The beginning of knowledge is the discovery of something we do not understand.

Frank Herbert, author and creator of “Dune
“

And since Wendi doesn’t just sell off the old crap (which btw wasn’t much crappy either), but gives a hefty 40% discount on ALL sales, I thought I better let you know in case you missed it.

But don’t procrastinate - it is the last day of the big sale, ends at midnight today!

Instructions to get the most out of it:

1. Order as much as you want, 40% off.
GO here

2. Use coupon code MBLOVE for discount.

3. Add Hypnotize Your Lover to order for only $10 ( don’t worry, after coupon it will become $10, and not only it is fun for you and your loved one - all profit goes directly to Melissa and Bryan, two cool folks from her team!)
Add to order now

4. Choose your GIFT ($29-49 value) by putting in the comment area - (only one gift per order IF your order is over $50)

Power Nap
or
Speed Read, Spell well
or
Peace Within

That’s it!

So move your whatever over there and grab some mind-boggling hypno bargains!

P.S.: in case you are a bit late for the big sale - don’t worry. Wendi’s stuff is more than worth it’s regular price, and she almost always has some special deal going on as well! So even if you arrive here “too late”, check out her site, you will find something great for you!

Not that I had not more than enough to write about, teach, recommend, share. Actually my head is bursting.

But my energy levels during the last years have been “limited”. There was and is a lot of inner and outer development going on - no matter how far you get, there is always a next step, always more exciting, and it gets all but easier. And my focus was and is on that.

Quite some time ago I mentioned the idea of leaving Europe/Germany and moving to Paraguay, building a special kind of ecovillage / spiritual community / re-forrestation project.

Its happening. Now.

Some final things have to be sorted out, and cash is still an issue, but by the end of 2009 I will have left Europe behind. The initial team is showing up, two great people have decided to come with me, the contract for the first small chunk of land is about to be signed, and we will just go and do it. And things will develop as we walk along.

I have quite a few things in mind for mind-reality.com, I am still “breeding” the idea of a brainwave-entrainment related “club” as well.

But my focus is the re-location to Paraguay and the beginnings of the “Elfenwald”-project (”Forest of the Elves” in German).

Whenever I have some time and power left, I will post occasional updates here - but everything else on mind-reality.com, including the newsletter, is on hold and in deep hibernation until I emerge again half-way round the world… ;-)

Anyone interested in the project: I will put up some summaries and occasional news in English, you will find those on the Elfenwald-website: Elfenwald-Ecovillage English News

Wish me luck. And have a great time until we meet again!

OVER the years, hypnosis has picked up all sorts of weird associations from stage hypnotists, the media and superstition. This is a great shame, because in reality, hypnosis is your single most effective tool for change. Hypnosis is your birthright, and you should know how to use it so it doesn’t use you. Here we dispel the biggest hypnosis myths.

Hypnosis Myth 1) All hypnosis is the same

As with anything, hypnosis can be good, bad or indifferent. The most common is old-style authoritarian hypnosis of the type “You are getting sleepy, you are feeling confident”. Unsurprisingly, this sort of hypnosis doesn’t work well with many people. Good hypnosis uses subtle psychological principles and advanced communication patterns.

It’s like the difference between a football coach who thinks you’ll perform best if he yells at you, compared with the more elegant style of a great leader who knows that to get the best from his people, he needs to understand motivation, to cajole, encourage and reward.

Hypnosis Downloads.com offers hundreds of sessions using the best type of hypnosis.

Hypnosis Myth 2) Subliminals work

Subliminals are words that you can’t hear. Common sense says they shouldn’t work, and there’s no research proving that they do.

Hypnosis Myth 3) Some people can’t be hypnotized

The only reason you can’t be hypnotized is if you are incapable of paying attention due to extremely low IQ or brain damage. That’s not to say that every hypnotist can hypnotize you however. The more flexible the hypnotist, the more effective she will be with the largest number of people.

Hypnosis Myth 4) Hypnosis is something weird that other people do to you

If you couldn’t go into hypnosis, you wouldn’t be able to sleep, to learn, or get nervous through ‘negative self hypnosis’. (You know when you imagine things going wrong and it makes you feel anxious? Well that’s self hypnosis!)

Hypnosis is simply a deliberate utilization of the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) or dream state. We’re not giving people medication here – if it wasn’t a natural ability, hypnosis wouldn’t work!

Hypnosis Myth 5) You lose control in hypnosis

Crazy news stories, stage hypnotists and gossip have created the illusion that you lose control in hypnosis. In fact, when hypnotized, you are relaxed and focused – and able to choose to get up and walk away at any time. You choose to give your attention to the hypnotist, and you can withdraw it at any time.

If you have been scared of hypnosis in the past, this article has hopefully convinced you to at least give it a try. But remember, ensure what you’re getting is the real thing. Visit www.hypnosisdownloads.com

Article by Mark Tyrrell of Hypnosis Downloads.com.

Comment: short & sweet. I do, however, not completely agree. “Myth 2″ is still unsolved in my opinion. I tested quite some subliminal stuff (visual and audio) on myself and friends, and while my results are certainly not “scientific”, they strongly suggest that certain types of subliminals actually DO work, e.g. messages flashing on your screen (used this to keep my neck relaxed during looong days in front of the computer), and the kind of audio subliminals that the Centerpointe Institute uses (like in the “Longevity”-Meditation).

Still I found these 5 brief corrections of popular misconceptions useful, so I reposted them here.

WHY people always need this “better”, “vs”, competition, “3 reasons why I kick ass and you not”, domination stuff?

OK, times are “hard”, our rotten economic system goes belly up, well deserved, and while some people learn and start working together in communities and neo-”tribes”, others continue to sharpen their elbows and feel an urge to kick everybody else in the teeth even harder than before.

See - there is no competition between brainwave technology and hypnosis. And there is no “better”. They serve different purposes and different kinds of people. And actually the combination of both techniques can be very powerful.

Personal example: I am a very “brainy” person. I know about “spiritual” things and the unknown, I am curious and open - but I am a watcher, a “scientist”. So whenever I work with hypnosis sessions, I have a hard time to actually get into trance. Too many parts of me are listening, analyzing, questioning, having fun when they understand the hypno-tricks and NLP-triggers the hypnotist uses, and so on…

For me it is very helpful to have sessions that already embed brainwave patterns that help you to relax, release the mind chatter, and go into trance. And if I have a great hypno session that comes without waves, I just mix them - e.g. import the hypno session as an audio file into Neuro Programmer, then have NP play supporting brainwaves and stimulating my mind to relax and let go…

So: “combined arms” instead of “friendly fire”. Embrace the hypnotic brainwaves… ;-)

But actually everything got delayed since I am stuck with the re-design. Kinda Catch 22 - upgraded to current release candidate of Wordpress 2.7, which has odd effects on the themes from themehybrid.com (which I have chosen now instead of the ones from elegantthemes.com), so I have to iron out that first and worst case wait for the WP 2.7 final release, which is due next week. I’ll keep you posted.

I got some very nice themes from elegantthemes.com and will play with them during the next day - so do not be puzzled if the site design changes every couple of minutes and sometimes is broken…

After the new design is up, I have a special for you: I recently got my hands on Wendi Friesen’s “Financial Abundance” course, will work through it, and will take you with me on that journey… take-off next week!

So check back or subscribe to the RSS feed so you do not miss the updates!

Lazy today and in a rush, so just a full quote.

Meditation Found To Increase Brain Size

BrainPeople who meditate grow bigger brains than those who don’t. Researchers at Harvard, Yale, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have found the first evidence that meditation can alter the physical structure of our brains. Brain scans they conducted reveal that experienced meditators boasted increased thickness in parts of the brain that deal with attention and processing sensory input.

In one area of gray matter, the thickening turns out to be more pronounced in older than in younger people. That’s intriguing because those sections of the human cortex, or thinking cap, normally get thinner as we age.

“Our data suggest that meditation practice can promote cortical plasticity in adults in areas important for cognitive and emotional processing and well-being,” says Sara Lazar, leader of the study and a psychologist at Harvard Medical School. “These findings are consistent with other studies that demonstrated increased thickness of music areas in the brains of musicians, and visual and motor areas in the brains of jugglers. In other words, the structure of an adult brain can change in response to repeated practice.”

The researchers compared brain scans of 20 experienced meditators with those of 15 nonmeditators. Four of the former taught meditation or yoga, but they were not monks living in seclusion. The rest worked in careers such as law, health care, and journalism. All the participants were white. During scanning, the meditators meditated; the others just relaxed and thought about whatever they wanted.

Meditators did Buddhist “insight meditation,” which focuses on whatever is there, like noise or body sensations. It doesn’t involve “om,” other mantras, or chanting.

“The goal is to pay attention to sensory experience, rather than to your thoughts about the sensory experience,” Lazar explains. “For example, if you suddenly hear a noise, you just listen to it rather than thinking about it. If your leg falls asleep, you just notice the physical sensations. If nothing is there, you pay attention to your breathing.” Successful meditators get used to not thinking or elaborating things in their mind.

Study participants meditated an average of about 40 minutes a day. Some had been doing it for only a year, others for decades. Depth of the meditation was measured by the slowing of breathing rates. Those most deeply involved in the meditation showed the greatest changes in brain structure. “This strongly suggests,” Lazar concludes, “that the differences in brain structure were caused by the meditation, rather than that differences in brain thickness got them into meditation in the first place.”

Lazar took up meditation about 10 years ago and now practices insight meditation about three times a week. At first she was not sure it would work. But “I have definitely experienced beneficial changes,” she says. “It reduces stress [and] increases my clarity of thought and my tolerance for staying focused in difficult situations.”

Controlling random thoughts

Insight meditation can be practiced anytime, anywhere. “People who do it quickly realize that much of what goes on in their heads involves random thoughts that often have little substance,” Lazar comments. “The goal is not so much to ‘empty’ your head, but to not get caught up in random thoughts that pop into consciousness.”

She uses this example: Facing an important deadline, people tend to worry about what will happen if they miss it, or if the end product will be good enough to suit the boss. You can drive yourself crazy with unproductive “what if” worry. “If, instead, you focus on the present moment, on what needs to be done and what is happening right now, then much of the feeling of stress goes away,” Lazar says. “Feelings become less obstructive and more motivational.”

The increased thickness of gray matter is not very much, 4 to 8 thousandths of an inch. “These increases are proportional to the time a person has been meditating during their lives,” Lazar notes. “This suggests that the thickness differences are acquired through extensive practice and not simply due to differences between meditators and nonmeditators.”

As small as they are, you can bet those differences are going to lead to lots more studies to find out just what is going on and how meditation might better be used to improve health and well-being, and even slow aging.

More basic questions need to be answered. What causes the increased thickness? Does meditation produce more connections between brain cells, or more blood vessels? How does increased brain thickness influence daily behavior? Does it promote increased communication between intellectual and emotional areas of the brain?

To get answers, larger studies are planned at Massachusetts General Hospital, the Harvard-affiliated facility where Lazar is a research scientist and where these first studies were done. That work included only 20 meditators and their brains were scanned only once.

“The results were very encouraging,” Lazar remarks. “But further research needs to be done using a larger number of people and testing them multiple times. We also need to examine their brains both before and after learning to meditate. Our group is currently planning to do this. Eventually, such research should reveal more about the function of the thickening; that is, how it affects emotions and knowing in terms of both awareness and judgment.”

Slowing aging?

Since this type of meditation counteracts the natural thinning of the thinking surface of the brain, could it play a role in slowing - even reversing - aging? That could really be mind-boggling in the most positive sense.

Lazar is cautious in her answer. “Our data suggest that one small bit of brain appears to have a slower rate of cortical thinning, so meditation may help slow some aspects of cognitive aging,” she agrees. “But it’s important to remember that monks and yogis suffer from the same ailments as the rest of us. They get old and die, too. However, they do claim to enjoy an increased capacity for attention and memory.”

(found on sciencenewsden.com)

Related book:

For quite some time I managed to get along with the crappy ear plugs that Apple dares to sell with their (otherwise incredible) iPods (I have the iPod classic, just perfect for my several gigabytes of brainwave stuff… ;-) ). But it was not the real thing. So gradually I started to try and explore and test other headphones.

Criteria:

• comfortable. Need to be friendly to my ears and head even after hours of extended wearing.
• clear, unspoiled sound. Many headphones (even rather costly ones) tend to “leak” sound (meaning if there should be sound only on the right channel you still get some faint volume on the left as well - which is no good for binaural beats), many over do the bass frequencies, and many sound alltogether crappy…
• medium price range. I am willing to chip in some bucks for a decent sound experience, but I am not willing to pay the price of a used car for a pair of platinum-plated custom made ear plugs… ;-)

I have tested a lot, and came up with three favorites. Here ya go:

Ultrasone HFI 780

If you buy only ONE headphone in your life - let it be this latest flagship of the Ultrasone HFI series!

Developed by some audiophile maniacs in Germany these high-end headphones give you an incredible experience, - without the price knocking off your pants.

Very comfortable to wear. Absolutely transparent sound, clearly positioned, nothing gets distorted.

Bonus: the speakers are positioned in a way so that the sound hits your ears in a more natural way - slightly from the front. So you have less of that “they are IN MY HEAD - Hjaaaaalp!” - feeling.

Along with their patented S-Logic sound positioning technology this provides you with the most natural “3D” experience I have heard so far. Depends on the recording, of course, but e.g. with Hemi-Sync’s “Heart of the Shaman” I was unable to decide if the ravens where in the headphones or passing above me “in real” (I listen to this kind of stuff under the old oak in the garden whenever possible, and occasionally there are real ravens in the air there…)

I won’t bother you with technical mumbo-jumbo (all the specs are on the product page) - just so much: the HFI 780 is second to none. Very high frequency range (which is good for lower carrier frequencies). And a good sound isolation so the outside world won’t disturb your inner travels too much.

Just click the image below for all the details and a current price quote (yes, it is not “cheap” - but the best buy you can get!):

For those who hate “closed” headphones there is an alternative: the HFI 2200 is an “open” headphone, so you are less separated from the world. It is a bit more expensive, but gives the same great sound experience AND lets the noise of the world in on your troubled ears… ;-)  (errr, ok, obviously I prefer the closed ones…)

A click on the image will provide you with the technical details:

Koss Porta Pro

Low on budget? The price tag of the Ultrasone made you shiver and sweat? Check out the Koss!

This light, foldable wired headphone is very affordable, but the sound is absolutely stunning for this price tag!

Good for all occasions where you do not want to risk your more expensive headphones, or where in-ears are too risky.

Bit too much emphasis on the bass frequencies for my personal taste, but not in a way that would annoy me.

Great for brainwave entrainment while you are doing some excercise (e.g. running - they fit well and won’t jump off your head easily)

Click the image for more info and ordering –>

One word of warning: there is a Sporta Pro as well - which I do NOT recommend. Don’t mix them up.

Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 pro

In-ears are a matter of “religion”. You love them or hate them. If you love them, you will definitely love the super.fi 5 pro

They have a two-way sound system (yep, TWO speakers in these tiny plugs…) which is normally unheard of until you double the price, and they deliver one of the best sound experiences I ever had. Very balanced and clear (I listen to classical music a lot and hate those headphones that only know BASSSSSSS), no hissing, no nothing. No complaints.

In my opinion they are way better than ANYthing in-ear you can buy at a similar price. I would compare them to the Shure E420 - which cost about 100 bucks more. BTW - even if you could afford it, I would not go for the TripleFi or other more expensive models from Ultimate Ears. You have to be a VERY picky audiophile to notice any difference - the super.fi 5 pro will do perfectly for the rest of us!

The set includes different ear pieces to fit even the most weird elven ear ;-)  and a metallic travel case.

Oh, before I forget it: the sound isolation is incredible. You feel like inside a Samadhi floating tank… ;-)

Check out the details and prices (around  190 bucks) by clicking on the image with your favorite color - they come in black:

or in white: or even clear:

In addition to these 3 models I highly recommend the SleepPhones that I reviewed earlier. Less versatile, but ideal for nightly brainwave entrainment and the most comfortable OBE you ever had… ;-)

So that’s my “arsenal”. How about you? Experiences, alternatives and recommendations welcome! Every ear is different… *lol* - just add your comments below.

Tibetian Singing Bowls have become a comodity in any spiritual or new-agey environment. But are they? Or are they unique tools that can not be duplicated or “produced” lightly and should be treated carefully by initiates rather than “mere musicians”? Guess they are both.

Of course you can get one of those better salad bowls that can “sing” to a certain degree and have fun with it. You can even use it for healing or meditation sessions and most likely it won’t do any harm, but good.

Yet - there is more to it. Some of the original ancient bowls seem to have that certain “extra”. That extra that connects them to the fabric of the universal mind in a more direct and powerful way. And there is a reason why originally this kind of bowls was only “played” by someone who had earned the right to do so.

For that reason I would like to recommend a well weathered recording. If you got the balls for it. Because this is not your wellness-musician with some “Tibetian” relaxation ambient music…

Dr Alain Presencer is a pretty cool guy - and one who had access to the ancient shamanic traditions and the “right” use of the bowls. And he has some of the original, old Tibetian instruments at his disposal.

Listen to this (preferably the whole recording, just as it was meant to be) and judge for yourself.

I have been blown away.

Click the image - it will take you to Amazon and the CD version of this recording. Actually I would recommend getting this on vinyl - the energies appear to be less “filtered” there - but the CD is already stunning enough.

It is a good sample that our tricks of influencing the mind and the universe with brainwave entrainment and other sound effects are not the first ones. They may be more sophisticated and better suited for us “critical” westerners, but they are not more powerful than the ancient ways…