Music - The Essence of Life

Sometimes, it's not the song that makes you emotional, it's the people and things that come to mind when you hear it. - Tiesto. It is very unlikely that every human culture across time has not enjoyed the elation of listening to music. Even the secluded indigenous tribes, that has limited contact with modern society, has its own form of music performed during their rituals, invariably accompanied by dance. There is no concrete evidence to show exactly when and how music came about to be one of the most essential form of expression and entertainment within our lives. However, there are evidences of music being a part of cultures in our ancient past.

"Music is the easiest method of meditation. Whoever can let himself dissolve into music has no need to seek anything else to dissolve into." -- Osho

In 1995, a discovery was made deep within a cave in Slovenia that was occupied by the Neanderthals. A flute was found, made from the femur bone of a cave bear, that was dated to be approximately 45,000 years to 80,000 years old. The flute, according to musicologist Bob Fink, has four finger holes that matches four notes of a diatonic scale (i.e. Do, re, mi). The Slovenian National Museum even had a clay replica of the flute made which was played by the musician, Ljuben Dimakaroski. (LINK1). Archaeologists have also discovered primitive musical instruments that dated approximately 12,000 years ago that includes scrapers, which produce a rhythmic scratchy sound, and rattles. These are strong evidences of how music has played an important role in moulding our cultures even till today. Music has been used in a lot of different application throughout our past. From the call to arms, rituals, ceremonies, to just plain entertainment, music is known to be one of the most universal form of expression of being human.

In the recent article written by Clara Moskowitz from Space.com, Researchers informed, during the SETIcon in 2010, that Extraterrestrial Civilisation will most likely be interested in our arts and music rather than our technological advances. They further explained that if contact were to be made by them, their level of technology would have surpassed ours. We will probably have very little to teach them in terms of mathematics and science. However, our music and arts, which are profoundly and singularly human, would pose to be much more interesting to them. Read more on this article here (LINK2).

"There are certain things that have universal attributes, like music. Something of greater magnitude is conveyed by them. They connect us with the universal storehouse of life and knowledge." -- Swami Paramananda

How about the science of music? There are a few studies done to show the benefits of experiencing and learning music. Researchers at the University of Vermont College of medicine, using a database produced by the National Institutes of Health Magnetic Resonance (MRI) study of Normal Brain Development, analysed and studied brain scans of 232 healthy children and teenagers. They are aged between 6 and 18 and the main goal is to specifically study the brain development of children and teenagers who play a musical instrument. The research team found that the more a child or teenager is trained on an instrument, the more it accelerated the cortical organisation in anxiety management, emotional control and attention skill. You can read more on this study here (LINK3). Mood and Music are also closely interrelated. Listening to a certain type of music changes the mood which will not only affect how you feel, it will also change your perception. Another study, done by researcher Jacob jolij and Maaike Meurs of the Psychology Department of University of Groningen, shows that music has an even more drastic effect on perception; people sometimes will still see happy faces when they are listening to happy music and sad faces vice versa. This research suggest that the brain builds up expectations on the basis of our experiences and mood as well. Read more on the research here (LINK4).

Below is the info-graph of the different parts of the brain on music.

Even with the explanation above, it creates only a generalised view of how music affects a person's brain. Music typically also affects the mood, emotions, creativity and also personality of a person.
Here is an article written by Bell Beth Cooper on some of the amazing effects of music to our brains (LINK5).

There are a number of musicians that truly believed that their composition, were guided by the divine. Ludwig Van Beethovan was a great and inspiring composer and pianist. His hearing started deteriorating during his 30s and he became almost totally deaf in the last decade of his life. However, he continued composing and many of his most admired work was composed within the last 15 years of his life. He typically refused to take credit for his music. "I have a gift that people say comes from god. I believe it to be true" - Ludwig Van Beethovan. Music has also been known to have a healing effect toward psychological disorder. Research have shown that by adding music therapy to mental health treatment, it improves the symptoms and social functioning among schizophrenics. Read more on the research here (LINK6). Music therapy has also demonstrated efficacy as an independant treatment for reducing depression, anxiety and chronic pain.

"Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life." - Ludwig van Beethoven

If broken down to the most simplest form, music is basically vibrations that occur or are created in variations of different patterns composed as a form of human expression. Our ears are indeed only a part of the highly complex vibrational processing system. Just like every other sense, we tend to filter and examine these vibrations on the lower level of operations within our brain, before advancing into our consciousness as sound or music. As defined in Wiki, Music is an art form, social activity or cultural activity whose medium is sound and silence. This shows that music, is basically interpreted, individually and its effects on an individual differs from the various reality of experiences and perception. Music is indeed a form of human expression that has enveloped our known reality, and within its vibrations, patterns and sequences, lies a deep understanding of our profound self which connects us to a higher form of understanding and being. Music is everywhere yet nowhere to be found. It is in our essence of life, a vibration that not only resonates infinitely within, but throughout the cosmos as well. In it we find sadness, grief, despair, hope, understanding, beliefs, dreams, aspirations and even divinity. All matter is a vibration in a structure of space and time and our lives are just notes within the symphony of life.

"Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything." - Plato

LINK1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHy9FOblt7Y&feature=youtu.be
LINK2 http://www.space.com/8951-aliens-exist-love-bach.html
LINK3 http://www.jaacap.com/article/S0890-8567%2814%2900578-4/abstract
LINK4 http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0018861
LINK5 http://www.fastcompany.com/3022942/work-smart/the-surprising-science-behind-what-music-does-to-our-brains
LINK6 http://www.musictherapy.org/assets/1/7/bib_psychopathology.pdf

Be a Peaceful Warrior

There are a variety of different movies that teaches us about awareness, consciousness, life and truth. These movies are found to have the power to change perception, beliefs and the level of awareness towards seeking truth. See the list by Collective Evolution here. I recently finished a movie titled "Peaceful Warrior" starring Scott Mechlowiscz and Nick Nolte. One of the movies from that list. This movie was based on a book by Dan Millman, Way of the Peaceful Warrior, which was based on true events. It is an enlightening movie about a college gymnast whose meeting with a stranger changed his life. As I listened vicariously to the teachings and quotes by the characters in the movie, I felt a sense of understanding which has awakened a part of me inside. These words suddenly gave me a new perception of understanding of myself and Life.

There is a peaceful warrior inside each and everyone of us. As explained by Dam Millman, all of us living on Planet earth are in training to be a peaceful warrior. We all strive to have peace and happiness for ourselves. However, life just seem to have the upper hand on affecting us to a point of confusion and hopelessness. There are times when all you wish you had was a warrior inside you to do what you think you cannot. I have been there. I have felt lost and overwhelmed by the happenings around me that have left me depressed. It felt that I was not heading anywhere in my life and how my life just cannot kick-off to what I perceive it should be like. Have you ever felt this way? To feel that you are lost in place, and everything just seem to not make any sense at all. A feeling that you were meant to do something with purpose but yet, it is still not happening as what you intended.

“If you don't get what you want, you suffer; if you get what you don't want, you suffer; even when you get exactly what you want, you still suffer because you can't hold on to it forever.” 

“The birth of the mind is the death of the senses” 

“everyone tells you what's good for you. they don't want you to find your own answers. they want you to believe theirs.” 

“The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.” 

“I had lost my mind and fallen into my heart.” 

Do not despair. The harder it gets, the more wiser you will be. It all comes down to perception and awareness of your life. It took me years to understand this concept but I managed to be, as I am now.
Initially, my perception was changed in a very pivotal moment of my life, of what I see and how I felt about my past, through a kind of workshop called Asiaworks Basic and Advance Training. Asiaworks Training is an organisation that addresses the personal growth and self-awareness, organisational commitment, leadership, teamwork and effectiveness of the attendees. Read more about them here. This is where I came to make peace with my past and understanding the beliefs that I have attained on certain things like my parents, family and fate. "I, like god do not pay with dice" - V from vendetta. It was an eye opening moment which suddenly have me seeing my life's journey to be of purpose. I stood there in that room filled with emotions that I have never felt before, and that made me feel more human than I have ever been for the past 18 years. It made me feel that I was in the right place, at the right time. That my life's road was and is on course no matter the difficulty and obstacles I had faced. I came out with an affirmation that I am an honest, kind and loving person. Somehow, it created a higher level of awareness towards myself and my surroundings. It opened up many opportunities that had me feeling that life will never be the same.

“It is better for you to take responsibility for your life as it is, instead of blaming others, or circumstances, for your predicament. As your eyes open, you'll see that your state of health, happiness, and every circumstance of your life has been, in large part, arranged by you - consciously or unconsciously.” 

“. . . Action always happens in the present, because it is an expression of the body, which can only exist in the here and now. But the mind is like a phantom that lives only in the past or future. It's only power over you is to draw your attention out of the present.” 

“Enlightenment is not an attainment, it is a realization. And when you wake up, everything changes and nothing changes.” 

“A warrior doesn’t seek pain, but if pain comes, he uses it.” 

“The earth isn’t solid. It is made of molecules and atoms, tiny universes filled with space. It is a place of mystery, light, and magic, if you only open your eyes.” 

Years have passed from that moment but memories tend to fade and practice, forgotten. This harsh reality had made me trapped within the cages of my mind. Fear and uncertainty envelopes me with the ever changing cycles of forced responsibilities and greed. Insecurity has made me doubt and question my every actions to the preference of others. It made me sway off course a few times but it was never difficult to reflect and understand. It just took time. It was difficult to be aware of yourself when this reality has put forth a yearning for more. Yearning to earn and seek more. When circumstances changed, we tend to change as well. It only depends on the actions you put forth with or for that change. Fast forward to the second pivotal change of my life, it was of my wife. We had been in a relationship for almost 10 years but it seems that it was not working out for both of us then. No matter, I felt a deep sense of loss when we decided to walk away from each other. I could not find the words for it but I knew deep within that my life can never be, without her in it. This is the moment I realised that there is no past that has the power to keep me and there is no future that can be depended on to be exactly what I wish it would be. There is only now, and now means doing.

“There are no ordinary moments.” 

“The journey is what brings us happiness not the destination.” 

“A warrior does not give up what he loves, he finds the love in what he does” 

“The warrior is Here, Now.” 

“Everything you'll ever need to know is within you; the secrets of the universe are imprinted on the cells of your body.” 

I found that to be a peaceful warrior, it takes hardship and grief. It takes difficulty and sometimes impossibility as these moments will only define who we are as a person. Look at the choices that you have made before and reflect if that was out of fear or living. Now is the only important moment in Life. It will take time for you to have the highest level of awareness in your life to the point you understand that every circumstances does not define you. The choice does. The only way to ascend towards being a peaceful warrior is to practice it frequently. Practice humiliation, reflection and kindness. Start by letting go and cleaning the mess that is hindering you to live. Clear the doubt, insecurity and uncertainty. Love! Life is full of circumstances and it is you who will need to decide who and what will be your teachers. Do it monthly, daily, in moments and soon enough you will realise that a peaceful warrior is never the destination, but the journey of which you have taken part in.

“A fool is ‘happy’ when his cravings are satisfied. A warrior is happy without reason. That’s what makes happiness the ultimate discipline” 

                                                                                                                                                                                                 

All quotes in italics are obtained from the following site: 
https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/856599-way-of-the-peaceful-warrior-a-book-that-changes-lives?page=3

Origination:  Book titled 'Way of the Peaceful Warrior' by Dan Millman

LINK1 http://www.collective-evolution.com/2012/01/05/ce-list-movies-with-truth-or-consciousness/
LINK2 http://www.peacefulwarrior.com/faq/becoming-a-pw
LINK3 http://www.asiaworkstraining.com/about.html

Love is the answer! Not war and terror!

With the recent attacks in Paris, bombings in Syria and many other human tragedies, it is now clear to most that we, as a human beings, are being leashed by fear. Where will 'they' strike next? When? How? These are the questions that will be running through countless minds all around the world as they are being misinformed. Do not get me wrong, the tragedy that happened in Paris was devastating and I am still in grief by the horrific scenes of my fellow-men being slaughtered and in bidding to kill. However, we still need to clear our minds and hearts to discover the truth embedded within such tragedies which will assist us in finding out how we can reduce and even stop such incidents from ever happening again.

Who is ISIS? As stated in Wiki, ISIS is a militant group and self-proclaimed Islamic state and caliphate, which is led by and mainly composed of Sunni Arabs from Iraq and Syria. As my searches intensified, I found that the terrorist organisation have come about from during the United States of America's occupation in Iraq during 2003. Here is a video of investigative journalist, Ben Swann, explaining and exposing in detail, the rise to power of ISIS (LINK1).

As mainstream news were flooded with coverage from the attacks of one of the most beautiful cities in the world, we were presented with devastation, chaos, blood, grief but also acts of humanity where people come together, walking hand in hand, to oppose such violence. The coverage seems endless and is still being broadcasted worldwide. On social media, people began movements such as #prayforparis (for donations towards the French Red Cross) and displayed the French Flag as their display pictures on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, to show that they are against the violence and are "with Paris" after the horrific attacks. Whilst, mainstream media coverage tends to throw words around like 'Islamic terrorist' and 'jihadist'. Upon further research, it undoubtedly seem that some of the mainstream news have been altered, even fabricated to only show one perception of truth, that these deaths were attributed by violent muslim terrorist from Syria. With the rising number of unnecessary hate comments on Muslims, an overwhelming feeling of disappointment encapsulate my heart as I see my fellow human beings, entangled within the loathing that only fuels more intolerance and resentment. Always, keep an open mind when it comes to information that has been presented especially from the mainstream media. There are many avenues of false and misleading information which will only segregate and divide us into condoning more violence and hostility. Keep your mind and heart always open to information during these times as it would be key to revealing the false truth that the Elite power of the world has put forth to keep us in their control.

These are a few videos I came across that show some discrepancies in the media coverage of the Paris attacks.

1. Paris, France "Terrorist Attack" Psyop Hoax - Cafe Suicide Bombing scene "Forensic experts" exposed (LINK2)

2. Paris Attacks: Staged Bombing Shooting Hoax For Syrian Invasion exposed (LINK3)

Where were 'this' kind of media coverage when terror attacks on other countries occurred? There are a few countries, beside France, that suffered attacks that was claimed by ISIS as well. Not a lot of the world population know about these. On 21st September 2013, Kenya, was a victim of a horrific mass shooting at the upmarket Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi. There were 67 deaths and 175 injured. On 2nd April 2015, Kenya also suffered a worse attack to that of Paris, that resulted in 147 killed with 79 injured and many more evacuated to safety. On the 12th November 2015, two suicide bombers detonated explosives in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon which reported over 37 killed. This was also claimed by ISIS. This was just a day before the paris attacks and there are many more terror attacks that have occurred within this year alone. Here is the list from Wiki (LINK4).

Here are some other information on ISIS and countries that have been assisting and funding their regime:

President Putin answering questions regarding ISIS from an US journalist at the Valdai International Discussion Club in late 2014  (LINK5)

A debate on the war in Syria on Presstv on 28th August 2013 (LINK6)

I simply cannot understand the need for conflict, war, servitude and unnecessary deaths due to revenge and profits. This will only result in a negative effect towards the world's population and ultimately leading to our extinction. I know that in all Human beings, there is kindness and affection. A desire to grow and the ability to love. To overlook all and any differences that has brought us to this frightful stage in civilisation. Of course, we have been through the bad and even the worst of times and we are constantly being pushed to our limits, cornered with no form of solution. To be beaten and battered every time. To be forced with segregation and hatred. To be lied to and use as cattle for the elite which only craves power to rule and reign, elusively. I also understand that we yearn the need for conflict which only arises due to the conflict that is within. Before providing any form of opinion, we should exercise tolerance and care. We are in a midst of awakening and there are some people who are aware of these tragedies that have infected the human race. Solutions and policies have been put into place to deter such mishaps by people who truly care and are concerned of devastation that has been reoccurring.

However, there is room for improvements to make it all better. Look at the people around you and feel their need to survive, to live with freedom and strive for justice. We do not need to have sides of what is right and wrong. We need to only work together with tolerance and love for each other to make the world a better place. We live within such a short period of time and death will soon take us. No materials that we have acquired or will be acquiring will last forever. No amount of fame and fortune can bring you closer to happiness and bliss. We have only our perception of our own rights and wrongs. We can agree or find consensus together, but every thing we express is based on our opinions, beliefs and experiences. As we all have a variety of different experiences that ultimately makes us, we cannot fully grasp an emotion or thought captured by the next person in line. We can never find peace with one another if all we think and do are only of our opinions. We have to be empathetic and understanding to the different circumstances that are. Clear your mind and hearts of hatred and fear. Look without prejudice and feel with all your heart and soul. You might find that all you see in the person next to you is yourself. Just another human being going through life as intended. We all have obstacles to face. Open your eyes and heart to realise that no matter who and where you are and what you are doing, it creates our future, our reality. It may seem impossible, but every act of kindness and love helps. We have to come together in loving embrace to create a future for our children and their children that will be of freedom, liberty and peace. Be of sharing and discovering rather than judging and killing. We only have love and only with love we can change our reality. It starts with you and me.

"The world will not be destroyed by evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything"
- Albert Eistien

(LINK1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6kdi1UXxhY
(LINK2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_QH0WkBeP0
(LINK3) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7Sf6OZVd-A
(LINK4) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_terrorist_incidents,_2015
(LINK5) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQuceU3x2Ww
(LINK6) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmQw6CryE9M

The Greatest Speech ever. Truth in Fiction.

We must become the change we wish to see in the world." – Mahatma Ghandi.  One of the many wise quotes from a distinguished leader of the Indian Independence movement in British-rule India in the 1940s. Gandhi led India to independence and inspired Civil rights movements and freedom across the World.

"We can change the world and make it a better place. It is in your hands to make a difference." - Nelson Mandela. He was the first elected Chief Executive of South Africa, in a fully representative democratic election. With his leadership, his government focused on demolishing the legacy of the system of segregation or discrimination on the grounds of race, through tackling institutionalised racism and fostering racial reconciliation.

These are the people who we have looked towards for some form of leadership, in the past, to ignite changes within systems that are flawed. There are many more in the past that have risen to the occasion and have made an impact to our current lives and reality. Yet, there is still a disparity that lies hidden within the unseen cracks of our current economic systems and governments. The leaders we have today, tend to be modest in the changes that are put forth compared to those in our history books. Mostly, within the subject of economical and military growth. Below are some known examples of our current leaders speeches on growth:

1. (LINK1) President Obama elaborating on his budget and inviting people to take action.
2. (LINK2) Prime Minister of the United Kingdom speech on transforming British economy.
3. (LINK3) Speech by the Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Leong, at the Economic Society of Singapore Annual Dinner.
4. (LINK4) Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli delivering a speech at the conference, vowing to push forward with China's "New Formal" growth model.

As you can see, these speeches are mostly about the economy and the country's growth. So why is economic growth so important to us?

Economic growth has been presented to be essential for each and every one of us surviving in this current time. It has been deemed important to acquired more wealth accompanied by the growing consumption everyone has in most countries. This allows businesses and corporations to grow and prosper exponentially. This relates to growth in the output of the economy as a whole. Currently, growth is measured as the difference or change in the gross domestic product of a country over a year. However, good economic growth does not equates to a better standard of living as always intended.

I live in Singapore, a small country located in the southern most region of the continental Asia, which has no natural resources besides its people. Since their independence in 1965 from British rule, Singapore has grown to be a global commerce, financial and transportation hub. In 2014, Singapore was crowned the most expensive city in the world according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). With such luxury like casinos, "low" crime rates, multi-million dollar properties, ever-green parks and a great Business district skyline, many expats and foreigners have resided in this small country which has tremendously impacted and increased the cost of living for the average Singaporean. Despite the high cost of living, I lead a happy, thriving life. I can safely say that with a slightly over-average income, I am able to have a home, water, electricity and some simples vices that makes living here tolerable. However, I cannot say the same for part of the population that work just to survive this increasingly expensive place. Recently, a study has shown that the 'working poor' in Singapore are not getting sufficient pay or salary to make ends meet. 'Working poor' is defined as a working individual whose income per household member is less than half of the national median per capita household income of Singapore, which stands at SGD $1,920. A survey done on poverty attitudes by the National University of Singapore (NUS) Social Work Department presented that those who need money want to work, and that there are jobs available for them. However, it has been reported that there are more than 300,000 Singaporeans and permanent residents who earns less than SGD $1,500 a month (excluding employer CPF contribution) despite working full-time. Read more on this 2013 article here (LINK5). Here is an article from the Guardian by Warwick Smith on his opinion on economic growth (LINK6).

Simply put, quite a number of people do not prosper while the economy does. It is quite simple. We have been conditioned by our monetary and economic systems, that supports and purports greed rather than growth, to want and yearn more. To have more of something is the societal norm that has encompass the mind of every individual that has lived in these past years, and will live in the years to come, as these ideas and concepts are built and incorporated into our education system. Competition has been put in place within the structures of growth rather than collaboration or cooperation. We have been made to judge and dream about the redundancies of the materialistic world. We promote greed and jealousy in our advertisement to grow consumption and thus the economy.

There are other possibilities of a far better economic and social structures that have been researched and also presented to the world which will abolish war, hunger, poverty, debt and unnecessary human suffering. One of them is called the Venus Project (LINK7). This is by an organization that created a feasible plan of action for social change towards a peaceful and sustainable global civilization. It outlines an alternative to strive toward where human rights are no longer a paper proclamations but an actual way of life. They have presented us with many different solutions such as a world economy that is resource based. With this, it utilizes existing resources, rather than money, and provides and equitable method of distributing these resources in the most efficient way for the entire population. This system requires no use of money, credits, barter or any form of debt or servitude. Other solutions include housing, transportation and energy. The founder, Jacque Fresco, a futurist, inventor and industrial designer, uses the frontier of science, technology and imagination to create an intelligent application of what is available to us. The only limitations are those which we impose upon ourselves.

Think of all the human suffering that can be eradicated. Think of all the unnecessary famine, war, deaths and destruction that undoubtedly follow in our current plans for economic greed and power. The Venus project alone, shows the very possibility of a new way of life. Rather than just to survive, we can thrive and develop a new world where every single individual can live and prosper. However, we need to change our current mindsets and some parts of our beliefs that have been instilled to indoctrinate us to the current structures of society and culture. We need change on an individual level first before the world can change. We need people to explain and lead us forward and inflict creativity and open-mindedness, towards these changes that will have to take place in order for each and every one of us to thrive.

Where are these people or leaders?

They are available anywhere, but do not look for them in the next political campaigns or in the current government. These 'leaders' are nothing but fictional characters that are invented by creative people to address the rising conflict between truth and lies within our reality. With many mainstream media and entertainment industries being owned by corporations, information tend to be exaggerated and sometimes, even fabricated to present the population with only the truth of what these powers want you to believe and not. It seems that politics and mainstream media are more about fiction than facts. We live in the age of technological advancements and with the easy access of information available to the common man, we hold the ability to research on a certain subject. With all these information available in an array of platforms and avenues, truth is just an accepted perception of the conscious mind. In today's context, fiction has become a primary point on which the journey towards truth will start. In many books, TV series and movies, truth have been portrayed as a kind of camouflage that can only be detected by the curious mind. Below are some examples of truth in fiction:

1. Known by most as "the most honest 3 minutes in television history", this is a HBO TV series called the 'Newsroom' starring Jeff Daniels. The character Daniels plays is Will McAvoy, a news anchor. In this scene, he answered a question asked by a student , "Can you say why America is the greatest country in the world?". Great answer! (LINK8)

2. The Matrix. This movie provides a great representation of exactly what we are to the Elite of the world; batteries. It also shows the possibilities of an individual once they have awaken and escape the matrix. Your mind is the only limit.

3. Lord of War is a movie, starring Nicolas Cage, about an arms dealer confronting the morality of his work. It shows the Government's prominent role in the distribution and sales of weapon and how they cover up the distribution and uses it to promote violence and fear throughout the world.

4. Blood Diamond is a movie that sheds light on the hardship and corruption incurred in a certain part of the world to provide trivial luxuries to people in developed countries. It also shows how the truth are being kept and hidden from people who keep the diamond industry intact through value and praise.

Well, it may not be hard facts, but there are some truth in them. Do not even get me started on the symbolism that are found in these shows. The best part is, there are many more just waiting for you to search on or stumble upon. Remember to always be wary and keep an open mind on the meanings and hidden messages in these shows. The most important thing you can do is to share these information. Share your opinions and comments with others so we can learn different perspectives that will ultimately lead us to unveiling the real truth. Below are some of my favourite finds of great videos that will intrigue, fascinate and motivate you to strive for truth and change.

1. George Carlin - The American Dream - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsL6mKxtOlQ

2. V for Vendetta - The Revolutionary Speech - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKvvOFIHs4k

3. My ultimate favourite, The Great Dictator (1940) - The Greatest Speech Ever - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAd1WJ9gXo0

(LINK1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8QVg2TWLo8
(LINK2) http://www.britishpoliticalspeech.org/speech-archive.htm?speech=351
(LINK3) http://www.pmo.gov.sg/mediacentre/speech-prime-minister-lee-hsien-loong-economic-society-singapore-annual-dinner
(LINK4) http://english.gov.cn/news/video/2015/03/24/content_281475076928247.htm
(LINK5) http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/working-poor-not-earning-enough-make-ends-meet
(LINK6) http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/13/do-we-dare-to-question-economic-growth
(LINK7) https://www.thevenusproject.com/en/
(LINK8) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGa57az2VqY

Ignorant to Information

History. It originated from the Greek word "Historia", which means inquiry, knowledge acquired by investigation. It is presently defined as a continuous, typically chronological, record of important or public events or of a particular trend or institution (wikipedia). As I dove into website and books of historical events, I find myself pondering on the veracity of the information that I have gathered. It seems that most of what I have learned in our school history class are only one side of the story. Information of which is mostly exaggerated and some even fabricated for indoctrination of the people. There are a lot of examples of these fabrication of information and in our current times, people tend to trust in these information without doing any of their own research on that particular subject. Nowadays, the population is more aware and infatuated with what a celebrity is wearing, eating or even thinking than any other information that is available to us. All these news and information on these redundancies are made to seem more important than that of war, inhumane acts, pollution and many others.

The mainstream news and information outlets only provides information that tends to sway towards what the appointment of power in that particular country or corporation want us to ponder about in an explicit view of just one perception. You can clearly expect these entity to only show us certain information while withholding others. No matter what, we as the people hold the power of choice. We can just blindly accept it or we can choose to learn more before making the decision on that information. We as the population will need to have these information interpreted according to our own beliefs and understanding while keeping an open mind which is much more difficult said than done. We live in the age of information but we are never well-informed.

"All things are subject to interpretation. Whichever interpretation prevails at a given time is a function of power and not truth." A quote by Friedrich Wihelm, a German philosopher whose work has exerted a profound influence on Western philosophy and modern intellectual history.

Here are some links of evidence that shows us some of the exaggeration and confabulation of information that Countries or rather the Government want us to know and not know.

1. September 11, 2001 - Coordinated terrorist attacks by Islamist Terrorist Group Al-Qaeda on United States. Please see the Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth website (HERE - LINK1). They are a non-profit non-partisan organization of architects, engineers and affiliates dedicated to exposing the falsehood and revealing facts about this tragedy.

2. 2003, US military invasion of Iraq. This may be by far,  the most comprehensive and misleading campaign of government propaganda in US history. Watch the 'Hardball' interview (HERE - LINK2) with former CIA deputy director on the Iraq invasion. Here is another article, from the Independent and Global Research, of the 20 lies about the Iraq invasion (LINK3).

3. Global Climate Change. For some, climate change is a natural occurring phenomena while for others, it is human induced. Here there are two different websites that gives you information on both sides. (LINK4 & LINK5).

These information can be easily obtained anywhere and anytime. With the use of our portable smart devices, we have the ability to search, understand and even provide our own point of views on a particular subject. However, we at times, tend to be the culprits when it comes to fabricating and exaggerating particular events and information like, when reminiscing the past, describing a series of events or even conveying information. The intelligent capacity of our brain and imagination tends to alter and distort such information gathered and align it to our own perception and beliefs. This is especially when that particular information creates a conflicting paradigm of your beliefs. This will result in a feeling of discomfort which will ultimately lead to one's changing their attitudes, perceptions and beliefs to reduce discomfort and restore balance within the mind.

We, as humans, have a drive within to hold all our attitudes and beliefs in harmony or to avoid dissonance. Leon Festinger, a social psychologist, theorized that a powerful motive to maintain cognitive consistency can give rise to irrational and sometimes maladaptive behavior. According to Festinger, we hold a lot of cognition or perception of the world and ourselves, and when beliefs or information clash and evoke discrepancy, it will result in a state of tension or stress known as cognitive dissonance. As the experience seems to have an unpleasant effect to self, we are motivated to reduce or eradicate that particular information to meet and achieve consonance. Read this (LINK6) on Leon's experiment to show cognitive dissonance.

There are a few ways we can overpower and even extinguish cognitive dissonance. Here is an article by Will Meek PHD on how to resolve cognitive dissonance (LINK7). Below are the few methods and also strategies which may help to reduce the emotional discomfort that results from cognitive dissonance. 


1. Minimize or Avoid
2. Rationalization
3. Acceptance
4. Change the Beliefs or Actions
5. Integration

Here is a quote from the book, 'The Universe in a single Atom: the Convergence of Science and Spirituality', by the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, which was published in 2005.

"My confidence in venturing into science lies in my basic belief that as in science so in Buddhism, understanding the nature of reality is pursued by means of critical investigation: if scientific analysis were conclusively to demonstrate certain claims in Buddhism to be false, then we must accept the findings of science and abandon those claims."

I feel that we need to take responsibility of whatever information taught or provided by researching and identifying the real from the fabricated and decide from there on which we will likely believe based on facts that are presented. I understand that we all have opinions on certain issues however, please exercise caution and also tolerance as one man's food is another man's poison. Opinions are indeed the lowest form of communication while empathy is the highest. In these current time, we as the people, have to always keep an open mind towards any information provided and also to keep an open heart to find consensus and understanding with one another. Let's use these information available to us to create a better world for the Human race.

(LINK1) http://www1.ae911truth.org/en/about-us.html
(LINK2) http://theantimedia.org/cia-official-just-confirmed-iraq-war-based-on-lies/
(LINK3) http://www.globalresearch.ca/twenty-lies-about-the-iraq-war/5327386
(LINK4) http://www.globalclimatescam.com/about-2/
(LINK5) http://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/
(LINK6) https://explorable.com/cognitive-dissonance-experiment
(LINK7) http://www.willmeekphd.com/resolving-cognitive-dissonance/

Are we devolving? Where are we headed towards?

From a Biology perspective, there is no such thing as devolution. All changes or mutations in the gene frequencies of populations, quite often in traits those genes influence, are evolutionary changes. The concept that we humans may devolve only presume that there is a preferred stage of structures and functions. For example, having opposable thumbs are better than having fins. However, organisms that possesses those functions or structures, each of has an effective function.

A misconception of many is that the ultimate evolutionary quest of any non-human organism is to achieve physical adaptivity and mental capacity of a human. But the ultimate misconception of evolution, is that organism tend to change and mutate in order to adapt to their ever-changing environment. Initially, I thought that this was the case as well for evolution generally, however, the known extinction of 99% of all species that lived on Earth are evidences of this fallacy. This shows that there are no guarantees that species will adapt successfully.

Extinction in itself is a natural part of being and is quite a common response to the changing of the conditions of the environment. There are evidences of already 5 mass extinctions in earth's history, the worst being 250 millions years ago when 96% of marine and 70% of land species on the planet were wiped out. Are we headed towards the same fate of these unfortunate species?

Looking at the current state of the society we are living in, it clearly depicts that we are headed towards extinction. As our biological evolution takes place chemically with the deterioration of the environment from the use of fossil fuels to the genetically modified food we eat, the ever-growing consumption of non-biodegradable materials and the clearance of the earth's lungs is building a mountain of destruction that some have predicted will be the cause of our demise.

Professor Frank Fenner, emeritus professor of microbiology at the Australian National University, has predicted that the Human race will be extinct within the next 100 years, in his interview with the Australian paper. He further explained that the human race will not survive the population explosion and 'unbridled consumption'. Read the article in 2010 here (LINK1). Some scientist have also announced that we are actually living through the sixth mass extinction. There are many other prediction of our own extinction and it is scary to actually have these scientist, who are renown in their field of studies, predict the demise of the Human race.

Studies done by the Global FootPrint Network shows that we Humans utilize the equivalent of 1.5 planets to supply the resources we consume and absorb our waste (LINK2). It means that now, it will take Earth one year and six months to regenerate what we consume within a year. It has even been suggested that if our current population and consumption growth continues, by the year 2030, Humanity will need the equivalent of two Earths to support ourselves. It clearly depicts that we are turning our resources into waste faster than waste can be recycled back into resources. This puts us in a Global ecological overshoot which is depleting the very resources on which human life and biodiversity depends on. This will result in the disintegration of fisheries, the decline of forest cover, the exhaustion of fresh water system, the increase of carbon dioxide emissions and so on, which only add in creating problems like global climate change. These are just the few noticeable effects of ecological overshoot that will only create a compounding effect that pushes us closer to extinction. This overshoot also contributes to conflicts in resources, wars, mass migration, famine, disease and many more human tragedies. These are already apparent in some countries and has an inordinate impact on the poor.

What can we do? How can we change the course that we have set ourselves up for?

There is always hope. Although it is apparent that we are in the twelfth hour of our own demise, there are still actions that we can take that will move us in a different course. We as Humans, tend to show great ingenuity, creativity and imagination when it comes to scientific and technological advancements which can be seen in our machines and crafts of war. In 2011 alone, the world's top 10 military power spent $1.19 trillion on defence. And today, 795 million people on this planet do not have sufficient food to lead a healthy active life. That is approximately one in nine people on Earth. Clearly, the main agenda is to not help the needy.

Planet Earth provides sufficiently of all that we need to thrive. This means individuals and institutions worldwide need to recognize our ecological limits. Every decision we make as an individual or organisation will need to have these limits taken into consideration. Our ingenuity and creativity have to be put to greater use like discovering new and better ways to thrive together as a collective within the boundaries of earth. Change has to start on an individual level. Before we can manage to save humanity, we need to look at our consumption and take responsibility of the path that we are headed towards and change the course of direction for a new way of living, thinking and thriving. As individuals, we hold a lot of power that most of the population does not know about. In this society as ours, we create the demand and have purchasing power to choose corporations and companies we see fit. In a 2011 documentary called 'Thrive', more suggestions and solutions are provided to assist us to move away from the disparity we have in our home, we call Earth. Here is the youtube link for you to watch (LINK5).

So where are we headed towards?

We need to look within ourselves and recognise that each and everyone deserve equal rights and freedom to thrive with happiness and bliss. It is an exciting time we are living in and our story depends on each and everyone of us. We are more than any city or country, any race or religion. We are of the human race. Living on our very own spaceship that provides for us. And for now, the only home we will ever know. Although we are considered to be a type of organism that inhabits this Earth, we humans, seem to have not only a biological sense of evolution but also a spiritual sense of it. We have plenty of biological evidences of adaptation in our specific environment, but very little in the sense of spirituality. Spiritual evolution is a theory of which nature, human beings or human cultures adapt to its changing environments and time. This extends from either the established esoteric system of thought or in compliance with certain pre-constructed potentials.

These concepts of a spiritual evolution is complemented by the notion of a creative impulse within us. These concepts are very diverse. It may be of the largest form of existence (cosmological), existence of self or both. One way it can be characterized is by the belief that parts of existence are intimately intertwined and understood only by the reference of the whole. It can also be characterized as a non-dual, which hold no ultimate distinction between the physical and mental reality. In whichever beliefs an individual chooses to hold on to, the concept of spiritual evolution still remains a theory of which is only defined by the perception of the conscious mind. This very much shows that we have much more to learn in time and through our mistakes that have been made. There is not much time to change the course of Humanity and it all starts with you.

(LINK1) http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/420041/apocalypse-now-wesley-j-smith
(LINK2) http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/world_footprint/
(LINK3) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/06/defense-spending-fact-of-the-day_n_1746685.html
(LINK4) https://www.wfp.org/hunger/stats
(LINK5) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEV5AFFcZ-s