Shatner serenades George Lucas.

With dancing Stormtroopers.

I kid you not.

Shatner Rocks.

[And anybody not watching him and Spader on Boston Legal are missing out.]

"Star TREK changed everything." Indeed.

All oracle systems...

...like the I Ching, the Tarot, Astrology, etc... seem to be a way for the conscious self, the middle self, to access the already "known" information in the subconscious.

Tellingly, how the subconcious "knows" this information is unknown, though Jung theorized it is somehow connected to the body of knowledge of the group unconscious mind - the collective unconscious... or you can call it the Yggdrasil, the world tree, the tree of life, the Akashic records - it doesn't matter. It's all just a metaphor for some body of knowledge, some way of accessing "reality" that, by dint of either inadvertent acculturation or intentional brainwashing, we don't normally take part in.

Anything we might call it, anyways, is just making up stories and symbol systems [all that language is anyways - a way to symbolize an "isness" that's experiential, not linguistic], language as a metaphor...

But maybe they're all just a way for the subconscious to access the superconscious by temporarily shutting down the "logical" rationalism of the normal, everyday, conscious mind.

" you don’t do anything aside from put out intentions and then watch them manifest. Your body’s role is to be a vehicle for manifesting."

More Subjective Reality Q&A:

"What is your personal experience with the subjective reality belief system?

I started learning about it in early 2005 while I was reading about consciousness. One day I was having lunch in my backyard and watching some birds. I tried to imagine what it would be like to perceive the world through the lens of non-localized consciousness. Just then I felt my sense of consciousness expand. I instantly understood that the wall in front of me was just as much “me” as my physical body was. My consciousness was no longer localized — suddenly it was everywhere. I had an intense surge of positive emotion, but it was so overwhelming that it knocked me out of that state, so the whole experience only lasted a few seconds. It was like the first time I had a lucid dream — I got so excited that I immediately fell out of the dream state. And no… I don’t smoke, do drugs, or anything of that nature.

It was an amazingly transformative experience for me. It was a feeling of total oneness with everything… not just a feeling, but a deep sense of knowing.

That experience gave me a glimpse of what it might be like to experience what mystics refer to as God-consciousness. It was something totally outside my previous experience. But it gave me a reference point to move towards — from that point on, I wanted to make that state of being my default. It felt like being in heaven. However, it was such a different paradigm that I had to unravel and rebuild my whole understanding of reality. I’m still going through that process today and have made a lot of progress. Just in the past couple weeks I had a quantum leap forward. I’m generally able to hold the edge of this state about 80-90% of the time, and whenever I get knocked out of it, I’m always able to return. I wake up each morning feeling this way. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It’s a state of being which makes me feel totally connected to everyone and everything.

I would rather feel this way for the rest of my life and be homeless than not feel this way and have billions of dollars in the bank. No amount of money, material success, or goal achievement in the physical universe could possibly come close.

So are you saying you believe the whole world centers around you?

No, not in the sense this question is likely being asked. The part of this mindset that people seem to have difficulty understanding is the de-localization of consciousness. With an objective reality model, you think of yourself (”you”) as an individual human being. With subjective reality you identify with all of conscious creation. So you don’t perceive the world as being centered around you in the sense of “you” being your body or your mind. Consciousness is equally present everywhere, and that’s what you identify with. So your sense of Self expands to be an all-emcompassing field instead of a particular point that can be localized within time and space.

Other words you could use for consciousness are Source and God. So instead of seeing the world as centered around your body, you see it as centered around this Source of all creation, centered around God. Then you expand your sense of individualized consciousness into a feeling of oneness with that Source/God. So you stop thinking of yourself as this individual human being. This is the most challenging part because it requires letting go of fear and attachment to the fate of the body you think is you. If you knew that you were so much more than your body, you wouldn’t be so fearful of what might happen to it or its possessions.

So if you feel this way, then why do any work at all?

Essentially, you don’t do anything aside from put out intentions and then watch them manifest. Your body’s role is to be a vehicle for manifesting. It’s as if your body no longer has free will because your consciousness is no longer centered there. You cease to identify with your body. Your free will comes from your connection to higher consciousness and your ability to create and hold intentions.

...What happens to your relationships when you think this way? Don’t you feel lonely?

There is a feeling of being deeply connected to everything and everyone. Loneliness isn’t present at all — it’s just the opposite of that. Relationships deepen and become more intimate, and shallow acquaintenances are replaced with true friendship.

...This type of compassion is unconditional. It doesn’t matter what race, religion, sexual preference, or lifestyle people have. It doesn’t matter if people behave hurtfully towards you. You are connected to everyone. No one is undeserving of compassion.

What other effects have you noticed from a subjective belief system?

Even when viewed from an objective standpoint, life has gotten better across the board. My wife and I are closer than we’ve ever been. Our love for each other has grown much more unconditional. Every day we talk about how excited we are to be doing what we do. She’s even getting up early regularly (often around 5:30) because she’s too excited about the coming day to stay in bed, and she used to love sleeping in.

Our financial situation has improved a lot over the past year — my wife and I each saw dramatic increases in our income. It’s almost like money is conspiring to come to us now...

Have you noticed any negative effects?

...If a subjective belief system was less accurate than an objective one, then I should be less capable of functioning in the world. That would be a reasonable expectation, wouldn’t it? I should be experiencing some sort of cognitive dissonance, whereby my mental model of reality becomes so skewed from actual reality that I can’t function as well. But of course the exact opposite has occurred. I function much better. Even from an objective standpoint, life has gotten much easier.

Having experienced both perspectives for myself, I find subjective reality to be a more accurate model of the “real” universe than objective reality. But I woudn’t expect anyone to agree with me unless they’ve actually experienced both sides for themselves. There’s no way to really understand subjective reality while staring at it through an objective lens, and vice versa. At best these words can only serve as a pointer to the experience, not an accurate depiction of the experience itself.


What does subjective reality have to do with psychic development?

I found my development in these areas to be parallel. Perhaps the most crucial change of the subjective mindset was that I developed much better conscious control over my thoughts. That became critical because if reality is created by thought, then I can’t allow myself the luxury of a negative thought, lest I create more of what I don’t want. I practiced for many hours to improve my ability to control my thoughts. I chose the thoughts I wanted to hold, and then I tried to hold them in my mind. I watched for negative thoughts and quickly kicked them out and replaced them with positive ones. That practice has been paying off.

The ability to control your thoughts is very beneficial for psychic development. For one, you need to develop a strong belief in your abilities, or they simply won’t manifest. If your mind keeps filling with doubts, you won’t get very far psychically. If you can control your thoughts, you can stay focused and receptive when you need to. You can quiet your mind and tune into six-sensory perceptions without getting distracted or doubting what you’re seeing. If you ever encounter negative entities, you can keep fear at bay and handle them intelligently..."

If only it wasn't so cold...

Kung Fu Monkey: Why Do I Carry Two Passports?:

"Canada. Real beer. Decriminalized pot. Same sex marriage. Universal health care. And a real press corps.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has declared he won't talk to the national media because they are biased against him, his latest move in a spat with the Parliament's press corps.

....Since Harper's minority government took office after the Jan. 23 elections, his relations with the national media have become more and more strained. Determined to impose order on the traditionally chaotic press scrum in which reporters shout out questions, Harper said he would choose questioners from a pre-screened list....After journalists refused to sign on to the list, Harper refused to take any questions.

On Tuesday, when Harper's press secretary announced there would be no questions after his announcement of aid to the Darfur region of Sudan, nearly two dozen reporters walked out, leaving the prime minister to make his statement in front of a single camera in a nearly empty room.

Ahhh, reporters who remember that they don't work for the government. I wonder what's that like?"

The mind is of no use.

Peaceful Warrior:

"'The mind is a phantom that lives only in the past or future. Its only power over you is to draw your attention out of the present.'- Socrates"

PostSecret

PostSecret: "See a Secret...Share a Secret"

Spousal Expectations...

Should do this...

Reprogramming Reality:

"...a book I read (can’t remember which one) that observed that the key to a successful marriage was to basically just think positively about your spouse. By doing this you’ll soon find your spouse living up to your positive expectations. "

See, religion doesn't cause sexual repression at all.

Bible Student Charged in Phone Sex Case, Minnesota Bible College Student Charged in Adult Phone Theft - CBS News:

"A student at Pillsbury Baptist Bible College was charged in the theft of his roommate's debit card, which was used to pay for more than $2,300 worth of calls to phone sex lines, prosecutors allege in court papers."

The only constant is change. Or, "this too shall pass".

Peaceful Warrior:

"'Your mind is your predicament. It wants to be free of change, free of pain, free of the obligations of life and death. But change is a law, and no amount of pretending will alter that reality.'- Socrates"

Wants, needs and developing capacities...

Peaceful Warrior:

"'A peaceful warrior knows the difference between needs and wants. The secret of happiness is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.'- Socrates"

Good luck with that...

Overheard in the Office | 12PM Lunch:

"Office drone #1: So my new next door neighbor's name is Amanda and she has a 2-year-old named Mercedes.
Office drone #2: Good luck keeping that one off the pole.

15 Washington Avenue
Brooklyn, New York"

That's the stripper pole, btw. For the less informed amongst you...

I have not been reading Sinfest lately...

This has clearly been a mistake.

Political Hack shown no respect.

McCain at New School: Honeymoon is Over:

"The school's tradition of dissent carried on today. Scores of New School students held orange signs, and a few banners, reading "McCain Does Not Speak For Me," and "Our Commencement Is Not Your Platform." What began as mild rumblings of disapproval before McCain's speech soon exploded into boos, catcalls and turned backs.

The spark was provided by undergraduate keynote speaker Jean Sara Rohe, a composed, seemingly innocuous jazz musician and singer. After beginning with a short folk song (true to classic graduation speech form) Rohe quickly tossed aside her prepared remarks to directly address McCain.

"This ceremony has become something other than the celebratory gathering it should be," Rohe said. "The Senator does not reflect the ideals on which this school was founded. This was a top-down decision in which the students played no part." The crowd erupted.

..."I am young, but I do know that pre-emptive war is dangerous and wrong," she said. "Osama bin Laden has not been found, nor those weapons of mass destruction." The vast majority of the crowd gave her a standing ovation.

'Well, we're having fun now, aren't we?' Kerrey cracked before introducing McCain.

The Senator spoke in a dull monotone, without his usual charisma or charm. He was noticeably deflated by the crowd's harsh reception towards him. Remarks such as 'I supported the decision to go to war in Iraq,' were met with loud boos.


'I stand that ground because I believed, rightly or wrongly, that my country's interests and values required it.'

'Wrongly!' one student boomed from the back. Sitting directly behind us, Maureen Dowd and Adam Nagourney of the New York Times, chuckled.

As McCain droned on, students became increasingly restless. One cried, 'This speech sucks!' Several students walked out early.

Summing up the mood of the day, another shouted, 'We're graduating, not voting.'"