact and respond to others to your actual outlook on life.

The more experiences you have, the more openminded you become. However, having friends who share genuine interests makes life joyous. To share interests and activities with another person — to eat certain foods, play certain sports, listen to certain music, and so on — is a beautiful, communal, and enriching thing. But have you ever considered the science behind why we choose our friends?

According to a recent study, led by Nicholas Christakis, a professor of sociology and medicine at Yale University, and James Fowler, a professor of medical genetics and political science at the University of California, our friends seem to be genetically more similar to us than strangers.

For their findings, which were published in the Journal of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the team of researchers analyzed the genomes of 1,932 people, and compared pairs of friends with pairs of strangers.

The study discovered that, on average, every person had more similar DNA with their friends than with strangers. The researchers suggested that such an outcome points to our tendency to make friends who share similar racial backgrounds.

The study concluded that, on overage, our friends can be compared to our fourth cousins genetically, which means that we share an estimated 1% of our genes with our friends.

And as Christakis explained, “1% does not sound a big deal, but it is for geneticists. It is noteworthy that most people do not even know who their fourth cousins are, but somehow, from the countless possible cases, we choose to make friends with people who are genetically similar to us.”

Christakis and Fowler also created a “friendship score” in order to predict who will befriend whom at nearly the same level of confidence scientists have for predicting a person’s chance of obesity or schizophrenia on the basis of genes.

The team found that, in relation to individual genes, friends are more likely to have similar genes related to the sense of smell, but different genes that control immunity. This led them to conclude that friends are relatively more dissimilar in their genetic protection against various diseases. Such an evolutionary mechanism — having connections to people who are capable of withstanding different pathogens — can serve society in general, since it reduces interpersonal spread of disease. But it is still unclear how we select people to gain this immunological benefit.

The study discovered that genes that were more similar between friends seem to be evolving faster than other genes. According to Christakis, such findings may reveal why human evolution seems to have accelerated over the past 30,000 years.

Christakis also noted that “new research reinforces the notion that humans are ‘transgenic’ beings, not only because of the bacteria that live on/in/around us, but because of the people who surround us. It seems that our capacity depends not only on our genetic composition, but also on the genetic composition of our friends.”

via Collective - Evolution

12 Clear Signs You’re Avoiding Your Soul Work

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 17:03:00 +0000

For the last week I have been frustrated beyond belief. Why? I had no idea.

Until I realized that the frustration I was feeling was due to NOT using my full potential in my life and work; to side-stepping my true capacity to create what only I can create.

Let’s take a step back for a minute.

Why do humans create? Buildings, families, businesses, communities… Why do we do it?

Somewhere inside us we feel the pulse of creation, the creative force of the universe that is constantly evolving our reality.

This the purest form of creation. But what typically happens is this: we try to create for gain. Our own personal agenda gets in the way and we find ourselves thinking about something other than the creation itself — what we’ll get out of it.

What is soul work? It is your highest potential to create something tangible that shapes even the tiniest part of this world.

In business it’s a common, but insidious thought that governs our behaviour:

‘What is going to make me money?’

As soon as our thoughts switch to money, we have lost touch with the creative impulse and our egos start to take over, for personal gain. What we create becomes about the money first and the creation second.

To clarify — we are right to think about our livelihood, but how can we possibly know what will support our lives? Quite simply, we like to think we know because it feels safer, but we don’t.

So the golden question emerges:

What will make you enough money to live well and happy?

From my resistance to earning money in ways that made me unhealthy or unhappy, I have pondered this question for days and weeks over years. The answer has been lurking in my consciousness the whole time, but I didn’t want to hear it. Eventually I listened and this is what it said…

‘When you do your soul’s work, it will support your life.’

Such a simple statement, but I urge you to read it twice.

Most of us spend our lives avoiding our true soul’s work. There are plenty of people I know who think they are doing their soul’s work but they’re not. I know the signs well, because I’ve been trying to find the core of my soul work my whole life.

Get to the core of your soul work and you will live well.

Here’s how I define ‘soul work’: It is your highest potential to create something tangible that shapes even the tiniest part of this world. It’s that thing that you know you’re meant to do, but you find every reason NOT to do it. Or sometimes it’s more unconscious — what you’re doing somehow feels ‘off’ but you don’t know what else there is. Either way, things aren’t flowing, as you may notice, particularly in the form of your health, creativity, and money.

Soul work is where your highest virtues meet the needs of real people in everyday life. You can be soulful without work or work without soul, but you need soul + work to maximize your reward.

When we are creating something of value in this world, we receive something of value in return, be it money, a hug, or fruit on a tree. We each have inside us the energy to create and when we don’t use this energy up, our creative flow is stifled, our bodies choke with ailments, and money isn’t as available as it could be.

When we are doing our soul’s work, our creative energy is free-flowing and otherworldly rewards are free to flow to and through us. It is the pinnacle of what you can create now in service to others, fulfilling a genuine need in society. It is using ALL of what you have inside you right now to its full potential. No holding back some parts of you. No reserves for later. This is what makes you a powerful creator.

You ARE a powerful creator of your reality.

Yet, ultimately you don’t choose what supports your life. Your soul does. From the bird’s eye view, your soul knows the divine match for your gifts + the needs of others. That is the exchange that will support your life.

I will boldly say that if you are not thriving in health and finances (yes, I mean both at once), you have not reached the core of your soul’s work, yet.

Each of us has many things that we could do, but there is one direction that will ignite your passion and vitality more than anything else. And THAT is what will support your life, in the form of money, gifts, opportunities, relationships… whatever it takes for you, as an individual to thrive. Your soul has a plan.

While you are sidestepping your soul work, even in small ways that may seem inconsequential, you are limiting your capacity to have a thriving livelihood and lifestyle.

And there’s myriad ways that we clever humans do just that without realizing.

12 Ways You May Be Avoiding Your Soul Work

You’ve heard of self-sabotage? Well that’s exactly what avoiding your soul work means. It’s NOT doing what would actually be good for you. You know, like eating that extra handful of chips you don’t need, or watching YouTube instead of going for a walk, or hanging out with that friend who always drains you.

Here are the patterns that I have observed, the strategies that are a wonderful distraction from doing what we’re here to do. They’re behaviours that keep looping as the norm. We all have them. Is yours on this list?

1. The Rebel

Rebel for the sake of it. Do the opposite of what would actually be good for you, and create lots of drama to justify your position.

2. The Dreamer

Hang out in fantasy land. Get stuck in the trap of ‘unlimited possibilities’ or ‘going with the flow’ without committing to one strategy long enough to see the fruits of your efforts.

3. The Gambler

Gamble your time and money away. Take lots of risks without a strategy, and end up with nothing to show for it.

4. The Controller

Over-achieve. Get addicted to taking on more than you can chew just so you can conquer the challenge, and find that you’re essentially alone in your accomplishments.

5. The Sloth

Get bogged down in minutia. Stay at the ground level, thinking small without a solid plan for long-term growth.

6. The Copy Cat

Skim the surface. Focus on creating at the surface level so you keep creating the same stuff over and over.

7. The Passivist

Try to please everyone. Get pulled in a million directions by the people around you, and lose yourself in the process.

8. The Theorist

Live in your head. Create lots of theories, and never find a way to translate what’s in your head into something of real-life value.

9. The Glutton

Over-consume life. Try to do too much/everything and burn yourself out, for fear of living too small.

10. The Guru

Live in a bubble. Love the sense of safety and security so much that you don’t push yourself to accomplish anything of value to the wider world.

11. The Illusionist

Swallow your power. Go against your own tide of creativity and keep it a secret, so no-one ever discovers what you are capable of.

12. The Martyr

Give rigidly. Get stuck in the cycle of providing for everyone else’s needs, without seeing who you really are without their reflection.

Know Your Trap? There’s only one question to ask…

In my experience there are two things that are important to mention:

You can’t force the timing of getting to the core of your soul work. Whether you own a business or you work for someone else, the point is to live with the question “Am I doing my soul’s work?” It will bring you closer and closer until you have no choice but to acknowledge it.
And then…
It takes great courage to follow the creative urge when it comes. Some people sit on theirs for years and wonder why life isn’t flowing. Others who commit to follow the urge become the leaders of our age.

As Marianne Williamson says so beautifully, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”

What change do you need to make to reach the core of your soul work?

via Collective - Evolution

Why Empathy Is So Important in Everyday Life (Video)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 13:33:00 +0000

You’ve surely heard the saying, “You can’t understand someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.” The person who first offered this wisdom is lost to history, but it’s become so ingrained in our vernacular because of the importance empathy has in life.

Because each and every one of us is an individual, with our own unique outlook on life, it can be incredibly easy to disagree; to misunderstand; to offend. Think of a time you were crying, and someone couldn’t seem to wrap their head around how your emotions matched the situation. That alone is enough to make your tears flow harder.

Empathy is truly about trying to understand other people’s experiences and perspectives. If you think about your strengths and weaknesses in this area, you might find it’s very easy for you, or people you know, to subconsciously practice empathy, like when you see a stranger get hurt. You find yourself truly concerned for their well-being. Our egos can make it difficult, however, to see someone else’s feelings as valid when they differ from our own. But just because someone has, for instance, different sensitivities, doesn’t make them any less real, or any less important.

In an overwhelming way, empathy has been devalued in our society in recent years. One example, explains author and child psychologist Michele Borba, is the seismic shift that our culture has undergone. She notes that one of the biggest culprits is technology. “Self-promotion, personal branding, and self-interest at the exclusion of others’ feelings, needs, and concerns,” she argues, is “permeating our culture and slowly eroding our children’s character,” and the outcome is a drop in youth empathy. This only creates peer cruelty, bullying, cheating, the inability to harbour moral reasoning, and a mental health epidemic in young people. And it’s a double-edged sword — the youth become adults, and the downward spiral continues.

So where does one start to fix the problem? Practice, and lots of it. We must not only teach youth to practice empathy, but also lead by example.

Start by listening intently when people speak to you. Even if you don’t agree with what they’re saying, consider the motivation behind it being spoken. Rather than shutting off your brain to the rest of their words and formulating a response, digest all of it.

When you do respond, make sure you take time between the end of their thought and the beginning of yours, so as to respond in a way that truly acknowledges what they said, and not what you were thinking while they said it.

When in a social setting, embrace it. If you’re in the elevator, waiting to board a plane, sitting at a cafe by yourself, try to put your phone down, your book away, and simply absorb the world around you. Empathy is about understanding, and we cannot understand if we never look up and take it all in. Ask yourself how the people around you may be feeling, what they might be thinking. Try to wonder and care about these complete strangers.

It’s also valuable to consider a tense situation you are currently in, or have been in, with someone else. You may associate this situation with feeling hurt and angry, with them having wronged you. You are the victim here. Now, with that knowledge, consider the altercation from that person’s point of view. Think about how you might have made them feel. You may realize that the issue stems from mere differences, not ignorance or hatred.

You can even try practicing internally the opposing viewpoint. This will take you away from your own ego, and put you in the shoes of the other person. Such an exercise will force you to open your mind to the issue at hand and to another perspective on it.

The following video by Devin Clark further dives into why empathy is so important to have in everyday life, and shows how you can improve your own.

via Collective - Evolution

New Cannabis Patch Treats Fibromyalgia & Diabetic Nerve Pain

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 17:44:00 +0000

Over the past 100 years, cannabis has gone from being legal, to illegal, to entering a strange legal grey area in our society. The stigma surrounding cannabis has pushed people to believe that it’s a “drug” that’s poor for your health, when in reality, it’s a plant that has incredible healing properties.

Cannabis can significantly help people suffering from anxiety or chronic pain, and can even kill cancer cells. Some of the more recent innovations using cannabis were two pain relieving patches created by Cannabis Science, designed for patients with fibromyalgia and diabetic nerve pain.

Medical Uses for Cannabis

Cannabis can and has been used for many years to treat a wide variety of illnesses including cancer. Cannabinoids refer to any of a group of related compounds that include cannabinol and the active constituents of cannabis.

Consuming cannabis activates cannabinoid receptors in the body, and the body itself creates compounds called endocannabinoids, which help to produce a healthy environment. Cannabinoids play a significant role in immune system generation and re-generation, which is why cannabinoids reduce cancer cells.

A study published in the British Journal of Cancer, conducted by the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Complutense University in Madrid, determined that Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other cannabinoids inhibit tumour growth. Numerous organizations and universities, including Harvard Medical School, have also been studying the effects cannabis has on cancer cells, proving its success and recommending it to be used as cancer treatment for specific types of cancer.

Numerous cancer patients will smoke marijuana or take cannabis oil orally in order to mitigate the pain and nausea associated with chemotherapy. THC has been available in pill form for treating nausea and vomiting in cancer patients since the 1980s.

Even the U.S. government has unwittingly confirmed that cannabis kills cancer cells. A group of federal researchers commissioned by the government were selected to prove that cannabis has no accepted medical value, but their findings showed otherwise (read our article here).

Studies show that THC, the compound found in cannabis that gives it its “euphoric” effect, activates pathways in the central nervous system that work to prevent pain signals from being sent to the brain. Likewise, cannabis has been shown to be especially effective against neuropathic pain, or nerve-related pain. Cannabis is essentially an all-natural form of Advil!

Cannabis can also be used to decrease anxiety and mitigate symptoms from PTSD, as the high from THC is associated with temporary memory impairment. Recent studies confirm that oral doses of THC can help relieve a variety of PTSD-related symptoms including flashbacks, agitation, and nightmares.

Cannabis Science’s Innovative “Pain Patch”

Two of the latest cannabis medical innovations were created by Cannabis Science, a U.S. company specialized in the development of cannabis-based medicine, particularly those meant for cancer treatment. Cannabis Science already has some products on the market in California, such as its “When Nature Meets Science” product line, which includes healing bombs, drops, and tinctures, all made with cannabis.

The company recently designed two new pain relieving medications for self-medicating patients with diabetic neuropathy nerve pain and fibromyalgia.

Diabetic neuropathy is a form of peripheral neuropathy, which is damage to or disease affecting the nerves. Side effects include impaired sensations, movement, and gland and organ function. Neuropathy can result in painful cramps, fasciculation (fine muscle twitching), muscle loss, bone degeneration, and changes in the skin, hair, and nails.

Fibromyalgia is a condition whereby patients have chronic, widespread pain and experience a greater pain response to pressure. Symptoms include fatigue, problems with sleep, memory, and bowel function, restless legs syndrome, numbness and tingling, and sensitivity to noise, lights, or temperature. Fibromyalgia can also have psychological effects including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The medications for both of these ailments will be offered in the form of an adhesive transdermal patch, allowing users to absorb a specific dose of medication through the skin, which then travels into the bloodstream. This method is favourable because it provides users with a controlled release of medication, which in this case is a large amount of cannabinoid (CBD) extract. As the CBD enters into the bloodstream, it then penetrates the central nervous system, allowing their pain to subside.

“As more states nationwide legislate for the legalization of Cannabis and Cannabis derived medications, we here at Cannabis Science are focused on developing pharmaceutical formulations and applications to supply the huge growing demand expected over the coming few years,” explains the company’s CEO, Raymond C. Dabney.

Even though the medical uses of cannabis have been proven time and time again through numerous accredited science institutions and universities, the stigma surrounding cannabis remains significant and contentious. Since it’s an illegal substance, numerous people shy away from it, including those who are suffering from illnesses cannabis could cure or seriously help treat.

It’s inevitable that once it becomes legalized in more places, it will become common practice for the medical industry to recommend its usage. I’m not a doctor, but I can envision people using cannabis-based pain patches for a variety of issues outside of fibromyalgia and diabetic nerve pain. Pharmaceutical pain patches have been designed in the past to treat localized pain in many areas of the body, so why couldn’t we do the same with cannabis?

via Collective - Evolution

Your Favourite Music Can Get You High – Sort Of

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 01:53:00 +0000

We think of music as art, as entertainment, and as a pastime. It’s personal; it’s communal. Music is one of those things that, for many of us, can ignite innumerable feelings and memories in just one song, or even one verse alone. Throughout history, music was used for medicinal purposes, and research today has demonstrated that therapeutic value.

But now, new research suggests music could even get you high.

Without even knowing the findings, think about how you can relate to this idea. When you’re feeling stressed out, motivated or unmotivated, angry, sad, happy, celebratory, etc., music may be one of your favourite tools for heightening the emotions you’re feeling, or shifting them. According to the new study, this emotional response happens because music activates a chemical reward system in the brain — the same one that makes delicious food, intense exercise, and opioid drugs feel great.

Though the brain’s reward system can cause us to feel amazing, it can also lead us down a rabbit hole of detrimental habits, like overeating, overexercising, and drug addiction. But if we can gain control over this system, we can learn to avoid such behaviors and reap the benefits of the positive aspect of the high.

The study tested how naltrexone, a drug that diminishes the effects of opioids in the brain and is therefore used primarily to treat drug and alcohol addiction, affects musical enjoyment. Conducted by researchers at McGill University, the research required 15 students to pick between two different pieces of music they loved, and that gave them chills, and bring them into the lab.

The subjects were then given either naltrexone or a placebo. After an hour, the students listened to their music of choice, along with two “neutral” songs selected by the scientists. While the music played, the students used a slider to measure their form of pleasure in relation to a specific song.

Sensors also measured electrical activity in their facial muscles. Prior to exiting the lab, the participants also took a survey regarding their reactions. After a week, the subjects were put through the same test, except the naltrexone group received placebos and vice versa.

The results revealed that participants moved their facial muscles less with naltrexone in their system, which suggests that it had reduced their emotional response to what they were hearing. This was found for both positive and negative emotions: the highs felt lower, and the lows felt higher.

The sliders implemented in the study revealed that the subjects’ pleasure lessened when listening to their favourite music as a result of the naltrexone, but this did not have an effect on their feelings about the neutral music.

The research suggests that, much like it does for exercise, food, and drugs, naltrexone seems to prompt a low response to music, which backs up the theory that the same reward system in the brain accounts for our reactions to all of them.

The study authors concluded, “The current experimental finding of reduced response from both the positive and negative valence EMGs (ZYG and COR respectively) reinforces the notion that music is complex and rarely conveys a single emotional valence. Listeners more often report finding music to be bittersweet than purely happy or purely sad, and many listeners report that even sad music brings them pleasure.”

via Collective - Evolution

Hallucinations Are Much More Common Than We Think

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 20 Feb 2017 19:44:00 +0000

When certain experiences fall outside of societal norms, people tend to keep their personal events to themselves. For instance, you probably don’t hear people walking down the street talking about their hallucinations as candidly as they do, say, their dreams.

But new research has found that the former is actually much more common among the general population than most people realize.

A study examining over 7,400 people in the UK discovered that 4.3% of participants had reported having experienced visual or auditory hallucinations in the past year, including people without mental disorders. This proves the phenomenon isn’t limited to people with psychosis.

“There is a general idea in psychiatry that hallucinations are a feature of psychosis,” explained lead researcher Ian Kelleher from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, “but when we looked at a whole range of mental health diseases we found that hallucinations are symptoms that occur in a wide range of mental health disorders such as depression or anxiety.”

Borderline personality disorder was used as an example of a psychotic disorder for this study, which, like many other mental issues, has a heavy stigma that sufferers see and hear things that aren’t there. The results of this recent study challenge the stigma, however, dismantling the idea of a divide.

The researchers reviewed data from the 2007 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity survey, and found that a significant amount of participants had been diagnosed with a mental health condition.

To determine if hallucinations were more common among people with a psychotic disorder as opposed to those without, the team looked at how many people with borderline personality disorder reported seeing or healing things that other people couldn’t over the last year compared to participants with non-psychotic depression or anxiety.

Their results showed that hallucinations weren’t greater or more apparent in those with borderline personality disorder than in those with a non-psychotic mental disorder. Additionally, more than 4% of every single respondent reported hearing or seeing things that others couldn’t, leading the team to suggest that hallucinations aren’t exclusively symptoms of psychosis.

“Hallucinations are more common than people realize. They can be frightening experiences, and few people openly talk about it,” Kelleher explained. “Our research is valuable because it can show them they are not alone and that having these symptoms is not necessarily associated with having a mental health disorder. It breaks the taboo.”

Such findings support the results of a bigger study published in 2015, which analyzed data for more than 31,000 people from 19 countries. Researchers found that about 5% of the general population reported experiencing hallucinations, regardless of having a mental illness or not.

“We used to think that only people with psychosis heard voices or had delusions, but now we know that otherwise healthy, high-functioning people also report these experiences,” explained lead researcher John McGrath, from the Queensland Brain Institute in Australia.

These studies reveal the potential inaccuracy of symptoms associated with mental health disorders, and highlight just one of many problems with stigmatizing people who suffer from mental illness, both from a scientific perspective and a moral one.

via Collective - Evolution

Stanford Engineers Designed A Low-Cost Battery For Storing Renewable Energy

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 20 Feb 2017 15:23:00 +0000

Stanford University researchers have created a new battery that could change the way we look at renewable energy storage forever.

The team used urea, an affordable, natural, and readily-available material present in mammal urine and fertilizers to create a battery that is significantly more efficient than past versions.

Stanford chemistry professor Hongjie Dai and doctoral candidate Michael Angell developed the nonflammable battery, which contains electrodes made from abundant aluminum and graphite.

“So essentially, what you have is a battery made with some of the cheapest and most abundant materials you can find on Earth. And it actually has good performance,” explained Dai. “Who would have thought you could take graphite, aluminum, urea, and actually make a battery that can cycle for a pretty long time?”

Dai’s lab created the first rechargeable aluminum battery in 2015 to astonishing effect: a system that charged in less than a minute, and which lasted thousands of charge-discharge cycles. The lab teamed up with Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) to use the battery to power a motorbike, winning a 2016 R&D 100 Award for their groundbreaking results.

This original version, though impressive, involved an expensive electrolyte. The newest version, on the other hand, implements a urea-based electrolyte and is an estimated 100 times cheaper than the 2015 model. It also has higher efficiency and a charging time of just 45 minutes. Dai noted that the cost difference between the two batteries is “like night and day.”

Dai and Angell’s work marks the first time urea has been used in a battery.

The low-cost battery is even more impressive in a day and age when the demand for renewable technologies continues to grow. Energy storage has proved a massive challenge for solar power and other renewables, with users requiring a reliable way to store power when their systems aren’t generating energy.

This demand provokes the need for cheap and efficient batteries to store the energy for release at night. The batteries currently on the market, such as the lithium-ion or lead acid batteries, are both expensive as well as limited in their lifespans.

Dai and Angell’s battery may be the answer to this storage issue.

“It’s cheap. It’s efficient. Grid storage is the main goal,” Angell noted.

Grid storage, according to Angell, is the most realistic goal thanks to the battery’s low cost, high efficiency, and long cycle life. The Coulombic efficiency, a measurement of how much charge exits the battery per unit of charge that it takes in during charging, proved high for this battery, coming in at 99.7%. Another important attribute is Dai’s urea battery’s low risk factor. Unlike lithium-ion batteries, for instance, this new battery is not flammable.

“I would feel safe if my backup battery in my house is made of urea with little chance of causing fire,” Dai noted.

The team has licensed the battery patents to AB Systems, which Dai founded. And currently, a commercial version of the batter is underway.

The researchers believe this battery could allow for solar energy to be stored in every building and every home. “Maybe it will change everyday life,” admits Dai.

via Collective - Evolution

Entirely New ‘Continent’ Discovered On Earth, It’s Huge & Hidden In The Pacific Ocean

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 20 Feb 2017 13:33:00 +0000

In school, we are taught some basic things that never seem to change, like the fact that one plus one equals two, there are five (or is it six?) vowels in the English language, and there are seven continents on Planet Earth.

But the last of those examples is getting a major makeover thanks to a team of 11 researchers who found that Earth has a concealed continent called “Zealandia” that’s hidden in the Pacific Ocean and attached to New Zealand.

The newly published research concluded that New Zealand and New Caledonia are actually part of a huge 4.9 million sq km (1.89 million square-mile) single slab of continental crust that is unhinged from Australia.

Published by the Geological Society of America, the study discovered that the region is 94% submerged, mostly due to crustal thinning before the supercontinental break-up. For their findings, the team used upgraded satellite-based elevation and gravity map technology.

“The scientific value of classifying Zealandia as a continent is much more than just an extra name on a list,” the scientists explained. “That a continent can be so submerged yet unfragmented makes it a useful and thought-provoking geodynamic end member in exploring the cohesion and breakup of continental crust.”

This kind of reminds me of hearing that Pluto was a planet, and then that Pluto wasn’t a planet, and then… it’s hard to keep up. However, the team says Zealandia should be considered a geological continent, which really just makes me question everything we think we know about geology. But really, how human of us to not have all the answers, right?

The researchers said the continent used to be considered a collection of continental islands and fragments.

“Based on various lines of geological and geophysical evidence, particularly those accumulated in the last two decades, we argue that Zealandia is not a collection of partly submerged continental fragments but is a coherent 4.9 Mkm2 continent,” the study said.

So does this mean their are eight continents? Not exactly. According to geologists, Europe and Asia are one giant continent they refer to as “Eurasia,” which means the new addition of Zealandia brings the number of continents to seven — which is the number we’ve become accustomed to.

Geophysicist Bruce Luyendyk coined the name Zealandia back in 1995 to refer to the two islands and other submerged pieces of crust that once separated from Gondwana. Of the new findings, in which he did not take part, he said, “These people here are A-list earth scientists. I think they have put together a solid collection of evidence that’s really thorough. I don’t see that there’s going to be a lot of pushback, except maybe around the edges.”

The researchers are referring to Zealandia as a “realization” rather than a “discovery,” since New Zealand has been considered a continent by some experts in the field for years.

“This is not a sudden discovery but a gradual realisation; as recently as 10 years ago we would not have had the accumulated data or confidence in interpretation to write this paper,” the study’s authors said. “Zealandia illustrates that the large and the obvious in natural science can be overlooked.”

via Collective - Evolution

Los Alamos Study Finds Airport Scanners Can Rip Apart & Alter DNA

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 19 Feb 2017 20:08:00 +0000

Can we ever believe what our government tells us about airport security devices?

Apparently not. First they told us those X-ray scanners (that showed way too many naked body parts) were perfectly safe.

Even the manufacturer of the device, Rapidscan, openly admitted the scanners had not been adequately tested. The truth was later revealed that the safety tests turned out to be totally rigged, as reported by Natural News.

With fabricated results, the technology was quickly rushed into every airport worldwide. No one listened to what the scientists in the field of radiation were trying to tell them – it’s not safe.

It wasn’t until the backscatter radiation levels the scanners were putting off began showing an increased incidence of cancer in TSA agents (along with the lawsuits that quickly followed), that the devices were finally yanked. The TSA quickly scrambled for another solution.

Now they also want us to believe that the replacement technology, millimeter wave “digital strip search” scanners, are also “perfectly safe”.

Don’t believe it for a second. The TSA failed to adequately test these devices for health and safety factors as well. Unfortunately, in today’s world, security trumps human safety.

These millimeter wave technologies are designed to bombard innocent travelers with high frequency energy particles known as terahertz photons.

A study conducted by Boian S. Alexandrov et.al. at the Center for Nonlinear Studies at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, revealed that these terahertz waves could “…unzip double-stranded DNA, creating bubbles that could significantly interfere with processes such as gene expression and DNA replication.”

In other words, this study is the smoking gun that raises serious concerns about the impact of terahertz radiation upon fertility, fetal development, and cancer.

Now think about the thousands of people who are subjected to these levels of untested energy particles every day in the name of “National Security”.

The military’s Active Denial weapon uses millimeter wave technology to create an intense burning sensation on the skin’s surface using a 95 GHz (3.2mm wavelength) beam.

But the TSA tells us not to worry about their millimeter waves because:

“Millimeter wave technology bounces harmless electromagnetic waves off the body to create the same generic image for all passengers.”

This is completely inaccurate because the nature of millimeter waves is that our bodies and water are excellent absorbers of these waves. Millimeter waves do penetrate and absorb into our skin.

At the microwave technology center in Malaysia, health subjects were exposed to microwave radiation between 20 — 38 GHz, the range in which the TSA scanners operate.

They found that millimeter waves penetrated the subject’s skin at depths of between 1.05 mm at 20 GHz to 0.78 mm at 38 GHz. This is enough to penetrate below the epidermal layer of the skin.

Millimeter waves have been reported to produce a variety of bioeffects, many of which are quite unexpected from radiation penetrated less than 1 mm into biological tissues.

Of particular concern is the citing of studies that show there is an irreversible water memory effect by millimeter waves operating in the 36GHz frequency, and that the millimeter wave effects on blood plasma vary greatly from one person to the next.

Does this information make you extremely uncomfortable? Well, it should. And it should also make every one of us mad as hell.

Since the day they first rolled out these human violation technologies in 2007, I have always chosen to “opt out”. I would rather endure the intrusive body pat down any day than subject myself to covert DNA alteration.

So what if it takes an additional 5-15 minutes of your time getting to your gate? It’s time to exercise your own personal body health consciousness, since the US government has clearly demonstrated they don’t possess any qualms about not protecting you.

Alternation of DNA can be subtle and deadly down the line. Who would ever make the connection that a TSA scanning machine might have contributed to any negative health effects you eventually experience.

If you are a frequent air traveler, like myself, you should be concerned about your levels of exposure. If you’re a TSA agent, you should find another job.

This past weekend as I was trying to make a flight back to Los Angeles from the Columbia, South Carolina Airport, I did my usual “opt out” thing. The TSA agents from this little backwater airport tried to feed me the propaganda line about “minimal risk.”

I told them I’d read the studies and they needed to be better informed. They looked at me blankly trying to tell me it was just like using a cell phone. Not true.

The millimeter wave scanners the TSA operates put out more than 20 billion times more oscillations per second in smaller terahertz waves, so the cellular effects will be different from cell phones.

I’m sure no one ever told TSA agents this, but they feed the same lies back to the people that they’ve been told, so I tried to be more forgiving.

I’m sure no one had requested an opt out for some time in this South Carolina airport, which is why I got the pat down of all pat downs.

The female agent made sure to give me karate chops straight up to my private parts twice in the back and then another two times in the front. Totally unnecessary. She kneaded my waist in a strange manner, grabbing hold of any loose skin she could find.

I have had hundreds of pat downs over the years, and no one, I mean no one, has ever been as intrusive as this TSA agent.

My first instinct was to tell her how inappropriate she was being, then I remembered how I would most likely be punished for my non-sheep-like behavior and not be allowed to make my flight.

During the procedure she also sniffled and sneezed, spreading her germ warfare all over me through out the entire security grope session.

I think we have all had enough of this undignified treatment in the name of security. It’s already been proven that these scanner devices and intrusive pat downs have not made our world any safer from terrorists.

Airport security testers have snuck through everything from guns to explosives, clearly proving their ineffectiveness. Metal detectors should be sufficient enough.

If everyone opted out of the scanner, the whole program would eventually fall apart. The lines of opt outs would be so long it would bring the air travel industry to a standstill.

It would also send a clear message that unsafe devices are not going to be tolerated. Take the extra time and just do it — opt out. If you love yourself, than you owe it to yourself.

Now I’m already ahead of you on what you’re thinking — that they’ll just suspend all our civil liberties and make it mandatory to go through the scanners whether we want to or not.

Well, I would like to believe that they would be flooded with lawsuits if they did, but there’s an even easier solution. Go to a medical supply store and buy a cheap inexpensive arm sling and put it on before going through TSA.

If you can’t hold both arms up over your head while in their scanner, it renders the results totally unusable. They know this and have to let you opt out for medical reasons. The sheeple are getting smarter. Afterall, life is all about how you handle Plan B.

Dr. Kathy Forti is a clinical psychologist, inventor of the Trinfinity8 technology, and author of the book, Fractals of God.

via Collective - Evolution

Will Protests Alone Produce The Evolution We Want?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 19 Feb 2017 20:08:00 +0000

These worldwide protests have been a big wake-up call, and alerted masses of people to the fact that there are vast numbers who want change. People are starting to see that we all want the same things. But it is time to take the next step.

As long as there are demonstrations against what those “in charge” are doing, we the people send the message that we hope to be listened to and for their actions to change. We hope that these ones in control at the top will start to work for the same things we want: peace, health, freedom and harmony for all people, and care of the earth.

If that were their agenda, that is what we would already have.

Marching against their actions now in the hope that our outrage will make them change their behaviour is doing two things: placing our faith in these people, and threatening them. We are saying both, “I believe you will listen and change your actions,” and “You’d better change your actions, or else!”

Or Else What?

That is where we will be pushed to. Those who have been in control all this time won’t stop until they have no other choice. They hope to see things descend into chaos, so that people will look to them in desperation to create order again.

It is time now to move the choice away from them and onto us. We actually have a choice right now. To be free. The world we all want will not be made by the same people who got us to where we are today. It will be made by us.

We ourselves have placed conditions on our peace and freedom. We have believed that when we start earning enough, or have achieved xyz, or an event has happened, then we will feel peaceful and be free. True peace, happiness, and freedom don’t appear as a result of outer conditions. They also cannot be found in any other moment than right now. This moment is all we truly ever have.

All of the chaos and unrest we’ve seen is happening to force us to realize that we can’t rely on outer conditions to bring our inner peace. It is happening so that we will turn within ourselves. There is a part of every one of us that is absolute peace, love, strength, and freedom. It cannot be taken away by anyone.

When Nelson Mandela was persecuted and jailed, did he lose himself to anger? When Jesus was ridiculed and killed, did he shout at those who were insulting him and cower in fear? When Mother Theresa saw the pain and suffering every day in Calcutta, did she become so traumatized she couldn’t face it anymore and gave up? No. They had each been on their own journey within, and connected with the truth of who they were. They knew they could withstand anything and live in their truth.

I have seen this in working with survivors of trauma, and in myself when I was faced with my deepest pain. What I have seen is that when people go through something that feels like it just might break them, the way through it is to go within. All you want to do is run from the pain. You want to fight whoever caused it, eat, drink, or drug it away so you can’t feel it, never leave the house again so you are never reminded of it, or throw yourself into work or partying to forget it.

You can never run far enough. Feelings of pain will never stop having a hold on you until you face them.

Going within means coming face to face with the pain whenever it hits you. Breathing through it. Allowing it to be there, part of your experience in that moment. Then something beautiful happens. The pain doesn’t destroy you. And you realize that you are not the pain.

You are the eternal being underneath this pain, that can never be destroyed. You are a brave one that chose to come and live on this planet and be faced with pain like this so that you could learn through experience. You came here so that you could connect with the deep truth of who you are, and live that truth no matter what is going on around you. Now is the time to live that truth.

Find out why we are in the most important time in our history.

via Collective - Evolution

Why Elon Musk Thinks Automation Will Force Governments To Introduce Universal Basic Income

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 19 Feb 2017 16:23:00 +0000

Recently, Elon Musk had the chance to share his thoughts on universal basic income (UBI) at the World Government Summit in Dubai. At the Summit, Musk had the opportunity to talk about the future, and the challenges the world will face in the next hundred years – including artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and the job displacement expected to come with it.

When asked about the challenges civilization is set to face in the near future, Musk began by noting the threat of artificial intelligences that surpass humanity.

He stated, “deep artificial intelligence, or artificial general intelligence, where you can have artificial intelligence that is much smarter than the smartest human on Earth, this is a dangerous situation.”

He continued by noting the importance of advancing our research into AI with caution: “I think we need to be very careful in how we adopt artificial intelligence and that we make sure that researchers don’t get carried away. Sometimes what will happen is a scientist will get so engrossed in their work that they don’t really realize the ramifications of what they’re doing.”

Musk also relayed concerns that autonomous technology will impact jobs, and he noted that we will likely have intelligent, massive-scale automation for transportation relatively soon—within the next few decades, in fact: “Twenty years is a short period of time to have something like 12-15 percent of the workforce be unemployed,” he said, pointing out the extent of how automation will disrupt car-based transportation specifically.

However, displacement due to automation isn’t just limited to transportation, it will sweep across a number of industries, and Musk argues that the government must introduce a UBI program in order to compensate for this. “I don’t think we’re going to have a choice,” he said. “I think it’s going to be necessary. There will be fewer and fewer jobs that a robot cannot do better.”

Read More

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This Invasive Weed Could Hold The Key To Fighting Deadly Superbugs

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 19 Feb 2017 03:53:00 +0000

With antibiotic resistance on the rise, finding new ways of healing outside of Western medicine has become essential. Now, a berry extract used by indigenous healers in South America for centuries is being considered a breakthrough in the fight against deadly superbugs.

Researchers believe the red berries of the Brazilian peppertree contain a compound capable of disarming the virulence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which is a dangerous bacterium that has become resistant to the most common forms of antibiotics.

MRSA typically causes lesions on the skin; however, serious infections can be life-threatening, with 11,000 deaths reported in the U.S. each year.

Researchers from Emory University and the University of Iowa claim an extract from the Brazilian peppertree’s berries can halt lesions from occurring in mice infected with MSRA by way of repressing a gene that the bacteria rely on for communication.

Cassandra Quave, an Emory University scientist who studies how indigenous people take advantage of plants for their healing properties, reveals that researchers pulled apart the chemical ingredients of the berries and tested them in mice infected with MRSA. The mice were injected with bacteria with or without the plant extracts, and researchers found that those who didn’t receive the extracts — a mixture of 27 chemicals — developed skin lesions, while those who did receive the extracts did not.

“Traditional healers in the Amazon have used the Brazilian peppertree for hundreds of years to treat infections of the skin and soft tissues,” noted Quave. “We pulled apart the chemical ingredients of the berries and systematically tested them against disease-causing bacteria to uncover a medicinal mechanism of this plant.”

The team noted that the compound doesn’t kill the bacteria, but rather silences the bacterial signaling system called quorum sensing, which allows the bugs to communicate. The gene responsible for the disarming prevents MRSA from excreting the toxins it needs to damage tissues.

“The body’s normal immune system then stands a better chance of healing a wound,” explained Quave.

And while the MRSA’s communication channels were silenced by what is called the quorum quenching process, the extract didn’t seem to harm the mice, their skin tissue, or the healthy bacteria on their skin — unlike antibiotics. In fact, it was reported to simply prevent the bugs from collectively releasing toxins that permit boils and sores.

“It’s stopping communication among the bacteria,” Quave said. “It kind of tricks them into believing they are alone. When they are alone, they behave differently than when they are in a group.”

The researchers hope that additional research will show that the berries are capable of treating bacterial infections in humans, especially because the Brazilian peppertree has been used traditionally to treat infected wounds and ulcers.

The quorum quenching process was previously found by the same group of researchers to disarm MRSA via leaf extracts from the European chestnut tree.

The hope is that such compounds provide an alternative way of fighting harmful bacteria — one that is more delicate than the aggressive path of antibiotics, which can actually cause some bacteria to transform into more virulent and resistant strains.

“In some cases, you need to go in heavily with antibiotics to treat a patient,” Quave explained. “But instead of always setting a bomb off to kill an infection, there are situations where using an anti-virulence method may be just as effective, while also helping to restore balance to the health of a patient.”

While the berries are not a cure for MRSA, the researchers did find just a single dose of the extract had positive effects for up to two weeks on the mice. The team will now begin looking into studying treatments with the compound in correlation with simultaneous antibiotic therapy in future research.

via Collective - Evolution

The Dark Side Of Always Thinking Positively

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 18 Feb 2017 19:10:00 +0000

You’re feeling down? Life hit you too hard, so now it seems to you that nothing makes sense? Think positively! When you shift your mindset, your life will change, too. Positive psychology may look silly when you see it from the outside, but it totally changes you when you implement it in your life. Or does it?

Can you really solve all your problems with a smile? Can you find the strength to look at the beauty of this world when your mind is a mess?

Let’s take a look at the main recommendations that are supposed to shift your mindset toward positive thinking:

Remind yourself that you exist for a purpose and everything happens with a purpose.
You will achieve what you want if you visualize success.
You’ll do better without toxic people around you. They disturb your focus and transfer their negativity onto you.
A single quote on a beautiful background can trigger the good in you.
Your mind has the power to convert negative emotions into positive ones.
When you’re weak, you need a reminder to love yourself.
With a positive approach to life, you’ll be a happier, more harmonious person.

When you’re feeling a bit low, you can keep saying to yourself: “I’m strong. I’m beautiful. I have a purpose. People need me. I can make things happen.” This approach will convince you to turn the TV off, get off that couch, and do something with your life. However, when we’re talking about serious problems, positive psychology can’t help you solve them. In fact, this approach has a dark side: Instead of leading you to a solution, it enables you to keep ignoring your problems.

Popular Psychology: Does It Make You Strong or Weak?

Authentic Happiness
Handbook of Positive Psychology
The Resilience Factor
Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment
Positive Psychology for Dummies

These are only a few of the many books that teach you how to be happy by thinking positively. Have you ever thought about the reasons why this theme was so popular? It’s because people are troubled. We are all deeply, deeply troubled. Happy thoughts seem to be an easy solution to every problem we have. When we read these books, they shed light on the good things in our lives.

If you take a look at a list of life-changing books with real value, you won’t notice positive psychology themes. The books from this genre don’t have great value in the eyes of literary critics. In the eyes of the troubled humanity, however, their value is huge. Even authoritative sites like Forbes give the readers what they are looking for: a fair share of positivity.

The Problem With Positive Psychology

Positive psychology books are not complete nonsense. Your thoughts have an effect on your actions and your complete well-being. The approach — that’s the real problem. You can’t change your life by reading a book and repeating positive affirmations. Even the slightest personal change is a whole process. If we’re trying to change our whole mindset from a negative to an affirmative, we’re looking the greatest challenge of our lives right in the face.

Self-help books don’t act like an instant pill. If you have a problem and you intensively think for days or weeks on how you want things to turn out, is there a logical reason to expect positive results? This approach labels pessimism as the cause of all troubles. However, we’re forgetting that there’s some good in pessimism, too. We need it to achieve a balance between an idealistic and misanthropic point of view.

Let’s consider a real-life example: You have an extremely challenging research paper to write, with only two days to complete a project that takes months. The realistic chances of achieving that goal are 1:99.

Here’s how the positive you would think: “I can do this. I’ll start writing and everything will be okay.” That seems like a perfectly okay attitude, right? Well, it would be if the chances of achieving this goal were realistic. Now, you’re just ignoring the fact that you cannot write that paper and you’re taking action that doesn’t make sense.

The pessimistic you would think: “I’ll fail this course. I’m good for nothing. How could I let this happen?” This may be closer to the reality in this situation, but it’s not the right point of view to have. It only makes you miserable and it doesn’t motivate you to take any action.

The balanced you would think: “This project is important. I can’t complete it in two days. What options do I have? Hiring any editing or proofreading service will cost some money, but it’s a good solution. I’ll have the paper by the deadline.” This is what we may call the solutions mindset. It’s somewhere between positive and negative thinking.

In other words, it’s realistic.

About the Dark Side

Repeating one positive affirmation after another may seem like an innocent thing to do, but there’s a problem: Those books and pins create an artificial state of ‘happiness.’ At one point or another, that state will collapse. Instead of discovering the reasons for your troubles and working on those causes, you are only hiding them. Pinning three positive affirmations a day may become a routine for you.

During that half an hour you spend on Pinterest, you’ll feel a bit better. However, if you’re essentially unhappy, that practice won’t change anything. You’ll be positive for a second, since these affirmations sound really enjoyable.

And you sit there pinning beautiful images with quotes, not paying attention to the problem that caused this obsessive urge to look for positivity. The moment of awakening will come when you realize this doesn’t make sense. It’s fake.

Positive self-talk is not an easy thing to do. If you want it to be successful, you have to start with a whole process of preparation and awakening, so those affirmations can take place in the subconscious mind and force you into action. You have to focus that self-talk to a specific thing you want to change. That’s a process that may take days, months, and years of work… just for a simple change.

Self-help books, when read at the right moment, may convince you to change something in your life. However, it takes a lot of work and persistence to make something like that happen. Usually, they have a short-term effect.

People have tremendous enthusiasm after reading this kind of book and they can talk about it for hours. After some time, they forget about the effect. They take a similar book, and the circle continues.

Positivity Is Not the Solution. Consciousness Is!

What do you think of a person who smiles all the time? Whenever you feel miserable, they say “But, look at this flower. Look at the sky, the Sun, the clouds. Everything is so beautiful!” It’s even worse when they have challenging personal problems and they act this way. That’s the word for it: an act. Sooner or later, the happiness bubble bursts.

The positive state of being is a philosophy of life, which is not easy to master. The methods are not simple; they require digging into your memories and impressions. During that process, many negative emotions may come to the surface. You want Buddha’s smile? It’s a battle and a long journey through a bumpy road.

Positive thinking is not pointless. However, the process of change is much more serious than this light approach might lead you to understand. Ultimately, being happy is not about being positive. It’s about being conscious. There’s a big difference there!

Find out why shifting your consciousness is the most important aspect of our times right now in the latest film from Collective Evolution.

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What? An Asteroid That Could Wipe Out All Global Debt? – NASA Is Exploring It

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 18 Feb 2017 14:58:00 +0000

Often thought of as useless hunks of rock or ice floating around space, asteroids also have one giant, scary stigma attached to them: They could completely destroy our planet. But some asteroids are also rich sources of precious minerals, like iron, platinum, or gold.

Two NASA missions are planning to explore mineral-laden asteroids in 2021 and 2023. Part of NASA’s Discovery Program, the missions are considered inexpensive, coming in at $450 million apiece.

The first mission will involve scientists launching a robotic spacecraft named Lucy in October 2021. They hope to reach a Massachusetts-size asteroid, named 16 Psyche, made up completely of nickel and iron. This metallic monolith is considered a minor planet due to its enormous size, which comes in at about 130 miles in diameter. Psyche is located in the Trojan asteroid belt, between Jupiter and Saturn.

“Because the Trojans are remnants of the primordial material that formed the outer planets, they hold vital clues to deciphering the history of the solar system. Lucy, like the human fossil for which it is named, will revolutionize the understanding of our origins,” said the principle investigator of the mission, Harold F. Levison.

Associate administrator at NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington, Thomas Zurbuchen, notes that this kind of asteroid has never been studied before. “This is what Discovery Program missions are all about,” Zurbuchen noted, “boldly going to places we’ve never been to enable groundbreaking science.”

It is estimated that it will take Lucy six years to get there; once it arrives, it will spend 20 months mapping and studying the asteroid.

The other mission, which will launch in October 2023, involves another robotic spacecraft named Psyche, which, after an Earth gravity assist maneuver in 2024, will shoot past Mars in 2025, and reach the asteroid by 2030.

For the mission, scientists from Arizona State University will work with NASA. Lindy Elkins-Tanton, of ASU, who will serve as the principal investigator, said, “16 Psyche is the only known object of its kind in the solar system, and this is the only way humans will ever visit a core.”

This could give us more information about our planet, as well as other terrestrial or rocky planets like Venus, Mars, and Mercury. And such explorations could help us break through into a whole new industry, as Elkins-Tanton believes the value of the asteroid’s iron content to be about $10,000 quadrillion.

Even more exciting is the thought that the value of an asteroid could wipe out global debt, which totals $60 trillion. And enough could be left over to provide every single human on the planet a comfortable living. Elkins-Tanton has proposed bringing an asteroid hunk back and spreading out its value little by little.

Private companies have already begun lining up to mine asteroids, while Congress has passed the Asteroid Act to systemize the practice.

It is thought that almost 10,000 asteroids near Earth have incredible mineral potential, which gives more weight to the thought that our global debt could, in fact, be wiped out. And considering the already high demand for such minerals, especially given the outspreading of smartphones, computers, and other technologies continues, the desire for asteroid mining is even more alluring.

via Collective - Evolution

How Vedic Philosophy Influenced Nikola Tesla’s Idea of ‘Free Energy’

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 18 Feb 2017 14:25:00 +0000

The Properties of Space

*This is an older article that originates from Collective Evolution, a couple of updates have been made.

Science works best when in harmony with nature. If we put these two together, we can discover great technologies that can only come about when the consciousness of the planet is ready to embrace them. One example is “free energy,” also known as “zero-point energy,” which utilizes the substance that exists all around us and converts it into usable energy. This would give us a limitless source of energy, and would practically wipe out all poverty on the planet. (more on this later in the article)

The properties of space have been postulated by many, from ancient Vedic philosophy, Eastern Mystics, various ancient civilizations throughout human history all the way to Descartes, Einstein, Newton and more. Humans are curious beings, and our quest to discover “what is” will never end.

“And they allowed Apollonius to ask questions; and he asked them of what they thought the cosmos was composed; but they replied; “Of elements.” “Are there then four?” he asked. “Not four,” said Larchas, “but five.” “And how can there be a fifth,” said Apollonius, “alongside of water and air and earth and fire?” “There is the ether,” replied the other, “which we must regard as the stuff of which gods are made; for just as all mortal creatures inhale the wire, so do immortal and divine natures inhale the ether.” “Am I,” said Appollonius, “to regard the universe as a living creature?” “Yes,” said the other. – The Life of Apollonius of Tyana, Philostratus, 220AD (source)

Science now knows that a material universe as the foundation of what we perceive to be our physical material world isn’t quite the case. Today, physicists recognize that physical atoms are actually made up of vortices of energy that are constantly spinning and vibrating. At its smallest observable level, matter is energy, and this energy that exists all around us can be tapped into and possibly used to generate power.

Quantum physics has left many scientists baffled, again, the discovery that our physical material reality isn’t really physical at all can be quite confusing. Scientists began to explore the relationship between energy and the structure of matter at the turn of the 19th century, this is approximately the time when the idea of a Newtonian material universe was dropped from the heart of scientific knowing, and replaced by the fact that matter is nothing but an illusion, that everything in the universe is made out of energy.

“If quantum mechanics hasn’t profoundly shocked you, you haven’t understood it yet. Everything we call real is made of things that cannot be regarded as real.” – Niels Bohr, a Danish Physicist

Again, if you observed the composition of an atom with a microscope, you would see a small, invisible tornado like vortex, with a number of infinitely small energy vortices called quarks and photons. These are what make up the structure of the atom. As you focused in closer and closer on the structure of the atom, you would see nothing, you would observe a physical void. The atom has no physical structure, we have no physical structure, physical things really don’t have any physical structure. Atoms are made out of invisible energy, not tangible matter.

“Despite the unrivalled empirical success of quantum theory, the very suggestion that it may be literally true as a description of nature is still greeted with cynicism, incomprehension and even anger.” (T. Folger, “Quantum Shmantum”; Discover 22:37-43, 2001)

“Get over it, and accept the inarguable conclusion. The universe is immaterial-mental and spiritual.” – R.C. Henry, Professor of physics and Astronomy at Johns Hopkins University. (source)

Tesla and Ancient Vedic Philosophy and the Properties of Space

We’ve seen a very interesting trend (especially within the past decade) of modern-day science catching up to an ancient understanding about the true nature of reality, its make-up, how it functions and how we can work with it to bring about change on our planet. For anybody to label the merging of ‘spirituality’ and science as pseudoscience means they have not properly investigated it. Spiritual concepts of our ancient world are directly intertwined with modern-day science, more so quantum physics, and Nikola Tesla was well aware of this.

“All perceptible matter comes from a primary substance, or tenuity beyond conception, filling all space, the akasha or luminiferous ether, which is acted upon by the life giving Prana or creative force, calling into existence, in never-ending cycles all things and phenomena.”– Nikola Tesla, Man’s Greatest Achievement, 1907 (1)(2)

As you can see, Tesla was aware of ancient concepts and the correlation it had with the science he was working on -using sanskrit worlds like “akasha,” and “prana” to describe the force and matter that exists all around us. These words come from the Upanishads (a collection of Vedic texts)

“The aakaash is not destructible, it is the primordial absolute substratum that creates cosmic matter and hence the properties of aakaash are not found in the material properties that are in a sense relative. The aakaash is the eternally existent, superfluid reality, for which creation and destruction are inapplicable.” – (Idham thadhakshare parame vyoman. Parame vyoman) – Paramahamsa Tewari, Engineer, Physicist and Inventor. (source)

Nikola Tesla had correlations with Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902), who was one of the most famous and influential spiritual leaders of the philosophies of Vedanta (one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy, the term originally referred to the upanishads, a collection of philosophical texts in Hinduism) and Yoga. He was the chief disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and the founder of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. He is a giant figure in the history of the hindu reform movements.

Vivekananda wrote a later to Tesla in the late 1800’s stating:

“Mr. Tesla thinks he can demonstrate mathematically that force and matter are reducible to potential energy. I am to go and see him next week to get this new mathematical demonstration. In that case the Vedantic cosmology will be placed on the surest of foundations. I am working a good deal now upon the cosmology and eschatology of the Vedanta. I clearly see their perfect union with modern science, and the elucidation of the one will be followed by that of the other.” – Swami Vivekananda (Complete Works, VOL. V, Fifth Edition, 1347, p. 77). (1)

Tesla began using the Sanskrit words after meeting with Swami, and after studying the Eastern view of the true nature of reality, about the mechanisms that drive the material world. Eventually, it led him to the basis for the wireless transmission of electrical power, what is known as the Tesla Coil Transformer. During this year he made the following comments during a speech before the American Institute of Electrical Engineers. (Given before he familiarized himself with the the Vedic sincere of the easter nations of India, Tibet, and Nepal.)

“Ere many generations pass, our machinery will be driven by a power obtainable at any point in the universe. This idea is not novel…We find it in the delightful myth of Antheus, who derives power from the earth; we find it among subtle speculations of one of your splendid mathematicians….Throughout space there is energy. Is this energy static, or kinetic? If static our hopes are in vain; if kinetic – and this we know it is, for certain – then it is a mere question of time when men will succeed in attaching their machinery to the very wheel work of nature.” – Nikola Tesla (source)

The Vedas are a group of writings that consist of hymns, prayers, myths, historical accounting, science and the nature of reality. They date back at least 5000 years, and are not so different from other ancient texts that dive into the same matters from all across the globe. The language used is Sanskrit and its origins are unknown.

“Swami Vivekananda was hopeful that Tesla would be able to show that what we call matter is simply potential energy because that would reconcile the teachings of the Vedas with modern science. The Swami realized that in that case, the Vedantic cosmology (would) be placed on the surest of foundations. Tesla understood the Sanskrit terminology and philosophy and found that it was a good means to describe the physical mechanisms of the universe as seen through his eyes. It would behoove those who would attempt to understand the science behind the inventions of Nikola Tesla to study Sanskrit and Vedic philosophy.” – Toby Grotz, President, Wireless Engineering (source)

Apparently, Tesla was unable to show the identity of energy and matter, this did not come until Albert Einstein published his paper on relativity, which was known in the East for the last 5000 years.

“All the powers in the universe are already ours. It is we who have put our hands before our eyes and cry that it is dark.” – Swami Vivekananda

Tesla’s vision of the wireless transmission of electricity and free energy has been postponed for almost one hundred years now. Which brings us to our next topic.

What We Know Now (Today) About ‘Free Energy’

“These concepts have been proven in hundreds of laboratories throughout the world and yet they have not really seen the light of day. If these technologies were to be set free worldwide, the change would be profound, it would be applicable everywhere. These technologies are absolutely the most important thing that have happened in the history of the world.” – Brian O’leary, Former NASA Astronaut and Princeton Physics Professor. (source)

Here is a video of world renowned Physicist Harold E. Puthoff. An American physicist who earned his Ph.D from Stanford University. I am best familiar with his work through the declassification of the remote viewing program conducted by the CIA and NSA in conjunction with Stanford University. (source 1)(source 2)(source 3). He is the director of the Institute for Advanced Studies at Austin, and has served various government agencies throughout his years.

“These are not just fringe scientists with science fiction ideas. They are mainstream ideas being published in mainstream physics journals and being taken seriously by mainstream military and NASA type funders. I’ve been taken out on aircraft carriers by the Navy and shown what it is we have to replace if we have new energy sources to provide new fuel methods.” – Dr. Harold E. Puthoff

“Back in about 1964 a researcher at the Hughes Laboratory by the name of Robert L. Forward showed that there was a particular effect, called the Casimir Effect, which demonstrated that this energy could be taped.” – Dr. Harold E. Puthoff

This is what Tesla was talking about when he said that man would “attach their machinery to the very wheel work of nature.”

It’s Time For A Change

Our current methods for extracting energy are destroying Earth. It’s destroying the environment, its people and creates conflict. We are rapidly approaching a time (if not already in that time) where we need to implement systems to eliminate the use of fossil fuels. I hope that this article, and the ones linked within it, show you that this is possible. If you are further interested in this subject, you can check out Michael Faraday, Bruce DePalma, Paramahamsa Tewari and more.

Energy source transitions do not happen over night. It took us 100 years to transfer from wood to coal, and another 100 years to move from coal to oil. But the next energy transition must happen quicker than previous ones, and it must include free energy.

“No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars or sailed an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway from the human spirit.” – Helen Keller

“The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena, it will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its existence.” – Nikola Tesla

How Vedic Philosophy Influenced Nikola Tesla’s Idea of ‘Free Energy’

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 18 Feb 2017 14:23:00 +0000

The Properties of Space

*This is an older article that originates from Collective Evolution, a couple of updates have been made.

“Get over it, and accept the inarguable conclusion. The universe is immaterial-mental and spiritual.” – R.C. Henry, Professor of physics and Astronomy at Johns Hopkins University. (source)

Tesla and Ancient Vedic Philosophy and the Properties of Space

Vivekananda wrote a later to Tesla in the late 1800’s stating:

Apparently, Tesla was unable to show the identity of energy and matter, this did not come until Albert Einstein published his paper on relativity, which was known in the East for the last 5000 years.

“All the powers in the universe are already ours. It is we who have put our hands before our eyes and cry that it is dark.” – Swami Vivekananda

Tesla’s vision of the wireless transmission of electricity and free energy has been postponed for almost one hundred years now. Which brings us to our next topic.

What We Know Now (Today) About ‘Free Energy’

This is what Tesla was talking about when he said that man would “attach their machinery to the very wheel work of nature.”

It’s Time For A Change

“No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars or sailed an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway from the human spirit.” – Helen Keller

“The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena, it will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its existence.” – Nikola Tesla

Revealing Comic Sheds Light On Link Between Hard Work & Depression

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 17 Feb 2017 15:52:00 +0000

It’s interesting how our self-awareness can sometimes lead us nowhere. We can look within and see our unhealthy habits, and yet we accept them. These unhealthy habits can lead us down a rabbit hole toward depression, and still, we admit our fault of not nourishing our self worth, but do little to shift our worlds.

But is it that simple to just … change?

Many of us can likely relate to the feeling of being trapped in a detrimental capitalist dichotomy in which using our work to measure of our self worth conflicts with our need to express who we are on our own terms and time.

It’s become a societal standard to assume our job is the most important thing in our life. But why? With money being such a driving force for motivation, and employers urging us to think their approval is a key component of our self worth, along with how our family and friends perceive us based on the job we hold, it seems we are pigeonholed into this way of thinking.

Can you make more money than others? Do things more efficiently than others? Have more enthusiasm about doing it all than anyone else? The pressure we put on ourselves is self-inflicted, but socially influenced. But if we were to peel back all these layers of materialism that separate us from who we are, we might just be able to realize that our worth isn’t based on results, or how quickly we can do something, or how late we stay up finishing a project. Our worth just is.

But even if we can come to that realization, how do we practice it? We still wake up every day and have jobs to do. We still have others telling us work is life. Is it easier to just go with the flow?

No. Because work can be depressing, and that is a very unhealthy reality. Research suggests that those working long hours are even twice as likely to experience a major depressive episode. A report published in the journal Plos ONE found that people working over 11 hours a day are at greatest risk. So while we tie our hard work to self-worth, we’re letting our mental health fall by the wayside.

We must start making a distinction between work and self worth. To help us realize the importance of this goal, autobiographical cartoonist Shing Yin Khor put together a comic that would expose her own struggles with doing just that.

“I wanted to write about how I’ve somehow managed to root my identity in productivity and the corresponding depression that comes when I do not feel I am being productive,” she said.

“I’ve tied my own worth and dignity to my ability to produce work,” one of the comics reads. “It’s not healthy, but there it is.”

It’s a double-edged sword, because when we tie our happiness to something external, we risk something so impermanent controlling our happiness. The good days at work can make you feel so good, but that only means the bad days at work make you feel so worthless. Neither should have such power.

Check out Khor’s website here.

via Collective - Evolution

Revealing Comic Sheds Light On Link Between Hard Work & Depression

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 17 Feb 2017 15:51:00 +0000

But is it that simple to just … change?

“I wanted to write about how I’ve somehow managed to root my identity in productivity and the corresponding depression that comes when I do not feel I am being productive,” she said.

“I’ve tied my own worth and dignity to my ability to produce work,” one of the comics reads. “It’s not healthy, but there it is.”

Check out Khor’s website here.

via Collective - Evolution

5 Spiritually Uplifting Documentaries Streaming On Netflix Right Now

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 17 Feb 2017 15:40:00 +0000

You might be surprised to learn that Netflix has more to offer than just great, bingeworthy shows. If you are looking for a spiritual boost, for something to help you feel more connected or optimistic, then Netflix has you covered, featuring many spiritual documentaries that will leave you feeling totally ‘blissed’ out, in awe, or just plain excited about your life.

Below are the top 5 spiritually uplifting documentaries streaming on Netflix right now.

1. I Am

Directed by Tom Shadyac, whose name you may recognize from such films as Ace Ventura, Bruce Almighty, and The Nutty Professor, this documentary seeks to discover the answer to a question many of us have: What is wrong with the world and what can I do about it? Through this question, the film explores the nature of humanity, our ever-growing addiction to materialism, and human connections.

This is a lighthearted film that is sure to leave you feeling good and ready to continue on your journey of discovering the truth about yourself and the world.

2. Happy

What does it truly mean to be happy? While we all want happiness and may even spend our whole lives searching for it, happiness is not something we can discover outside of ourselves. In an effort to learn the true secret to happiness, this documentary takes a look at people from all different walks of life and asks them what it is that makes them happy.

Scientists, monks, and Okinawan villagers, among others, all chime in to share what makes them happy and what we can learn. The film asks the question, are we in the midst of a happiness revolution?

You will be left with a huge smile on your face after this one!

3. DMT: The Spirit Molecule

Based on a book by the same name that was written by Dr. Rick Straussman, this documentary looks at DMT, the most powerful psychedelic known to man, and one that exists within the human brain and many plants. The film interviews some of the participants of Straussman’s study, who were injected with a potent dose of DMT, and asks what they experienced while under its influence.

The most amazing part of this documentary is how everyone’s story seems to be connected, and how their experiences share so many similarities. It will definitely leave you questioning whether or not this substance actually serves as some kind of a portal to a higher level of consciousness.

Effortlessly combining science, spirituality, and philosophy, this film will leave you curious to discover more. It may even validate some of your own thoughts about what happens after death, since our brains release DMT when we die.

4. Kumaré

The story of Kumaré follows a fictional and false guru from a small village in India. Vikram Gandhi creates this character in order to show how people are easily fooled when they believe they need someone to follow and put their faith blindly into any leader or guru that steps up to the plate. This deception continues because of the guilt Vikram feels at having his followers put so much faith in him and after seeing all of the positive changes they have made in their lives as a result.

This film will help you realize something very important about yourself, and hopefully leave you with exactly what it is you need to tackle the issues that you face.

5. 10 Questions For The Dalai Lama

As the title suggests, the film poses a series of questions to Tenzin Gyatso, the 14^th Dalai Lama, at his monastery in Dharamsala, India. Some of the questions asked include:

Why do the poor seem happier than the rich?
How can one reconcile an attitude of non-violence when faced with a direct threat to one’s safety and security?
Should countries be dedicated to preserving their traditions or embrace modern culture?
Will there be another Dalai Lama?

If you have had any of these questions yourself and would like some answers, then this film is certainly for you!

Are There Any You Would Like to Add?

Are we forgetting some? Have you seen any documentaries on Netflix or anywhere else that have left you feeling spiritually lifted, connected, or in awe of it all? Please share with us in the comments!

And for more great Netflix documentaries, check out the “Top 11 Documentaries Streaming On Netflix Now That Could Change Your Life.”

Much Love

*Collective Evolution is based out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. These documentaries are available here- in Canada, but we are not sure about other countries around the world. We apologize if you are unable to access them on Netflix, but you should be able to find them somewhere on the Internet!

via Collective - Evolution

Why Heating Your Food With Microwave Radiation Might Be A Terrible Idea

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 17 Feb 2017 12:12:00 +0000

A few decades from now, will it be common knowledge that using microwave radiation to heat food is harmful to human health? It’s certainly a possibility, and information is already emerging which shows cause for concern. Microwaves work by causing water molecules to resonate at very high frequencies, converting them into steam and thereby heating your food. While this might be a convenient way to prepare your food, using microwave radiation in this way actually changes the chemical structure of that food.

The fact that they are approved as safe doesn’t mean much these days, as we’ve seen with several other examples from Tobacco, PCBs and Asbestos and Glyphosate. Just because a government agency, like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or a government health agency approves something as safe, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safe.

You might be wondering how this is any different from heating your food on the stove or steaming it, and that’s a fair question. The difference is that microwaves deform and distort the molecules in food, while conventional heating methods do not.

This is problematic in the medical field as well. We know, for example, that during blood transfusions, microwaves are often used to heat the blood before it is transferred to the patient. But using microwave radiation to this actually damages components found in blood. In fact, one woman even died after receiving a blood transfusion of microwaved blood. (source)

It is starting to look like microwaving can completely rid your food of most essential nutrients, but more research on this phenomenon needs to be done. That being said, there are some publications we can refer to if you’d like to find out more information regarding the harmful effects of microwaves on nutrients.

One example comes from 2003. A study published in The Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture examined what microwaves do to broccoli, finding that broccoli, after being microwaved, lost up to 97 percent of its beneficial antioxidants. By comparison, when researchers steamed broccoli, they discovered that it only lost 11 percent or fewer of its antioxidants. (source)

A study out of Australia showed that microwaves cause a greater level of “protein unfolding” than conventional heating. It found that “microwaves cause a significantly higher degree of unfolding then conventional thermal stress for protein solutions heating to the same maximum temperature.” (source)

A study using garlic found that just 60 seconds in a microwave can render its principle active ingredient (alliinase) as useless. Microwaves have also been found to destroy immune-boosting agents that are found in breast milk. These are disease fighting nutrients which are essential to the health and development of the child. For example, one study found that microwaving breast milk caused a decrease in lysozyme activity and antibodies, and aided the growth of more pathogenic bacteria. (source) The interesting thing about this study is that the researchers found that more damage was done to the milk from microwaving compared to any other method of heating.

“Microwaving appears to be contraindicated at high-temperatures, and questions regarding its safety even exist at low temperatures.” (source)

A Japanese study found that only 6 minutes of microwave heating turned approximately 40 percent of the B12 found in milk dead and completely void of any nutritional value. (source)

Three recent studies of historical food composition have shown up to 40 percent declines in some of the minerals commonly found in fresh produce, and another one found the same thing for their protein source. (source)

A Scandinavian study conducted in 1999 also found that cooking asparagus in the microwave results in a reduction in vitamins. (Kidmose U and Kaack K. Acta. Agriculturae Scandinavica B1999:49(2).110-117.)

What Type of Container Are You Using To Microwave Your Food?

Not heating your food in plastic containers should be a no brainer at this point. This is precisely why the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that any plastic containers should be labelled for microwave use, but even if they are labeled as safe, it’s still probably not a good idea. For more more information on what happens when you microwave your food in plastic containers, you can check out this article.

Many studies have shown that multiple plastic products contain various hormone disrupting chemicals, and heat is the worst culprit when it comes to increasing the rate of chemical transfer from the container to your food.

As written in the journal Toxicology Letters:

Using a sensitive and quantitative competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, BPA was found to migrate from polycarbonate water bottle at rates ranging from 0.20 ng/h to 0.79/h. . . . At room temperature the migration of BPA was independent of whether or not the bottle had been perviously used. Exposure to boiling water increased the rate of BPA migration by up to 55-fold.

Again, heat increases chemical leaching, so be cautious of what you use to heat your food. Even plastic containers which are labelled as microwave safe (or even BPA free, which does not account for other worrisome chemicals) are still dangerous. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), “what the term ‘microwave-safe’ basically means is that any chemicals leaching from the container into food do so at levels far below those shown to have any health effects. There is cause to be wary of this claim, however. In particular, #7 polycarbonate plastic should not be used in a microwave, even if it is labeled ‘microwave-safe,’ because it leaches hormone-disrupting bisphenol A (BPA), especially when heated.” (source)

This may be frightening to consider, but examining the products we choose to use on a daily basis is important. We have seen many examples in recent human history of information coming to light about a product or drug which completely changes our understanding and attitude towards it. We only have to look at cigarettes to see the proof of that.

Why Psychedelic Drugs Are Having A Medical Renaissance (Video)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 16 Feb 2017 16:12:00 +0000

It has been truly amazing to witness how many things in our world are now changing that were once considered impossible. We have been able to see this to a large degree with marijuana use and research, which is revealing more health benefits and even cures for various ailments every day.

In my lifetime, marijuana use has gone from extremely illegal, to a little bit less illegal, to decriminalized, to the point where now I can literally walk into a cannabis dispensary with a health concern, get a card, and leave with cannabis in my possession — legally.

This is in Canada, mind you, and I know it is not like this all over the world, but even four states in the U.S. have now fully legalized marijuana, and it seems as though all of Canada is heading in that direction, too.

Legalization of marijuana is important for more reasons than you might think. Aside from its obvious benefits to users who suffer from things like pain or anxiety, its legality also makes conducting scientific studies on its potential healing benefits much easier, and that leads to the possibility of it actually being able to help a lot of people who are in need a lot sooner.

So, in less than 26 years, I’ve witnessed all that happen, and still I was shocked when cannabis became legal in Colorado — a good sign that we’re heading in the right direction if ever there was one. It tells us that things really can change, and just because things are the way they are now doesn’t mean they always have to be that way.

The Science Behind It

Scientists have recently begun to do more research into other psychedelic substances and determining any potential health benefits that they might have as well. John Hopkins University and an organization known as MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) have published numerous studies demonstrating the positive outcome for using psychedelics such as cannabis, psilocybin, and MDMA for treatment in mental health issues such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, alcoholism, and more.

It appears that psychedelics are making their way into treatment studies, and for very good reason. Actually, there was a tremendous amount of research being done in the realm of psychedelics in the 1960s, spearheaded by Timothy Leary. These drugs became widespread for a time, but thanks to the War on Drugs in the 1970s, these substances were made illegal — despite their potential — and all of the research stopped.

Fortunately, the tide is turning again, and people are realizing that, not only are these substances non-addictive, when used in a controlled setting in their pure form they can help those in need tap into an observer’s point of view into their lives.

More on this is explained in the video clip below, which is from PBS news. When topics such as this are on the mainstream news, you can be sure things truly are changing in the world. Check it out!

As mentioned in the video, in order to ensure participant safety, these substances should only be taken under the supervision of trained professionals.

Below are links to some of the studies mentioned:

Having A ‘Bad Trip’ On Shrooms Can Actually Improve Your Well-Being

‘Magic Mushrooms’ Can Improve Long-Term Psychological Well-Being

Research Proves Psilocybin’s Ability To Effectively Treat Alcoholism

This Is What An MDMA Assisted Therapy Session Looks Like

New Study Finds Psilocybin To Be A Therapeutic Powerhouse For Advanced Cancer Patients

The Truth About LSD: Research Reveals Many Therapeutic & Medicinal Benefits

Study: Single Session Of Ayahuasca Can Defeat Depression

Ayahuasca: A New Approach To Western Medicine

And there are many, many studies on the therapeutic and medicinal use of cannabis as well, which you can find by clicking here.

Much Love

via Collective - Evolution

Congested? Here’s How To Drain Your Lymphs Naturally (VIDEO)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 16 Feb 2017 14:57:00 +0000

While it’s summer for some people around the world, here in the Northern hemisphere Winter is in full swing, and with it comes a frustrating array of colds, flus, and other illnesses.

If you are experiencing a cold, particularly a head cold, you may need some help draining the extra fluid that’s built up in your sinuses. And the following lymphatic massage may be just what the doctor ordered.

Simple and relaxing, you can do this technique all by yourself. The key is to go as slow as possible, and a very light touch is best. The whole thing may take you five to ten minutes to do, and really will help move things around, and down, and hopefully out. I tried the technique in the video yesterday and starting feeling movement in the back of my throat within just a few minutes.

Before you try, this please take note of this list of contraindications recommended by the RMT who made this video:

Contraindications for Lymphatic Drainage Massage

While it doesn’t feel invasive or deep, LDM can have a profound effect on the body because of its function within the immune system and its use of the circulatory system. If you have any of these conditions or problems, consult your physician before performing this on yourself:

Fever, acute infection, early onset inflammatory disease. You need to wait until the acute phase is over and the fever is broken.
Circulatory system problems, especially thrombosis. If there is any risk of embolism of phlebitis, do not use LDM and see your physician immediately.
Cardiac issues such as heart disease, acute angina pectoris or coronary thrombosis (heart attack). Using LDM increases the fluid load on the heart, and compromised cardiac systems should not be subjected to LDM.
Active bleeding, internal or external.
Active malignant cancers, undiagnosed lumps, or tumours whose origins have not been determined by your physician.
High risk pregnancy or late term pregnancy with complications

This likely won’t remove all the congestion in your head, but it can help to alleviate some of the pressure and stuffiness, letting you focus on other things. Heather said about 75% of the people that come to see her have benefitted from doing this massage. Give it a go and try it for yourself!

via Collective - Evolution

Genetically Modified Humans Are Coming: U.S. Scientists Just Backed Permanent Gene Editing In Humans

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 16 Feb 2017 14:12:00 +0000

“Genetically modified humans” sounds like a term that belongs in Hollywood, but it’s actually a very real possibility, and one that’s being heavily discussed in the scientific community. Contributing to one of the most controversial topics to date, a panel of science experts in the U.S. just examined and gave their support for germline editing. This means that in the future, parents will likely be able to tamper with the genetics of their children pre-birth.

Germinal choice technology refers to reprogenetic technologies that enable parents to alter the genetic constitutions of their children. One of the ways this can be done is through germline editing, which is a fancier term for human genetic engineering. Germline editing alters the genes of a sperm or an egg, but it then changes the future DNA of every single cell in the embryo. This means that the genetic changes made to the embryos will then affect all future generations within that family lineage.

Germline Editing Will Likely Be an Option in the Future

The panels were made up of experts from two of the most prestigious scientific institutions in the U.S., both of which recommended that germline editing be viewed as a serious option in the future and not be prohibited outright (source).

This is a dramatically different stance than the last assessment given in December 2015 by an international summit of scientists, who stated that it would be “irresponsible to proceed” with germline editing given the controversy surrounding the subject and the safety issues involved, all of which have yet to be resolved.

The panels’ discussions can be further analyzed in a report released earlier this week by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine. The panel recommended that germline editing of early embryos, eggs, or sperm should only be permitted to prevent serious disease or disability if there’s significant scientific evidence illustrating that the procedures are safe.

“Human genome editing holds tremendous promise for understanding, treating, or preventing many devastating genetic diseases, and for improving treatment of many other illnesses. . . . However, genome editing to enhance traits or abilities beyond ordinary health raises concerns about whether the benefits can outweigh the risks, and about fairness if available only to some people,” explained Alta Charo, co-chair of the study committee and Sheldon B. Lubar Distinguished Chair and Warren P. Knowles Professor of Law and Bioethics, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

One of the illnesses the panel specifically mentioned that germline editing could be used to prevent is Huntington’s disease, a progressive brain disorder that can result in uncontrollable movement, emotional issues, and loss in cognition, most commonly appearing in a person’s thirties or forties. However, the panel was quick to note that with these alterations could come some very serious side effects.

One of the potential risks includes developing new conditions, diseases, or mutations. If this happened, parents would have no idea until their babies are born and begin to mature.

Perhaps the most obvious risk is the societal implications associated with the genetic engineering of humans. If it’s an expensive process, meaning it will likely only be made available to upper class citizens who can afford it, it could create a “designer class” of babies with preferred qualities and genes.

“These kinds of scenarios used to be science fiction; they used to be seen as far-off hypotheticals… But actually, right now, I think they’re urgent social justice questions,” said biotechnologist Marcy Darnovsky from the Center for Genetics and Society to Rob Stein at NPR.

“[W]e’re going to be creating a world in which the already privileged and affluent can use these high-tech procedures to make children [with] biological advantages,” she continued. “And the scenario that plays out is not a pretty one.”

“Previously, it was easy for people to say, ‘This isn’t possible, so we don’t have to think about it much,’ ” said MIT researcher Richard Hynes, who helped lead the committee, to The New York Times. “Now we can see a path whereby we might be able to do it, so we have to think about how to make sure it’s used only for the right things and not for the wrong things.”

Will Genetic Engineering Mark the Birth of Transhumanism?

Transhumanism is a futuristic ideology which purports that humans will be altered and improved using sophisticated technologies in the future to upgrade our intellectual, physical, and mental capabilities. Many scientists are actually in favour of this, especially as we become more technologically advanced, making this seem more realistic.

Elon Musk supports this movement, in fact, as he believes that human beings will eventually use technology to enhance our inherent natural capabilities.

“Over time we will see a closer merger of biological intelligence and digital intelligence. It is all about the band width of the brain,” Musk said.

“Some high band width interface to the brain will be something which helps achieve symbiosis between human and machine intelligence, which solves a control and usefulness problem,” he continued.

Musk has spoken about this topic on several occasions. For example, last year he explained that we should consider getting brain implants in the future because, without them, we may not be able to compete with artificial intelligence (AI). He also has strong opinions about AI, arguing it could pose a threat to us if we become too dependent on it (source).

I believe that genetically engineering human beings could serve us in a way, but it could also do more harm than good. Germline editing could seriously improve the lives of many if it could prevent certain diseases, but at what cost?

In addition, the fact that a man and a woman can mate and create offspring together that’s made up of a mixture of their genes is truly beautiful. Do we really want to alter something that’s already such an incredible gift in nature?

I don’t think there’s a right or a wrong answer here. However, there are certainly some risks involved with genetically modifying humans. It’s easy to imagine how the elite could use this to further manipulate the general population, or how it could create an even greater divide between high income and low income families. The idea of creating an Aryan or superior race could even be proposed again, which would only further perpetuate the illusions of separatism and hierarchy.

Then again, it could potentially help us further advance our consciousness and awaken our inner capabilities, especially if the technology or alterations have absolutely no health risks (zero radiation/EMF exposure, no increased risk in disease, etc.).

In either case, I believe our time would be better spent further advancing our collective consciousness. If that can be done through AI, then that’s incredible and I’m all for it. However, we must remember that, if we truly dial in and get in touch with ourselves energetically, we have the power to heal ourselves from within. We don’t need to rely on technology to save us and prevent diseases. Yes, technology plays an important role in society, but that doesn’t mean we should let it overshadow our own capabilities as spiritual beings.

via Collective - Evolution

Genetically Modified Humans Are Coming: U.S. Scientists Just Backed Permanent Gene Editing In Humans

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 16 Feb 2017 13:32:00 +0000

Germline Editing Will Likely Be an Option in the Future

One of the potential risks includes developing new conditions, diseases, or mutations. If this happened, parents would have no idea until their babies are born and begin to mature.

Will Genetic Engineering Mark the Birth of Transhumanism?

Elon Musk supports this movement, in fact, as he believes that human beings will eventually use technology to enhance our inherent natural capabilities.

“Over time we will see a closer merger of biological intelligence and digital intelligence. It is all about the band width of the brain,” Musk said.

“Some high band width interface to the brain will be something which helps achieve symbiosis between human and machine intelligence, which solves a control and usefulness problem,” he continued.

via Collective - Evolution