Sunday, June 24, 2012

Trance and Mental Health


Contemplative Neuroscience

Contemplative neuroscience research, collaborative research between meditative adepts and neuroscientists, has been ongoing at research centers such as: University of Wisconsin www.investigatinghealthyminds.org, Stanford University ccare.stanford.edu, Mind and Life Institute www.mindandlife.org, and Emory University, Harvard, at universities in India and elsewhere, for over the past two decades. Left pre-frontal cortex brain activity is now known to be associated with feelings of happiness and well-being. A graph (below) showing results by Prof. Richard Davidson, at the University of Wisconsin, depicts left/right pre-frontal cortex activity for one meditation adept compared with 150 ordinary untrained people. The meditation adept lies 4.5 standard deviations outside the bell curve, for increased left pre-frontal cortical activity. This is an objective neurological measure of a subject's mental health status. 

Prof. Davidson & Mattheiu Ricard (L to R)
From "Habits of Happiness" by Matthieu Ricard, below:


Mind and Life introductory video on contemplative neuroscience:

Subtle Levels of Mind
Meditation adepts work with subtle levels of mind. What are subtle levels of mind? The grossest level of mind is our waking state. More subtle levels of mind are: the dream state, deep sleep, fainting, coma, and the subtlest level of mind is the mind at death. En route to 4.5 standard deviations from the bell curve, a yogi, a meditation adept, may experience trance states, alert mind states involving subtle levels of mind. 

Trance in Tibet
Trance states are well-documented in cultures around the world and are a recognized part of human experience. Trance in Tibet is a state institution. For centuries, three state oracles have entered trance states in order to advise the Tibetan government. This tradition continues today. A 17 min video depicts the Nechung oracle, Kuten La, in a trance state, and, later in the video, Khandro La Tseringma, also a Tibetan state oracle, being interviewed. The next video shows Kuten La, not in trance, speaking with Congressman Dennis Kucinich. 

Khandro La Tseringma (Tsering Chengma) in trance

The above photo depicts Khandro La Tseringma in a trance state. Hence, we can see two Tibetan state oracles in both waking or ordinary, and trance mental states. 

Nechung oracle in trance



Nechung oracle, Kuten La
Khandro La Tseringma







Tibetan oracles:

Nechung oracle talking with Congressman Dennis Kucinich:

Tibetan Medicine: Srok-rlung and rlung
Unlike the formal state institutions above, meditation practitioners may experience other kinds of trance states, known in Tibetan as rlung (say: loong) and srok-rlung (say: sok-loong). Rlung means 'wind' and srok-rlung means 'life wind,' which is a disturbance of the energy of the body's central channel. Tibetan medical doctors, called amji (say: umjee, also written: amchi), learn to differentially diagnose the different mental states collectively referred to as 'wind.' Characteristic symptoms of srok-rlung include forced control of mentation (thoughts), urine, voice, saliva, posture, defecation, etc. Srok-rlung is common in Tibet, especially in monasteries, is always treated properly and 'no one stays that way.' It is very important to treat srok-rlung properly. Treatment is mainly by gentle social interaction and play. 

When a monk develops srok-rlung, the other monks stop their meditation and study, and play sho,  a traditional dice game, together with the afflicted monk, until he gradual reconnects with gross consciousness and ordinary reality. The monks will play with him daily, every other day, every third day, until the condition is gradually resolved. Tibetan medical doctors also treat rlung disorders with herbs, massage, nutrition, mantras and medicinal incenses. Lamas, Tibetan spiritual teachers, may also perform purifying rituals for a person diagnosed with srok-rlung. Mental illness is rare in Tibet.

Tibetan medicine prescribed for srok-rlung

Regarding Tibetan medicine, His Holiness the Dalai Lama said, "Tibetan medicine is an integrated system of health care that has served the Tibetan people well for many centuries and which, I believe, can still provide much benefit to humanity at large. The difficulty we face in bringing this about is one of communication, for like other scientific systems, Tibetan medicine must be understood in its own terms, as well as in the context of objective investigation."


The Western Conundrum
Since trance is a part of human experience, many Westerners may also experience trance states. Some spiritual healers regularly go into and out of trance, such as psychic healer Dawn Clark. When trance states occur spontaneously, they are rarely, if ever, diagnosed as such in the West. Some trance states are self-limiting, while others may require short term acute medical attention. Such trance states are increasingly referred to as "spiritual emergence" and/or "spiritual emergencies." Western society, in general, tends to be intolerant of unordinary states of mind, and people reacting with panic and/or aggression around an individual in a trance state actually contribute to exacerbation, rather than alleviation, of the symptoms.

Psychiatric medications may be very rapid and effective for resolving trance states. 1-4 days of medication1 may be sufficient for a person to return to the ordinary gross waking state and to ordinary functioning. At that point, medication should probably best be discontinued. Individuals with srok-rlung are especially sensitive; excessive use of psychiatric medications, both dosage and duration, may lead to disturbances of the neurological and circulatory systems. When psychiatric treatment is not coercive, the person experiencing the trance state may have control and say over when to discontinue the treatment, based on his or her own experience and judgement. 

This 45 minute film by Melissa Gunasena, "Evolving Minds: Psychosis and Spirituality," presents natural treatment of trance states, referred to here as 'psychosis,' mainly from a Western perspective. The film also presents the conflict that may arise for spiritual practitioners when dealing with Western psychiatry. 


The producer's site for the film has many useful links as well: http://www.undercurrents.org/minds.html
Here is an 9 minute interview with Melissa Gunasena and a link to a 2 minute trailer:


In Closing
Maybe it's time for us to begin applying objective scientific measures and understanding of mental health from contemplative neuroscientific research to the 'mentally ill' and to all the rest of us. We may also consider consulting Tibetan medical doctors regarding compassionate and effective treatment of unusual mind states. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has already extended an invitation to consult Tibetan medical doctors for situations where Western medicine does not provide relief.

1Based on 7 spontaneous trance (acute transient psychotic) episodes, of these: 2 resolved with 3 days of medication, 2 resolved with 4 days of medication, 2 resolved with a single dosage of medication and 1 resolved with 1 to 5 days of medication (not known precisely).

(A video appeared here by Tsem Tulku, who is not a reliable expert on Tibetan Buddhism. He is affiliated with the disreputable Dolgyal Shugden cult.
For more information on Shugden see http://www.dalailamaprotesters.info/ I apologize for the error.)

Relevant Literature

Adams, T. Spiritual emergency or emergence.  Psychology Dept, University of CT. 1990.
http://easternhealingarts.com/Articles/SpititualEmergency.html

Agosin, T. Mysticism and psychosis. Seeds of Unfolding, Vol. VI, No. 4, Fall 1989.
http://www.seedsofunfolding.org/issues/11_08/feature_english.htm

Alei, Ariole K.
 - How to recognize trance states? http://ariolealei.com/urlight/?p=464
 - What is trance? http://ariolealei.com/urlight/?p=432
 - Trance - The inherent wealth of 'altered states of consciousness' http://ariolealei.com/urlight/?p=487

Crowley, N. Psychosis or spiritual emergence? - consideration of the transpersonal perspective within psychiatry. Royal College of Psychiatrists, UK. 2006.
http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/pdf/Nicki%20Crowley%20%20Psychosis%20or%20Spiritual%20Emergence.pdf

Kuijpers, HJH, van der Heijden, FMMA, Tuinier, S., Verhoeven WMA. Meditation induced psychosis. Psychopathology 40:461-464. 2007.
http://content.karger.com/produktedb/produkte.asp?typ=fulltext&file=000108125

Lukoff, D. From spiritual emergency to spiritual problem: the transpersonal roots of the new DSM-IV category.  Journal of Humanistic Psychology 38:21-50. 1998.
http://www.spiritualcompetency.com/jhpseart.html
 

Resources
Mind Freedom International
Psych Rights
Psych Integrity
Hearing Voices Network
Successful Schizophrenia
Foundation for Mental Health Excellence   
Isabel Clarke
Chris Clarke 
Free e-books from Emma Bragdon 
Spiritual Alliances - Emma Bragdon
UK psychologist thrives after diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia
Integrative residential mental health centers in the USA: ARTA
Men-Tsee-Khang Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute, Dharamsala, India   

Psychiatric Critique
Robert Whitaker "Anatomy of an Epidemic"
John Rengen Virapen "Side Effects: Death" and other books, and on Youtube
Gwen Olsen "Confessions of an Rx Drug Pusher"

Acknowledgements 
My teachers: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Khensur Jhado Tulku Rinpoche, Khensur Denma Locho Rinpoche, Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche, Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, Geshe Pema Dorjee, Khenpo Kelsang Nyima, Geshe Jampa Gyatso, Ani Rita Riniker, Gen Gyatso, Gen Damcho Gyaltsen, Geshe Lhakdor, Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, Ven. Sean Price, Ven. Antonio Satta, Ven. Sangye Khadro, Ven. Robina Courtin and more. Anyone not listed is not for lack of respect!
Dr. Lobsang Dhondup, Cynthia Husted, Amji Orni Sachs, Geshe Pema Dorjee and other Tibetan doctors and monks.

You may also enjoy reading:
Posted by at 3 comments:

Friday, May 18, 2012

For Mother, for Mother Earth

Mother and son pilgrims in Lhasa, Tibet / Photo: Janna Weiss 2008

For Mother's Day
How did the mother who raised you inspire you?

I dedicate this post to the mothers the brave victims who are fighting for the right to raise their children and for the right of all mothers to raise their children in a warm and loving home. Mother is the source of compassion. When we have healthy and peaceful mothers, we have healthy peaceful families. When we have healthy peaceful families we have healthy peaceful communities.





Lori Shemtov is a warm loving caring mother who has been denied the right to raise or even to see her two young children for the past 4 years. She is a courageous social activist, exposing social injustice in a neglected area of human rights activism.
Lori Shemtov's blog (Hebrew)

His Holiness the Dalai Lama:
"Everywhere we are talking about peaceful humanity, the peaceful world. This is not from prayer, not from technology, not from money, not from religion, but from mother. This is my fundamental belief.
Mother, I consider, is our first teacher, teaches compassion. The first day after my birth, immediately I learned, I experienced mother's compassion, mother's affection.
That is, I think, the most important part of building a healthy family, and that means a healthy humanity."

"Peace starts within each one of us.

When we have inner peace,

we can be at peace with those around us.

When our community is in a state of peace,

it can share that peace with neighboring communities."
- His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama






This song won first place in the Greenforall contest for the song that most exemplified Dr. Martin Luther King's social justice values.
--

Radio announcer: The United Nations declared that today the world's population reaches 7 billion people.

- Hi, seeya, wuzzup man? How're you doin' man?

- I'm chillin' for the most part, y'know.

- It's hard to see my mom and my family struggling.

- You know what I think about that bro'? It's like - there's mothers struggling all over the world.
 [missing] you know what I mean?
 [missing] One thing I think we need to do is...

- - -
Minus the race color and creeds power to the people
we strong enough so now we can live long enough to defeat you
it's in our D.N.A, to get rid of this racist
That poor shit i can cope with but i'm so sick of this hatred
we strong as 7 billion come on lets keep it building
My Asians keep creating
My Russians keep the Steel in
My Germans send them Euros by the plurals to the states
My Egyptians send that Tea by the case I like the taste
United Nations ain't doing what they supposed to
Finding a strategic way to bring the nations closer
Tell me whats a border?
Why we dividing cultures?
Why we collide with social order!! (why we collide with social order)

- - -
Woman:
We want to shed blood for lunch.
Our forefathers shed blood for lunch!
We're gonna do so...

- - -

Its a war going on outside nobody's safe from
People fighting for they lives, only the fake run
Its a war going on outside nobody's safe from
People fighting for they lives, only the fake run!

(Chorus) Power to the People!
This is not a White thing
This is not a Black thing
This here is a world thing
Power to the People!
This is not a Brown thing
This is not a Red thing
This is a world thing
7 Billion Strong, 7 Billion Strong
7 Billion Strong, 7 Billion Strong
7 Billion Strong, 7 Billion Strong

(Silent C) Slavery performed by governments politicians and Uncle Tims
Pulling our strings like puppets in hope that we dont look up to them
Until we Occupy public land
and stand for something instead of falling for nothing
Let 'em know we know something
Tell 'em we're tired of suffering
Victims to hells destruction
The mystery's in the rubble
Start digging to fix the puzzle
Scream victory with the shovel
Yeah, and tell all them muthufuckas that fucked us, FUCK YOU!
Divided they will kill us
United they will hear us
And their worst fear is knowing that the fear is no longer with us
So Power to The People
People to The Power
Power to The People
People to The Power
The bank still making profits
Unemployment still ain't dropping
Colleges holding you hostage
You're bound to pay for that knowledge
Everything's about a dollar
Nothings free but the problems
There's a price for the peace and that's a piece of the problem
Why all we see is the violence!
According to the census we made 7 Billion
Well, how many of us 7 Billion gonna make 7 Million?
and heres a better question for the livin'
How many of us living, or just existing? Power to the people!

--
Christin's mother: Continue to make me proud, with that smile, and always care about people, and give people everything that you have in you give, because I taught you well, I taught you all that you need to do, and all that you need to make it in life, and as long as you use all of those things, Christin, you will make it real far.
--
Honor the woman who raised you:
post this video on your Facebook page and share how she's inspired you.

Lyrics here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFVcBDCpCHc

May 14 - The Dalai Lama Will Receive the Templeton Prize in London, thousands will attend
For Mother Earth: Listen to the Children
Post in Hebrew
 
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Clary Sage Omega-3 Healing People, Fish & the Sea



  

 Healing Ourselves & The Earth Together

 


 Dear Friends, Marvalous, the company that distributes clary sage Omega-3 seed oil, is currently in court proceedings intiated by its distributors and others. The science and information regarding clary sage Omega-3 is accurate. I can no longer recommend purchase of the product. March 3, 2013

I've been a health professional for almost 30 years. Quite honestly, this unique clary sage Omega-3 makes me feel as if we're living in China during the discovery of ginseng, or the discovery of caterpillar fungus in Tibet. Clary sage Omega-3 is a wonderful herbal product, a cold pressed Salvia sclarea seed oil that has a whole body systemic effect, so it produces extraordinary results, in people of all ages, with a wide range of problems.

For a year, I suffered chronic shoulder and arm pain from a torn muscle or ligament. Acupuncture, massage, herbs, exercise, rest - nothing helped and it only got worse. I had difficulty using my arm for ordinary tasks. After a few weeks of clary sage Omega-3 my pain-free range of movement began to increase. After 2.5 months of clary sage Omega-3, two capsules per day, my son and I tossed a basketball for close to an hour, including hard and far throws in every direction, and my shoulder was completely pain free. My improvement continues steadily. 

   Important Info About Omega-3

Omega-3 fatty acid is an essential nutrient for every cell in the body, as Omega-3 fatty acids are components of all cell membranes. Most human diets today are deficient in Omega-3. These two facts also explain the Omega-3 systemic effect on all bodily systems for such a wide range of disorders.

Recent research indicates that vegetal Omega-3, ALA, is an essential nutrient in its own right. The body also breaks down ALA to DHA or EPA as needed. Vegetal sources of Omega-3 include: leafy green vegetables, soy, grains, walnuts and more. Higher concentrations of Omega-3 are found in chia seed, flax seed, and purslane. 

The multi-billion dollar fish and krill oil industries share responsibility for decimation of the fish population and the marine environment. Fish oil is also contaminated with PCB, mercury and other heavy metals. Therefore, fish and krill oils are no longer viable choices for Omega-3 dietary supplementation.  

An Israeli agricultural scientist discovered clary sage seed oil to be a rich source of stable Omega-3, as well as over 100 other secondary compounds, including Co-Q10 and all types of Vitamin E. Clary sage seed oil is an alternative to traditional fish oil.

Translated testimonies (from Hebrew)

Ayelet, biologist, after 10 years of fish oil  2:34

Hi, I'm Ayelet.

I'm a biologist. I've been taking Marvalous for more than half a year and I'd like to tell what wonders it's done in my life, and in my granddaughter's life.

Before I tell you about the magic of the Omega-3 from Salvia sclarea oil, I would like to mention that I religiously took Omega-3 fish oil 1000 mg per day for more than ten years, and when I started taking Marvalous Omega-3, only then did I realize the extent to which my body was hungry for the right Omega-3, that's right for the body.

In the first three weeks, I had gynecological changes that I won't describe here, and and my arm opened up, the movement in the shoulder. I had the beginning of frozen shoulder, due to inflammation. Now I can move my arm back.
     
After a month and a half of taking two capsules a day, my dosage of Eltroxin - I take Eltroxin because my thyroid doesn't work so well - I took 5.5 pills a week, and now I've gone down to 4 pills a week. That's a very significant reduction, more than a 20% decrease in the Eltroxin dosage.

My granddaughter - I gave my granddaughter one capsule a day, a 4.5 year old girl, a little one, with atopic dermatitis, eczema in the joints and behind the knees, neck and all sorts of places. One capsule per day, for three weeks. After 3 weeks her skin was completely smooth, the way a 4.5 year old child's skin should be.

I had papilloma growths here [strokes her neck] and they fell off, they're falling off, not all, but most of them. The one's that are still on the neck aren't growing. I don't need to... I had to go to the clinic every three months to have them removed with liquid nitrogen. I've stopped going, for more than 6 months I haven't needed to have these growths removed.

My life is filled with joy. You're invited. 



Miri Schrangheim, homeopath, immune system / allergens 1:05

Hi, my name is Miri. I'm 55 years old. I'm a veterinarian and a homeopathic physican. I want to share a surprise I experienced from taking Salvia sclarea Omega-3.

My husband and I each took two capsules every morning, since, based on our knowledge, Omega-3 can help the body to lower cholesterol.  

The surprise came a week ago, when my husband got his blood test results. Compared to his tests two years ago, his allergen values dropped by half.

And what we experienced before we got the results... for the half year he's taken the Omega-3, he's had no asthma, no migraines, and no itching - and that's amazing. 

Naomi, shiatsu teacher, reports:
"Here are some testimonies I heard today (April 27, 2012) -

1. A 64 year old man with renal insufficiency, after a month with 4 capsules per day all his blood values improved. He's much more energetic.

2. A 2.5 year old boy with a rare liver disease, 6 months with [clary sage] Omega and the liver returned to normal function.

3. A religious woman with ten children. After her sixth birth, her thyroid gland was damaged. She took Eltroxin for 12 years. Today, with 6 capsules of Omega, she is completely free of Eltroxin and is balanced.

4. A 12 year old girl with childhood Type I diabetes. A few months with Omega and she's completely free of medications."

Naomi herself no longer suffers from hair loss, and her hair has grown back.

A Feeling of Mission: Testimonial Videos

ADD / Joints / Krohn's / Panic Disorder & More  9:35 
Hebrew / English subtitles


Herniated Discs / Sciatica 2:36

Congenital Brain Damage 4:06


 Diabetes / Arthritis / Neuropathy 0:49


Autism / ADHD 8:27

Dermatitis 1:00

Autism 0:48 


 Joints 0:55

 Cramps 0:59

Spinal Leak 0:34 

 Testimonies from Pennsylvania 4:33


Acknowledgement
I am grateful to many distributors and to the many people who have taken Marvalous, for enabling the creation of this page.

You may also enjoy reading:

Ethics for any human being - basic human values


I would like to acknowledge Dr. Nativ Dudai, Volcani Institute, Israeli Agricultural Research Organization, and the Neve Ya'ar research team, for their kindness, dedicated research, contribution to humanity and the Earth. 

For the scientifically minded
Alpha-linolenic acid and its conversion to longer chain n-3 fatty acids: benefits for human health and a role in maintaining tissue n-3 fatty acid levesl. by Gwendolyn Barceló-Cobijn, Eric J Murphy. Progress in Lipid Research (2009) 48:355-374. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19619583 Dispels the popular belief that ALA is 'not as effective' as fish oil.
Omega-3 fatty acids in wild plants, nuts and seeds. by Artemis P. Simopoulos. Asia Pacific J Clin Nutr (2002) 11(S6): S163–S17. Full article.  http://apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/apjcn/Volume11/vol11sup2/S163.pdf Contains tables of vegetal sources of Omega-3 and %.
Compositions containing as the active ingredient components from Salvia sclarea seed. Israeli patent 168574, Date Granted: Sept., 2003, Accepted: March 2006. PCT/IL2004/000804. USA 20060286184 http://www.freepatentsonline.com/20060286184.html Contains nutritional tables comparing clary sage (Salvia sclarea) and chia (Salvia hispanica) seed oils. 

Note: Evening primrose oil, borage seed oil and black currant seed oil contain Omega-6 fatty acids (GLA) and not Omega-3 (ALA).

Posted by at No comments:

Thursday, May 3, 2012

The Age of the Brain Is Here


Soldier Blue 1970


Nu, finally. Do you remember when the good Big Screen movies would make it to us from America two years later? We didn't mind watching "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975) or "Soldier Blue" (1970) belatedly. We opened our folding chairs in the kibbutz auditorium (alternately a wedding hall, basketball court and cultural activity center), the projector with the big movie reel was ready, and we were content with our lot. 

Soldier Blue 1970 - 1 of 12

Now, several years later, never mind, better late than never, here too, meditation is becoming mainstream. Hurry to sign up – but don't worry too much if it's filled up already. There are plenty of places for you to learn and practice mindfulness, attention placement, full and compassionate presence in each and every moment. The main thing is not too worry, the teachers tell us... 
 
Mark Greenberg on Nurturing Mindfulness in Families, Schools and Youth

On a more serious note, Dr. Mark Greenberg, who specializes in bringing mindfulness into classrooms in America, will be speaking at an important and groundbreaking conference at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya (IDC) and Levinsky College of Education (details in Hebrew). Mark Greenberg was one of the people who participated in the dialogue with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, mentioned in Daniel Goleman's book “Destructive Emotions.” He emphasizes the ethical aspect of mindfulness, that is too often forgotten.

Neuroscience and meditation – Mind and Life Insitute 8:00

What's really important? It's important that we be compassionate, that we be ethical, in other words, and it's definitely important to teach and to learn this knowledge, from generation to generation. It seems to me that it's alright for us to say a “Shehehiyanu” (a prayer said on new occasions) for the initiative, with the hope that this kind of activity grows, deepens and establishes strong roots in our country. We can now welcome the Age of the Brain in Israel and the world, and the dawning of the New Millennium for which we have waited so long – 2000 years, at least, if I'm not mistaken...

Yaki Platt

Yaki Platt is teaching in Israel now, including: "Dealing with Difficulties Through Mind Transformation" – warmly recommended (details in Hebrew).

Blessings for happiness, for all beings.
(For all beings, not for happiness :)
~  ~  ~  
Posted by at No comments:

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Integrative Public Health Model to Heal Violence


Tibetan Medicine & Public Health
My thanks to Haifa University for access to d-bases and literature
and to John Hopkins School of Public Health OpenCourseWare.

  

 

 


  

 

 
 War and depression are in the expected top 10 causes of disability worldwide.
Other causes are also related to poverty and stress. 



 Most social intervention and funding focus on the predisposing situations.
Very little is invested in personal cultivation of compassion.
(White text is mine.)

 
Cultures around the world have herbs for anger and depression. Here are three examples. 
Herbs are palliative and helpful, but do not treat the root cause of violence. 
Let's look at Tibetan traditional medicine.

  
 The Medicine Buddha is central to Tibetan medicine. 
Here depicted in his celestial palace surrounded by medicinal plants

 The three root causes of suffering:
1. attachment/craving/passion/lust/greed, 2. aversion/anger/hatred, 3. ignorance.

A Tibetan amchi's private practice.
The Medicine Buddha sits atop an herb rack in the center of the clinic.
Left top: Drawers with herb pills
Left bottom: Acupuncture & cupping
Right top: Pulse diagnosis
Right bottom: Examing urine

Left: Removing a demon after all patients have left the clinic
Right top: Applying a blessed stamp, here for fertility
Right bottom: Humor & laughter; Amchi-lak jokes with his patients

 Traditional representations of the three root causes of suffering. 
What do these pictures mean? Tibetans have learned from this pictures for centuries.

 Individual predisposition to violence arises in the mind. 
Our tendency to see others as "all good" and "all bad," called splitting in Western psychology, gives rise to our intent to harm others. "All good" = Buddhist attachment, "all bad" = Buddhist aversion.
Splitting arises from our grasping to a mistaken view of "I" or self. 

For Students of Buddhism: Please note that the model also presents the three stages on the Path to Enlightenment. 1. Abandoning the intention to harm others by the practice of ethics is the basic stage, which represents a gross level of (self) awareness (Hinayana); 2. Abandoning attachment and aversion (splitting) by cultivating equanimity and the wish to help others as much as one can, the Mahayana stage, represents a more advanced and more subtle level of awareness; 3. Finally, at the most subtle or deepest level of awareness, we "tame that mind of ours" and uproot the underlying cause of suffering, the mistaken notion of "I," by cultivating wisdom, the understanding of emptiness of independent existence.


The integative model shows that the mistaken view of self is the root cause of violence. 


 Left: Prof. Richard Davidson, University of Wisconsin neuroscientist
and Matthieu Ricard, formerly a biologist at the Pasteur Institute in France,
now a Tibetan Buddhist meditation adept.
Right: Matthieu Ricard's point on far left is 4.5 standard deviations from the bell curve! 
Matthieu Ricard has been dubbed "The Happiest Man in the World."

Above screenshots are from this TED talk, "The Habits of Happiness" by Matthieu Ricard:

 Examples of contemplative neuroscience research.




 My humble efforts. 



If more individuals cultivate compassion, the left-hand side of the bell curve, indicating greater happiness and compassion, will increase; the right side will decrease, and we will have a more compassionate, less violent society.

  Education is key for cultivating compassionate individuals. 
The wish to help others and to relieve the suffering of others can be cultivated.

Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)