MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'consciousness'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:50:35 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5174887&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2011%2F08%2Ffrom-hesitation-to-investigation%2F Ideas are always floating around, and it’s no big deal if you get a one-time idea and let it pass because you have some doubts about it. But if you keep pondering the same or similar ideas repeatedly, then take note of them. Acknowledge Recurring Ideas I find it helpful to verbally acknowledge when an idea keeps popping up, even if I don’t feel ready to act on it — and even if I’m not sure I ever will act on it. I still feel it’s a significant step forward to give those ideas a nod, as if I’m saying to the universe, “Okay, I hear you. I don’t know what, if anything, I’ll do about this yet, but I hear and acknowledge this idea.” This may seem like an overly simplistic step, maybe even a pointless thing to do. But for me it’s ... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5174887 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 15:43:59 +0100 5174887 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5169727&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2011%2F08%2Flove-the-bombs%2F Do you feel that poverty, war, famine, disease, imprisonment, etc. are all negative experiences that we should avoid as much as possible? Are these scourges that we must rid the planet of? Are they terrible things for anyone to have to experience? These experiences have been with us for a long time for a very good reason. They help us grow. And so we’re going to continue creating them as long as they continue to serve that purpose so well. From one perspective these experiences may seem wrong or bad. And yet people are experiencing them every day, and your feeling bad isn’t making a shred of difference to them. Wars are still being fought, people are still getting cancer, and many don’t have access to clean water — despite your best efforts to feel as bad as possibl... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5169727 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 14:28:39 +0100 5169727 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159938&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2011%2F08%2Fwhat-you-focus-on-expands%2F I don’t think joining others in their suffering is a necessary aspect of empathy. I find caring and compassion to be very positive feelings. If I see someone in emotional pain, I also see that within them is a seed of joy that they’ve simply lost touch with. I can understand why they’re feeling bad (empathy), but that doesn’t mean I have to feel bad with them (sympathy with the lower self). Instead I’d rather feel good as I watch that seed of growth within them expanding through the contrast they’re experiencing (sympathy with the higher self). This doesn’t mean being heartless. It means using the heart a little more accurately — to connect with a person’s inner strength instead of their temporary projections of weakness. Feeling bad th... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159938 Wed, 24 Aug 2011 16:48:37 +0100 5159938 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159940&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2011%2F08%2Fthe-new-and-improved-map-of-conscious-growth%2F I’m happy to announce that after years of hard work, I’m finally ready to share my new and improved map of conscious growth. This map works for individuals as well as for families, communities, countries, and the entire planet. You may have seen other maps of conscious growth such as those from David Hawkins, Ken Wilber, or the Scientologists. I’ve studied all of their maps in detail, but I always felt something was missing from them. So I put a lot of effort into going deeper into this subject than I believe anyone else has ever done before, and eventually I came up with something that — I believe — will render all other maps of conscious growth obsolete. So… drumroll please… here is the new and improved map of conscious growth, from the lowest l... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159940 Mon, 22 Aug 2011 16:40:14 +0100 5159940 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159942&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2011%2F08%2Frockets-of-desire%2F When something seemingly negative or disagreeable occurs to us, our initial tendency is to resist it. But behind such events, we also undergo some powerful positive shifts. Let me share several examples since it’s easier to understand this via personal illustrations. Scarcity -> Freedom When I experienced financial scarcity, I disliked it very much. It bothered me not to be able to afford many things. I hated seeing wealthier people live with fewer limits while I had to watch my money so carefully. I hated working hard for years and ending up with less money than before I started. Sometimes I felt incompetent just because I couldn’t get control of my finances. I resisted my experience of financial scarcity. I thought it was very unfair that some people should have so much wh... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159942 Sat, 20 Aug 2011 12:47:48 +0100 5159942 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5140358&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2011%2F08%2Fco-creation-mind-control-and-subjective-reality%2F I often prep for upcoming workshops by walking around my house talking out loud, as if I’m speaking to an audience. It’s not the ideas I’m trying to polish though. I do this to get better at being in the flow of inspiration as I communicate, maintaining the right balance of head and heart. Inevitably I’ll express the ideas differently at the actual workshop, but the flow of inspiration will feel similar to what I practiced in private. This inspired vibe has many forms, which include aspects like caring, playfulness, happiness, passion, curiosity, exploration, love, and oneness. There are countless ways to be in the flow. The common element is that when I’m in the flow, I feel open, connected, and graceful. It took years of public speaking practice to reach the... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5140358 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 19:13:43 +0100 5140358 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5051333&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2011%2F07%2Fmore-info-on-the-upcoming-workshops%2F In this post I’ll share some extra details about the upcoming workshops for those who could use more help deciding, especially since the $100 discount expires soon (at midnight on Friday, July 22). This is a seriously long post (10,400+ words), but it’s only intended for those who are genuinely interested in attending one or more of these workshops, so if that isn’t you, you can safely skip it. I’m going long here because I expect that people who are on the fence will appreciate this kind of detail. If that isn’t you either, then again feel free to skip it. It took me about 9 hours to write and edit this, so I hope at least one person out there appreciates it. Hopefully the Typo Gremlin wasn’t too brutal this time. Transformational, not Educational I l... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5051333 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 04:43:39 +0100 5051333 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008448&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=36506&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainSciencePodcastBlog%2F%7E3%2Fhed47dbhD2g%2Fdavid-eagleman-on-the-secret-lives-of-the-brain-bsp-75.html In his new book Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain neuroscientist David Eagleman describes consciousness as "the smallest player in the operations of the brain" (page 5) because most of what the brain does is outside conscious awareness (and control). In a recent interview (BSP 75) Dr. Eagleman reviews some of the evidence for this startling position as well as the implications both for the average person and for social policy.   Listen to Episode 75 Episode Transcript (Download PDF) References: Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain by David Eagleman Eagleman, D. "The Brain on Trial," the Atlantic Monthy; July/Aug 2011 ONLINE See Transcript for additional references Related Episodes of BSP: BSP 13: Our first discussion of unconscious decisions BSP 15: Interview with Read ... the Brain Science Podcast and Blog with Dr. Ginger Campbell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008448 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 13:01:01 +0100 5008448 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968694&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=36506&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainSciencePodcastBlog%2F%7E3%2FXjSCPI9gHS0%2Fwhy-neuroscience-matters.html On May 11, 2011 Ginger Campbell, MD gave a talk entitled "Why Neuroscience Matters" at the London Skeptics in the Pub. Episode 42 of Books and Ideas is an edited version of that talk, including the lively Q and A with the audience. Listen to Episode 42 of Books and Ideas Free Episode Transcript (Download PDF)     Subscribe to Books and Ideas Podcast:   References  Bayes, A., Grant, S., et al. "Characterization of the proteome, diseases and evolution of the human postsynaptic density." Nature Neuroscience 14, 19–21 (2011) (Published online 12/23/2010). Libet, B. "Do We Have Free Will?" Journal of Consciousness Studies, 6. No. 8-9, 1999, pp. 47-57. On Being Certain: Believing You Are Right Even When You're Not (2008) by Robert Burton; p 127. Philosophy in t... the Brain Science Podcast and Blog with Dr. Ginger Campbell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968694 Sat, 25 Jun 2011 12:00:30 +0100 4968694 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893972&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2011%2F06%2Finspired-relationships%2F The objective lens separates us. The subjective lens makes us one. Communicating from a place of oneness is a much different experience than communicating from a place of separation. Connecting subjectively is more lively, vivid, spontaneous, and fun. I still have to integrate this subjective mindset into other parts of my life. It feels like I’m upgrading a lot of old code little by little. I’m enjoying this gradual unfolding though. I love the mystery of not knowing what lies around the next bend. I don’t think I’d enjoy it nearly as much if I could somehow instantly erase all the old conditioning and drop in the new mindset in a fully integrated manner. I’m getting a lot of mileage from experiencing the contrast between the objective and subjective POVs at ... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893972 Wed, 01 Jun 2011 21:29:52 +0100 4893972 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4848171&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2Fwaking-up%2F What does it mean to wake up and become more conscious?Let me share some perspectives that should make it easier to understand the process of waking up.The Cellular PerspectiveFrom the cellular perspective, you can see yourself as an individual person interacting with other individuals. You’re like a single cell in the larger body of humanity, which is comprised of billions of other people-cells.For example, I could say that I’m a guy (a cell) who’s dedicated to helping people (other cells) live more consciously. I may communicate with many people during my lifetime, but each person is a unique individual, so the impact is different for everyone. We may all be part of some larger body of humanity, but our interactions mainly occur at the individual cellular level.This is... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4848171 Fri, 20 May 2011 23:14:40 +0100 4848171 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4829361&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2Fcompleting-projects%2F Even when you take the time to set clear goals, visualize success, and break big goals down into projects and action steps, it can be difficult to get yourself to take action consistently until your goal is 100% complete. Crossing the starting line is much easier than crossing the finish line.Your overall results in life largely depend on your ability to follow through until you achieve completion. Many projects produce essentially zero results if they’re 90% complete. The key results only appear when you reach 100% completion.For example, if I write 90% of an article and don’t publish it, it produces no value other than being a private journaling exercise. The value cannot be delivered until the article is 100% complete and published.IncompletesIncompletes can produce feelings... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4829361 Thu, 12 May 2011 16:27:11 +0100 4829361 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4794896&cid=t_100611_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F06%2Fthe-greek-miracle-how-ancient-greek-philosophy-can-save-you-or-at-least-improve-your-life%2F Former nightclub owner Nicholas Kardaras died ten years ago. That’s right. For a few minutes his pulse was flat. Then he “pulled a Lazarus” as he describes it. He was revived and clung to life for a bit with the help of a respirator. When he finally emerged from his coma, he was a changed man. Plato, Pythagoras, and the other ancient Greeks saved him. That’s what he says in his new book, How Plato and Pythagoras Can Save Your Life. A drug addict living the glamorous life, rubbing elbows with the likes of John F. Kennedy, Jr., Tom Cruise, and Brooke Shields, he decided to turn all of his time and energy toward ancient Greek philosophy? Why? Kardaras writes: After my post-coma resurrection, I was desperate to better understand the universe and my purpose within it; I guess that a ne... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4794896 Fri, 06 May 2011 17:45:18 +0100 4794896 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560636&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2011%2F03%2Fbeing-a-savage%2F If I were to create a resume/CV for myself, it would start out something like this:1989 – arrested for misdemeanor petty theft 1990 – arrested for misdemeanor petty theft (2x) 1991 – arrested for felony grand theft 1989-91 – UC Berkeley, expelled 1992-93 – retail sales associate, $6/hour, fired …I tried to plug myself into a system designed to mold me into a regular job-wielding citizen. But for some reason that system didn’t work for me. It kept spitting me out with an error message.If you’re able to conform to such an environment and be happy and fulfilled on that path, that’s wonderful. But if you’re struggling to fit into a system that keeps spitting you back out again, perhaps your path of fulfillment is elsewhere.Does it mak... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560636 Mon, 07 Mar 2011 17:14:57 +0100 4560636 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4549778&cid=t_100611_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F04%2F15-quotes-that-motivate-and-inspire%2F I recently joined “The Psychology Network” on LinkedIn and have been enjoying the discussion among mental health professionals (since I’m not really one, but pretend to be all the time). Especially intriguing was the discussion thread called “What are some of your favorite quotes that have motivated and inspired you?” They are quotes that they share with patients or with each other, or that they just think are cool and sound good. Here are just 15 from the 70 or so responses: “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” –Hilary Cooper “If you can keep your wits about you while others are losing theirs and blaming you, the world will be yours.” –Rudyard Kipling “Give a man a fish and you fe... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4549778 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 16:35:15 +0100 4549778 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4525053&cid=t_100611_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F02%2F26%2F10-forms-of-twisted-thinking%2F Both David Burns (bestselling author of Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy and Abraham Low (founder of Recovery, Inc.) teach techniques to analyze negative thoughts (or identify distorted thinking — what psychologists call “cognitive distortions”) so to be able to disarm and defeat them. Since Low’s language is a bit out-dated, I list below Burns’ “Ten Forms of Twisted Thinking,” (adapted from his “Feeling Good” book, a classic read) categories of dangerous ruminations, that when identified and brought into your consciousness, lose their power over you. 1. All-or-nothing thinking (a.k.a. my brain and the Vatican’s): You look at things in absolute, black-and-white categories. 2. Overgeneralization (also a favorite): You view a nega... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4525053 Sat, 26 Feb 2011 18:17:59 +0100 4525053 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4377613&cid=t_100611_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F01%2F20%2Fwhy-ruminating-is-unhealthy-and-how-to-stop%2F Ruminating is like a record that’s stuck and keeps repeating the same lyrics. It’s replaying an argument with a friend in your mind. It’s retracing past mistakes. When people ruminate, they over-think or obsess about situations or life events, such as work or relationships. Research has shown that rumination is associated with a variety of negative consequences, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, binge-drinking and binge-eating. Why does rumination lead to such harmful results? For some people, drinking or binge-eating becomes a way to cope with life and drown out their ruminations, according to Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, Ph.D, a psychologist and professor at Yale University. Not surprisingly, ruminating conjures up more negative thoughts. It becomes a cycle. ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4377613 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 12:06:31 +0100 4377613 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4352873&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2011%2F01%2Fhow-to-achieve-stretch-goals%2F In the previous post, I mentioned that I’d share a method for achieving goals where you aren’t already a good match for the goal. For example, how do you become a millionaire if your vibe is riddled with thoughts and feelings of scarcity? I’ll share that process with you now.If you haven’t read the previous post yet, I suggest you read it first, so you can better understand the context of this one. I know it’s a lot of reading, but it will be worth your while.Stretch GoalsFor the sake of convenience, let’s use the term “stretch goals” to refer to the types of goals for which you aren’t already a good match.Such goals are of course relative to the person setting them. Buying a new car wouldn’t be a stretch goal for someone who can ... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4352873 Sat, 15 Jan 2011 03:45:52 +0100 4352873 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4295036&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F12%2Fyour-simulated-reality%2F Last night I had a really cool lucid dream. It started out as a regular dream that involved a bunch of robbers stealing items from a large house. I was trying to foil the robbers’ plans. At some point I realized that I was dreaming and became lucid. I ignored the robbers after that and decided to try something interesting.Instead of donning super powers and going around flying, I wanted to see if I could get my dream characters to become more lucid themselves. Could I get them to realize that we were in a shared dream together and to rise above their pre-scripted dream roles? Could I get them to fess up to that fact that our shared reality was a dream?I went outside and found some characters to interact with, but they seemed pretty dim-witted. They acted like plain vanilla NPCs that ... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4295036 Tue, 28 Dec 2010 23:16:07 +0100 4295036 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4281398&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=36506&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainSciencePodcastBlog%2F%7E3%2F7ey3Ju7TBKk%2Fcelebrating-4-years-of-the-brain-science-podcast-bsp-71.html Discussion Forum: Join our Facebook Fan Page: Send me feedback at gincampbell at mac dot com or leave voice mail at 205-202-0663.       (Source: the Brain Science Podcast and Blog with Dr. Ginger Campbell) the Brain Science Podcast and Blog with Dr. Ginger Campbell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4281398 Fri, 26 Nov 2010 16:08:44 +0100 4281398 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4183593&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F11%2Fspirit%2F You’ve taken many painful lumps Survived life’s tearful turns Endured some brutal bruises, bumps, And saintly savage burnsBe grateful for the strength you’ve gained Your inner muscles bulge But lips are drained and legs are chained By fears you still indulgeYour animator kept from view Locked up inside a cell It pleads release long overdue While you secure the shellIf you should seek to sow the seed Of peace within your heart, The breathless breather must be freed No secret self apartYour essence never lacks the nerve Its power shines divine To be in spirit is to serve With courage by designSo dig your cowardice a grave And lower it to rest Your daring, dauntless dreams will save The slave still dispossessed Special discount only for StevePavlina.com readers - Get the 26-CD Enhan... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4183593 Fri, 19 Nov 2010 13:00:01 +0100 4183593 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4179486&cid=t_100611_137_f&fid=39091&url=http%3A%2F%2Falzheimmers.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F11%2Fstream-of-consciousness-blogging-random.html Tomorrow is set-up for festival of trees. We will have some helpful info from Local Chapter of Alzheimer's Association, thanks to Esther over at the Duluth office. We will also have Help info from the National Family Caregivers Association (0NFCA) thanks to Suzanne over there in the great state of Maryland. Yes I love the Crab Cakes over at Obrycki's. and the old water taxis to Fell's Point. Of course the state is not just a suburb of DC and the inner harbor, in fact the whole state is beautiful. I sure miss the crab especially since Brian Williams told us on the NBC news last night how filthy and carcinogenic the crab and all seafood is from Thailand and Viet Nam is, it makes me realize I could eat a lot more healthy in Baltimore than I could in Duluth. - probably more... Caregiver Survival: I Hate Alzheimers blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4179486 Thu, 18 Nov 2010 18:55:00 +0100 4179486 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4159540&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F11%2Fthe-power-of-connections%2F One of the conscious growth principles I’ve been teaching for years is the principle of Love. This principle states that you’ll grow significantly faster — and enjoy the process of growth much more — when your life is rich in supportive, encouraging connections.People violate this principle constantly — and to their detriment when they do so. Partly that happens because they don’t understand this principle deeply enough.Consider two scenarios:Scenario A – You wake up on a typical weekday morning, alone. As you open your eyes, you see several piles of clutter, including bills, reminding you that you need to sort through them. Your roommate hears you get up, pops through the doorway of your room, puffs some smoke from a cigarette in your direction, t... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4159540 Fri, 12 Nov 2010 16:19:34 +0100 4159540 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4077638&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F10%2Fgo-hunting%2F I think the best way for us to make sure our diets are in line with our morals is to stay connected with the end-to-end processes that we support through our food choices.For example, if you’re a meat eater, then I would strongly recommend that you go hunting once in a while and eat what you kill. I think it’s important to have that experience, so you can fully appreciate your choices. If you can’t personally kill an animal and prepare it for consumption, that would signal a major internal incongruency, so perhaps it would be wise to reevaluate your food choices.I wouldn’t say you need to do this every time you eat meat, but do it at least once a year to stay connected to the process from killing to consuming. For someone who only eats fish, then going fishing would... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4077638 Sun, 17 Oct 2010 02:47:25 +0100 4077638 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4036973&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F10%2Fattention%2F Life offers an abundance of concerns to which you can give your attention. A significant part of living consciously includes deciding what is deserving of your attention and to what extent as well as deciding what isn’t deserving of your attention.Attention WorthinessHow do you decide what’s worthy of your attention and what isn’t?Let’s consider some potential concerns.On a scale of 1-3, make a quick rating of how attention-worthy each concern is for you (see list below).1 = unworthy of your attention 2 = somewhat worthy of your attention 3 = very worthy of your attentionHere’s the list. These are in no particular order, and it’s not a complete list. It’s just a list to get you thinking.“It depends” is a perfectly reasonable answer if y... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4036973 Tue, 05 Oct 2010 19:52:17 +0100 4036973 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4003005&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=35066&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneurodudes.com%2F2010%2F09%2F26%2Fwhy-tononi-is-wrong%2F In a recent NY Times article, Tononi chooses to propose a rather sketchily-described “Shannon informational” model to supplant a gamma synchrony model partly on these grounds; “Dr. Tononi sees serious problems in these models. When people lose consciousness from epileptic seizures, for instance, their brain waves become more synchronized. If synchronization were the key to consciousness, you would expect the seizures to make people hyperconscious instead of unconscious, he said. “ http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/21/science/21consciousness.html?_r=1 Jouny et al (2010) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19910249 surely should have suggested that this is premature closure, with an INCREASE in signal complexity – that is, decline in synchrony – associated with seizure Our study of... neurodudes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4003005 Mon, 27 Sep 2010 03:40:23 +0100 4003005 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3960082&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F09%2Fhacking-reality-subjective-objectivity%2F As my 30-day subjective reality experiment concluded last month, I shifted to a different mode of living. I finally got used to seeing the world through a dream lens. It was seriously challenging to hold that perspective at first, but after a few weeks, my subconscious took over, and I no longer had to consciously remind myself that this is a dream. Eventually the dream perspective became my default way of thinking.Freeing Mental RAMUp until that point, holding that perspective was a major cognitive burden. My mind often felt fried at the end of the day. The experiment required a serious conscious effort, a lot of dedication, and perhaps a twist of fanaticism.Holding the subjective perspective required a significant amount of mental RAM. Multiple times per hour, I had to keep refreshing t... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3960082 Sat, 11 Sep 2010 21:12:27 +0100 3960082 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3929231&cid=t_100611_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fconcussions-in-younger-athletes-are-on-the-rise%2F2010.09.02 A study published earlier this week by the American Academy of Pediatrics states that “the number of sport-related concussions is highest in high school-aged athletes, but the number in younger athletes is significant and on the rise.” Why is this? Many believe this is from better recognition of the symptoms and the need to be medically evaluated. I did a couple of interviews with local TV news to talk about the subject (Video 1 and Video 2). In my research on this subject, I found an article from the Dayton Daily News stating that the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) passed a policy in May 2010: Any athlete who exhibits signs, symptoms or behaviors consistent with a concussion (such as loss of consciousness, headache, dizziness, confusion or balance problems) sh... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3929231 Thu, 02 Sep 2010 22:00:00 +0100 3929231 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3911891&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F08%2Fintegrating-light-and-dark%2F In previous articles about lightworking and darkworking, I mentioned that both paths ultimately lead to the same place. In this article I’ll explain what that convergence looks like.Lightworking and darkworking are potent power-building methods. By focusing intently on a unidirectional flow of energy, a strong current can be created, and inner resistance can be overcome. On a practical level, this means that through lightworking or darkworking, you can become a lot stronger than you were in a pre-polarized state.For a lightworker, this flow takes the form of service. The lightworker focuses on an outward flow of energy through giving, giving, and more giving.For a darkworker, this flow takes the form of selfishness. The darkworker focuses on an inward flow of energy through taking, t... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3911891 Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:52:07 +0100 3911891 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3899668&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F08%2F30-days-of-inspiration-recap%2F The objective world is merely the field of dream possibilities filtered through my beliefs and expectations, so it seems semi-consistent.Thirty days was enough time to do this experiment and learn the lessons I wanted to learn, but it’s not enough time to understand the long-term effects. The way I see the world is so different than when I first started this trial. That’s got to have some kind of impact over time, but I can’t predict what it will look like. I think I’ll need a few more months before I have a clearer sense of it.CGW #5What about CGW #5 in October? Some people suggested that I do the workshop from a subjective perspective. There’s also the idea of presenting it from a place of inspiration in the moment with no pre-planning.I can safely reject th... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3899668 Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:59:32 +0100 3899668 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3896134&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38619&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FALifeCoachsBlog%2F%7E3%2FRn4RlDUzfOs%2F Did you know it’s generally accepted that the human mind can only consciously deal with between 5 and 9 pieces of information at any one time? That even though there are currently millions of bits of data streaming at you, you are only aware of about 7 different things at any one time. It’s not very impressive is it? Especially when you consider your unconscious mind is dealing with the rest of the information in its stride. Only it gets worse than that, because the latest brain research has shown that the 7 things we previously thought we could hold in conscious awareness, is in reality, more like 4. Even so, you maybe thinking, 4 things is adequate because that means you can be reading e-mails whilst on a conference call and still have plenty of spare capacity should you need it ... Life Coach Blog: The Discomfort Zone : blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3896134 Mon, 23 Aug 2010 13:31:38 +0100 3896134 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3872763&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F08%2Flife-in-a-dream-world%2F Today is Day 24 of my 30-day inspiration experiment, which also includes viewing everything through the lens of subjective reality.In this update I’ll share a number of observations on what it’s really been like to view life as a dream for more than three weeks straight.A Roller Coaster of EmotionsThroughout this trial my emotions have been all over the place. Sometimes I’ve felt incredibly blissful, and other times I’ve felt very stressed.When I feel stressed, it isn’t related to events coming up or anything like that. My calendar is still essentially blank. So I’m not feeling anxious about anything I “have to” do. If I wanted to I could just be a couch potato for days on end.I believe this stress has to do with the nature of this experimen... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3872763 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 22:35:23 +0100 3872763 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3862212&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F08%2Fdream-lovemaking%2F One thing I was very curious about was how the dream world perspective would affect my experience of physical intimacy. Would it seem very different if I knew that the woman was a character in my dream world, a projection of some part of me?This past weekend I had a chance to enjoy some dream world intimacy, so I’ll share what that was like from my perspective.Fair warning: If your dream character has a subroutine that makes you express resistance to reading about sensuality and/or sex, especially when it’s of a very personal nature, please feel free to skip this post completely. You’ll probably miss some additional insights if you do though. In the meantime I’ll do my best to love, accept, and forgive my own Puritanical side.Since I started this trial while I was t... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3862212 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:35:25 +0100 3862212 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3827370&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F08%2Fmoving-beyond-copyright%2F An inspired idea came to me today, one that struck me multiple times over the past few years. Until today I couldn’t bring myself to act on it. Now I’m ready to move forward with it.The short version is that I’m going to give people permission to republish my articles far and wide, including translating them into other languages. In practical terms this means that I won’t be “protecting” them via copyright anymore.I want to move forward on this, but I want to do it in such a way that it makes sense and doesn’t create undesirable complications. So I’m going to share the basics with you now. Then I’ll gather questions and feedback and see if I can craft a good solution that addresses people’s questions, so we can fill in all the gap... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3827370 Fri, 06 Aug 2010 05:15:34 +0100 3827370 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3913183&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=34736&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FChannelN-PodcastsPoweredByOdiogo%2F%7E3%2FlIXfd7sa-UI%2F The Empathic Civilization A wide-ranging talk on empathy: a description of mirror neurons, empathy and early childhood development, and the role of empathy in civilizations. A specially animated clip from a longer lecture on empathy here. (Source: Channel N) Channel N blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3913183 Thu, 05 Aug 2010 22:02:25 +0100 3913183 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3823186&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F08%2Fsubjective-relationships%2F “What is the primary goal?” “You should know, Professor. You programmed me.” – War GamesWell… this 30-day trial of inspiration is absolutely amazing. I’m so far down the rabbit hole of subjective reality that I can perceive little else but rabbits now. And there sure are a LOT of rabbits down here!Today is technically Day 12 of this experiment. That seems ridiculous to me. How could so much have changed in only 12 days? The pacing of life has become almost unfathomable compared to what it was like before. I feel like I’ve lived through the mental and emotional equivalent of about 3 months in less than 2 weeks. Each day is like a week in terms of the density of its intensity.I know this is a long update (over 7400 words), but it still barely s... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3823186 Thu, 05 Aug 2010 07:06:35 +0100 3823186 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3807537&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F07%2Finspired-living-feat-subjective-reality%2F This is Day 8 of my 30 days of inspiration trial.Some people mentioned that I seem to be doing two overlapping trials here. First, I’m doing 30 days of acting promptly on inspiration whenever it strikes. Second, I’m also delving more deeply into the subjective reality frame. So what’s that all about?I honestly don’t know, but I’ll try to make sense of it as I write.Could I separate these two trials? On the surface it sure seems like I could. My initial idea for this trial was just going to be the inspiration part. I wasn’t planning to do a subjective reality trial. But these two aspects got tied together in a strange way, and now they’re inextricably intertwined. I can no longer separate them out.Planning vs. InspirationThe subjective reality aspec... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3807537 Sat, 31 Jul 2010 19:59:19 +0100 3807537 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3806039&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F07%2Finspiration-vs-expectation%2F This 30-day inspiration trial is almost too strange. I feel like a blind man excitedly examining a rainbow. There’s definitely something there, but I’m not sure I have the faculties to make sense of it. I feel a bit foolish trying to explain it. It’s tough to translate the experience into words; words alone can’t do it justice.Is it scary? Most definitely. Why is it scary? Partly because I have no idea what’s going to happen next or where this will lead, and the logical part of my mind is freaking out a bit. It’s difficult to feel grounded and secure.I have no idea where I left my comfort zone. I really can’t even see it from where I’m standing.The pace of change I’m experiencing is extremely rapid. So much has already shifted in just ... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3806039 Sat, 31 Jul 2010 01:44:17 +0100 3806039 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3802605&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F07%2Fliving-subjectively%2F The objective world “problem” here is a solvable one. There are many workable solutions, such as using a different auction platform or finding another way to list the auction that would satisfy eBay’s requirements. So the message here is that there is a way to move forward without triggering any alarms; I just need to be careful about it.Another aspect here is that I was perhaps a bit ignorant in listing my consultation on eBay. I hadn’t used eBay in almost a decade. If I’d been more savvy, I might have done the listing differently and made it work the first time. This part of the message tells me that there may be a learning curve here. The reason for caution is that I’m not that subjectively savvy yet, so I’m bound to make some mistakes.Our dream... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3802605 Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:38:05 +0100 3802605 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3798859&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F07%2F30-days-of-inspiration%2F Today is Day 5 of my 30-day trial of inspired living, as I explained in the previous post. If you missed that post, basically I’m testing what it’s like to live without thinking or planning ahead. I’m living in the moment and doing my best to act on inspiration whenever it comes to me, riding each wave for as long as it lasts. If I’m not feeling any strong inspiration, then in those moments I’ll take some downtime or catch up on routine tasks like email — and take the time to eat, shower, etc.I’m not scheduling anything at all, unless the inspiration to schedule something hits me. I’m not using an alarm clock to wake up at any particular time, I’m not “planning” to exercise unless I’m inspired to do so, and I’m o... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3798859 Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:21:41 +0100 3798859 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3795083&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F07%2Fan-inspirational-week%2F I spent last week in Santa Fe, NM for a Transformational Leadership Council retreat. These TLC retreats are held twice a year, and this is the third one I’ve attended. It was also the largest, with about 80 members (out of a total of 114) present.The atmosphere at TLC is like a big family reunion. It’s a place where people who are doing transformational work can come together to help and support each other both personally and professionally. Sometimes business deals happen, but the main focus isn’t transactional. It’s about caring for each other, supporting each other, and helping each other grow and improve.We meditate together each day, we sing, we dance, and we do fun and sometimes silly activities. We share many laughs and hundreds of hugs. We help support those... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3795083 Wed, 28 Jul 2010 04:38:33 +0100 3795083 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3790766&cid=t_100611_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2010%2F07%2F27%2Fconversations-on-consciousness%2F This is the trailer of the film: Just Trial and Error. In an attempt to understand consciousness, filmmaker Alex Gabbay invites sculptor Antony Gormley, eminent neuroscientists Prof Brian Butterworth and Dr Beau Lotto and internet entrepreneur Twain Luu – whose study of the ‘global brain’ makes fascinating reading – to explore its meaning and how it affects their area of work. Structured in a non-linear way, the four protagonists present insights on the human brain, global consciousness, the role of the internet, perception, the space art occupies, etc. While the subjects weave in and out of each other to create the arguments, each interviewee has his or her own narrative arc. Related posts:The Neuroscience of Interpersonal Space 6 Human Anatomy Sites Scientia P... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3790766 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 06:42:13 +0100 3790766 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3710605&cid=t_100611_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F06%2F29%2Femotional-trauma-in-the-womb%2F The caller complained, “I’ve been sad all my life. I’ve been to many therapists and none have been able to help me get rid of my sadness. Do you think you can help me?” Since I have seen many similar cases like this before, I told the caller, “I have a good hunch on what is going on. Come on over and lets see if I can help.” After briefly treating the person, the sadness was gone and it has stayed that way ever since. I have treated hundreds of these situations where individuals have been able to experience release of seemingly hopeless issues. What has made the difference? There is a growing body of research showing that babies in the womb feel, taste, learn, and have some level of consciousness. One study had babies in the womb receiving “vibroacoustic stimulation” (Gonz... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3710605 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 21:23:02 +0100 3710605 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3772291&cid=t_100611_109_f&fid=34761&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedblitz.com%2F%7E%2F14909340%2F1lsbjl%2Fneuromarketing%7EThe-Invisible-Gorilla.htm Review: The Invisible Gorilla: And Other Ways Our Intuitions Deceive Us, by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons Before reading farther, watch this video if you haven’t already seen it:The Invisible Gorilla provides an interesting counterpoint to Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink. While Gladwell sought to show that our minds can perform remarkable feats of judgment, often without [...] (Source: Neuromarketing) Neuromarketing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3772291 Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:54:57 +0100 3772291 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3683675&cid=t_100611_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F06%2F21%2Fshall-we-flow%2F “Like a graceful vase, a cat, even when motionless, seems to flow.” — George F. Will You have either had the experience or heard about it: Flow has been in the global consciousness since Mihaly Csikszentmihaly’s book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience was released 35 years ago. Back then it was revolutionary, now it is woven into our popular language and culture. We’ve heard about it, read about it, and want it in our lives. But what is flow? It is a very enjoyable experience marked by a sense of timelessness and engagement. In his own words, Csikszentmihaly said it is “being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your wh... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3683675 Mon, 21 Jun 2010 10:15:10 +0100 3683675 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3629911&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F06%2Fsuspending-judgment%2F It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so. – Mark TwainWhenever I write about certain topics, especially those that seem contrary to mainstream conditioning, some people voice very strong opinions. They communicate their thoughts with a high degree of certainty, as if adopting the posture of an expert.However, upon further inspection it becomes readily apparent that most of these people have little or no direct experience upon which to base their opinions. Their knowledge of such subjects can hardly be classified as knowledge at all, since it’s derived largely from non-primary sources like media conditioning, third-party rumors, and supposition.Erroneous KnowledgeOf course the problem with acq... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3629911 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 21:02:10 +0100 3629911 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3519762&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F04%2F3-free-cgw-bonuses-now-available-for-download%2F I’m happy to announce that three new Conscious Growth Workshop bonuses are now available. They’ll be automatically delivered to you as instant downloads when you register for the workshop.Best of all, they’re FREE. These bonuses include:1) The CGW User Guide – Written by CGW alumni, this 12-page guide will help you get the most out of your CGW experience.2) Growth Accelerator MP3 – This 88-minute audio program is packed with hardcore material to help you prepare for CGW… and to help you make some powerful gains before you even attend CGW. You can also listen to it after attending CGW as a quick refresher course.3) How to Make Workshops, Seminars, and Conferences Pay for Themselves – This 10-page PDF explains 10 different ways you can monetize your... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3519762 Fri, 30 Apr 2010 03:20:53 +0100 3519762 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3483163&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F04%2Fthe-past-does-equal-the-future%2F The past does not equal the future is a favorite saying of Tony Robbins.Unfortunately he’s dead wrong.I can understand Tony’s intent in making such a statement. Sure it’s part of his overall sales pitch, but essentially he’s telling people that they have the power to break from the past and use their power to create a new future. In general that’s a positive message to convey. Unfortunately it seems to do more harm than good. Quite often it makes people all gung ho about changes that never quite materialize. The underlying idea that we can escape the past actually wastes a lot of people’s time.I know it feels good to think about the idea that we can somehow break with the past and create a whole new future for ourselves, but how often do people actually ... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3483163 Mon, 19 Apr 2010 13:15:07 +0100 3483163 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3437981&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F04%2Ffree-cgw-bonuses%2F This week I’m working on creating some extra bonuses for people who sign up for the Conscious Growth Workshop. These bonuses will be free to anyone who registers. My intention is to add even more value for attendees. These bonuses will be instant downloads that people will receive as soon as they sign up.How to Make CGW Pay for ItselfThe first bonus I’m developing is a collection of tips and advice for how to make CGW pay for itself. I’ve attended many conferences, conventions, and seminars over the years, and overall they’ve more than paid for themselves. I’ve learned how to monetize my attendance well enough to cover the registration fees and travel expenses, so I actually earn money by going to such events vs. staying home. That’s a pretty cool situat... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3437981 Mon, 05 Apr 2010 13:00:31 +0100 3437981 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3433201&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F04%2Fleadership%2F When you’re on a path of personal growth, inevitably you’re going to encounter some social resistance as you grow and change.For example, suppose you make major progress in improving your diet. Maybe you go vegetarian or vegan or raw. Or perhaps you find another path that generates positive results for you. And suppose most of your family and friends still eat something close to the Standard American Diet (SAD), with lots of animal products and processed foods. Your way of eating falls out of sync with theirs, and everyone can’t help but notice. Now you’re in the minority — you no longer quite fit in.Or suppose you decide to give up alcohol, and most of your friends are still social drinkers. Maybe they invite you to go out and drink with them, but this is a l... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3433201 Fri, 02 Apr 2010 00:43:23 +0100 3433201 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3425162&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2Fcgw-now-has-100-money-back-guarantee%2F I’m happy to announce that all upcoming Conscious Growth Workshops now include a 100% money-back guarantee on your registration price, good for one full year after the event.This does not apply retroactively to the Oct 2009 and Jan 2010 CGWs. However, it does apply to anyone who’s already registered for the May, Jul, and Oct 2010 workshops.One-Year 100% Money-Back GuaranteeHere are the terms. First, you must attend the complete workshop from start to finish. Second, you must wait at least 30 days after the end of the workshop to let the results sink in. After that, if you feel you did not personally receive enough value from the workshop to justify the expense, you may request a full refund up to one full year after the workshop.The reason you must attend the complete workshop ... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3425162 Wed, 31 Mar 2010 16:10:18 +0100 3425162 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3411151&cid=t_100611_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F03%2F27%2Fdan-wegner-on-psychological-studies-of-the-guilty-mind%2F From the Student Association for Law and Mind Sciences (SALMS) and the Project on Law and Mind Sciences (PLMS) at Harvard Law School, here is an remarkable presentation, titled “Psychological Studies of the Guilty Mind,” by Dan Wegner, one of the most thoughtful and influential social psychologists in the business. * * * * * * To review a collection of Situationist posts discussing Dan Wegner’s research, click here. (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3411151 Sat, 27 Mar 2010 04:01:54 +0100 3411151 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3408689&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2Ffour-years-go%2F Perhaps you’re aware that humanity as a whole is on a path that is unsustainable. The good news is that it’s not too late to turn the tide. The bad news is that we only have a few years left to do that; otherwise some problems are likely to become irreversible.Recently a group of influencers have banded together to create a campaign called “Four Years. Go.” The goal of this campaign is to enlist enough people to commit to playing a role in reversing some of the most significant problems facing humanity within the next four years. That’s enough time to have a serious impact… but not enough time to justify procrastination.Perhaps the best place to start in understanding the mission of 4YG is to watch this 3-minute video.If you like the video, share it libe... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3408689 Fri, 26 Mar 2010 03:06:59 +0100 3408689 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4281406&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=36506&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainSciencePodcastBlog%2F%7E3%2FV_I8_LqbhOE%2Fthomas-metzinger-explores-consciousness-bsp-67.html Discussion Forum or on our Facebook Fan Page or send email to gincampbell at mac dot com. (Source: the Brain Science Podcast and Blog with Dr. Ginger Campbell) the Brain Science Podcast and Blog with Dr. Ginger Campbell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4281406 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:29:54 +0100 4281406 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3338252&cid=t_100611_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F03%2F06%2Flearning-about-transcendental-meditation%2F Discussion tab makes clear feuding editors battling for control about tone and focus. I don’t know what to make of transcendental meditation personally, but I find studies like the recently published one interesting. I know people who use it and swear by its positive effects (but I also know people who use other techniques and methods and swear by them as well). I suspect some of the skepticism comes from the pseudo-religious nature of technique, or the fact that it costs money to learn it. But in my experience, many things worth learning cost money (look at my graduate education, for instance). My only concern is that if it is something that is “simple, natural, effortless, and easily learned,” why does it cost $1,500 and an entire day to learn? I’ve read enough t... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3338252 Sat, 06 Mar 2010 13:32:15 +0100 3338252 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3307133&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F02%2Fregistration-opens-for-3-more-2010-workshops%2F I’m happy to announce that we’ve finalized the bookings for the remaining 2010 Conscious Growth Workshops. Registration is now officially open for all 3 of them. These workshops will be held at the Flamingo Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip on the following dates: May 14-16, 2010 (Fri-Sun) Jul 16-18, 2010 (Fri-Sun) Oct 29-31, 2010 (Fri-Sun) Feedback was so positive on the first two CGWs that it made sense to commit to doing many more of them. On a scale of 1-10, the average rating from CGW graduates was about a 9. Social Abundance One of the primary strengths of CGW is the social element. I’m still impressed by how much CGW alumni are keeping in touch with each other, both online and in person. Week after week I’m seeing CGWers encouraging each other, supporting each oth... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3307133 Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:26:39 +0100 3307133 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3283859&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F02%2Fnew-raising-your-vibration-audio-program%2F Erin recently announced the release of her new audio program Raising Your Vibration, which is based on her ebook 10 Ways to Raise Your Vibration in Under 10 Minutes. I thought it would be great to announce it here as well. I wasn’t personally involved in producing this program, but I’ve listened to the whole thing, and I think she did a terrific job on it. I was particularly impressed by how amazing her voice sounds on the recording — others have commented on that as well. Raising Your Vibration is designed to teach you methods to raise your vibration and enhance your mood, shifting you from low vibration states like worry, depression, fear, or anger… into higher vibration states like contentment, happiness, love, and gratitude. For this audio program, Erin added s... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3283859 Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:00:20 +0100 3283859 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3269898&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F02%2Fbroadcast-your-desires%2F Do you hide your true desires from the world? Do you pretend you want one thing while silently desiring something else? For example, do you desire a new lover or playmate while giving potential partners the impression that you’d like to date them first? Do you want to be earning a lot more money while broadcasting that you’re satisfied with your current career? Are you making your true desires abundantly clear, or are you holding them inside while broadcasting an entirely different message to the world? Are you engaging in false advertising, either by broadcasting a false desire or by failing to broadcast your true desire? Consequences of broadcasting your desires Don’t just write down a list of goals for yourself. Share your key goals with others. Let your friends and as... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3269898 Sat, 13 Feb 2010 02:45:49 +0100 3269898 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3227894&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=34736&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FChannelN-PodcastsPoweredByOdiogo%2F%7E3%2FSDZFsMAJ1Hg%2Fhow-neuroscience-may-affect-law.html [Image by bloomsberries.] Neuroscience, Law and Government Symposium Keynote speaker Hank Greely gives a basic talk about neuroscience and the law for an audience of lawyers/law students. Topics include predicting (behaviour and illnesses), mind reading and lie detection, responsibility and consciousness, treatment, and cognitive enhancement. Q&A follows. Greely blogged about it as well; sounds like it was a great symposium and it’s a pity the other videos aren’t online too. (Source: Channel N) Channel N blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3227894 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:30:25 +0100 3227894 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3205016&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=35066&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneurodudes.com%2F2010%2F01%2F25%2Fon-consciousness-beyond-htm%2F In On Intelligence Jeff Hawkins posits Hierarchical Temporal Memory, or HTM, as a repetitive feedback loop where essentially the only divergent activity is due to the appearance of novel inputs, or, “Is it new?” What’s missing is the concept of importance, or, “Is it important?” Why importance? The answer is definitional: unlike a software program, which exists at the whim of its developer, a living creature is an independent complex system that exists separately from its environment, an environment with which it must interact in order to survive. Novelty alone is not enough in this case; the very existence of the organism is dependent upon its ability to categorize and associate inputs and input patterns in accordance with their relative importance to its survival. Like HTM its... neurodudes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3205016 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:34:32 +0100 3205016 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3189455&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F01%2Fhow-to-build-a-stronger-ego%2F There’s a notion that’s been spread around the spiritual side of the self-help field that suggests one of our primary aims in life should be ego-less enlightenment, a state where we achieve near-perfect inner peace, where we’re one with everything but attached to nothing, and where nothing in the physical world can knock us off balance. This creates some personal challenges for me because whenever I write about anything remotely spiritual in nature (and sometimes even when I don’t), some readers assume I’m one of the guys promoting this same sort of ideal. Then they question why my behavior doesn’t seem consistent with it. My behavior isn’t consistent with the pursuit of ego-less enlightenment because I have no interest in that path. If other peopl... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3189455 Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:30:51 +0100 3189455 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3175938&cid=t_100611_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F01%2F15%2Ftwitter-falsehoods-fly-after-haiti-tragedy%2F Demonstrating the intrinsic nature of twitter as a stream of group consciousness more than anything else, the Haiti tragedy has brought out the rumor mill. And with it, it demonstrates one of the underlying weaknesses of relying on a group stream of consciousness — it’s not always the most accurate thing in the world. The rumors were, thankfully, limited to things that didn’t cause any real harm or damage. Except to the companies who were the subject of the rumors. Their reputations were inadvertently tarnished by being included in the rumors, which they then had to publicly deny. The denial makes them seem a little heartless, so they followup with a public declaration of what they are doing to support the Haitians in their time of need (usually generous monetary donation... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3175938 Fri, 15 Jan 2010 12:52:56 +0100 3175938 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3153499&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=34736&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FChannelN-PodcastsPoweredByOdiogo%2F%7E3%2FYqmXSgduUAk%2Fkandel-on-kandel.html [Image by neurollero.] Science Face To Face Nobel laureate Eric Kandel talks about neuroscience history and his career in this intimate interview conducted for radio and webcast by Ira Flatow. (Source: Channel N) Channel N blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3153499 Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:30:18 +0100 3153499 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3149355&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F01%2Fdomination-submission-and-personal-growth%2F I want to share some thoughts on an interesting dynamic I’ve been observing as I continue to explore domination and submission (D/s) with my consensual slave partner. A key aspect of personal growth is that in order to grow, we must stretch beyond our comfort zones and experience something new. If we stay within our comfort zones and stick to the familiar, we deny ourselves the opportunity for expansion. Yet we don’t know for certain how new possibilities will impact us until we dive in and experience them. Many years ago I thought about being an entrepreneur. Since I’d never done it before, I couldn’t be sure if I’d like it or if I’d be good at it. It was outside my comfort zone. When I tried it, it turned out that I liked it and got good at it, so of c... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3149355 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:22:23 +0100 3149355 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3142877&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F01%2Fdomination-and-submission%2F As I mentioned in my 2010 Focus post, my personal focus for this year involves immersing myself in the fun and exciting world of domination and submission (D/s). (I really love my life!) Now one obvious question I’ve been asked a few times is: What the heck does this have to do with personal development? Once you get past the socially conditioned attitude that D/s is somehow naughty or deviant, you’ll find that it has a tremendous amount to do with personal development. Let’s start with some of the most basic elements and go from there. Body Image First, when you consciously explore your sexuality with other people, body image issues are bound to come up. What is all this extra fat doing on me? Why can’t I be taller? Why can’t I be more muscular? Why was I bor... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3142877 Tue, 05 Jan 2010 01:10:21 +0100 3142877 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3089611&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F12%2Fsave-100-on-cgw-through-december-15th%2F The $100 early registration discount for the next Conscious Growth Workshop expires at midnight on December 15th. This workshop will be held January 15-17, 2010 at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. Dozens of people have already registered, including many return attendees from the previous CGW, so it’s great to know that we’ll have another amazing international group. At the first CGW, about 1/3 of the participants came from outside the USA. Workshop Details All the workshop details can be found on the Conscious Growth Workshop page, including the specific topics we’ll be covering each day. This will be a very holistic workshop, blending high-level ideas with practical application. We’re going to cover career development, money, health, skill building, habits, productivity,... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3089611 Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:43:11 +0100 3089611 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3036068&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F11%2Fproperty-ownership%2F People often ask me for my thoughts on property ownership, both with respect to physical property and intellectual property. I feel inspired to write about this topic this morning, so I’ll share some of those thoughts with you now. Do I think property ownership is a good thing, or is it an evil scourge? For me, property ownership is about responsibility and sharing, not about control and security. If you think that can truly own something, you’re mistaken. Your ownership of anything in the physical world is guaranteed to end eventually, either through loss or death. So how can you really own anything if your ownership will be taken away? You’re not really the owner of anything. You’re simply a temporary steward. As a steward of your property, you’re responsibl... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3036068 Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:18:50 +0100 3036068 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3012518&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=34736&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FChannelN-PodcastsPoweredByOdiogo%2F%7E3%2FVvmRDGMcQJE%2Fhuman.html What We Are What it is to be human: “a modern secular view.” First in a series of six talks by the distinguished cognitive scientist, in this long-running philosophical lecture series. (Source: Channel N) Channel N blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3012518 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:30:11 +0100 3012518 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2974243&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F11%2Fhow-to-visualize-your-new-reality%2F This is a follow-up to my last video post on Creating Abundance. In this article I’ll share more detail on how to visualize your new reality so that you become a vibrational match for it. This is an area where people make some critical mistakes when trying to manifest their desires. Slide Into Your New Reality Did you ever see the TV show Sliders? In that show a group of four people would “slide” through a portal between dimensions, spending each episode in an alternate version of earth. For example, they might enter a reality where the Nazis won WWII. Or in another reality one of them might be a famous performer. Another TV show that can give you the right idea is Quantum Leap. In that show a man spent each episode in someone else’s body in an alternative time and ... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2974243 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:07:04 +0100 2974243 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2967565&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F11%2Fcreating-abundance-video%2F Yesterday morning I woke up with the idea of recording a video blog on the topic of creating abundance. A little later I checked our forums and saw a request for me to post something more comprehensive on the topic of abundance. Well, I thought… that’s a pretty blatant synchronicity! Is it possible to use the Law of Attraction to manifest true abundance in your life, including financial abundance, social abundance, and more? Absolutely, it is. In this 35-minute video (split into 4 individual clips for posting on YouTube), I explain why people so often fail in this area, and I give you a simple two-part method to make it work for you. I also share some stories and examples from my own life to help you internalize these ideas so you can apply them successfully. There are severa... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2967565 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:35:59 +0100 2967565 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2927363&cid=t_100611_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F10%2F26%2Fwhy-sleeping-on-it-helps%2F We’re often told, “You should sleep on it” before you make an important decision. Why is that? How does “sleeping on it” help your decision-making process? Conventional wisdom suggests that by “sleeping on it,” we clear our minds and relieve ourselves of the immediacy (and accompanying stress) of making a decision. Sleep also helps organize our memories, process the information of the day, and solve problems. Such wisdom also suggests that conscious deliberation helps decision making in general. But new research (Dijksterhuis et al., 2009) suggests something else might also be at work — our unconscious. Previous research suggests that sometimes the more consciously we think about a decision, the worse the decision made. Sometimes what’s... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2927363 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:35:15 +0100 2927363 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2920353&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=35066&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.almaden.ibm.com%2Finstitute%2Fresources%2F2006%2FDisk2.avi We had read that Dr. Henry Markram of the Blue Brain project had given a talk at TED (technology, entertainment, design), but the video wasn’t released until this month.  This talk is geared towards a general audience, rather than getting into the specific details of the Blue Brain project, as he has before.  It is engaging and includes many suggestions towards the future of neuroscience and AI. Watch it online at the TED website. (Source: neurodudes) neurodudes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2920353 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:20:25 +0100 2920353 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2912571&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2Fconscious-growth-workshop-2-registration-opens%2F I’m delighted to announce that we’re now accepting registrations for the second Conscious Growth Workshop, January 15-17, 2010 at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. In fact, we already received the first registration while I was still editing the workshop pages. The first Conscious Growth Workshop earlier this month was such an unqualified success that I started the process of booking another event less than 48 hours after it ended. It took a little while to select the meeting room and get the paperwork signed, but we’re good to go now. Workshop Details All the workshop details can be found on the Conscious Growth Workshop page, including the specific topics we’ll be covering each day. This will be a very holistic workshop, blending high-level ideas with practical appli... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2912571 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:53:33 +0100 2912571 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2891035&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2Fyou-vs-the-cubicle%2F Ah, the cubicle. The beige cage. The cubicle is the antithesis of doing work you love. Virtually no one pictures a cubicle when they think about doing what they most love. The cubicle is where you end up when you fall out of harmony with what you love. The only way you can be stuck in a cubicle is by giving your power away to it. A cubicle has no power over you. You can empower the cubicle, but it can’t empower itself. To complain about a job you dislike is an act of giving your power away. You chose the job, and you can just as easily choose to stop showing up. Think of it this way: If you and your cubicle got in a fight, who would win? Still not sure? How about this: You plus a chainsaw vs. the cubicle plus a chainsaw. Who’d win? If you decide to leave the cubicle, it is po... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2891035 Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:24:31 +0100 2891035 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2879855&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2Fspeedhugging-how-to-go-from-zero-to-hugs-in-under-60-seconds%2F At the Conscious Growth Workshop last weekend, there were some social courage challenges designed to get people out of their comfort zones. One exercise involved going outside the workshop room and saying something silly to a stranger, such as “Can you tell me what year it is?” or “Which planet is this?” The sharing of results after this exercise was hysterical, and it really raised the energy of the room and got people realizing that there’s no good reason to fear approaching people. When you hand your power over to fear of rejection or embarrassment, you miss so many opportunities to connect and have fun. For those who were already getting pretty good at it, I offered an additional challenge: Meet a stranger and share a hug in less than 5 minutes. One pe... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2879855 Fri, 09 Oct 2009 22:35:02 +0100 2879855 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2876414&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2Fafter-the-workshop%2F The buzz I’ve been feeling after our Conscious Growth Workshop has been incredible. I haven’t slept more than 4-5 hours a night since the workshop ended. I had NO IDEA how much the energy of being around so many great people would impact me personally. I got far more value from the experience than I would have thought possible. Something about the energy of the room pushed me to keep stepping up my own energy. If you attended the workshop, you may have noticed a shift in me too from Day 1 to Day 2 to Day 3. Those shifts have been continuing and increasing this week. It feels like a tremendous amount of blocked energy was freed up, and I’m more passionate about my life and my purpose than I’ve ever been. I am anxious to do another workshop, not just because of the h... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2876414 Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:13:26 +0100 2876414 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2804270&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F09%2Fman-transformation-how-to-attract-and-enjoy-a-fulfilling-relationship%2F A few months ago I mentioned in our forums, on Facebook, and on Twitter that I was evaluating several relationship courses from David DeAngelo. If you aren’t familiar with his work, David DeAngelo is the pen-name of Eben Pagan, a man who achieved tremendous success creating and selling various courses (ebooks, DVDs, etc) about dating and relationships. His most popular item is an e-book called Double Your Dating. Since these courses tend to be fairly involved, I decided to ask for feedback from people who’d already gone through some of them to see if they’d be worth my time to evaluate. To be honest I was partly hoping that people would trash them because that would save me a lot of time. However, the feedback I received about David’s work was very positive overal... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2804270 Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:46:51 +0100 2804270 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2782346&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F09%2Fpsychic-development-video-interview%2F If you’ve been following Erin’s blog, then you’ve already seen this, but if not… Erin and I recently did a 35-minute video interview for the Alison and Jaye Show (see below). Most of the Q&A focuses on psychic development and communicating with spirit guides, including the benefits and pitfalls of receiving guidance from non-physical entities. We also discuss overcoming blocks to financial abundance near the end of the interview. If you’re convinced there’s no such thing as psychic abilities, you can safely skip this interview because it won’t likely do much for you. This video is geared more toward people who already have some experiences with psychic phenomena as well as skeptics who are curious about this topic and want to learn more. By ... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2782346 Thu, 10 Sep 2009 05:49:41 +0100 2782346 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2772606&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=34736&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FChannelN-PodcastsPoweredByOdiogo%2F%7E3%2FRvmuv6gku1U%2Fdeciding.html [Image by helgasms] Gut Feelings: The Intelligence of the Unconscious The Director of the Max Planck Institute for Human Development gives a talk on intuition. Decisions and heuristics, ecological rationality and behavioral economics, and related concepts. Some Q&A. (Source: Channel N) Channel N blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2772606 Mon, 07 Sep 2009 16:30:38 +0100 2772606 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2758171&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F09%2Fmodern-day-nazis%2F Here’s a short video (less than 4 minutes) showing some daily practices that people who eat eggs are supporting: Realize that if you eat eggs, you’re actively and directly supporting practices like this. This video is actually pretty mild compared to what happens to the hens. What’s the difference between being the guy who tosses the live baby chicks into the grinder vs. paying someone else to do it for you? Of course there’s no meaningful difference other than how much you distance yourself from the truth. There’s really no difference between this level of conscience and Hitler’s treatment of the Jews. If people can justify treating animals like this for the mere taste and satiety of an unnecessary digestible, what’s to stop them from relating to... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2758171 Wed, 02 Sep 2009 17:42:23 +0100 2758171 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2703853&cid=t_100611_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F08%2F16%2Fdaniel-dennett-explores-the-problems-of-the-human-brain-%25e2%2580%2594-big-think%2F Daniel Dennett is the co-director of the Center for Cognitive Studies, the Austin B. Fletcher Professor of Philosophy, and a University Professor at Tufts University.  Here is a brief Big Think video of Dennett discussing some of the problems of the human brain, including, the “very sharp limit to the depth that we as conscious agents can probe our own activities.” * * * For a sample of related Situationist posts, see “The Interior Situation of Complex Human Feelings,” “Dan Dennett on our Interior Situation,” “The Situation of Reason,” “The Situation of Confabulation,” “The Situation of Constitutional Beliefs - Abstract,” “Social Psychology and the Unconscious: The Automaticity of Higher Processes,” “Jonathan Haidt on t... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2703853 Sun, 16 Aug 2009 04:01:18 +0100 2703853 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2613953&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=34756&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbrainethics.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F17%2Ffear-and-pleasure-in-the-amygdala%2F Here is a heads up for a recent study demonstrating – again – that the amygdala is not merely a “fear centre” in the brain. I have previously blogged about the amygdala, first not being a single structure, and that it is not only involved in fear. In 2007, a team of French researchers demonstrated that direct stimulation of the amygdala did evoke emotional responses, but that there was a difference between which hemisphere was stimulated. Right amygdala stimulations induced aversive responses, in particular fear and sadness. In contrast, left hemisphere stimulation induced either positive (happiness) or negative emotions (fear, anxiety, sadness). As the abstract reads: Very few studies in humans have quantified the effect obtained after direct electrical stimulation of the ... BRAINETHICS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2613953 Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:26:33 +0100 2613953 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2606263&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F07%2Fconscious-growth-workshop-in-las-vegas%2F I’m happy (thrilled would be more accurate) to announce that you can now register for my upcoming 3-day Conscious Growth Workshop in Las Vegas. The dates are October 2-4, 2009 (Friday-Sunday). The workshop will be at Harrah’s Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip, about 5 miles from McCarran Airport. I’m not going to give you a hard-sell pitch to try to convince you that you should attend. The workshop page is designed to explain what you can expect to learn and experience at this workshop, so you can decide whether it will be a good fit for you on your path of conscious growth. I’d rather speak to a smaller group of people who really want to be there than a larger, less committed group of people who have to be sold on the idea. Internet marketers will probably s... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2606263 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:51:19 +0100 2606263 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2571311&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F07%2Fhow-to-become-more-successful%2F How do you feel about people who are very successful? What’s your attitude toward the movers and shakers in your field? Do you admire and respect them? Do you speak highly of them? Or are you suspicious of them? Do you criticize or attack them? What’s the true role of these people in your life? What do they represent? Subjectively speaking, your relationship with the most successful people in your reality represents your relationship to success itself. Those people represent your potential and how you feel about it. I use the term “relationship” to mean your general attitude toward people who are ultra-successful. It doesn’t matter if you know them personally because your relationships are all in your mind anyway. If you don’t know any very successful pe... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2571311 Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:14:32 +0100 2571311 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2556403&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F06%2Fclimate-change%2F This report is limited to how climate change is affecting the USA, but some of these impacts can be generalized to other parts of the world as well. Is climate change happening? The USGCRP scientists report that climate change is already occurring in a measurable way, and those changes are primarily caused by human activity. They were very clear and direct about that. During the past 50 years, average U.S. temperatures have risen by 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit. This change is due to human activity, most notably from the rise in greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. During the 50-year period before that, there was no net change in average temps. This recent increase isn’t due to natural fluctuations — the scientists were able to rule that out as... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2556403 Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:03:56 +0100 2556403 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2523484&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=34736&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FChannelN-PodcastsPoweredByOdiogo%2F%7E3%2F6qDYhPQ-Zlw%2F756.html The Baroness, Consciousness, and the Twitterverse: A Conversation with Susan Greenfield Greenfield recommends pub debates or rants on street corners instead of using social media. Quote: “How sad that a species that previously wrote novels and expressed themselves in thousand word letters, are now having to encapsulate important or interesting ideas in 150 [sic] characters, and that’s the first issue. And if you are used to doing that, are you going to start living your life in windows of 150 characters? And I do find that rather sad. Secondly, there’s many ways in which you can have debates and discussions. You can go to the pub, you can go out to the street, you know, you can go to universities, you can come to the Royal Institution in London. There’s many, many p... Channel N blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2523484 Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:00:21 +0100 2523484 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2513595&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F06%2Fevents-perception-truth-and-subjective-reality%2F What exactly is an event? An event is something that happens at a given place and time. An event is essentially a point or interval in space-time. Place and time are both relative concepts. To define a place, you need a reference location. Places are defined by relationships, such as by coordinates (relative to a coordinate system) or directions (relative to a starting location). To define a time, you must also use relationships, such as a time’s relationship to the present moment or to another date and time. When you try to define events in objective terms, you internally translate them into subjective terms anyway. If someone gives you a date and time, you’ll naturally interpret it relative to your present moment or relative to some other event in your past or future or in yo... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2513595 Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:29:12 +0100 2513595 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2470027&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F06%2Fthe-afternoon-of-life%2F Last night I watched a Dr. Wayne Dyer DVD called The Shift (originally titled Ambition to Meaning), which I found very moving and inspiring. In this video Dr. Dyer points out that the solutions that work in the morning of our lives will eventually cease to work in the afternoon of our lives. It can be very unsettling — and frustrating beyond belief — when our old solutions no longer create the results we expect. We do what we think is best — we know it’s the right thing to do — but our tried and trusted routines seem to be broken for some odd reason. The harder we try, the worse we feel. It’s like sinking into an invisible abyss. Why does this happen? At some point in your life, your old patterns of success must break down to make way for something new.... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2470027 Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:16:02 +0100 2470027 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2463418&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F05%2Fcreating-a-belief-board%2F When you set a new goal, an important step on the road to achieving that goal is to gain the belief that you will get there. If you don’t believe you’ll succeed, then some parts of you will resist your goal, and your progress will be frustratingly slow. In order to believe you’ll succeed, you must believe your goal is possible for you, and you must also believe that you’re actually going to reach your destination. If you don’t believe your goal is possible for you, you’ll block yourself. If you believe it’s possible but you don’t believe you’ll realistically get there, you’ll block yourself.  Beliefs exist at the subconscious level, so they typically operate below the level of conscious awareness. But you can witness their effe... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2463418 Mon, 18 May 2009 20:45:48 +0100 2463418 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2398984&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=35068&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbrainwindows.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F05%2F08%2Fjournal-scan-transynaptic-tracing-fly-olfaction-fast-super-resolution-localization-of-perception%2F Here’s a group of four recent papers that are worth checking out but I don’t have the time to cover.  The first provides a set of tools for neuronal circuit tracing. The second pushes super-resolution imaging into fast, live-cell imaging.  The third, by a friend from graduate school, uses G-CaMP to make strong claims about olfactory coding in fruit flies. The last reports remarkable data pointing to the distributed nature of conscious perception in humans, which would have been a great data set to reference in my recent talk on free will. Genetically timed, activity-sensor and rainbow transsynaptic viral tools  We developed retrograde, transsynaptic pseudorabies viruses (PRVs) with genetically encoded activity sensors that optically report the activity of connected neurons a... Brain Windows blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2398984 Fri, 08 May 2009 20:39:44 +0100 2398984 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2463422&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F05%2Fattraction%2F Is it true that opposites attract? Or would you be happier in a relationship with someone who is very similar to you? Is attraction something you have to create with another person? Or does it just happen automatically? Have you ever made up a list of qualities your ideal mate should have, but when you finally met such a person, you realized there was no spark? Opposites Attract In many ways Erin and I are total opposites, but we find ourselves naturally attracted to each other. On a logical level, our relationship might seem like a mismatch, but in truth we are very close and very happy together. Erin is very nurturing and motherly. In college she majored in psychology, partly so she could understand people better. She loves to encourage people and help them feel better about themselves.... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2463422 Fri, 08 May 2009 03:02:31 +0100 2463422 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2390125&cid=t_100611_127_f&fid=34828&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrclouthier.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F05%2Fculture-of-negativity-in-us.html This current Swine flu hysteria has shown me a few trends in the consciousness of the American people that have me concerned. 1. We as a people seem to be obsessed with negatives. We see a media that is focused on reporting the most negative and depressing aspects of our society. Whether it be crime, social or health related news the picture is always negative and bleak. This consciousness is troublesome when we talk about the "Laws of Attraction". Those who hold to these tenets would say that the more we focus on violence, crime, illness, disease and natural disaster, the more of those things we get.2. There seems to by a hysteria surrounding negative events that does not follow positive ones. When we have a huge medical or social breakthrough, the information is in the news/media for a d... Dr. Steve Clouthier blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2390125 Wed, 06 May 2009 01:55:00 +0100 2390125 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2463423&cid=t_100611_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F05%2Fabuse-of-power%2F Do you ever mistakenly use your own power against yourself? Instead of focusing your creative energies to fulfill your desires, do you channel those energies into negative thoughts, feelings, and visualizations? If so then you’re succumbing to an abuse of your own power. Here are some common patterns that involve using your power against yourself as well as suggestions for how to stop yourself and make corrective adjustments. Complaining When you complain, you’re using your power to reinforce and magnify whatever you’re complaining about. Why on earth would you want to feed more energy into something you don’t want? The more you complain, the more you’ll continue to attract and create similar negative circumstances, and the more you’ll have to compl... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2463423 Sat, 02 May 2009 06:45:12 +0100 2463423 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2320499&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=35066&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneurodudes.com%2F2009%2F03%2F28%2Fvs-ramachandrans-ted-talk%2F Although I’ve been a longtime fan of Ramachandran’s excellent book Phantoms in the Brain, this TED talk is like a compressed summary of the highlight’s of his research. He’s a great speaker and he covers in 20 minutes my two favorite examples in the book (Capgras delusion and mirror treatment for phantom limb syndrome). Perhaps the best part of the talk is that, after listening to it, I was convinced more than ever before of the statistical nature of sensory perception (ie. the brain attempts to find the most likely explanation for sensory observations) and the integrative nature of central processing of multiple modalities.  Atul Gawande also recently wrote a New Yorker article about treating phantom itch with Ramachandran’s mirror box. I found this part o... neurodudes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2320499 Sat, 28 Mar 2009 18:54:18 +0100 2320499 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2259407&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=35066&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneurodudes.com%2F2009%2F03%2F10%2Fnew-breakthrough-on-meditation-and-consciousness%2F Hi! I’ve just published what I believe is a breakthrough paper on meditation and consciousness (formal abstract and link below). It is the first to interrelate the work on synchronized gamma in consciousness with the well-attested work on gamma in meditation. It adduces experimental and simulated data to show that what both have in common is the ability to put the brain into a state in which it is maximally sensitive and consumes zero power, briefly. It is argued that this may correspond to a “selfless” state and the more typical non-zero state, in which gamma is not so prominent, corresponds to a state of empirical self. Thus, the “zero power” in the title refers not only to the power spectrum of the brain as measured by the Hilbert transform, but also to a psychological sta... neurodudes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2259407 Tue, 10 Mar 2009 23:27:54 +0100 2259407 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2202570&cid=t_100611_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F02%2F20%2Fcontinuing-professional-education-videos-online%2F It’s been a while since I put up some links to good free online video material, so today’s the day! University of Maryland has a range of medical videos on manytopics.  There is a heavy bias towards medical and surgical options, and little on ‘allied health’.  The information on spine disorders and ‘oh my aching back’ is focused on surgical and peripheral disorders, and little attention is paid to the limited relationship between ‘ruptured discs’ and pain.  No matter, there are some nice podcasts on ‘forgiveness’, ‘medical crisis counselling’, and ‘depression’, and the series under ‘preventive medicine’ has a nice one on ‘walking for wellness’. PBS website NOVA has some really int... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2202570 Thu, 19 Feb 2009 18:09:32 +0100 2202570 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2018550&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F474885607%2F Dr. Andrew Newberg is an Associate Professor in the Department of Radiology and Psychiatry and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. He has published a variety of neuroimaging studies related to aging and dementia. He has also researched the neurophysiological correlates of meditation, prayer, and how brain function is associated with mystical and religious experiences. Dr. Newberg, thank you for being with us today. Can you please explain the source of your interests at the intersection of brain research and spirituality? Since I was a kid, I had a keen interest in spiritual practice. I always wondered how spirituality and religion affect us, and over time I came to appreciate how science can help us explore and understand th... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2018550 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:01:43 +0100 2018550 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1964598&cid=t_100611_107_f&fid=36585&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHighlightHEALTH%2F%7E3%2FBQ-_S2aYqZQ%2F Conclusion Well, what do you think? Have you made a decision? We’ve moved through each of the different attributes: needs, preferences, values and emotions. Did you find the articles interesting? Did you learn anything new? Was this a successful edition of Encephalon? I really enjoyed reading through each of the articles and learned quite a lot. My thanks to everyone that contributed articles — it’s been great hosting this edition of Encephalon. Be sure to take a moment and let your fellow bloggers know this issue is available so that everyone’s hard work can be appreciated and enjoyed by all. You can find both the hosting schedule and past editions at the Encephalon Archives & Calendar. The next edition of Encephalon will be at Ionian Enchantment on November 24th.... Highlight HEALTH blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1964598 Thu, 13 Nov 2008 20:20:10 +0100 1964598 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1933013&cid=t_100611_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F11%2Fsurprise-surprise-swiss-assisted.html Of course, anyone reading SHS and pondering this matter rationally, would realize that once assisted suicide/euthanasia consciousness becomes widely accepted, the categories of the terminated expand. And now, waddya know, a study of assisted suicide in Switzerland shows that an increasing number of the cases have been of people who are not terminally ill. From the story:Researchers from the University of Zurich and the Zurich University of Applied Sciences said many elderly people who have sought assistance to end their lives in Switzerland suffered from chronic and other non-life-threatening conditions."Being tired of life and in very poor health are becoming more frequent reasons to seek help to commit suicide than in the past," said Susanne Fischer, co-author of the review of assisted s... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1933013 Tue, 04 Nov 2008 20:13:00 +0100 1933013 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1655441&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=34756&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbrainethics.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F07%2F25%2Fsway-irrational-desires-and-errors%2F Just noticed this very attractive title by the Brafman brothers- The book, Sway – the irresistable pull of irrational behavior, “will challenge your every thought”, according to a NY Times review. And it gets similarly good reviews from other prominent people, like Michael Shermer, the author of the recent book The mind of the market, which I blogged about recently. I found a couple of good videos on this book that’s good to share: A longer version with more nuances can be seen here: So after this, you get the idea: unconscious, automatic thought patterns act out and cause irrational behaviours, sometimes at the worst possible time and place.The questions raised are, of course, interesting and important. Why do we sometimes make horrific decisions, despite having ... BRAINETHICS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1655441 Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:29:06 +0100 1655441 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1638115&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F339187658%2F One of our favorite popular science publications is Scientific American Mind, a magazine that always brings good articles on brain & mind issues and some fun teasers. We are therefore pleased that Scientific American is offering a Special Partnership offer for SharpBrains readers: a subscription to Scientific American Mind magazine, at 55% off the cover price. Plus, they offer an exclusive gift for new subscribers: a special publication on Secrets of the Expert Mind. You can click Here to learn more about this offer. Description: SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN MIND is a new magazine from the editors of Scientific American - taking readers inside the most riveting breakthroughs in psychology, neuroscience and related fields. SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN MIND investigates, analyzes and reveals new thinkin... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1638115 Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:35:23 +0100 1638115 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1615982&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=34756&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbrainethics.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F07%2F11%2Fsedbergh-festival-of-ideas%2F Here is a heads up for the upcoming Sedbergh Festival of Ideas. Martin is going over to bring our view on the neuroethics of consciousness science research. Unfortunately, I’m unable to attend, but Martin will cover our ideas very nicely. The event Martin is talking at is “Event 4 — Varieties of consciousness“, together wih no other than Geraint Rees, Ilona Roth and Max Velmans. If you are in the vicinity, why not attend? I hope Martin is going to blog about this meeting, just as he will with his recent trip to the HBM conference. UPDATE: Here is the program (I just received from Andi Chapple): Session 1 - Science and Consciousness 10am - 1.30pm, Saturday 19 July People’s Hall, Howgill Lane, Sedbergh, Cumbria LA10 5DE, England £15 (£6 concessions) for the wh... BRAINETHICS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1615982 Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:42:27 +0100 1615982 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1367098&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=36506&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainSciencePodcastBlog%2F%7E3%2F268599841%2F I am not very good at keeping up with all the great blogs about neuroscience, but I did happen to find two that I thought you might enjoy. Both Developing Intelligence and Conscious Entities explore both the meaning of consciousness and the relationship between the human brain and computers. (Source: the Brain Science Podcast and Blog with Dr. Ginger Campbell) the Brain Science Podcast and Blog with Dr. Ginger Campbell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1367098 Fri, 11 Apr 2008 20:44:58 +0100 1367098 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1266613&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=35068&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbrainwindows.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F02%2F28%2Flarge-scale-model-of-mammalian-thalamocortical-systems%2F I’ll be the first to admit that my limited focus area in neuroscience, the levels of molecules and cells, biases me to attend to the trees, while missing the patterns in the whole forest. Many of our best recording and imaging methods, single-unit electrophysiology, fluorescence imaging and multi-unit extracellular arrays give us access to only a very tiny piece of the brain at any given moment. Yet endogenous neural activity is dependent on powerful (and subtle) interactions between geographically distant regions of the brain. Whole-brain measurement techniques, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging, magnetoencephalography, and diffusion tensor imgaging, can measure these interactions, but tend to have poor temporal-spatial resolution. Therefore, in order to understand the g... Brain Windows blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1266613 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:19:12 +0100 1266613 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1262026&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=36506&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainSciencePodcastBlog%2F%7E3%2F242284696%2F The blog Journey to Perplexity notes that Gerald Edelman’s book Second Nature: Brain Science and Human Knowledge offers some valuable insights into why “the mind is not a computer.” I am not sure who writes this blog, but he seems to be writing from a philosophical background. http://iamyouasheisme.wordpress.com/2008/02/25/the-mind-is-not-a-computer/ Its been a while since I read Edelman’s book. Edelman won the Nobel Prize in 1972 for important discoveries about the structure of antibodies, but he has devoted the last several decades to studying neuroscience. His two most well-known contributions are his theory of s0-called neural Darwinism and his study of the importance of redundancy and feedback loops within the brain. He has written quite a few books on the sub... the Brain Science Podcast and Blog with Dr. Ginger Campbell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1262026 Wed, 27 Feb 2008 20:24:12 +0100 1262026 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1119423&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=36506&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainSciencePodcastBlog%2F%7E3%2F207311532%2F Discussion Forum Audience Survey Subscribe via iTunes™ Subscribe in a reader or podcatcher Subscribe to Brain Science Podcast with Dr. Ginger Campbell by Email   (Source: the Brain Science Podcast and Blog with Dr. Ginger Campbell) the Brain Science Podcast and Blog with Dr. Ginger Campbell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1119423 Fri, 28 Dec 2007 02:00:07 +0100 1119423 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=949000&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=36506&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainSciencePodcastBlog%2F%7E5%2F165871322%2F22-brainscience-koch.mp3 Discussion Forum Audience Survey   (Source: the Brain Science Podcast and Blog with Dr. Ginger Campbell) the Brain Science Podcast and Blog with Dr. Ginger Campbell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=949000 Fri, 05 Oct 2007 20:35:36 +0100 949000 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=823673&cid=t_100611_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F148711110%2Fresearcher_who_redefined_free.html What separates people who steal from the public purse and those who give back millions to help others? That moment of choice ... which makes some a sinner and others a saint … consumed Benjamin Libet’s research until his July 23 death at the age of 91. Libet’s well respected research points to a smaller window on choices than once observed, according to latimes.com. After 20 years of studying the brain, Libet concluded that instead of a free will, the mind has a free won’t. Through a series of experiments Libet and his research team observed electrodes imbedded deep in the brains of epilepsy patients - and measured neural circuits stimulated.He compared how long a signal is required to elicit a response and how long that response took. Electrical sti... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=823673 Mon, 27 Aug 2007 09:48:43 +0100 823673 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=807322&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=35066&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneurodudes.com%2F2007%2F08%2F18%2Fsteve-grand-on-strong-ai%2F Interview with Steve Grand on building human level artificial intelligence at Machines Like Us. Really interesting. Via Chris Chatham at (the excellent) Developing Intelligence. In particular, MLU asks why his current project to create an android was done as a physical robot rather than as a simulation. The answer, that you can cheat too much in a simulation, is familiar to those from the Brooksian school of embodied intelligence. He says that simulations still aren’t good enough to provide the kinds of physical constraints, like gravity and friction, etc, that you get when building real robots . However, with the availability of free 3D simulation environments that handle physics, like Breve, we are getting a lot closer. Building a robot within a simulation like this, particula... neurodudes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=807322 Sun, 19 Aug 2007 01:58:53 +0100 807322 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=793923&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=34736&url=http%3A%2F%2Fchanneln.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fdefining-consciousness.html [image: Morning Consciousness (2004), Dionisio Ceballas]title Is Consciousness Definable?description "One problem is that there are too many definitions! And getting these four guests to agree on what consciousness is and what causes it, is a fun but hopeless task that is revelatory at the same time. These four leading brain scientists couldn't even agree on at what level a simple "memory" was stored, whether as a gross "brain circuit," at the synapse between nerve cells, or in the microstructure of the nerve cells as some sort of quantum effect. But why should it be any different now? Philosophers have debated the "mind-body problem" and the existence of "free will" for thousands of years. However, never before have we been in a position to examine the brain with such precision." Philosop... Channel N blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=793923 Sun, 12 Aug 2007 02:48:00 +0100 793923 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=773347&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=35066&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneurodudes.com%2F2007%2F08%2F01%2F407%2F A patient who had been in a “minimally conscious state” for six years regained responsiveness after stimulation via electrodes implanted in the thalamus. Now he can “name objects on request, make precise hand gestures, and chew food without the aid of a feeding tube”. Nature news Nature news and views N. D. Schiff, J. T. Giacino, K. Kalmar, J. D. Victor, K. Baker, M. Gerber, B. Fritz, B. Eisenberg, J. O’Connor, E. J. Kobylarz, S. Farris, A. Machado, C. McCagg, F. Plum1, J. J. Fins & A. R. Rezai. Behavioural improvements with thalamic stimulation after severe traumatic brain injury. Nature 448, 600-603 (2 August 2007) (Source: neurodudes) neurodudes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=773347 Wed, 01 Aug 2007 22:18:55 +0100 773347 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=700741&cid=t_100611_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F128443581%2F Some years ago while visiting us at the beach, Jim’s best friend—an artist named Mike—-upbraided us for talking about Charlie in the third person in Charlie’s own presence: “Never talk about him in front of himself!” At the time, I pointed out how Charlie only seemed able to follow directions that we had spent hours teaching him, or to recognize that “table” meant the four-legged thing we ate on as a result of showing him numerous photos of tables and saying variations on “point to the table!”, “touch the table!”, etc.. We kept our sentences short and direct, and our articulation clear (and we tried to talk slowly, something that Jim and I have to remind ourselves to do). Mike spoke so in earnest—he had raised t... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=700741 Wed, 27 Jun 2007 19:58:36 +0100 700741 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=628974&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=34736&url=http%3A%2F%2Fchanneln.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F05%2Fgreat-canadian.html title Great Canadian Psychology Researcher -- Endel Tulvingdescription From the Great Canadian Psychology Researcher series from U of Alta comes this bio of U of T cognitive scientist Endel Tulving. Tulving wrote The FACT, referring to ‘The First Axiom of Consciousness and Thought’ – ‘If a thing is not alive, it cannot be conscious, nor can it think.’ Read more, including criticism (sorta).producer U of Alta and academic partners featuring Endel Tulvingformat embeddate unknownlength unknown (brief)link http://www.psych.ualberta.ca/GCPWS/etulving.htmlTags: webcast brain cognition consciousness (Source: Channel N) Channel N blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=628974 Mon, 21 May 2007 21:24:00 +0100 628974 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=589150&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=35066&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneurodudes.com%2F2007%2F05%2F03%2Fhuman-20-new-minds-new-bodies-new-identites%2F The MIT Media Lab is holding a conference on May 9th, “Human 2.0: New Minds, New Bodies, New Identites” which will launch a number of new initiatives centered around the goal of inventing a better future via direct engineering of the human. Amongst these things will be the initiation of the MIT Center for Human Augmentation, and the launch of a number of novel applied Neurotechnology Projects. Guest speakers on May 9th will include MIT professors (Roz Picard, Hugh Herr, myself, etc.) and many legendary speakers such as Oliver Sacks and John Donoghue. Registration may be close to being full, but it will be webcast. More information at: http://h20.media.mit.edu - Ed (Source: neurodudes) neurodudes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=589150 Fri, 04 May 2007 05:09:31 +0100 589150 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=551233&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=34756&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbrainethics.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F04%2F18%2Fradio-interviews-in-denmark%2F And while we’re in the talk of media coverage, I should mention to those who understand Danish that the Danish Broadcast Company, or DR, has a documentary series on their primary radio channels, P1. The series is called “Hjernerejsen” (loosely translated to “The brain travel”) and it covers topics such as emotions and bonding, brain maturation, transhumanism and neuroethics.In the program called “the soul is in the brain”, I starred in an interview about the new ideas that neuroscience brings to our traditional thoughts about personality and self. My co-interviewees were Jesper Mogensen and Albert Gjedde, both well-renowned neuroscientists both within and outside Scandinavia. In a coming topic on the senses (tomorrow, April 19.), I speak about how ... BRAINETHICS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=551233 Wed, 18 Apr 2007 07:32:56 +0100 551233 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=486195&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=35066&url=http%3A%2F%2Fneurodudes.com%2F2007%2F02%2F24%2Fmore-on-quad-nets-new-brainmind-theory%2F In September, 2006, I described my “new brain/mind theory” here and received some challenging criticism from Eric Thomson and Mike S. (see below). To meet these challenges, I prepared a reduced model discussed in a web page linked to a paper in .pdf form. Since my approach is based on little-known thermodynamics, I have also written about mechanical metaphors that may be helpful in explaining my ideas. “Timing devices” in the new paper are like RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computers) in comparison to Quad Nets that are like CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computers). “Quad Nets” is based on “critical point thermodynamics” and I am confident that they are new. However, “timing devices” may have been explored by others and I will... neurodudes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=486195 Sat, 24 Feb 2007 15:43:25 +0100 486195 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=469646&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=34736&url=http%3A%2F%2Fchanneln.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F02%2Fminimally-conscious.html title Woman Recovers Brain Functiondescription After a severe traumatic brain injury, a "medical miracle" woman spent 20 years in a minimally conscious state ("a condition of severely altered consciousness in which minimal but definite behavioral evidence of self or environmental awareness is demonstrated"*) until she became able to communicate again. Despite damage to short term memory, she retains temporally-altered long term memory, curiously believing she is still 18 but aware of events over the years.producer CBS News, with Time magazinefeaturing Sarah Scantlin, her family and doctorsformat embeddeddate 21/01/07length 00:05:47link http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=2370295nVia Science and Consciousness Review.* The minimally conscious state: Definition an... Channel N blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=469646 Thu, 22 Feb 2007 08:42:00 +0100 469646 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=469657&cid=t_100611_122_f&fid=34736&url=http%3A%2F%2Fchanneln.blogspot.com%2F2006%2F12%2Fsynaptic-self.html title The Synaptic Self: How Our Brains Become Who We Aredescription "7th Annual Stony Brook Mind Brain Lecture, Probing the Mysteries of the Mind. Joseph E. LeDoux, Ph.D., Professor of Neural Science and Psychology and Director, Center for the Neuroscience of Fear and Anxiety, New York University. Topic: The Synaptic Self: How Our Brains Become Who We Are" producer The Swartz Foundationfeaturing Joseph E. LeDoux, Ph.D.format RealVideodate 31/03/2003length 01:12:00level generallink http://www.swartzneuro.org/docs/swartz_5-9-03.ramTags: webcast brain neuropsychology consciousness (Source: Channel N) Channel N blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=469657 Tue, 19 Dec 2006 06:10:00 +0100 469657 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=551442&cid=t_100611_140_f&fid=35440&url=http%3A%2F%2Fspiritualemergency.blogspot.com%2F2006%2F01%2Fguidelines-for-making-it-through_10.html Simplify your life: Make arrangements for childcare and time off work if necessary. Stock up on some basic groceries. Limit your use of all stimulants: caffeine, alcohol, drugs, etc. If you are on any form of prescription drugs continue taking them as prescribed or ask your doctor/caregiver about going off them for a short period of time. This is especially true if you are on any form of psychiatric medications -- severe withdrawal effects are associated with some medications and they should never be stopped cold turkey. If you regularly meditate or do yoga (especially kundalini yoga) stop doing so for at least a few days. Do not resume the practice until you feel comfortable doing so. Create a sacred space: The idea is to create a safe container to hold the experience. The container can b... Spiritual Emergency blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=551442 Wed, 11 Jan 2006 02:25:00 +0100 551442