Thursday, June 7, 2012

حوار


التفكير النقدي.. استكشف كيف يعمل عقلك 3: ‎ cc ‎‏ ‎


‏ طبعا التدوينة ممتازة ولكن هناك بعض الاسئلة ، ما المعيار او المقياس الذى على اساسه يمكن تصنيف شخص انه خبير فى مجال معين ؟


‏ هل هى الشهادة العلمية مثلا او قراءة كم معين من الكتب او الخبرة التراكمية العملية فى هذا المجال ؟

‏ هناك ايدولوجيات اذا تناولناها بالنقد ، بننسف الاعتقاد فيها من الاصل مثل الاديان ، وانا شايفة ان كل الاديان فيها ما ينتقد ،
‏ لكن المشكلة ان اتبات اى وجهة نظر خاطئة فى الدين اللى بيعتقد فيه اى شخص ، بيؤدى بالتبعية للشك فيه ككل ومن ثم تركه
‏ فيما يخص الايدولوجيات ،كل ايديولوجى لها ايجابياتها وسلبياتها ومسألة ايمان شخص فى اى ايديولوجى غير مرتبط بمدى اكتمالها ولكن



‏ مرتبط بمفاضلته بين ايجابيات وسلبيات هذا الفكر وايجابيات وسلبيات الايدولوجيات الاخرى واختياره مع ما يتوافق مع هواه الشخصى
‏ كيف للانسان ان يشكل هويته بناءا على الطرق التى اكتسب بها الافكار وليس بناءا على مايؤمن به من افكار؟
‏ فاحيانا اكتساب الافكار يأتى نتيجة جهل بالافكار الاخرى او نتيجة حجب الافكار الاخرى او نتيجة قمع او اجبار او توجيه مضلل
‏ وهل يشمل التفكير النقدى الغيبيات التى نؤمن بوجودها دون اى أدلة ؟عقلية ومنطقية
‏ بالنسبة لاشكالية زى الصراع بين افكار الثوار وحزب الاستقرار ، فالموضوع وجهات نظر ايضا ومصالح وخوف احيانا
‏ فلا على الثوار تقديم ضمانات لحزب الكنبة ولا على حزب الكنبة اقناع الثوار بوجهة نظرهم ولا على اى طرف الاقتناع بمبدأ الاخر
‏ بخصوص جزئية اتقان قطاع معرفي أو فني معين فهو مش محتاج شهادة اكاديمية، هو محتاج الاطلاع على اساسياته بطريقة نقدية.
‏ مثال: انا مقدرش اقول اني بافهم ميكانيكا نيوتن غير لما قريت التاريخ النقدي ليها، ومازلت لحد دلوقت باقرأ في الفلسفة اللي وراها
‏ مع انها تبدوا عبيطة وبيدرسوها للطلبة في الثانوي، وفي الجامعة. بس فيه مستوى اعلى من دا بكتير محدش بيوصل له غير المهتم.

‏ فالاهتمام والسعي لملأ الشغف هو اللي بيجيب الخبرة. مثال تاني: مينفعش اقول اني بافهم في الاقتصاد الاشتراكي من غير ماقرأ سميث.




‏ مع ان آدم سميث هو بتاع رأس المال، وبالتبعية حتى لو باحب الاقتصاد الاشتراكي فلازم اقرأ نقد: مِل وهوبز وريكاردو وكينز وهايك.
‏ مشكلة الايديولوجيات والديانات انها مش مبنية على منطق رياضي لا يختلف عليه اتنين. عشان كده انا ضد نهاية التاريخ لفوكوياما.
‏ سقوط الاتحاد السوفييتي لايعني سقوط الفكر اليساري، لان اليسار مش ممثل في الاتحاد السوفييتي مثلا. اليسار بروود سبكترم.
‏ المشكلة في فهمك لهذا اليسار، هل ماركس دعى فعلا لشيوع الجنس مثلا؟ ام ان فهم الناس لماركس وصلهم لكده ونسبوه للماركسية؟
‏ تعالي نتكلم من منظور ديني تاني، انا باعتبر نفسي مؤمن بدرجة ما أو بأخرى والله وحده هو اللي يقدر يقّيم ويحاسبني عليها، ولكن...
‏ هل فهمي للايمان بيقولي مثلا ان رسولي كان بيستعبد الاسرى أو انه كان بيدوفيلك بزواجه من السيدة عائشة وهي طفلة بالمفهوم الحالي؟
‏ حقيقة انا فهمي للقضايا دي ان موضوع البيدوفيليا نشأ مع تطور البشر، ولو كان يعلم انه قد يضر لنهى الناس عنه.
‏ فقد كاد ان ينهى المسلمين عن المعاشرة الزوجية وقت الحمل غير انه رأى الفرس والروم يفعلونه ولا ضرر فيه فلم ينههم.
‏ ممكن حد يقول دا نبي والمفروض انه يعرف من ربه. حقيقة الرسول نفسه قال: سكت عن أشياء رحمة لكم غير نسيان فلا تسألوا عنها.
‏ كما ان فهمي للنبوة والرسالة يقتضي ان علم الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم شقان: شق بشري وشق رباني.
‏ وكما قال علي بن ابي طالب: لو كان الدين بالعقل لكان مسح باطن الخُف أولى بالمسح من أعلاه. على الرغم من انها عبارة تمنع المنطق
‏ تمنع إعمال المنطق، لأن فيه مظاهر في الدين فعلا لو فسرناها بالعقل مش هيبقى الدين له معنى. ومع جمع هذه الاشياء يظهر امامنا:
‏ ان فيه حاجات في الدين مينفعش نشغل عقلنا فيها كما لو كانت مسلمات وهي صريحة ومنصوص عليها في القرآن والسنة، وفيه اجتهادات......
‏ واينما المصلحة فثم شرع الله، وقد تيقن في اكثر من موقف تعليق الحدود بحسب المتغيرات، او حتى تغليظها حسب المصلحة.
‏ وعليه مثلا لو رأينا انه من غير الاخلاقي استعباد الاسرى فمن الواجب الغاؤه حتى لو كان السلف يفعلونه. ثم ان فهم السلف للرق غير.

‏ فهل مفهومهم للرق يعني البيع والشراء والاذلال مثلا؟ ام انه كان شيئا لا يستنكر وقتها لمحدودية افكارهم في هذه النقطة مثلا؟
‏ هل مفهومهم عن الرق كان يشمل ان يأكل مما يأكل ويلبس مما يلبس السيد ولا يكلفه بما لايطيق؟ ام انه كان مفهوم انه مجرد سلعة؟
‏ حقيقة ان فهم الناس للدين ايا ماكان هو اللي بيجلب الاشياء الشريرة وليس الدين نفسه، لان النصوص الدينية عامة في الاصل.
‏ ومسلّمات الدين لا تخضع لمنطق. ممكن حد يقول انا رافض حاجة غير منطقية وهابقى ملتزم باللي عقلي يقولي عليه. هو حر بس اتمنى......
‏ اتمنى انه يقرأ النقد الموجه برده للالحاد. زي مثلا Pascal wager او مثلا The Science Delusion ‎

‏ لان في النهاية العقل قاصر ودي يجمع عليها المؤمن والملحد، واليساري واليميني، والفلولي والثوري. والمعارف في تطور.





‏ اما بخصوص ضمانات للكنبة فانا شايف ان فيه جزء من تخوفاتهم مبررة، احنا شعب دينه الحقيقي هو الاستقرار. ثم ان فيه قاعدة بتقول:





‏ متى وُجد نظام بديل، وجبت الثورة. ونظام بديل يعني استراتيجية وتكتيكات. واحنا من خيبة استراتيجياتنا فرحنا بتسليم السلطة للمجلس


‏ مع ان الشعب يريد اسقاط النظام ‎:)‏ وعلى رأي الاسطى زلطة: وكإن مبارك بيسرق بقاله 30سنة وطنطاوي بيدعيله على المصلية بقاله 20سنة
‏ نسيت اقول حاجة: الاخلاق نوعين، موضوعية وذاتية، والاخلاق تخضع لنظرية المعرفة والدين. ومفهوم الغرب للاخلاق غيرنا لاسباب......
‏ هل يعنى انى عشان اتقن شئ يجب انى اكون شغوف بيه ؟ وبناءا عليه بحاول اطلع على كل ما كتب عنه ، يعنى بدون شغف مفيش اتقان؟
‏ ان الغرب ماشي باربع ايديولوجيات منها الفردية الطرائقية، في حين ان الشرق يُعلي من شأن الدين اللي هو جماعي في الغالب.
‏ ودا احد اسباب صراع الحضارات اللي هو فعلا موجود. ‎
‏ حقيقة الانسان كائن بيسعى لاشباع غرائزه دوما، حجم الشغف غالبا بيحدد حجم الاتقان. بصي على شغف العلماء مثلا.
‏ اذا كان الرسول سكت عن اشياء رحمة بالناس وقتها ، فمش من باب اولى مكانش يعملها هو حتى وان ترك الناس يعملوها يمكن كانت الناس
‏ منهم اللي كان بينسى ميعاد جوازه زي باستير، منهم اللي اهمل صحته ومات بامراض عديدة لانه كان بيسهر وبياكل بطريقة غير صحية.
‏ تقتدى بيه ، بدل ما البعض عايز يقتدى بيه فى الزواج من الاطفال دلوقتى
‏ دا كان في حديثه عن الله عز وجل هو اللي سكت عن الاشياء
‏ ماهو احنا ممكن نفسرها على انها خاصية له والمفروض انها ماتحصلش طالما ثبت بعلم طبيب "حاذق" ضررها على المرأة.
‏ ايمانا بالاسراء والمعراج مثلا وحمل السيدة مريم بدون دنس قائم على تقديس الاشخاص بدون اى منطق
‏ الصلاة نفسها مش منطقية في عدد اوقاتها وركعاتها وطريقتها نفسها، ولكن انا كمؤمن باقول بالسمع والطاعة ودا مش مكان المنطق.
‏ وليه مثلا القرأن محرمش العبودية بالتدريج زى ماحرم الخمور
‏ حقيقة فهم بعض العلماء لجعل كفارات الكبائر هو عتق الرقبة يعادل التدريج في تحريم الخمر.
‏ وماذا لو حاولت تقنع انسان بالمنطق للاقتناع بدين معين ؟
‏ فيه كفارات كتيرة احنا بنقضيها بصوم لان الاصل فيها كان العتق ثم الصيام لمن لم يقدر على العتق وبالتتابع مش بالاختيار
‏ ولو واحد مكنش عنده عبد بس جاره عنده، فالمفروض انه يشتريه ويعتقه ككفارة عن الذنب، مش يصوم ‎:)‏
‏ دي مسألة معقدة وحسب ما يستقر في فهم الناس لحقيقة الوجود والموجود، هنا بيدخل فلسفات صعبة انا بصراحة مفهمش فيها.
‏ يعني مثلا ابن رشد كان يؤمن بان الكون قديم، انا لا اؤمن بذلك لاني ارى الله هو القديم والكون احدث منه.
‏ بس مقدرش اقول لابن رشد انت كافر، دي مسألة تخص بتوع العقيدة
‏ بس حتى الان دينيا ، وليس قانونيا ، انا مسموحلى شراء عبيد
‏ لا، لو أن ولي الامر او النظام الحاكم او خلافه منع شيئا لتثبت ضرره فطاعة ولي الامر هنا واجبة دينيا ‎:)‏
‏ بشرط ان يكون ولي الامر والنظام الحاكم قد بيّن للناس حجم الضرر.
‏ سيدنا عمر بن الخطاب مثلا خالف حد رسول الله في جلد شارب الخمر وضاعفه من 40 إلى 80، هل دا معناه انه مبتدع مثلا؟
‏ طيب " انك لا تهدى من احببت والله يهدى من يشاء" ثم توعد الكفار بكل ماهو مذكور فى القرأن ، مش فى تناقض؟
‏ دي مسألة معقدة انا مش عارف لها تفسير لانها بتتحدث عن ان كان الانسان مسير ام مخير، ودي محدش حسمها في اي دين لحد دلوقت.

‏ ثم ان تفسير القرآن عايز فهم لمعاني اللغة وفلسفتها، السيمانطيقا بتاعتها، هل عبارة يهدي من يشاء يمكن تأويلها مثلا؟
‏ مردتش فى نقطة الاسراء والمعراج والسيدة مريم
‏ التقديس في الاسلام حسب فهمي هو تعظيم وليس تقديس، بمعنى انه يجوز له مالايجوز للبشر في اشياء ويشترك معهم في اشياء اخرى.
‏ طيب ازاى اعيش واموت وانا مؤمن بدين وانا مش فاهم فيه حاجات كتيرة بالاضافة لحاجات تانية تبدو متناقضة
‏ "وقالوا مال هذا الرسول يأكل الطعام ويمشي في الاسواق" فالكفار هم من طلبوا تقديس النبي ‎:)‏
‏ دي مشكلة ناس كتير، المفروض انهم طول الوقت يختبروا فهمهم للدين دا. هل هما محقين في فهمهم ولا لأ؟
‏ مش شايف ان ده مفتاح لعدم اعمال الفكر النقدى لكل شئ فى حياتنا بمعنى ان اعفاء الدين من التفكير المنطقى ترتب عليه
‏ المشكلة ان العلم نفسه فيه الحاجات غير منطقية ‎:)‏ سمعتي عن الFringe science مثلا؟
‏ ترتب عليه عدم اعمال الفكر المنطقى فى كل شئ ،خدنا مسلمات فى الدين وده اول شئ بنتعلمه فى حياتنا ، فبناءا عليه اخدنا كل شئ مسلمات
‏ والاصل ان الانسا يفضل يدور، انا لم اتوقف مرة عن التفكير بهذه المشاكل ولكنها لاتشغل كل تفكيري، ورايا مصالح تانية ‎:)‏
‏ لا ، بس لو معندكش وقت سيبنى انا أدور بنفسى فيها
‏ هتلاقيها في الويكيبيديا كالعادة ‎:)‏ مجموعة من الظواهر بيتم تفسيرها بطريقة بعيدة عن الميين ستريم بتاع العلم الارثوذكسي.
‏ في النهاية العقل نفسه محدود ولازم نعترف بكده، ونستخدمه في الوقت اللي نحس انه مناسب ونعترف بقصوره في الوقت المناسب برده.
‏ لو كل حاجة بالعقل، كان زمان الناس قافلة الدكان من زمان قوي. البشرية بقالها كتير على الارض ومع ذلك فيه حاجات ميعرفوش تفسيرها
‏ اكيد طبعا ، انا معترفة ومسلمة بكده
‏ المشكلة الاعقد، هل احنا فعليا بنفسر الاشياء ولا بنوصفها؟ هل مثلا علاقة السببية هي علاقة تفسيرية فعلا ام وصفية؟
‏ المهم كمان ان الناس تتحاور وتتكلم وتختلف، هو دا فهمي لدفع الله الناس بعضهم ببعض ومن غيره تفسد الارض.
‏ مين هم الناس ، اللى بيجمعهم دين واحد ولا مكان واحد ولا كل خلق الله ؟ انت لسه قايل المنظور الغربى للاخلاق مختلف تماما
‏ كل الناس ‎:)‏ انا مش شايف مشكلة ان الحضارات او الايديولوجيات تتصارع. الصراع بيعمق الفهم بتاع الاطراف المتصارعة "الواعية".
‏ هو الشعب ساكت عليهم ليه؟ كله يشترك ‎:D‏
‏ الشعب مش عايز يناقش اساسا ولا يفكر ، عايز كبسولات جاهزة ، زى ما قولتلك قبول مسلمات الدين جعل الناس عايزة مسلمات فى كل شئ
‏ والله المفروض اللي عارف يقول للي مش عارف، بالحسنى برده ‎:)‏
‏ ماهو انك لا تهدى من احببت ‎:)‏
‏ بخصوص رهان باسكال ‎‏ فيه ناس بتقول انه مغالطة احتكام للنتائج وناس بتقول حجة زي الفل. مفيش اتفاق عليه ‎:)‏
‏ انت مثلا كام مرة تتكلم على تويتر وتشرح وتشير حاجات والمفروض انك بتخاطب ناس متعلمة ، ومع ذلك ولا حد بيكلف نفسه ويقرا
‏ بتوع المذاهب الطبيعية والكانتية بيقولو انه خداع مهين للدين نفسه، وناس بتقول انه لو خسرت الرهان مش هتخسر حاجة حقيقة ‎:)‏
‏ ‎‏ ابقي بصي على دا كمان، هتلاقي له نقد برده ومحدش برده عارف ان كان صح او خطأ ‎:)‏











































































Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Want of foresight, unwillingness to act when action would be simple and effective, lack of clear thinking, confusion of counsel until the emergency comes, until self-preservation strikes its jarring gong, these are the features which constitute the endless repetition of history.
~Winston Churchill

Friday, June 1, 2012

You Are Only One Thought Away From Inner Peace---By Paul R. Scheele

Being at peace is the wonderful state of mind and body where all is calm, where thoughts are quiet and serene, and where muscles are relaxed and comfortable. In this article, you'll learn how to attain this inner peace in a matter of minutes.
Once you are adept at controlling your mind and body, you are always only one simple thought away from perfect peacefulness.
You can "will" perfect peacefulness at any time. You will be able to move out of stressful situations immediately. All you need to do is follow a few simple steps to train yourself. A little practice is all that is required. But, you must take the time to direct the mind and body in positive ways so that you can ensure the pleasures of inner peace.
You're at the wheel. So let's drive on!

Let peace happen.

Being at peace is a choice. When we stop struggling and fighting the world around us—and the world within us—peace can happen. Our individual fight is with our thoughts, emotions and physical bodies. The fighting can be directed toward ourselves or those we face each day. Here are several approaches to quickly give up the fight and win at the same time.
There are many ways your physical body can take on struggles you face each day. Maybe you clench your jaw when you get mad. Maybe you collect tension across the back of your neck and shoulders. Maybe butterflies trouble your stomach. The first step is being aware of what you are doing. The second step is to consciously make the choice to release the tension.
Your mind takes on struggles in the form of mental images. Do you tend to imagine the ideal end result or the worst possible situation? Troubling and negative mental images translate into unpleasant emotions and stressful physical reactions.
Choose carefully the thoughts you think because they absolutely affect how you feel. Realize that the only person who can change your thoughts is you. You can then take charge and change your thoughts for the better.
Emotions are natural physiological changes that occur when thoughts are held in your mind. You can easily direct your emotional states by changing your posture; for example, sit straight, tilt your head, use facial expressions, walk differently, etc. You can also direct your emotional states by holding brighter and more pleasing visual images in mind. You have the choice, but you must make the choice.

Creating Peace of Mind

To create peace within yourself, simply relax your body and breathing; then, direct the mind.
A still body is the reflection of a calm mind, but the mind cannot be still until the body is still. Begin by making your body comfortable. Then release areas of tension. As example, gentle movements of the neck and shoulder muscles can help stretch and release tension in those areas.
Breathing in an even and steady way will quickly calm both the body and mind. Make the inhale and exhale of equal length without any pauses in between. Your breathing will become smooth and even.
The next step is to quiet the mind. Start by bringing your awareness into this present moment, here and now. By doing this you can effectively eliminate distracting or troubling thoughts. Any anxieties about the future or tensions from the past will leave your mind and body.
Another way to direct the mind is to direct your inner voice--especially if it is anxious or overbearing. Play with the idea of changing the volume of your inner voice. Have it be quieter. Modify the tone of you inner voice until it is pleasant, warm and nurturing. You can have it say pleasant and comforting words to you—words of encouragement and self esteem. Some people even repeat soothing words or phrases in a rhythmic way.
The final step is to hold images that encourage a peaceful mind. For thousands of years, prayerful and meditative people have directed the mind by holding steady mental pictures. For example, the image of a candle flame can be used to concentrate one's attention and steady the mind. You can use images of a peaceful scene from nature, a vacation setting, an imaginary room of comfort, a cathedral, rose bushes, or anything calming, wonderful, and peaceful.

What To Do Once You've Got There.

Getting to a relaxed state of mind and body by the above steps may take 20-30 minutes at first. With practice, however, you'll be able to accomplish this within a few minutes.
When you try to extend this peaceful feeling for long periods of time, you may find that your mind will race to other thoughts. After all, your mind is trained to race, to go full throttle, all day long. If you suddenly stop for 20 minutes, will your mind to cooperate? No. It will do what you trained it to do for the 16 hours--race!
So, what's the solution? How do you create a peace-filled life, and not peaceful three-minute spurts? Take it one moment and one thought at a time. Bring peaceful, serene, and positive images and feelings into the rest of your day. Learn to release tensions as they occur. Learn to direct your thoughts and emotions at the time they start getting out of hand. You'll discover that not only can you create a peacefulness, but you are living a peace-filled life. 

Sunday, May 20, 2012

How to Switch Dimensions--By Steve Pavlina



When I want to make a significant change in my life, I often think of it in terms of switching dimensions. My attention is focused on my current reality right now, and my desired situation can be said to exist as some alternate reality outside of my primary focus.
In that other reality, there's another me who's already where I want to be. My goal then is to become that other me and to shift into his reality.


In practice this is fairly straightforward. It may sound odd to you at first, but try not to get caught up on the words I use to describe the process. You may choose to frame it differently than I do, and that's fine.


First I'll explain how the process works in general, and then I'll walk you through a specific example to illustrate it.
  • Here are the steps:

1. Ponder Other Possibilities

First, imagine that all possible alternate realities can and do exist. The multiverse is an infinite honeycomb of possible universes. You may be aware of only one universe right now, but suppose that the others exist in some alternate dimensions, and you just aren't aware of them.


In some alternate reality, the Cuban Missile Crisis kicked off World War III. Or the USA is debt-free. Or there's an alternate YOU living in a different city.


On a personal level, for every choice or event you experienced, some YOU in another reality made a different choice and/or experienced a different outcome, so there's a whole network of new realities that splintered off from that one, a network that includes all possible branches of possibilities.


So in some other dimension, there are other versions of you who are living completely different lives.


Now ponder that in some of those dimensions, there are versions of you who are much happier, more successful, more socially supported, wealthier, etc.


Feel a sense of oneness with those other YOUs. Know that in fact they are all YOU. You exist in multitudes, but you normally focus your attention upon just one of all possible realities.


Sometimes you may get confused, however, and not be quite sure which reality you're in. Is this the reality where you experience abundance or scarcity or something in between? At times you may wonder which it is. Other times you may be quite certain about which reality you're focused upon right now, like This is a reality where I'm in love.

2. Explore the Relationship Between Your Reality and Your Vibe

Second, begin to notice that there's a relationship between your reality and your vibe.


Your vibe is your personal energy signature. It includes your feelings, thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes.


You may recognize the vibe of another person based on the overall feeling you have about that person. If you find someone creepy, you could say that the person emits a creepy vibe. You may find that others emit vibes that are peaceful, loving, joyful, depressed, angry, frustrated, stressed, guilty, worried, etc.


Our vibes fluctuate a lot. On any given day, your vibe may shift all over the place. Or it may remain relatively constant. But in the background, you will tend to have a fairly stable default vibe that you keep returning to. It's how you generally operate about 80% of the time.


If someone has a depressed vibe, you may still be able to make them laugh and feel happy from time to time, but their normal default behavior will be to return to that depressed vibe again and again.


The dimension you experience is largely determined by your default vibe, not by your momentary fluctuations.


Imagine you're listening to a song. The flow of the music will of course change over time. There will be different instruments and notes coming and going. The song's vibrations aren't the same from one measure to the next. But a song also has structure; otherwise it would just be noise. And so the song itself can be said to have an overall vibe, such as peaceful, uplifting, enthusiastic, depressing, powerful, etc.


The overall vibe of a song is like the overall vibe of your life. You may have lots of variation in the vibes within your life, but you're still subjected to the structure of the overall background vibe.


So, for instance, if your default vibe is depressing, you can still access some happy vibes and therefore enjoy happy experiences now and then, but those can only exist as exceptions.

3. Identify Your Default Vibe

Next, see if you can identify your current default vibe. Since you normally spend a lot of time there, you may not even notice it most of the time. It's easier to notice it by contrast. When your default vibe is fearful, and you feel really confident for a few hours, then you may realize just how fearful your default vibe actually is.
Remember that your vibe is more than your emotions, so feel free to use both emotional and non-emotional words to describe it. You may understand this part better when I share the walkthrough later on.


Again, it's easier to understand your current default vibe during those times when you're having peak experiences that shift your vibe in exceptional ways. When you're in a high or a low period relative to your default, you can view your default vibe from the outside looking in.


Another way to understand your default vibe is to spend some time with people who have very different default vibes. They will draw your vibe towards them, effectively stretching you away from your default experience, and during those times you can gain some perspective as well.


If you try to understand your default vibe from the inside, you'll probably just label it with words like "normal" or "average." But your version of normal may be another person's version of timidity. You have to stretch yourself away from the center to understand what that center really looks like. Contrast is essential here.

4. Identify Your Desired Vibe

Once you have some clarity about your default vibe, notice which of the exceptional vibes you feel most drawn to. What if you could turn a combination of those exceptional vibes into your default vibe, such that what was once exceptional and unusual becomes your normal day to day experience?


Suppose you notice that your default vibe has a lot of scarcity in it. When you do the contrast exercises in the previous step, you can see that you've been pessimistic, envious, and needy. But every once in a while, you have peak experiences of abundance, appreciation, and gratitude. If you could experience these peak vibes as your normal, default vibe, your life would change radically for the better. You would effectively switch dimensions into one where another YOU is experiencing delightful levels of abundance right now.


Vibes have many different frequencies, but for the sake of this change, you have a couple basic options. You could focus on just one aspect of your desired vibrational shift, such as switching from scarcity to abundance, or you can try to combine lots of different shifts into one. I find the former approach more effective since it's simpler. Once I've locked in one change, then I focus on the next one.


However, I do sometimes have to work on multiple shifts simultaneously because of their potential interactions. A vibe of low self-esteem can sabotage efforts to create a vibe of abundance, for instance.

5. Create a Trigger for Your Desired Vibe

It's not necessary to perfectly label a vibe with words. Vibes are much more expressive than words anyway. But it is important to come up with a way to reload your signature vibe whenever you want.


One way to trigger your desired vibe is to create a scene in your mind that evokes the vibe. After some practice this only takes seconds to load the vibe.


You may need to play around with the scene in your mind to reach the point where it feels just right. Keep tweaking your imagery till you feel it's helping you experience the desired vibe.


In your imagery be specific. Imagine you're playing the scene in a movie theater. So it's not blurry or fuzzy or riddled with options. You just click a mental "play" button and watch it go.


Note that you are not necessarily trying to manifest exactly what's in the scene. You're simply creating a trigger to reload your vibe.


Other ways to trigger your vibe would be to find a song that evokes the vibe. Or create a shrine in your home that evokes the vibe when you look at the shrine; a shrine is simply a collection of objects.

6. Load the New Vibe Daily

Now here's the biggest and most important step. Commit to spending time each day triggering and experiencing your new vibe. Do this for at least 20 minutes a day, and keep it up for 3-4 weeks minimum. You don't have to do the 20 minutes continuously though. Just aim to spend at least 20 minutes out of each day consciously practicing your new vibe.


If you do less than this, you're probably wasting your time. The new vibe will not stick.


The idea here is that you have to condition the new vibe as a permanent, long-term habit. It typically takes about 3-4 weeks to do that.


If you hold the vibe of abundance every day for a week, for instance, and then you slip and get sidetracked, nothing much will change. Your default vibe of scarcity will not be dislodged. You'll continue to experience essentially the same reality.


Once you've consciously done this for 3-4 weeks, the practice of loading up the new vibe will become a habit. This means that you'll continue this practice automatically without having to think about it. At this point it's only a matter of time before your new vibe begins to infect your default vibe, gradually shifting its frequencies over time. With each passing week, your default vibe will become increasingly abundant.


I usually do this by setting aside some time each day to meditate. During these meditations I load up my trigger, experience the desired vibe, and revel in it for 20 minutes or so. This practice not only turns the daily experience of the new vibe into a habit, but it also helps me get comfortable with it. After a few weeks, the new vibe no longer feels so exceptional to me; it begins to feel normal. Pretty soon I'll be experiencing this vibe throughout each day, not just during my meditations.


Additionally, I also nudge myself to reload the new vibe whenever I can remember to do so. I do it when I wake up first thing in the morning and when I'm lying in bed before falling asleep. I do it when I'm showering, exercising, or making meals. Sometimes I remind myself to do it when I'm in the middle of a conversation with someone. Basically I conspire to trigger my new vibe many times per day.

7. Act on Your New Vibe

Your vibe controls which thoughts you have access to. As you begin to shift your default vibe, your thinking will change as well. You'll begin to get new ideas that are inspired by the new vibe. Notice especially the ideas that are out of sync with your old vibe but which are clearly spawning from your new vibe.


Take action on these ideas as much as you can. Give yourself permission to be very spontaneous during this time. Don't hesitate. Just act.


You won't do this perfectly, so don't beat yourself up if you miss an opportunity. Just keep leaning into your new vibe with action. Take action again and again.


Similarly, hold back on taking action when you identify ideas as stemming from your old vibe. Let those ideas fade.


So here you're simply getting your actions aligned with your new vibe.

8. Shed the Incongruent

This step is absolutely critical, and it's a huge stumbling point for many people. I see lots of people crash and burn here. I can't caution you enough that you'd better prepare yourself for it. This step often takes a lot of heart and courage to complete.


As you shift your vibe, your reality is going to shift too. But you must cooperate with these shifts. If you fail to cooperate, you will effectively block the shift from taking place, and you'll remain stuck in your old reality.


As you shift your vibe internally, you're going to see some flare-ups of polarized energy in your external reality. Some of it will be very positive. New forms of support will rush towards you to encourage you. But much of it will take the form of resistance.


A common form of resistance is people telling you that they don't like what you're doing, especially people who are close to you now. If your vibe has been fairly stable for a while, then realize that your personal relationships right now are a result of your current default vibe. As you shift your vibe, your relationships must change as well. Some people may shift their vibes to join you, but many won't.


It's a mistake to try to negotiate and compromise with the people who are putting up resistance. Simply disconnect from them and let them go. This will create space for new people to come into your life, people who are vibrational matches for your new vibe, not your old one.


If you want to create abundance then, expect to lose many of your scarcity-minded friends. If you can't stomach that, realize that this is actually a result of the scarcity vibe itself. From the vibe of abundance, this is needy, clingy behavior, but from within the vibe of scarcity, it will more likely be labeled as loyalty.


The tricky part about shifting vibes is that some vibes include sticky elements that make them very stable. Scarcity is such a vibe. Depression is another. When you're depressed, for instance, you're going to repel happy people from your life, and so the only people who will deal with you are probably depressed, angry, or otherwise down on themselves. You won't see much evidence of what a happy reality could be like until you shift your vibe. So some vibrational shifts are a bit of a catch 22 indeed. If you're waiting for evidence that shifting your vibe will improve your reality, and you're unwilling to try shifting until you see such evidence, you'll be waiting a very long time. Your vibe will repel such evidence from even entering your reality.


This is why I like to have my default vibe infected with a sense of exploration and the desire to embrace new experiences. This helps expose me to new potential vibes to explore, and it helps prevent me from getting stuck. In fact, I've probably enjoyed the biggest and most positive shifts by embracing friends with vibes that were very different from my default vibe at the time I met them.


In order to complete my own shifts, I sometimes have to shed old friends who aren't compatible with the other side. It's difficult, but it's worth it. People are like magnets, and keeping people in my life who will keep pulling me back to my old vibe isn't helpful. Whenever I let go of those relationships, I feel relieved, and it's so much easier to complete the shift afterwards.


Just to clarify this a bit more, I'm not really letting go of the people. I'm letting go of the vibes they're currently holding. If they were to shift their vibes later to something more compatible with mine, they could easily re-enter my reality. For instance, I recently had to tell a friend that as long as she insists on holding herself in a vibe of depression and abuse (and remaining loyal to people who treat her like dirt), I'm not going to continue to connect with her because that's incompatible with what I want to experience. But I let her know that I'm happy to reconnect when she shifts her vibe to something more compatible with me (positive, growth-oriented, etc).


On the other hand, it's also quite beautiful when I connect with other growth-oriented people who are on a similar path, so we can work on our shifts together and help support and encourage each other along the way.

9. Embrace the Dimensional Shifts

As you see your reality begin to shift, welcome it. Notice signs that you're making progress, and celebrate them. Creatively observe that your reality is indeed changing.


These shifts happen over time, usually weeks or months in my experience. I like to think of this process as traveling through the intermediate dimensions between my old reality and my intended new reality. During much of this time, I'm no longer in my old reality, but I'm not quite in the new one yet either. I'm crossing through other dimensions that represent combinations of my old vibe and my new one.


This is where you will see a lot of partial matches. A business deal shows up, but it isn't quite right. A new potential relationship partner shows up, but s/he isn't interested or is already involved with someone else.


My advice here is not to force anything to happen. If you get too involved in these partial matches, you're very likely to get stuck partway through your shift. So don't get clingy with these intermediate universes and the "opportunities" they present to you.


Keep your focus on your new vibe, and do your best not to succumb to the lure of partial matches. I know they're tempting, but don't take the bait. This is especially tricky when shifting out of a scarcity vibe, where clinginess is part of the vibe. Just do your best to keep moving forward.


What happens to these partial matches as you continue to shift? In my experience they typically go one of two ways.


The first possibility is that they simply fade from your life, and something better shows up later.


The second possibility is that the nature of the connection shifts. So the same business deal or relationship exists in your desired reality, but the circumstances are different. In these situations, as you continue to shift, you'll see changes occurring. New funding will come through that wasn't there before. Someone who was unavailable becomes available.


When dealing with partial matches, it's very important to allow them to be as they are without undue attachment to outcomes. If you try to force or push the partial match to become a full match, you're going to stick yourself to one of those intermediate dimensions, and you will block yourself from experiencing a full match.


I have fallen into this trap so many times it's not even funny, but these days I'm really committed to not forcing things when I observe a partial match. I have enough experience that I don't need blind faith to keep me going, just the remembrance that partial matches are a clear sign of progress but not a reason to pause in mid-shift and proclaim victory.


When you don't fall for the temptation of a partial match and hold out for a beautifully aligned match, you can keep moving forward vibrationally. Then when your new vibe is locked in and your old vibe seems like a distant memory, you're going to be in your new desired dimension, and that's where the really good matches will appear with grace and ease. When these matches hit you, it's like a smack upside the head. Their alignment with your desires seems almost too good to be true. Just be careful not to push them away by seriously thinking that they are too good to be true. Welcome them with appreciation and gratitude, and know that you're ready to experience and enjoy them.

10. Enjoy Your New Reality

Vibes can be very sensitive, and it's unlikely that you'll achieve what you might label as perfection. It would be really tough to lock onto the exact dimension you wish to experience and go there specifically. These tools are not that precise. But you can get close enough to your desired universe that you can still proclaim victory.


At some point I usually reach a tipping point, and I can tell when I've tipped. I've escaped the gravity well of the old vibe, and I've clearly been pulled into the gravity well of the new vibe. I may not have shifted completely into my desired reality, but I have enough momentum that I can predict I'm going to get very close to it if I just maintain course.


A good way to lock in your new vibe is to appreciate your new reality. You've come a long way, and now you're in a whole new universe. This new universe has a different energetic signature than your old one, and it's a good match for your new vibe.


If you resist this shift and start loading up your old vibe, you can shift back. There's no rule that says that just because you made a positive shift, you can't undo it. You can certainly undo it and backslide. So to prevent this from happening, make a point of appreciating what you have now.


It can take some time to get used to your new reality. Try not to get too excited about it, as if it's something exceptional that won't last. Try to embrace your new reality as normal; expect it to persist for a while. Feeling good about it is great, but don't get so excited that you doubt its continuation since that may ultimately backfire on you. If you believe it's too good to be true, you'll attract a universe that validates your belief. So even if you attract something really amazing to you, know that you deserve it.


When you're ready for another shift, you may wish to hold the more desirable parts of your current vibe/reality stable, and work on creating the vibrational shifts that will allow you to slide sideways into a nearby dimension that has your desired improvements. For instance, once you've shifted into a reality where you enjoy financial abundance, you may wish to shift from there into a reality that includes social abundance as well.

Dealing With Resistance

As you work through your own shifts, let me reiterate: it will be hard, but it will be worth it. The most difficult sticking point is being able to say goodbye to parts of your old reality than can't make the journey with you. Your heart will ache at times, but you'll be happier on the other side.


I'm coming to appreciate the resistance to vibrational shifting since I see that it serves a valuable purpose. Resistance helps keep your current vibe stable. When you drift away from it, forces push you back towards the center. This may seem like a trap, but it has the benefit of stabilizing your vibe long enough so you can experience and learn from the full richness of it. If your vibe could shift very easily, you'd be crossing dimensions all the time, and your reality would be highly unstable. It would be difficult to learn much. This would be the ADHD version of reality.


With a stable vibe, you're less likely to accidentally flip into very different dimensions. This gives you time to explore, learn, and grow in a stable reality. Then when you're ready to shift, you need to exert enough willpower to cross the resistance barrier. This ensures that when you do shift, it's due to a very conscious and deliberate choice, not by accident.


If you think of resistance in this light, I think you'll come to appreciate it as I do, and it won't be such a big deal. You'll see that it's actually helping you.


And in truth, when you're truly ready to change, you'll know that no resistance can stop you. Dealing with resistance is a process of saying goodbye to the old and getting comfortable with the new. It's a graduation of sorts, which is frequently a mixture of sorrow and joy.


Are you really ready to let go of negative, scarcity-minded people? Do you feel you deserve to experience happiness, joy, and love every day? Are you ready to enjoy your life fully, or do you need to punish yourself some more?


If you don't like the reality you're experiencing now, then why are you still clinging to this particular dimension? Are other possible dimensions too far outside your comfort zone? Are you willing to experience discomfort and uncertainty while you shift? What is it about this reality that you'd have a hard time saying goodbye to?


Shifting dimensions is challenging but also deeply rewarding. If I didn't learn how to do this, I'd might be experiencing the inside of a prison cell today. In some other dimension, that is indeed what I'm experiencing. From my current dimension, I can feel compassion for that guy, but I have no desire to join him in his cell. And perhaps he also knows that in some other dimension, he is very happy and free. This contrast just makes me appreciate my current reality even more.











Monday, May 7, 2012

IT’S NOTHING PERSONAL By Frans Nel


About three weeks ago, I came out of after having trained (with real weights and machines and stuff) what I think was shoulders and triceps (I'm never quite sure which exercise works which muscles until afterwards, when they start burning like the depths of hell itself), and I felt a bit of a pain in my back (I sort of know where that is.) The pain stayed for a few days and although I hinted to the people that were willing to listen, about how hard I must have worked-out to have hurt myself so badly, I couldn't shake the pain.
After about a week of the strained back, I started getting a rash on my recently acquired tanned, toned and carved chest - ok, it looks like that from where I stand! I thought I had been bitten by something, with three teenagers in the house and two dogs and two cats; it's not out of the realms of possibility. Itchy and also sore, I eventually went to the pharmacist (they are sort of doctors, aren't they?) and the sweet girl behind the raised platform under the sign that says that they dispense drugs, said that she thinks it's a spider bite. Feeling a little pleased with myself that I had also diagnosed right; she gave me some cream and an antihistamine and said that it should do the trick.
Well, Sunday night I'm lying in bed watching the "must see" movie on TV, and my chest and my back are on fire! I decide that on Monday, if I'm still alive, I should go see a doctor - one that at least has a certificate hanging on the wall, saying she passed a few exams that required her to miss one or two Sunday "must see" movies to study some form of anatomical subjects which involved a cadaver or two.
When I woke up on Monday and cast my eyes skywards to give a nod of thanks and appreciation to our heavenly Father for allowing me the privilege to still be a part of this earthly realm, I duly made an appointment to get some insight from a doctor that at least had a stethoscope hanging around her neck.
One look at what she called the "belt", which is the extent of the rash now running from my back and around to my chest, and I was sternly reprimanded for not having been to see her three weeks ago!! The reason: I had shingles!
There are a few things we can easily prepare ourselves for whenever we "self-diagnose" our own condition and symptoms, but to hear that you (and the nice lady at the drug store who is allowed to dispense schedule 7 drugs to people,) had got it so horribly wrong, and not only that, but that it's a "disease" with a name that sounded like a solution for a roofing problem, well I was horrified.
I asked whether they were immediately going to call out the Hazmat team to put me into a quarantine tent like that one from ET, she calmly assured me that that was not going to be necessary. Without using Wikipedia in order to seek out the true origins of this condition, I thought it was due to my lack of eating oranges, which I learnt in primary school are packed with good stuff, stuff which would prevent one from contracting scurvy, something the sailors of old used to contract due to the lack of vitamin C. Scurvy and Shingles both sound deadly, anyhow.
Now anyone who has had shingles can tell you that doctors don't REALLY know much about the cure...or the cause for that matter. There is Hocus-pocus remedies like rubbing a mixture of tar, olive oil and ground bats droppings onto the affected areas, right through to drinking sour milk infused with coriander and the queen's nectar to help cure the itchiness and stop the onslaught of the fury of hell in the affected areas, which now resembles Chernobyl just after fall out.
Try Google - that all knowing, all seeing, omnipresent wonder of the 21st century, and you will be met by a plethora of granny's excellent remedies all endorsed by PhD types from renowned institutions like Chicago Medical School and even the professors that are still operating at Groote Schuur Hospital.
The real fun begins when in your weakened state (psychological and physical), you happen to mention that you have recently been diagnosed with type 1, honest to goodness shingles and the person you happen to be chatting to takes half a step backwards and with that look of "Is it contagious!" and fear in their eyes that they may have just contracted the Ebola virus by coming that close to you, and you now understand that NO ONE knows ANYTHING about shingles!
If you just happened to have greeted with a friendly handshake and then announced your unfortunate condition, the now "contaminated" hand quickly darts towards the trouser leg or the chest to give it a quick wipe in case the disease is now making its way straight from their hand, to their heart and brain.
What this all got me thinking about was how quickly we as seemingly intelligent and functional human beings, handle anyone that doesn't "fit" into our mold of what we believe is "normal." Everyone has some kind of quirkiness or oddity or idiosyncrasy which makes them uniquely "them."
Shingles, acne, red-hair, stout, loud, mild and even to that homeless guy on the corner of the street, we are all only really sure of who we are, if you think about it. Your life, your troubles, your past, your victories and your spectacular failures are all past experiences, which are only really known to you.
I can't judge who you are, what you value, or how you view certain events and people in the world. All I can do is be sure of who I am. I can know what is real for me. No one else has the insight of me, which I have of me.
Seth Godin once said, when someone says, "It's nothing personal," it really is - nothing personal. How could it be personal? They don't know you, they have never stood in your shoes, they can't be saying something personally to demean you, because it's not about you, it's about them. If someone says bad things about you or leaves you for someone else or is somehow acting in a way that you don't quite understand, always remember, it's nothing personal; it's them that has the real problem understanding themselves.
So the next time you meet someone that is not quite like you, even someone that might say they have shingles but who is in fact unique in their own special, look them in the eyes, smile and be kind without smudging your world onto them.
Allow a connection of kindness to take place, recognize them and take time to listen to them, ask them how they are and then be prepared to shut up and listen to their response, you may even learn something you never knew before ... something even Google and Wikipedia can't teach you, because they both can't teach you how to be human...sorry Google, sorry Wikipedia, it's nothing personal.