Your Nightmares – By Cynthia Richmond

By: Cynthia Richmond Nightmares or unsettling dreams are most often messages from our subconscious mind reflecting our health; either emotional, mental or physical. The subconscious mind knows the status of every cell in our bodies, and our dreams are a barometer of our health, if we pay attention! Before all of the scans, diagnostic tools and electronics we have today, in ancient times, nightly dreams were relied on for important health information. In ancient Babylon for example there were healing gardens, where the in-firmed would come for healing. The priest/healer would listen to the patient’s symptoms and prescribe an herbal drink to induce sleep and dreams. acheter coque iphone en ligne In the morning the healer would listen to the dreams and dictate the healing regime based on his interpretation. One interesting aspect of this time was that if the ill person could not travel, they could send a proxy! A person that knew and loved the in-firmed individual would fill-in and the priest would give them the herbal drink and listen to their dream for the patient! One of the reasons we dream is compensatory, bad dreams then can be sort of a safety valve…letting out steam so we can release stress and not carry it into our next day. This can lower blood pressure and has other medical benefits. Many people with cancer, for example, have a dream of something eating them up, or of bugs invading their home or car before they learn that their body has indeed been affected by cancer. In the language of dreams, the home and the vehicle are often symbolic for the physical body. We may ask our subconscious mind, what is in the best interest of our health at this time, before we go to sleep…and review the morning’s dream for clues. Often my clients get messages indicating that they should play more, revert to childhood joys, or be quiet instead of chaotic. coque iphone pas cher Many dreams suggest foods that the body is wanting for specific nutrients it would benefit from. soldes coque iphone 2019 Common nightmares for adults include being chased by an unrecognizable figure. This can indicate that an illness is taking over the cellular structure, but it can also be a psychological or emotional stress, such as a deadline from an unreasonable boss or an argument with a loved one. The point is that stress leads to physical illness and we need to pay attention to our dreams. coque iphone 6 There is a common phrase, be careful what you wish for. An ominous warning that we may not be aware of the consequences of what we want at a particular moment. Sometimes our nightmares remind us that we are out of control and in harms way. I once had a client who had a nightmare in which he was driving too fast on a curvy road and was out of control, he couldn’t reach the brake pedal, the seat became unattached from the floorboard, he barely survived in his dream and when he woke he immediately knew that his fast lane friends and his drug habit were getting the best of him and he sought help. Frequent health nightmares include tsunamis of water where only the dreamer seems to notice the danger. coque iphone soldes Water can represent emotion and in this dream it is overwhelming. coque iphone The dreamer is out of balance, consumed by something harmful, be it food, alcohol, drugs or a lifestyle choice that is threatening their health. Write down your dreams and nightmares and try to let yourself accept the dream imagery. Ask yourself what does this mean? Or what does my body want? Dreams can direct you to a better life, to releasing an unhealthy relationship, to leaving a crippling job, or to a literal message to see your doctor.

Mother Now As Ever – By: Nicki Monti

The other day we spoke of mother. soldes coque iphone Her dementia ward “team” on one end of the country, my husband and I on the other. Technologies invitation. I was left standing in a gentle pool of gratitude. At least she can’t burn down the building. At least she’s being watched over. At least it’s not me doing the watching. Mother hasn’t changed much really. Her mind is gone but her perspective remains the same. She’s belligerent, blaming, self-righteous and man-loving. What’s been added is that her inside mechanisms appear visible on the outside now. Like a sweater worn with the seams showing. Now her fear can be seen. Now her tears flow freely and her screams are out loud constant. And now at ninety two she has no job. She’s always worked. They asked about what interests she used to have so they could offer her activities. To make money, was all I could tell them. Money was her most constant, fervent lover. Who is she at this moment? Who are we, any of us, when all that we have known ourselves to be gets ripped from beneath us? As with many dementia folk she refuses to eat, getting thinner and thinner. Perhaps she will just finally fade from view. One morning they’ll go to her bed to find only a tiny sliver of nail or brush of emaciated hair or press of perspiration upon the sheets. One can hope. Probably that sounds disgusting to hear said. Truly though, it feels like watching a film about the horrors of the dammed. She tells you so herself all the time in her way — saying over and over she wants to die. What part of her refuses, that’s the mystery? And I’m afraid too. Afraid that will someday be me. Afraid that all my “good works” and consciousness efforts have been not sufficient to the task of over-riding my interior furious mother. Afraid that I will end badly. And alone. No one goes to see my mother. Who would? She pushed away all too long ago. coque iphone xs max Sure, there were some in the later years who gave her a pass crediting her vile ways as simply old age. Projection I’d call that. coque iphone 6 And wishful thinking. coque iphone 6 In case it happened to them. Maybe they’ll get a pass too. soldes coque iphone Besides that was within circumstance. At the bank, or liquor store or local market. No one needs to take heed now. Mostly though, after our chat with the caretakers who do the unthinkable day after day – those who stand in the flood of her vitriol encouraging her to eat one more bite, reminding her she’s indeed not married to the fellow down the hall, getting her into her wheelchair amidst her vicious complaints so she can sit in the day room with the other residents she hates and thinks are crazy as she is not — I’m left feeling a profound grief for her. There were other paths to take – other ways to greet her pattern. All along she chose a dark road. Today I am mostly reminded of my one only continuing job – to discover what I can and must offer back to Life in gratitude for what life has given to me. Most of me feels confident that in doing such, my ending also, as with mother — as with most — will describe my many-decades journey. Unless something else happens. Something unforeseen. What if when my sweater seams turn inside out they show frayed and moth eaten putrid rather than Holy as I’d prefer. Well, then, I suppose, I’ll simply have to hope to get a pass.

Your Plants May Need Therapy Too…

For years, it’s been said that ‘talking’ to your plants will help them flourish and grow. New groundbreaking scientific research suggests that may be true – plants can absorb energy forces that surround them, and can be affected positively or negatively by the same. If this is true for plants, wouldn’t humans share the same trait? Even dating back to the philosophies of Buddha, human and plant interconnectedness through energy has been spoken of in his words: “We are the same as plants, as trees, as other people, as the rain that falls. coque iphone pas cher We consist of that which is around us, we are the same as everything.” Lead by Dr. coque iphone Olaf Kruse, research biologists at Bielefeld University (Germany) discovered that outside of the normal photosynthesis that occurs, when necessary for survival, plants take the energies needed from a previously unheard of source – other plants. Plants thrive via photosynthesis: the process of mixing carbon dioxide, water and light. acheter coque iphone en ligne Dr. coque iphone Kruse and his team grew microscopic single-celled green algae, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, and discovered that when faced with a lack of energy to survive, these plants got their ‘charge’ by taking in the energy of other nearby plants. These plants have the necessary tools that enable them to sense and absorb this energy, converting it into fuel and allowing them to continue to grow. So, how does this relate to humans? Both humans and plants need light and water (energy) to flourish and grow. Our physical body is like a sponge that soaks up our environment. Our spiritual and metaphysical self is no different. In that sense, the energy we surround ourselves with is of extreme importance if we are to lead healthy, productive and peaceful lives. We need positive surroundings in order to maintain our desired state. Psychologist and energy healer Dr. Olivia Bader-Lee suggests the same, saying, “This is exactly why there are certain people who feel uncomfortable in specific group settings where there is a mix of energy and emotions.” Dr. Bader–Lee believes that the field of bioenergy is on the rise and the scientific community will keep generating such studies that can prove what metaphysicians have stated for years: humans have the power to heal (or harm) one another through energy transfers – just like plants. “The human organism is much like a plant, it draws needed energy to feed emotional states … When studies become more advanced in the coming years, we will eventually see this translated to human beings as well… “ says Bader-Lee. This would suggest that our energies can indeed be tapped by others if we don’t take the proper care to keep ourselves aware. coqueiphone The energetic fields that surround us can fluctuate in the presence of positive or negative environments. On this, Bader-Lee says: “Human can absorb and heal through other humans, animals, and any part of nature. That’s why being around nature is often uplifting and energizing for so many people.” Your own energies can be used for good but also depleted by certain people, places and situations. Take care to ensure your best possible self. Surround yourself with positive energy and uplifting spirits for a happy, productive life. By: Sara E.

Will the Real Introverts Please Stand Up?

By Scott Barry Kaufman (Original Article)

Quick Quiz: Which of the following are signs of introversion? Highly sensitive Deep Thinker Reflective Introspective Intelligent Negative emotions Socially Anxious Defensive Vulnerable Always prefers solitude over social interaction
Answer: Not a single one. Introversion is one of the most misunderstood dimensions of personality. Many people are not aware that the original definition of introversion, as posed by Carl Jung, is not how the term is used in modern personality psychology. Jung equated introversion with “inwardly directed psychic energy”. Even the modern Wikipedia page for Extraversion and Introversion defines introversion as “the state of or tendency toward being wholly or predominantly concerned with and interested in one’s own mental life.” But that’s not introversion. Common Misconceptions About Introversion While introversion has its roots in the idea of introspection, today introversion is simply defined as the opposite of extraversion. Extraversion is one of the “Big Five” dimensions of personality, the other four being neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience. Whereas Jung based his definitions of extraversion and introversion on his own theory, experience, and intuition, modern psychology identifies personality dimensions empirically, based on what patterns of behavior tend to go together within individuals. Based on the latest science of personality, the most common misunderstanding of the extraversion-introversion dimension is that introverts are more introspective than extroverts. In reality, introverts are not necessarily introspective and highly introspective people aren’t necessarily introverted. It’s not that introverts think more deeply before they speak, it’s simply that they need more time to think before they speak. In fact, what many people ascribe to introversion really belongs in the openness to experience domain. Openness to experience represents a drive for cognitive engagement, and encompasses intellectual engagement, intellectual depth, ingenuity, reflection, introspection, imagination, emotional engagement, artistic engagement, and aesthetic interests. soldes coque iphone pas cher While openness to experience is associated with IQ, IQ is not associated with introversion. Traits such as sensitivity and social anxiety are also not part of the introversion-extraversion domain. To be sure, many people may think of themselves as introverted because they are highly sensitive. But research shows that sensory processing sensitivity is independent of introversion. The various manifestations of being a highly sensitive person– inhibition of behavior, sensitivity to environmental stimuli, depth of information processing, and physiological reactivity– are linked to neuroticism and openness to experience, not introversion. What’s more, there are lots of people who view themselves as “sensitive introverts”, when they are really covert narcissists. These individuals are characterized by their sense of entitlement to social attention. Accordingly, they are hurt easily by the slightest remark of others, are hyper self conscious and self absorbed, and are frequently upset that others don’t recognize their brilliance. coque iphone xr Covert narcissism is strongly associated with neuroticism, not introversion. Finally, there’s a common misconception that all introverts enjoy solitary activities. However, that isn’t a defining feature of introverts. Responses such as “Enjoy spending time by myself” and “Live in a world of my own” involve an equal blend of introversion and openness to experience. Contrary to popular conceptualizations of introversion, preferring to be alone is not the main indicator of introversion. coque iphone 7 All of this, of course, leads to the major question: What is the essence of introversion? To figure this out, we have to figure out the core of its opposite: extraversion. The Core of Extraversion Extraversion comprises many related traits, including being talkative, sociable, friendly, fun-loving, gregarious, assertive, active, persuasive, and excitement seeking. But what links all of these traits to each other? One possibility is that the core of extraversion is simply sociability. Maybe extroverts are more social: plain and simple. However, the research doesn’t support this conclusion. coque iphone While it is well known that extraverts experience more positive emotions than introverts, extraverts tend to experience more positive emotions all throughout the day, regardless of whether the activity is social or solitary. This doesn’t mean that introverts experience more negative emotions during daily life (that’s neuroticism). They are just lower in positive emotions. In fact, some researchers have suggested that “detachment” is a more accurate description of low extraversion than “introversion” [1]. Another possibility– which has received more support– is that the core of extraversion is sensitivity to rewards in the environment. Reward sensitivity refers to the tendency to experience “an incentive motivational state that facilities and guides approach behavior to a goal.” As Colin DeYoung points out in an upcoming paper: “People who score low in Extraversion are not necessarily turned inward; rather, they are less engaged, motivated, and energized by the possibilities for reward that surround them. Hence, they talk less, are less driven, and experience less enthusiasm. They may also find levels of stimulation that are rewarding and energizing for someone high in Extraversion merely annoying or tiring (or even overwhelming, depending on their level of Neuroticism). Their reserved demeanor is not likely to indicate an intense engagement with the world of imagination and ideas, however, unless they are also high in Openness/Intellect.” Multiple studies are consistent with the reward sensitivity account of extraversion. In one set of studies conducted cross-culturally, Richard Lucas and colleagues administered traditional measures of extraversion, all of which involve reward. For example: I enjoy talking to strangers I prefer to be with people who are exciting rather than quiet I like doing exciting things with people more than just talking quietly They also administered a newly developed test that measured a preference for social over solitary activities. Crucially, they removed the reward value of the items. For example: I always prefer being with others to spending time alone I rarely spend time alone I rarely go out of my way to find time for myself Across four studies they found that the traditional measures of extraversion (that involved reward values) were all correlated with each other, and with positive emotions. But critically, their new scale (which removed rewards from the items) was not correlated with extraversion, or positive emotions. These results suggest that a mere preference for social interaction, independent of the reward/enjoyment of the interaction, is not the core of extraversion. In a followup study, Richard Lucas and Ed Diener found that extraversion was related to the tendency to enjoy pleasant situations (social and nonsocial) but was unrelated to reactions to unpleasant situations (social and nonsocial). Therefore, it seems to be specifically the reward value of a situation, not the social nature of the situation, that predicts whether extraverts enjoy the situation more than introverts [2]. Consistent with this, several fMRI and EEG studies have shown that brain activity in response to a variety of rewards (favorite brands, humor, happy faces, monetary rewards and pleasant emotional stimuli) are associated with extraversion. Not all behaviors are equally related to extraversion, however. The desire for positive social attention seems to be a particularly strong indicator of extraversion [3]. For example, Jacob Hirsh and colleagues found that taking into account the rest of the Big Five personality traits (agreeableness, neuroticism, conscientiousness, and openness to experience), the following 10 behaviors were most uniquely predictive of extraversion (from a list of 400 activities): 1. Told a dirty joke. 2. Planned a party. 3. Entertained six or more people. 4. Told a joke. 5. Volunteered for a club or organization. 6. Tried to get a tan. 7. Attended a city council meeting. 8. Colored my hair. 9. Went to a night club. 10. Drank in a bar. Why might the drive for social attention be so strongly linked to extraversion? One possibility is that many human rewards are social in nature. Our complex social lives are probably the dominant force in human evolution, driving the evolution of intelligence, creativity, language, and even consciousness. The human reward system, therefore, most likely evolved to be particularly responsive to social rewards. Indeed, one of the most important gateways to rewards (e.g., money, power, friends, alliances, mates, exploration of the environment) is the ability to capture the attention of other people. Along these lines, some researchers have suggested that extraversion represents a high-intensity strategy for gaining social attention. There are costs to extraverted behavior, however. This includes time and energy that could be invested in other activities, such as accomplishing a goal (conscientiousness) or engaging with ideas and imagination (openness to experience). There is also the risk that inappropriate attention-seeking behavior can fall flat, leading to reduced attention-holding power. Finally, high levels of exploration of the environment can expose extraverted individuals to increased physical risks. coque iphone 2019 For instance, extraverts are more likely to be hospitalized due to accident or illness, and are more likely to become involved in criminal or antisocial behaviors and get arrested. From an evolutionary perspective, there’s a reason why both introversion and extroversion evolved, as both have fitness benefits and disadvantages depending on the context. The Engine Behind Extraversion It’s important to distinguish, however, between the most prominent behavioral manifestation of extraversion (desire for social attention) and the core underlying mechanism of extraversion (reward sensitivity). Even though reward sensitivity need not be limited exclusively to social situations, high reward sensitivity likely motivates extraverts to seek out potentially rewarding positive social interactions, and fuels them to display behaviors that will increase social attention (e.g., friendliness, smiling, high energy, loudness, exhibitionism, positive emotions). From a biological perspective, reward sensitivity is likely governed by dopamine. While dopamine is involved in a variety of cognitive and motivational processes, the unifying function of dopamine is exploration. According to Colin DeYoung, “the release of dopamine, anywhere in the dopamingergic system, increases motivation to explore and facilitates cognitive and behavioral processes useful in exploration.” Dopamine isn’t only related to extraversion. Dopamine is also causally related to openness to experience, although differences in openness are more likely to reflect variation in salience coding neurons (which increase curiosity and the desire to obtain information). In contrast, extraversion is more likely to reflect differences in the operation of value coding neurons (which indicate the incentive reward value of attaining a specific goal). Indeed, fMRI studies have found that extraversion is associated with greater volume of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), a region known to be involved in coding the value of rewards. This probably explains why a lot of introverts notice that they often need to be alone to recharge their batteries after vigorous social interactions, whereas extraverts appear to gain energy from social interactions. This can be explained by dopamine’s function in energizing potentially rewarding social interactions, as well as its role in overcoming the cost of effort. For introvert’s, such interactions are more effortful and tiring due to their less active reward system [4]. Are you really an introvert? It’s time to put your introversion to the test. Researchers have found that the various facets of the introversion-extraversion domain can be boiled down to two related but separate aspects: enthusiasm and assertiveness. Enthusiasm encompasses traits like sociability, friendliness, self-disclosure, gregariousness, and positive emotionality. Enthusiasm is primarily about social affiliation, but goes beyond sociability to include positive emotions, more generally, like joy, exuberance, and excitement [5]. Assertiveness encompasses traits like leadership, dominance, provocativeness, activity, talkativeness, and persuasiveness. Assertiveness is more about social status than social affiliation. These 20 items have been found to accurately capture these major aspects of the introversion-extraversion domain of personality. Rate each item from 1 (doesn’t apply to me at all) to 5 (really applies to me): 1. Make friends easily. __ 2. Am hard to get to know. __ 3. Keep others at a distance. __ 4. Reveal little about myself. __ 5. Warm up quickly to others. __ 6. Rarely get caught up in the excitement. __ 7. Am not a very enthusiastic person. __ 8. Show my feelings when I’m happy. __ 9. Have a lot of fun. __ 10. Laugh a lot. __ 11. Take charge. __ 12. Have a strong personality. __ 13. Lack the talent for influencing people. __ 14. Know how to captivate people. __ 15. Wait for others to lead the way. __ 16. See myself as a good leader. __ 17. Can talk others into doing things. __ 18. Hold back my opinions. __ 19. Am the first to act. __ 20. Do not have an assertive personality. __ Now reverse code items #2, #3, #4, #6, #7, #13, #15, #18, and #20 (replace 5=1, 4=2, 3=3, 2=4, and 1=5). Now take the average of all the items. Results: If you averaged 3.0 or less, you are probably an introvert. If you averaged between 3.1-3.8, you’re probably an ambivert. If you averaged 3.9 or higher, you’re probably an extravert. (Note: If you score the first 10 questions and the second 10 separately, you can assess the engagement and assertiveness aspects of extraversion separately. Some ambiverts are high in enthusiasm (first 10) but low in assertiveness (second 10), and vice versa.) Conclusion How’d you do? It is my hope that this article helps you understand yourself better. There are many ways you differ from others. However, it doesn’t all come down to the extraversion-introversion dimension. Maybe you realized that instead of being an introvert, you are actually an extravert (enthusiastic and assertive) who is also a highly sensitive person. Or maybe you realized that you are really an extravert who likes to daydream and reflect deeply about ideas. Or maybe you even realized you are actually an introvert who daydreams a lot, or an introvert who doesn’t have a vivid fantasy life. All of these combinations are possible, and more. But a first step is shedding outdated and inaccurate notions of what it means to be an introvert. © 2014 Scott Barry Kaufman, All Rights Reserved. Acknowledgement: Thanks to Colin DeYoung for his feedback on this article, and for having so many discussions with me about this topic. coque iphone 6 [1] This doesn’t mean that introverts don’t ever experience positive emotions, or don’t enjoy social interactions. Research shows that both extraverts and introverts experience more pleasant affect in social situations than in nonsocial situations. This does have implications for happiness and subjective well-being, however. One of the most robust findings in the happiness literature is that extraversion and happiness are strongly related to each other. A major cause is most likely the positive emotions that extraverts feel on a more regular basis. [2] It should be noted that introverts also want to experience pleasant emotions; it’s just that what they tend to experience as pleasant is different than what extroverts report as pleasant. Also, a lack of negative emotions can also be experienced as pleasant, even if it’s not specifically positive. [3] This also applies to how extraversion is measured by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test. The MBTI extraversion-introversion scale only includes items relating to being talkative, gregarious, and sociable (vs. quiet and reserved). Since there’s not a single item on the MBTI extraversion-introversion dimension that mentions being introspective or reflective, even the MBTI doesn’t measure Jung’s original conceptualization of the term! [4] To be sure, extraverts also get drained by too many social interactions (even though their threshold for exhaustion during rewarding social interactions is higher). coque iphone 8 [5] Of course, those scoring low in the enthusiasm aspect of extraversion may still show enthusiasm for specific activities.

Video: Steiner on the Gospels

Rudolf Steiner’s lectures on the Gospels of John and Luke “From the readings from Rudolf Steiner’s lectures on the Gospels of John and Luke showing how our spiritual development proceeds in a spiral motion through the zodiac so that each soul can experience the collective. coque iphone xr The influence of the cosmos on our planet’s destiny is mirrored in the individual’s relationship to the cosmos. outlet coque iphone INFO on the #7 http://www.esoteric-philosophy.com/

Eternal gratitude to Dale Brunsvold for so beautifully reading the collection of books and lectures by Rudolf Steiner. coque iphone xr This extensive library of audio and printed material is available free for download at: http://www.rudolfsteineraudio.com/# Special thanks to Chris Chadwick for the digital collage art as featured on his YouTube Channel:http://www.youtube.com/user/Goldenage,

Video: Steiner on Impulses of Evolution

“Selections from the Lecture Series “Inner Impulses of Evolution, soldes coque iphone the Mexican Mysteries and the Knights Templar” delivered by Rudolf Steiner in 1916, coque iphone xs max lecture #7 Passages from his book “Cosmic Memory” also included. coque iphone 2019 Both are read by Dale Brunsvold. coque iphone

Music by Gandalf from the album Invisible Power – 1989 The entire 7 part audio lecture is available online for free download: http://www.rudolfsteineraudio.com/inn…

Rudolf Steiner Web – In Depth

Rudolf Steiner Web The purpose of this site is to highlight the multi-faceted genius of Rudolf Steiner. coque iphone He made substantial contributions in numerous practical fields, coque iphone soldes in addition to being the most significant occultist to come forward in the last century. coque iphone 2019 pas cher The complete edition of his published works numbers over 330 volumes (with surprisingly little repetition) making him among the most prolific authors of all time, coque iphone en ligne though it was with the help of a number of stenographers. coque iphone 6 The links on the right explore Rudolf Steiner’s contributions in various areas.