Untitled, unowned, unhindered

Well, the post I made was more about the very odd synchronicities of the day. I am unsure why I felt compelled to re-watch that video much less take notes. In addition, I only got about 15 minutes into it when my friend called and told me his wife had passed on...

Anyways - here's the notes so far... but what I have so far is not anywhere near the important things I got out of it the first time I watched. If I finish this note process with this one video, I will be surprised.

So far -

Brain wave patterns

The frontal lobes – concerned with the future… anticipation, expectation, planning… especially when related to social things

The temporal lobes – concerned with memory (and other functions)… but this area is also the center for most of the spiritual experiences, ie. religious and mystical experiences.

Perhaps long ago, the only way we could understand the facts about our death was “to think about it.” Most of us one day conclude, “I will die,” and we take that a bit personally. Taking it personally is very different than understanding the fact of death. Children are now able to ask the question. It is arrived at as a conclusion. People tend to “know they are going to die.” We tend to suppress these thoughts and this suppression is supported by nearly every religious tradition… “we are not going to die, we are going to move on.”

We are able to suppress the fact of our own mortality and this reduces “death anxiety.” Death anxiety plays a protective role in helping us avoid accidents, etc.

Note that depending on the impending reality of one’s death, this will adjust the intensity of the anxiety.

So one role spirituality plays is that by perceiving the possibility or likelihood or “fact” that one lives beyond the death of their physical body reduces one’s daily stress and anxiety while simultaneously we can accept the ultimate reality of body death and take steps necessary to avoid it. And this is a complicated arrangement but we have evolved to where we can do this.

We are predisposed to a healthy kind of denial about our death.

Now we look at the “first hand vision of God” (Unio Mystica) folks who claim they met God face to face are not lying. Scientists can take these reports on board – anecdotal reports.

Why can we have (produce) this experience? One reason is because there’s actually God! A creator of the universe… one that we can connect with. Another explanation is that our brains are able to produce this experience for us. (explored further here).

And if so… then why? Why are we (now) able to have what feels like a face to face meeting with the creator of the universe? The answer is – we are wired for it.

to be continued... - maybe

 

I work with one other friend who lives in another city. We both are involved in a software project for a gentleman in Canada.

My friend's wife has had some serious heart issues. Two months ago she went through a major corrective heart procedure. Her recovery was much slower than the doctors predicted. She was finally sent home yesterday afternoon.

This morning, despite the fact that I am only halfway through part 5 of the 6 part video series that I posted about above, something compelled me to go back to the first one and watch it again. When I did, I actually even took notes. I was right at the part involving how we deal with death anxiety when my daughter in law asked me to take her and the baby to the state agency that is supposed to assist her regarding my grand daughter's health benefits. On the way, my friend I work with calls me in a panic. His wife is in cardiac arrest. I rush home and take over for him as one of us has to monitor some live data related to the project.

I continue taking notes on the video. I then receive a call and sad news, she passed away from cardiac arrest.

I call the client in Canada. He doesn't answer. I text him the news. Soon after he calls me and there's an ambulance wailing in the background. He told me the man next door apparently had a heart attack and that he was outside watching the ambulance crew attempting to revive the man when I had called.

Something very weird is always going on like this in my life. This happens all the time now. It did not happen so much when I was younger. It happens all the time now and seems to be increasing. It is not apophenia.

It is far more likely these things are a demonstration of the interplay between a flowering individuated consciousness and the quantum nature of existence and our reality.

 

It turns out i have a virus... caught it from my grand daughter who fortunately is now over her experience with this virus. Its a strange one... mostly aches and headaches and a sort of scratchy throat but today lots of lethargy.

I am certain this virus played some role in my recent attitude downturn. Knowing this has already helped me improve my attitude. Soooo, the point of the post -

I am not giving up.

 

Hi Rose... I recall being worried these lectures were simply sales videos for this device but this is not the case. The research done by Dr. Persinger and his research team is fascinating and has been peer reviewed and in addition has not been critically refuted. There are six lectures (yes... lots of stuff to follow) but I have yet seen anyone come close to coming forth with theories of this nature which come as close as can be done in tying 'spiritual experience" to functions in the brain and to the possibility of continuation of the "being" via what is known as a soliton that he makes a case reacts geomagnetically.

I thank another forum participant for sharing this information with me.

I do recall being concerned it was some sales video but Todd Murphy moves away from that rapidly and barely ever returns. I do also understand 10 hours of video may be daunting.

 

If you feel obliged to put restrictions on how others may judge your revelations, then you are playing in the wrong sandbox. The truth is that you cannot restrict others from exercising their judgment, regardless of the quality of that judgment. You have to be willing to entertain all incoming judgments. If you feel those judgments are flawed, explain why. If you feel they are solid, acknowledge that.

Not me, because I realize the sharing is a gift. It helps everyone learn. There is no greater gift. Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime. Teaching is essentially sharing the knowledge.

Where is the greater empathy: 1) the parent exercising soft love, protecting the child from anything painful, or 2) the parent exercising tough love, allowing selected pain to pass through to the child so that the child might learn important lessons from it and grow even stronger and more capable? The first results in an adult who has a tendency to be dependent. The second results in an adult who has a tendency to be independent. What does your judgment tell you is better? Which would you rather be?

Truth and honesty for all outweighs others' desire for secrecy, in my opinion. It is the tough love versus soft love decision. It is not an easy decision to make. It obviously depends on the robustness of your judgment. You may remember Spock's famous line -- "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." Where does the greater benefit lie? You can see that the ruling sociopaths have it backward and are training us to see it like they do, i.e. the needs of the few outweigh the needs of the many. This is how parasites lacking empathy will necessarily see things. Their perspective is clearly wrong, but they will do everything to get us to believe it is right. Only our better judgment can save us from that.

 

Strangely that headache was only experienced the first half of that day. I get maybe one a year if that. Anyways though... yesterday I received an interesting e-mail that suggested I watch a video which focused more than anything on NDE. Though the speaker made a point in saying NDE and astral travel are pretty much unrelated, I felt an enthusiasm regarding astral travel and restated to myself my desire to have more of these types of experiences and that when I do, they be more profound.

This morning around 3 AM I found myself in the very most profound "astral travel" experience I ever had in my life by far...

Here's what i wrote to my friend -

Hi "friend"

Thank You.

For what you might ask...

I have no doubt that my watching of that first Todd Murphy video (I decided to watch the whole series) played a role in what happened to me last night which was that I experienced the very most profound astral experience of my life so far. It lasted quite a long time, I was fully in control of myself, I flew, I experienced a strange world which I felt I was at least co-creator, I experienced many people and even found myself in a flying race with another male and where there was (believe it or not) a bathroom...

And the most significant part was that in my OBE experiences of the past (this really seemed to be a hybrid OBE/astral experience), when I left my body at the beginning of this event, I went towards a wall where in the past I would be afraid to go through the wall and would always snap back into my body. This time I wasn't afraid at all and it was when I went through the wall (it seemed solid when I approached it yet seemed like a mirage when I moved through it feeling nothing... no resistance) the world I encountered was not much different than Earth's Grand Canyon... at least at first. I can still remember so many of these details where usually these details slip away.

Here's the video that I mentioned

 

The situation with the story teller... I now understand that it swings. It swings all over the place.. the emotions, the opinions, the actual facts, etc. Especially the emotions... there had been so many emotions experienced, so many challenges to my world view as to what would and should be assumed in a close relationship. perhaps the greatest mistake was assuming there even was a relationship. If we are dealing with sociopathic behavior, then perhaps I used poor judgment to make that assumption. Clearly evidence shows I was never a true friend because in my world of assumptions (and I may be wrong) a true friend is always a friend. I could write many, many more sentences about many things I experience and am still experiencing which includes new things I am experiencing that were a result of the relationship with the story teller.

But my concern is if my sharing became a labeling of anyone involved in the story. In other words (to make sure I am clear) I would share about it but do not wish there to be labels thrown on anyone (including myself) if I did. I don't mind behaviors being identified and labeled, but I would mind if a conclusive label were applied to any participant (again, including myself) who were and are involved with the story teller and/or the story teller.

Some might ask why I would tell it in the first place? The obvious first reason is that in a forum such as this where many intelligent, experienced and reasonably sound thinkers seem to be members, I would expect to experience insightful feedback. My ego would be taking risks but there's a drive within me propelled by something far more important than my finite, single life ego/personality. So the first reason is to achieve processing where then I might experience a relief and have the ability to move on.

The second reason (and likely the more important reason) is to drill down into what I have discovered is an emerging dynamic that is made possible by way of the new means of communication facilitated by the internet via forums and chat/voice chat/video chat programs. That dynamic begins with the sharing of personal experiences. What I wish to explore (via examples) is where people seem to take things in this environment. And this subject expands greatly once anyone takes a step beyond just the simple sharing of their experiences.

Yet the suggestion that a story such as this needs to be brought forth, brought forth in full and brought forth in complete truth and with complete honesty and to do so is to demonstrate empathy... to be empathetic, the only thing stopping me is a lack of courage. I am afraid to do it. Not for the reasons some might think (that the light I shine on myself if I am fully honest is quite negative)... that's already been done anyways and that light can't get any darker anyways...

The thing that holds me back is empathy too.

I empathize for all the participants as I am able to see understanding as to why each and every one of them did what they did just as I understand each and every action I took. And this includes the story teller and his chief consort.

There's two other risks. Risk one is that folks resort to threats (again). The other risk is that a new battle might emerge via the internet where folks would only be able to prove their case by exposing what various parties would deem as "off limits communications." Interestingly, I don't have any off limits communication. I don't mind owning up to anything I said about anyone or anything as long as the full context were provided. But most folks aren't there.

What type of behavior would I be displaying if I truly had no secrets? If I truly did not care to hide anything about what I have said or thought in the past or what I think and might say now? I am excluding information others either asked me to keep private or that it is implied that I should keep private. I am referring only to things about myself. I ask this because I see a game people play in this regard and I found I just don't have any energy for playing that game.

 

What scares me a bit is that I feel my worst days regarding judgment are behind me now. We shall see.

 

Oh, that's funny! I never even realized that -- "Rose is a fraud"! Yes, I remember mixing up Bill Moyers for Charlie Rose, you corrected me, and I felt foolish for the mistake. It never occurred to me that it could be taken personally by you!

Oh, that's a real gem. Thanks for that, Rose. I'm glad I was curious enough to ask for evidence of my "cleverness".

 

It could be argued that if you are a sociopath in high public office, being identified as a sociopath and disqualified from office does indeed ruin your life. While that might be the case for a non-sociopath, it is not for a sociopath!

Remember that sociopaths believe themselves superior and are consummate game-players. They are resilient, roll with the punches, and keep coming back. While they might admit defeat externally if it serves their game, internally they never admit defeat. Their psychology doesn't allow it. In their minds, it's not defeat, it's just a temporary setback. Sociopaths always come back to try again. They do not give up. Look at how many times Bill Ryan has fallen into disastrous situations (due to his reckless sociopathy), yet every time he rises from the ashes with another con-game. Same for Zook doggedly pursuing me to get his "good name" cleared. Same for Shadowself, still trying to deceive and manipulate her way into a power position in the forum. When they do "give up", like Shezbeth, they just pack up and go somewhere else to try again on a different group of suckers. They call that "cutting their losses".

Note that non-sociopaths admire that "never give up" quality, that resilience, that dogged determination. Many of us are in awe of it, because we are not quite like that! That's one of the reasons we are such suckers for allowing sociopaths to lead us. We don't understand the dark side that comes attached to those "admirable" qualities.

 

There is data, but it is fuzzy, just like the data on the percentage of sociopaths in the general population. Without a concrete test for sociopathy, and without data on the entire population, we don't have the accurate data we need to be exact. So studies so far have had to rely on small sampling with immature measuring tools.

The trend is indeed that male sociopaths are much more common. I've seen conclusions that male sociopaths outnumber female sociopaths by anywhere from 2 to 1 up to 10 to 1. It's a broad range at the moment, but everyone agrees that male sociopaths are much more common.

 

Hi Chico - my initial response to your last three posts is nothing short of a huge thumbs up. The biggest point of all is your point that doing nothing may very well spell doom for humanity as a whole. More coming when my strange headache I woke up with goes away (I rarely ever get a headache).


One question... of the group that has been identified by real unbiased experts in studies of sociopathy, within the small percentage that has been identified as sociopaths, is there any data as to what percentage within that group is female versus male?

Just a guess on my part but I am guessing 90% ish (or more) would be male. Any real data and honest analysis about this?

 

There are tests that cannot be manipulated. One I have seen flashes pictures on a video screen in rapid succession that evoke emotional responses (shame, empathy, compassion, horror, revulsion, etc.) while a brain scanning device records a picture of the electrical reactions in the brain to each picture. The images pass so quickly that the reactions are subconscious. From the brain scans, sociopaths can be readily differentiated from normal people because their reactions are so distinctive.

That's not an issue when the consequences of being identified as a sociopath are so minor. If you are identified as being a sociopath, you don't get to occupy positions of power and control over others. It's no big deal. Suppose you or I get flagged as sociopaths every year we are tested. We are never allowed to hold public office, be a policeman, or be a judge. How does that ruin your life?

Skilled experts identified as non-sociopaths would have the responsibility of designing the testing methodology for identifying sociopaths. There's nothing wrong with empowerment per se, in the right hands with the right safeguards. There is lots wrong with sociopaths wielding the power.

Regular and periodic testing of everyone would catch these cases.

The results don't have to be anywhere near perfect in the beginning. As long as the process has a positive feedback loop mechanism built in, the system will refine itself through improvements, new ideas, measurements, analysis, peer / public review, etc.

No. Your questions are good ones and have to be accommodated, but even if they can't be fully solved initially, they are not deal breakers. We have no controls in place currently to address this problem of sociopaths, and this may be the biggest, most under-appreciated problem there is for all of humanity. Our survival as a species may hang in the balance. Any steps we take towards addressing this problem cannot be worse than what we have now, which is nothing.

 

I would love to see that particular response! I had no idea I was so clever and conniving. In fact, I can't believe it without evidence. I do try to word my responses precisely, but they are usually straight-forward and follow a single track. They are not intended to be a test. I have noticed with sociopaths that you don't have to test them. They always expose themselves, and it is not something they can control. It is a function of their psychology. All I have to do is observe, especially during times when they are stressed.

That's exactly what I mean. You don't need my assessment. You only need a working knowledge of sociopaths. Once you know what to look for, the sociopaths will do the rest of the work for you and expose themselves.

If you do (and I'm not opposed to it), I would suggest you not give them any power and control over others that is different from what every other forum member has.

When sociopaths are on an equal footing with everyone else, and they have been identified and publicly "marked" as sociopaths, they are no threat to humanity, because everyone is "wise" to them.

 

No, you are not justified to steal from a "convicted" sociopath. I thought that would be obvious, based on the Golden Rule with the plural "you" understood.

No. Justifying it to yourself does not mean it is justified in the eyes of humanity in general. Note that sociopaths have very consistent internal justifications for deceiving others, manipulating others, and pursuing power and control over others. Those justifications are in perfect alignment with their psychological condition, but not at all aligned with the psychological condition of the majority of humanity.

No, I'm not suggesting that at all. I approach the sociopath problem as pragmatically as possible, with as little idealism as possible. I am surprised that you see idealism anywhere in my deconstruction of the sociopath problem / solution.

The first step to get there is education. That is what I am doing by sharing what I have learned from researching this problem over the last decade. Everyone needs to be schooled in what a sociopath is, how they are different from normal people, what identifying traits they possess, what identifying behaviors they exhibit, what strategies they employ, what their scams typically look like, how they hide, how they deceive, how they damage our society, etc. Just as we are taught to read and write, we must be taught to identify and deal with sociopaths. It is that important.

I have already laid out an initial solution for dealing with the most serious problem we have with sociopaths (allowing them to lead us), and I have identified the problems with implementing that solution (i.e. sociopaths are currently in control and don't want any changes). The implementation problems still need practical solutions, I admit, but I know they are possible from just the fact that the sociopaths, a tiny minority of humanity, have undermined and now control the entire species to the point that they can lead us to our destruction. That process can be reversed and corrected if we can avoid that self-destruction.

The definition of sociopath does not change, and we will always have sociopaths among us. Any solution must accommodate that fact, which is why any testing to identify sociopaths must be done to everyone periodically, perhaps even yearly. The testing has to be autonomous and unbiased, like a glucose test is, so that there is no authority making the determination.

 

I have put a great deal of thought into this. All my own dilemma's are about "the how."

I am sad to admit though that I have indeed seen behaviors in some I have known over the years which fit many of the traits Chico has mentioned where, in reflection, I always felt I could deal with... that I could manage at least my part of the relationship. I would even hold out hope that they might "see the light" (see how we are all in this together... to hurt another is to hurt others you love and yourself as we are all entangled in so many ways. This just seems so much a no brainer).

And then a Chico comes along. I am surely no authority and I am also someone who so often demonstrates poor judgment, but having said that, it appears to me that Chico has spent a great deal of thoughtful study into this matter.

I can also see that this may be THE matter... in fact, if I were put on the spot, I would say that sociopathy is the single most serious threat to all of us.

But how to resolve the matter... all the questions I have mentioned are probably a tip of the iceberg because I cannot see how to do it without demonstrating sociopathic behaviors! Interesting I just received this book in the mail that I ordered awhile ago.

Political Ponerology - A science on the nature of evil adjusted for political purposes.

I mentioned ideals in my posts above. I can also see in being honest that my own idealism (that good will always triumph) is at least partly responsible for the risks I have taken which Chico points out as using poor judgment. Frankly, I feel terribly lost. Despite knowing that relationships are the key to a happy, productive (for all) long life... the risks I take to form relationships have so often backfired that I really feel like just giving up on humanity as a whole. I won't... but sometimes I feel like the best judgment may be to move to Colorado (like my Mom) and live in a tiny community which seems pretty void of sociopaths.