Stop Bullying Now – A Guide for Victims of Bullying

I was bullied regularly from childhood through adulthood. I offer this analysis of the bully mindset, a guide to deal with them, and a strategy to stop bullying for everyone…from direct experience.

Stop Bullying: Just Love. A strategy for victims of bullying.

To “Stop Bullying,” we must first comprehend what bullying is. Where does it come from? How does it operate? What is its nature? Like any struggle against evil, we must become intimately knowledgeable of it. Superficial sound-bites will simply not suffice. Clever graphics, slogans, mottos, are good; we need them;  we need to feel good about ourselves. But what we need more is COMPREHENSION: deep, meaningful, heart-felt analysis of the source of bullying, and understand that the source is as much within ourselves as within the bullies. This is the cold, hard truth. As controversial as it may sound, deep comprehension of this reality reveals the solution to the bullying problem.

So fair warning: this is a LONG read. But hopefully worth it, especially if it might STOP BULLYING.

Let us begin with a discussion of ego. For starters, none of us have one ego. We have thousands of them. Our conscious and subconscious minds are rife with a legion of egos: cravings and aversions, aggressive and submissive emotions, and many more. These egos battle for control of our psyche. You can observe this within yourself: one minute you crave that slice of cheesecake. But the minute after you’ve scarfed it down and your gluttony has been satisfied, shame takes over…you feel guilty; or, you feel ashamed out of vanity because spring will soon be here and you’re worried about looking good in tight shorts (shame is the dark side of pride). Anger, anxiety, greed, lust, etc. The list of egos is very long indeed, and that list applies to every single one of us. Be honest. No point fooling yourself. Accepting this is important! Here’s why…

The ego which most directly relates to bullying is FEAR.

Here’s what notorious film bully, Bill the Butcher (from “Gangs of New York”) said about it:

“Fear. The spectacle of fearsome acts. Somebody steals from me, I cut off his hands. He offends me, I cut out his tongue. He rises against me, I cut off his head, stick it on a pike. Raise it high up in the streets so all can see. That’s what preserves the order of things. Fear.” – Gangs of New York

“The Butcher” from Martin Scorcese’s “Gangs of New York” (played by Daniel-Day Lewis who won an Academy Award for the role) uses fear to “preserve the order of things.” The irony is that it was fear behind his “tough-guy persona.” Fear of losing power. Fear of being seen by others as weak. Deep down he, like all bullies, was frail and scared. That’s why he was so good at scaring others and making themselves feel frail and weak: he was a master at those emotions.

Like Bill the Butcher, like any of us, bullies behave based on what’s inside. And what’s inside is FEAR. Lots of fear. Bullies are afraid. They are weak; they feel weak, and that scares them. No one likes feeling weak, scared, etc. It’s just that bullies find a different approach to coping with these feelings of anxiety. They lash out. They find others who are as fearful (or more or less fearful) than they are. Fear begets fear. The bully expresses his inner weakness by lashing out; the victim, well, expresses their weakness by taking it, avoiding it, quietly hating it, passive aggression, and many many other coping strategies that simply DO NOT WORK and CANNOT BE SUSTAINED OVER THE LONG TERM without serious psychological consequences and affecting future people-skills.

Like any and all children (especially ones growing, developing, hitting puberty, etc), bullies are struggling with all sorts of egos. Sadly, modern society has NO CONCEPT of what the egos are, how they operate, why they exist, and who they possess. Yes, possess. Ever hear the term “battling your demons”? Ever feel yourself “gripped by anger”? How about “Paralyzed with fear”? What about “mesmerized by an iPad”?

In children especially, egos are always “testing the boundaries.” You know how children always seem to be pushing the limits of what they can “get away with”? Yeah, that’s the egos taking hold and “getting comfy with their host.” This explains why bullies will latch onto a victim and bully them for extended periods of time “just under the radar” of serious consequences by teachers, parents, etc. Because of persistent fear and feelings of weakness,  the bully’s own self-worth requires sustained assertion of pride and false sense of self. (Did I mention that egos work together like a tag-team in wrestling?).

Finally, it is crucial to comprehend the egos belongs to our animal nature. Egos are 100% mechanical and reactive. This is why we often feel like we “lose control” when a particularly strong ego is triggered inside us if provoked by some stimulus or circumstance. Sound familiar? Ever “lose it” in a fit of frustration or even rage? No? You’ve never thrown something? Smashed something? Cursed at a crashed computer? Road rage? No? Nothing ringing a bell, here? You’re an angel, are you? No, we are intellectual animals. We have thousands of reactive mechanical egos inside of us chomping at the bit to express themselves, take control of us in a moment of weakness, and make us behave like wild animals.

Ever observe animals? Do you know why they say “never run away from a bear?” You should never run away from any wild animal. In fact, you should never show fear of any kind. Why? Because fear is a negative emotion. That means fear gives off “bad vibes.” Now, animals seem to have a sixth sense about these things; and, to the animal nature, bad vibes mean only one thing: “danger.” And yes, coming from another creature, danger means AGGRESSION. This triggers the famous “fight or flight” response (fear), and if it’s a bear, it leans toward the “fight” side of that equation.

So the latent fear inside a bully comes into contact with the latent fear inside a potential victim. The bully, like the bear, picks up on the “bad vibes” coming from the potential victim (fear, anxiety, self-consciousness).  And, somewhere deep down inside the bully’s animal nature, fear is triggered. The bully, if s/he naturally leans toward the “fight” response (versus the “flight” response), goes on the attack.

Now, the young bully, still unable to cope with all these emotions (let alone control them), and having very little self-awareness to know what the hell is going on in his/her own psyche, might even RATIONALIZE a source of those “bad vibes”…”He’s weird; she’s gay; he’s fat; she’s anorexic; he looked at me funny; she deserved it, etc.” and JUSTIFY his/her “fight” response to the bad vibes (since the bully will rarely, if ever admit to being afraid). But s/he is.

Fear begets fear. And the bully will keep testing and pushing the limits of how much s/he can get away with to cope with his/her own anxiety with their “instinctive response”…fight versus flight.

The key, then, lies on the shoulders of THE VICTIM. Comprehending that the bully is as afraid and self-conscious (possibly even moreso) than you are, all you need to do is stand up to the bully. Make it clear to the bully where the line in the sand is, and demonstrate to the bully that crossing the line will have consequences. This must be done in a responsible way, to be sure, but DO NOT EXPECT ANYONE ELSE TO DO THIS FOR YOU. The key to this strategy is for the Victim to overcome his/her own fears IN THE MOMENT and show courage in the face of the bully. This is the only way to neutralize the “bad vibes” triggering the bully’s “fight instinct.” And, in no uncertain terms, it is the only way to earn the bully’s respect.

I have a Cairn Terrier. His relationship with cats illustrates exactly what I’m talking about. As a terrier, my dog thinks he’s the biggest dog in the world and that everyone and everything is essentially his play-thing (HUGE ego-personality). If a cat, seeing my dog approaching, runs away (fear, flight instinct), my dog will chase it (fear, fight instinct). If, however, that cat shows its teeth and claws, raises its back and hisses (fear, fight instinct), my dog will tuck tail and run away “yike yike yike!” (fear, flight instinct). But, if the cat remains cool, calm, without a care in the world regarding the my “terrible terrier” (shows NO FEAR), my dog will trot up to it, wagging his tail, sniff its butt, lick its face…in other words, my dog will treat the cat like it was a dog or person (and my dog loves people and other dogs; and, as it turns out, cool cats).

If the cat doesn’t show any fear (doesn’t give my dog any reason to react with fear), my dog is cool with the cat. I’m sure many dog owners have similar stories.

In the above example, I mention how my dog will run away from aggressive cats. I do not recommend this approach with bullies.  An anger response is a recipe for disaster! You might get lucky, an aggressive response to bullying might get the bully to back off; but someone already in “animal fight response” consciousness is not likely to back down from a fight, especially if they are physically bigger and stronger (or have buddies for back-up).

Promoting an inflated sense of self-worth and boosting the ego in victims of bullying is not the answer, either. Inflating pride or vanity or skewed sense of self-love will cause the victims of bullying to give off “bad vibes” of a different kind (not fear per se, but still negative energy), and this might spur on the bullies to lash out even more. Self-righteousness is another losing proposition. Bullies love making themselves feel better by taking kids down a notch. The “bigger the game” the bigger the ego reward for the bully. This, by the way, is why bullies (often average or below average students) go after “nerds” and “scabs”. Bullies are intimidated, intellectually, by really smart kids and “the best defense is a good offense” defense kicks in again.

“Know your enemy, know yourself even more.”
- Sun Tzu

True non-aggressive, non-confrontational Self-Confidence comes from a higher place. Call it your Conscience, Consciousness, your True Self, your Higher Self, your Soul, your God, Spirit, Heart, Compassion, Love…whatever faith or science or tradition you believe in calls it.

What you call it doesn’t matter. That you KNOW IT is what matters. Know it intimately. What matters is that you get to know your Self. Spend time with your Self. Experience your Self free and clear of friends, family, society, TV, movies, books, video games, teachers, preachers, politicians, and everyone and every thing of influence in your life. Go out into nature and spend quality time with YOU. Find your bliss and JUST DO IT. Not for recognition. Not for reward. Not for approval. Just because YOU LOVE DOING IT. Maybe it’s playing music; maybe its dancing; maybe its writing in your diary. Maybe you love painting, cooking, woodworking, gardening, knitting, playing with lego, volunteering, planting trees, corresponding with a pen-pal in a developing country, visiting  your grandparents and listening to their stories to learn from their life experience. Who knows? Who cares…no one has to know. You’re allowed to have a secret gift/love/passion that only you and YourSelf share.

Go for a long run or bike ride to the next county and let the fates guide you to a new adventure. Trust in your instincts; learn to access your intuition. Be ethical. Listen to your conscience. You know what’s right and wrong. Act, as best you can, by that inner guidance. Your inner compass. And when you make mistakes, acknowledge you’ve made them, recognize the egos at work behind them, accept responsibility for those egos inside of you, and then move on. Don’t beat yourself up…ever. Don’t become your own worst bully! Strive to reach out to others and resist the temptation to be a loner; but don’t crave the crowds all the time, either. Your Self-worth is not measured by how many “friends” you have on Facebook. Better to have ONE really, really good friend than three dozen half-hearted ones.

The point is this: as you develop a deep, intimate relationship with YOU; you will start being able to get a handle on YOUR FEAR. You will exude a kind of quiet confidence from knowing where your TRUE STRENGTHS comes from; all your greatest gifts. Every good thing you have done, do now, and are yet to do. Here’s a hint: this Source is not in the head; it’s in the HEART.

Learn how to connect with that Higher part of you. Learn to go through life with that power at your side. Make it your “wingman;” your “right hand man.” The “trusty sidekick” to you, the HERO / HEROINE, of your epic heroic quest (life).

Every heroic quest must have challenges. A hero wouldn’t be much of a hero without them. The key is HOW we handle those challenges. HOW we handle the people challenging us. It’s a test. For them and us. But unfortunately, we cannot control others. They are responsible for their own heroic journey. All we are is responsible for ourselves, our own responses to fear, aggression, intimidation, violence. We can choose to “play along” and allow fear to beget fear, aggression to trigger an aggressive response in us, intimidation to illicit a terrified reaction from us, and violence to get us to use violence. But remember that 99 times out of a hundred, you can diffuse the situation completely simply by not playing along. By not giving into your own egos, by not reacting to the aggressive way bullies operate, you are taking the high road, and are refusing to allow yourself to be dragged down into their animistic, evil approach to life.

Don’t think it’ll work? What if I called it “Non-Co-operation,” or “Non-Violent Disobedience”? what then? Sound familiar? Ever hear of a little fellow named Ghandi? Ghandi faced notorious bullying on a national scale – some would say international scale. Ghandi employed the type of approach I am advocating and with it, stood up to the British Empire.

Are you a parent, teacher, or other mentor trying to explain who Ghandi was to a younger child? The video below will help.

Small children should take note that Ghandi also began as a shy child without many friends. He was also likely bullied. But he found a powerful source of strength and guidance within himself, and that source of Light and Courage helped him stand up to the British Empire and win India’s freedom!

Similar approaches were taken by Martin Luther King Jr. and other leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. And the strength of all these non-violent forms of dealing with tyranny came from the same source…that source that is inside all of us…that’s inside of you, too.

Call it love. Call it whatever you want; it doesn’t matter what you call it. What matters is that you get to know it and learn how to let it help you in times of danger.

Sometimes we have no choice but to fight. Sometimes circumstances leave us with no choice but to defend ourselves from physical or psychological harm using our defense-of-last-resort. There’s no reason we have to kid ourselves. Some bullies are just really, really bad seeds. And there’s no denying that. Some people are ruled by their egos 99% of the time and there’s very little hope they will react positively to even our best intentions and expressions of love. But violence should be our very last resort. And even then, it must never be motivated by fear or anger. It must always be treated in a practical way: “this person is hitting me; I must get to safety ASAP; or, if I can’t get away (maybe we’re on a school bus) I must stop them from hitting me.” Period. That’s it.

THIS IS CRITICAL: YOU MUST NOT GIVE INTO NEGATIVE EMOTIONS IN THE FACE OF BULLYING. YOU MUST NOT ALLOW YOUR OWN EGOS TO POSSESS YOU.  Make no mistake: if you feel hate toward the bully; if you judge them; if you curse them (even if only in your head), or blame them, or yourself, or your parents, teachers, society, the world, etc. (even if only in your heart), YOU WILL MAKE THE BULLYING WORSE. Why? Because if you send off “bad vibes” bullies will react to that as aggression, in just the same way they react to fear, and the result is they will become even more aggressive.

Our first best response to bullies should always be compassionate love, fueled by our COMPREHENSION (which I hope this article has helped with). If we know, deep down, that our aggressor is scared, why not feel sad for them? We all know what it’s like to be scared. We all know what it’s like to feel alone, lonely, misunderstood, bad about ourselves, etc. Why not ask the bully a personal question, from a place of loving kindness? Seriously. Hold out an olive-branch; a hand of friendship; a kind word; an honest smile; half of a candy bar. Sure, the bully might refuse it; or take advantage of it. But at this point, what have you got to lose? If you SHOW the bully you’re not afraid, and SEND the bully “good vibes” with your thoughts, words, and actions, there is a good chance you will trigger a POSITIVE REACTION in the bully.

And who knows? Maybe there’s a real human being, vulnerable and just longing for loving kindness and honest friendship lurking somewhere beneath “the big bad bully.” Maybe there’s someone who’s not all that different from you, after all. If only you can REVEAL THAT TRUTH to the bully; they will COMPREHEND that you are not all that “different,” “weird,” etc. after all.

If you do that, bullying will become child’s play to you. You will have conquered “mount bully” and you will be prepared to take on any challenge life can throw at you. People of all ages will respect you (not everyone will like you, no need to kid ourselves, but even “your enemies” will respect you). Besides, your new-found courage and confidence, coming from a place of wisdom and compassion, will carry you forward and through any opposition; any challenge; all of life’s trials. And you will succeed.

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself” – FDR

Thank you for letting me share this with you. Good Luck.

Transcending “Transhumanism”

I just watched “Transcendent Man” This is a very important film. As an expose and exploration of Ray Kurzweil, his methods and the emerging mythology around so-called “transhumanism” the film is average at best. As a documentary it tries to present the figure of Kurzwell in a way that allows the viewer to come to his/her own conclusions. Is Kurzwell a modern-day prophet or a tragic figure of modern mythological proportions? The trouble is, it is inherently biased because it is leaving the REAL “big picture” hopelessly unaccounted for…

Consider this: every system created to-date by humans based on “sound logic” and “objective goals” has failed miserably to live up to its own expectations / promises. Economics, mathematics, religion, the sciences, technology, the arts, languages…there hasn’t been even one so-called “discipline” of this humanity that has produced a single “silver bullet” solving a root fundamental problem we face in a long-term sustainable manner. Just look at the state of our world! As our technology and so-called “intelligence” has grown in complexity, so too have the myriad problems we face, lock-step! Forget about life expectancy measured in years (like a computer thinks) and use your superior emotional intelligence to ask: “What about QUALITY of life?” Maybe life expectancy has increased in the last 50 years, but what about happiness? (Not an economist’s “index of satisfaction of material desires”…but real happiness). What about the other “trend lines” from history that Kurzweil and other transhumanists conveniently ignore? Namely, the track-record humans have for “being right.” How many so-called “brilliant theories” and “profound world views” of ours have crumbled in the light of subsequent theories, world-views and discoveries?  How many so-called “world-saving technologies” (from gunpowder to nuclear power) have resulted in tremendous suffering (be it anxiety, economic costs, death, and an incalculable amount of unknown, yet untold costs)? Even mathematics, the so-called “objective logic,” conveniently ignores what it calls “undefined.”

We have not yet begun to fathom the true objective nature of the universe, but are bold enough to believe in a supremely primitive and SUBJECTIVE technology (based on 1′s and 0′s–an externalized intellectualization of our primitive animal ego: “I want this / I don’t want that”  articulated “profoundly and artistically” by Shakespeare’s famous summary of our so-called human condition: “to be or not to be, that is the question”). How can anyone believe that increasing complexity is the answer here?

How many permutations of a two-dimensional paradigm will it take to transform it into a three-dimensional one? But we are ourselves already three-dimensional. Placing faith in a highly complex two-dimensional paradigm is not the answer. How about elaborating on the three-dimensional emotional-intellectual-physical thought paradigm that’s already there (described by Gurdieff, Samael Aun Weor, and others). Only when we master ourselves, via the objective science of our true nature and begin exploring objectively in the 4th, 5th, etc. dimensions, will we truly have the potential to become “transcendent beings” and join the fraternity of advanced civilizations in the cosmos. That superior breed of science/technology is an inner journey based on objective natural law, not an outer one based on primitive subjective observations of reality. The answer embraces the universal governing Law of Three; not the human ego’s competitive hierarchical, dialectic and ultimately destructive “Law of Opposites”…”us vs. them,” “win/lose,” I/O, 1/0.

Networked nanobots in our blood linked to our brain and nervous system, able to expand (and “collect”) our memory and re-program our DNA? Other forward-thinkers who have been amazingly accurate with their predictions of future technology (Star Trek writers/futurist consultants) hypothesized the result of such A.I. already: they named it the BORG. Sure, they live forever alright, but what kind of existence is it?  But a similar outcome of A.I. sentience has been postulated by countless sci-fi authors and futurists, for the precise reason that any self-aware intelligence based on a binary paradigm will always put self-interest above the interests of others (even it creators). Want proof?  look at our world for a moment…

On mass, Love, compassion, altruism and a sensible balanced approach to life has fallen victim to the antithesis goals contained in the countless subjective disciplines of the human intellect; an intellect that is dominated these days by the ego, whose modus operendi is (not surprisingly) mechanical and completely subjective.  But despite being mechanical, the egos have sentience; they are clever and deceitful, they have convinced us that what the intellect creates under their influence is, in fact, objective, creative, and to this end is crafted with the appearance of (or appearing to have the potential for) higher-human-being functions.  Hence the delusion of most scientists, economists, artists, theologians, and especially transhumanists.  All put their faith in the manifestations of INFERIOR intellectual / emotional processes and pursuits.

Superior Intellect and Emotion are so rare on our planet (especially in recent history) precisely because of the rise and dominance of the inferior intellect / emotion under the control of the egos.

Transhumanism is the latest in a long tradition of human consciousness being usurped by egos.  This is what in ancient times people understood as the struggle between the demons and the gods for the souls of humankind.  Our souls (consciousness) are pure energy–attention.  It’s that energy that the egos want to control forever.  It should be obvious: intellects, out of fear, pride and vanity are envisioning technologies that will allow completely mechanical technologies (100% modeled on the paradigm of the egos themselves) to take control over natural biology (which is anything but mechanical…it’s our inferior intellect under the egos’ influence that makes our observation and understanding of nature utterly subjective and makes nature appear mechanical to us).  It is that same thinking that has led to the decimation of the planet and its resources for the soul purpose of satisfying egos–greed, pride, fear, vanity, lust, gluttony, etc.  Mechanical intellect convinces us of the superiority of its narrow subjective viewpoint but it is utterly subservient to self-interested goals of the egos operating on a win-lose paradigm.

All the while, the true nature of the universe reveals itself (when one tunes into the bigger picture beyond this humanity’s primitive two-dimensional observation/understanding of its limited three-dimensional reality) to be based on a profoundly beautiful and universally applied win-win-win paradigm.

Transhumanism?  How about we try TRUE Humanism first?

 

Guarantee Job Growth with Structured Corporate Tax Incentive

Canada’s about to go to the polls in a federal election, and while the Conservatives, Liberals and NDP talk jobs, they pull out the same old cliches.  It’s more of the same down south with Barack Obama vs. the Tea Party.

Nations facing high unemployment and steady job losses should consider the following bi-partisan solution to:

1. Stimulate Job Growth, particularly in the SME sector
2. Reduce taxes for those SME’s that create good jobs
3. Increase net tax revenues for the Government (more people employed)
4. Stimulate economic growth (increase GDP and sales tax income)
5. Increase overall competitiveness

The key is associating Corporate Income Tax for small and medium-sized enterprises with Payroll Tax Deductions (collected per employee; ergo: add employees, increase payroll tax deductions, be rewarded with a lower corporate tax rate).

For right-wingers who say “just cut taxes and the let the market decide,” well that’s great in theory; but how do we guarantee XYZ Company won’t use their tax break to buy some German-engineered, Chinese-built plant automation process and lay off 10 more people in the name of efficiency, competitiveness, and shareholder value?

After running some rudimentary numbers in Excel here’s just one scenario (based on U.S. tax figures):

A Company with 16 employees and just under $1m in after tax earnings could hire 7 new employees (4@$40K, 2@65K, 1@120K), reducing there corporate tax rate by 3% (approx. $63K), with a net gain of over $10K in tax revenue to the government. In this scenario, the Company would need to grow pre-payroll earnings by 11% to “break even;” however, if the reduced tax rate was extended for 3 years (1 year per percent decrease, up to 5 years), in years 2,3,4 they would enjoy a reduced tax rate. And, all new hires could be subject to the same incentive.

The finance and accounting wizards at top Universities can work out all the details and formulas for optimum fairness and efficacy of the program (put the best, brightest, freshest minds in the land to work: make it a contest for teams of graduate students…you don’t need to hire multi-million dollar consultants!)

Linking the corporate tax incentive directly to payroll tax deductions is a classic win-win-win: guarantee job growth; give businesses the corporate tax break they’re looking for; increase revenues for government; grow GDP.

Is Water Privatization Really Slavery?

Copyright 2006 Liquid Sculpture - http://www.liquidsculpture.com

A vast underground reservoir of ethics and a network of tributaries of social conscience, the Web has the power to spread the word: water is power.  Two hydrogen atoms bonded with an oxygen atom, water is the stuff of rocket fuel and what combusts it.  Still, this power is not what interests the world’s powerful water barons.

Water is the basis of life.  All living things depend on it.  Is it any wonder multinationals are making a grab right now for global control of that power—and by extension the control of all living things?

Nestle CEO Paul Bulcke speaks during the 2010 full-year results press conference of the food and drinks giant Nestle in Vevey, Switzerland, Thursday, Feb. 17, 2011 when they announced a full-year net profit of US$ 35.8 billion. (AP Photo/Keystone, Laurent Gillieron)

At 55-78%, water constitutes the majority of the physical body in humans.  This majority share of our body is in constant exchange with the environment.  Today’s potable water therefore constitutes a future majority stake in human beings.  Apply economic theory of time-value of assets: water’s present value is its future value as people.

Under international law, the act, intention, or suggestion by any person (including a corporation or government) to own and/or control—directly or by commoditization—a majority stake in a human being, is deemed an act of—or incitement to—slavery.  Privatization of any water supply is incitement to slavery since that water is the exclusive source which will, in time, constitute 55-78% of human beings living there; there is no alternative constituent.

This simple fact is grounds for legal action against those entities promoting and profiting from the commoditization, privatization, and commercialization of water.  Commoditization and privatization of water turns every human being on planet earth into an entity that can be controlled if not owned outright.

Charges to be filed at the International Court in The Hague against the World Bank for incitement to slavery and class action lawsuits against major perpetrators of this heinous crime against humanity (Nestle, Coca-Cola Corporation, PepsiCo) would pay billions in punitive damages to communities in the U.S. and developing countries whose water was privatized.  Impossible!?  Big tobacco and big-pharma were also thought to be untouchable once.

The law firm(s) taking on this historic case would become world-renowned for defending this most fundamental human right (to maintain control and ownership of one’s own body, present and future), and stand to benefit handsomely.  The incentives for a large legal partner to come on board to make this happen are there; are real.

The solution to this issue lies at the synthesis of biology, economics, social justice and international law; "Bio-International Law."

The solution to this issue lies at the synthesis of biology, economics, social justice and international law; here I will coin the term “Bio-International Law.”  If we are to win this battle, our best tactic is to use against the water-barons the very structures they hide behind.

A Primer on Consciousness…The Primacy of Consciousness

Before embarking on the task of raising consciousness, perhaps we should have a discussion of just what consciousness is.  Part one of the following presentation by Peter Russel begins with a simple explanation of the nature of consciousness.  Peter Russell is a fellow of the Institute of Noetic Sciences, of The World Business Academy and of The Findhorn Foundation, and an Honorary Member of The Club of Budapest.

The remainder of the lecture (just over an hour long) manages a rare achievement.  Russel arrives at a conclusion/position traditionally reserved for philosophy and religion by means of a purely secular, scientific analysis.  The conclusion?  The fundamental nature of reality is consciousness.

Taking his explanation and conclusion provisionally gives us a common framework to explore the nature of consciousness in greater depth.  Consciousness is observation; pure awareness.

The question arises: if consciousness is awareness, pure observation, and everything is consciousness, then what is consciousness aware of?  The answer is simple and intuitive: itself.

Consciousness, then, is more than observation and awareness; it is self-observation; self-awareness.

As a human imperative, self-observation means consciously observing all aspects of ourselves at all times, free of attachment, judgment and desire to change what we see.  This description is deceptively simple; we’ll delve into and unpack it later.

Another question arises: if consciousness is self-observation; and one observes by receiving inputs (i.e. we see the world by virtue of reflected light), then what is there to observe?  From where does that which we observe originate, if everything is only observing (receiving)?  Put another way, if consciousness can only observes itself, because everything is consciousness, what is the stuff of consciousness; the source of consciousness itself?

Russel alludes to these questions in the final moments of his presentation when he mentions consciousness as “the path to God.”

We will inevitably come to a deeper discussion of that which lies beyond consciousness, but one step at a time.  No doubt even this first intellectual step represents a huge leap for many: philosophically; perhaps more so psychologically.  Taking nothing away from his logical, secular argument (insofar as known consciousness itself is concerned), Peter Russel’s primer on consciousness is as challenging as it is elegant.

And it is only the beginning.

Return to Innocence

Well, it’s been quit a while since my last post.   One might be tempted to think I abandoned The Attlas Project altogether, let alone this blog.  Not so.

I made a promise in the final chapter of Volume One of The Attlas Project book (SEE the World in a New Light), that there would be a second volume (SEE the Light of the World).  ”Write what you know,” is the order of the day.  I was−and for the most part still am−fumbling around in the dark!

So why begin writing the book at all?  Call it an exercise in intellectual purging.  I had to get this stuff “out there” and “outta here,” at least where my mind was concerned.  To clarify: there is an old Buddhist story about an enlightened master who shows his pupil the problem of trying to fill a glass already full of water.

So now, after a number of months, a sabbatical from my sabbatical−a vacation both with and from myself−I have returned to this blog a little older.  Not so much wiser as gotten wise to just how little I know−about so many things.  Can’t say my glass has been emptied all that much, either.

It is not my intention to run down a laundry list of everything I’ve learned over the past months, about myself; the nature of reality; our place in it.  All that will be addressed in one form or another in due course.  Suffice it to say, this is now an exercise in exploration.  Of what?  Consciousness.

What does this say about part one of the book and posts to-date on here?  Was I innocent (the cynic may rightfully say naive at this point) or just plain ignorant?  You are free to come to your own judgment.  Me?  Judgment is no longer on my to-do list, although it still happens I will admit.  The past is the past, and materialistic intellectualism serves its purpose.

As for me?  I return to serve my purpose.  A man seeing the world in a new light for the first time since childhood.  Taken by the shoulders and directed in the path of success, led by as-yet unknown forces between the two pillars upon which rests the whole edifice of objective Knowledge itself.  Day by day, making super-efforts to remain conscious, awake and truly alive.

On this, the return, I am not innocent, but perhaps in time I will find union with that which is, always has been and always will be…within all of us.  To experience and know it objectively; to see the Light of the World objectively; to share for the sake of others; these reflect the renewed mission of The Attlas Project.

“Capitalism – A Love Story” (Or, Why America should Love Michael Moore)

We can learn a lot from our friends: from observing their mistakes and triumphs in their times of crisis; and, from their advice and words of comfort to us in our times of need. But frankly, we can learn a lot more from our “enemies”—those who challenge and critique us, who force us to take a long hard look in the mirror (and perhaps for the first time, honestly contemplate what we see in the reflection) in order that we may be able to grow as individuals; or, in the case of Michael Moore’s films, that America may be able to progress as a society.

Whether you love him or hate him, you must admit, Michael Moore has done what few people have managed to do, and that is use an established system as a vehicle for social activism and open criticism of the very system itself. Think about it: Hollywood Boulevard is no less an artery feeding the heart of capitalism than Wall Street is. The stock markets beat the right ventricle on the east coast and the media beat the left ventricle on the west coast. Information and money flow together throughout the capitalist system like blood and plasma. So the fact that Michael Moore is able to produce mainstream activist documentaries in Hollywood and then have them widely distributed at conglomerate-owned megaplexes is as astonishing as it is ironic.

But then, Michael Moore specializes in astonishment and irony, doesn’t he? The astonishing and ironic actions of General Motors documented in “Roger & Me” may have been lost on the American public twenty years ago, so in his latest film, “Capitalism – A Love Story” Mr. Moore makes certain that the astonishing and ironic fact of GM’s declaration of bankruptcy is not lost on Americans today. And yet, GM’s story is but a drop in the bucket in Moore’s sweeping critique of the capitalist system, the bank bailouts, job losses, foreclosures, the demise of the American Dream, et cetera. The astonishing and ironic fact that all this takes place in the wealthiest country on the planet, where 1% of the population are worth more than 95% of the rest of the population, combined.

So why should Americans love Michael Moore? If you count him as a friend, then you can follow his example of working the system to bring about positive change and take his advice about what needs to change. If you count him as a foe, a “left-wing shit-disturber,” a communist, a “royal pain in the ass,” or whatever, then you can look inside yourself and ask “why?” Why are you opposed to considering making changes to the system that are based in compassion, equality, responsibility toward the collective good, and—heaven forbid—love? For at the end of the day, your opposition to (or “hatred” of) Michael Moore, his films, and his ideas does not come from Mr. Moore…it comes from within you. Knowing that, what can you learn about yourself? How can you grow and develop, now that you have new insight into your animosity toward your “enemy”? How can America progress as a society, after looking deep within its own soul, thanks to the tragic love story of capitalism, as told by Michael Moore?