Wabi Sabi Zen Awakening

Understand the inherently peaceful presence of Awareness the art of Living in the NOW

Fraser Trevor

Link Author

Title: Understand the inherently peaceful presence of Awareness the art of Living in the NOW
Author: Fraser Trevor
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

Understand the inherently peaceful presence of Awareness the art of Living in the NOW, and see that this peace is not dependent upon the c...

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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 28px;">Understand the inherently peaceful presence of Awareness the art of Living in the NOW, and see that this peace is not dependent upon the condition of the mind, body or world, just as a screen is not dependent on the quality of the words or images that appear on it.</span><br />
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Understand the inherently peaceful presence of Awareness the art of Living in the NOW

Understand the inherently peaceful presence of Awareness the art of Living in the NOW, and see that this peace is not dependent upon the c...

The addicted brain is distinctly different from the nonaddicted brain, as manifested by changes in brain metabolic activity, receptor availability, gene expression, and responsiveness to environmental cues

Fraser Trevor

Link Author

Title: The addicted brain is distinctly different from the nonaddicted brain, as manifested by changes in brain metabolic activity, receptor availability, gene expression, and responsiveness to environmental cues
Author: Fraser Trevor
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

There are many biological factors that are involved with the addicted brain. "The addicted brain is distinctly different from the no...

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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /><br />There are many biological factors that are involved with the addicted brain. "The addicted brain is distinctly different from the nonaddicted brain, as manifested by changes in brain metabolic activity, receptor availability, gene expression, and responsiveness to environmental cues" (2) In the brain, there are many changes that take place when drugs enter a person's blood stream. The pathway in the brain that the drugs take is first to the ventral tegmentum to the nucleus accumbens, and the drugs also go to the limbic system and the orbitofrontal cortex, which is called the mesolimbic reward system. The activation of this reward system seems to be the common element in what hooks drug users on drugs (2).<br /><br />Drugs seem to cause surges in dopamine neurotransmitters and other pleasure brain messengers. However, the brain quickly adapts and these circuits desensitize, which allows for withdrawal symptoms to occur (3). Drug addiction works on some of the same neurobiological mechanisms that aid in learning and memories (3). "This new view of dopamine as an aid to learning rather than a pleasure mediator may help explain why many addictive drugs, which unleash massive surges of the neurotransmitter in the brain, can drive continued use without producing pleasure-as when cocaine addicts continue to take hits long after the euphoric effects of the drug have worn off or when smokers smoke after cigarettes become distasteful." (4)<br /><br />Since memory and pleasure zones are intertwined in the brain, many researchers have been using psychological approaches to stop drug use. Many rehabilitation centers have used classical conditioning to rehabilitate drug addicts. They combine exposure to drugs combined with cognitive scripts, like statements how drugs have destroyed a person's life or what can be accomplished without using drugs, according to DeLetis (5). By using classical conditioning, the drugs addicts pair the drugs with negative connotations and properties. "Adverse withdrawal symptoms can function as an instrumental negative reinforcer and can be linked to the opponent process theory of motivation." (6) However, drug addicts may relapse and start using again because of many environmental "cues", which are external forces that are associated with drug use in their lives. When the drugs addicts see these cues, their brain circuitry, especially the orbitofrontal cortex become hyperactive and causes these people to start craving drugs again (2). No matter how successful the rehabilitation treatment is, once those "cues" are around, the drug addicts remember how pleasurable the drugs felt and relapse into drug abuse again.<br /><br />Through all of the research done about drug addiction and its affects on the brain, one can see how drug addiction is considered a brain disease. Drug addiction is a disabling disease and can ruin a person's life. By taking drugs, a person's brain becomes "rewired" to tolerate high amounts of dopamine neurotransmitters, but once those high amounts of dopamine cease to exist, the person experiences withdrawal symptoms. However, there are ways drug addicts can control their drug intake by using classical conditioning techniques, which allows them to associate drugs with negative attributes.</span><div>
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The addicted brain is distinctly different from the nonaddicted brain, as manifested by changes in brain metabolic activity, receptor availability, gene expression, and responsiveness to environmental cues

There are many biological factors that are involved with the addicted brain. "The addicted brain is distinctly different from the no...

The results strongly suggest that the mechanism of depression after alcohol drinking may be related to serotonin.

Fraser Trevor

Link Author

Title: The results strongly suggest that the mechanism of depression after alcohol drinking may be related to serotonin.
Author: Fraser Trevor
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

We examined tryptophan and serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) levels in the blood after consumption of alcohol. Forty-five minutes after drinki...

The results strongly suggest that the mechanism of depression after alcohol drinking may be related to serotonin.

We examined tryptophan and serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) levels in the blood after consumption of alcohol. Forty-five minutes after drinki...

The important thing with serotonin, is to keep it at steady levels.

Fraser Trevor

Link Author

Title: The important thing with serotonin, is to keep it at steady levels.
Author: Fraser Trevor
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

The important thing with serotonin, is to keep it at steady levels. The medicines that raise the level of serotonin in the brain do so by sl...

The important thing with serotonin, is to keep it at steady levels.

The important thing with serotonin, is to keep it at steady levels. The medicines that raise the level of serotonin in the brain do so by sl...

experts believe we can actually become "addicted" to stress.

Fraser Trevor

Link Author

Title: experts believe we can actually become "addicted" to stress.
Author: Fraser Trevor
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

Stress can be physical,And then there’s the kind that’s in our heads — that OMG I’m so overwhelmed right now feeling. While psychological st...

<p>Stress can be physical,And then there’s the kind that’s in our heads — that OMG I’m so overwhelmed right now feeling. While psychological stress has some definite downsides (chronic freak-outs may increase our risk for cancer and other diseases), take a moment to exhale. In moderate amounts, stress can boost our focus, energy, and even our powers of intuition.</p><p>Still, in some cases, stress does more than light a productivity-boosting fire under our butts. Both emotional and physical stress activate our central nervous system, causing a “natural high,” says Concordia University neuroscientist and addiction specialist Jim Pfaus. “By activating our arousal and attention systems,” Pfaus says, “stressors can also wake up the neural circuitry underlying wanting and craving — just like drugs do.”</p><p>This may be why, experts believe, some of us come to like stress a little too much.</p><p>Type A and Type D personalities — or people prone to competitiveness, anxiety, and depression — may be most likely to get a high from stressful situations, says stress management specialist Debbie Mandel. Stress “addicts,” Mandel says, “may also be using endless to-do lists to avoid less-easy-to-itemize problems — feelings of inadequacy, family conflicts, or other unresolved personal issues.”</p><p>Some stress junkies have difficulty listening to others, concentrating, and even sleeping because they can’t put tomorrow’s agenda out of their minds, explains Mandel. Others tend to use exaggerated vocabulary — craaazy busy right now, workload’s insane!! And some begin to feel anxious at the mere thought of slowing down their schedule.</p><p>But psychologist and addiction researcher Stanton Peele cautions against labeling anyone a stress addict. “Only when that pursuit of stress has a significant negative impact on your life could it qualify as addiction,” he said, adding that many people are able to effectively manage — and in fact thrive under — high stress conditions. (Think: Olympic athletes or President Obama.)</p><p> Study: Stress Shrinks the Brain and Lowers Our Ability to Cope with Adversity</p><p>For budding stress “addicts” or for those who just, well, feel overwhelmed, here are some tips to dial down that anxiety:</p><ul><li>Seek professional help if you’re verging on burnout. (Not only can hashing it out with a therapist take a load off your mind. Some studies suggest it also boosts physical fitness.)</li><li>Do something creative. Mandel recommends carving out a once-weekly time not to think about tomorrow’s agenda by painting, cooking, writing, dancing, or anything else that’ll take you off the clock temporarily.</li><li>Take it outside. Numerous studies show spending time in nature improves general well-being, lowers anxiety, stress and depression, and even boosts self-confidence. Especially for women. (As it turns out, most addiction recovery centers offer outdoor-immersion programs.)</li><li>Calm down quickly. If you really don’t have time for any of the above, these 40 tricks to chill take five minutes or less.</li></ul><p>Some of us may seek out stress a bit more excessively than others and struggle to just relax. It takes skill to handle hectic agendas and long lists of responsibilities — without losing sleep or feeling frazzled. So try these tips and try not to freak out.</p><p>Worried that you or someone you know seeks out stress a little too much? Think stress addiction is a myth? Tell us about it in the comments section below.</p><p><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 22px;"><br /><br /><br /></span></p>

experts believe we can actually become "addicted" to stress.

Stress can be physical,And then there’s the kind that’s in our heads — that OMG I’m so overwhelmed right now feeling. While psychological st...

For those red wine drinkers who’ve been feeling morally superior about all the health benefits of the relaxing glass or two sipped during dinner, there’s some bad news on the horizon.

Fraser Trevor

Link Author

Title: For those red wine drinkers who’ve been feeling morally superior about all the health benefits of the relaxing glass or two sipped during dinner, there’s some bad news on the horizon.
Author: Fraser Trevor
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

Turns out, those glasses of wine would be a lot healthier if they were non-alcoholic, a new study shows. Spanish researchers led by Gemma ...

<p> Turns out, those glasses of wine would be a lot healthier if they were non-alcoholic, a new study shows.  Spanish researchers led by Gemma Chiva-Blanch of the University of Barcelona found that non-alcoholic red wine reduced blood pressure in men at high risk for heart disease better than standard red wine or gin, according to the study published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation Research. Although the reduction in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure was modest, decreases of just 4 and 2 mm Hg have been associated with a 14 to 20 percent reduction in heart disease and stroke, the researchers pointed out. “The daily consumption of dealcoholized red wine could be useful for the prevention of low to moderate hypertension,” they concluded.  Although there have been many studies on the impact of moderate drinking on health, the findings have been mixed, with some studies showing a benefit and others suggesting none. The new study found that 3 ounces of gin a day had no impact on blood pressure, while consumption of regular red wine led to a small, but not statistically significant, improvement. The new study suggests that if you’re going to have a drink, red wine would be the healthiest choice, said Dr. Kelly Anne Spratt, a heart disease prevention specialist and a clinical associate professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.  Still, Spratt said, “while there are those of us in cardiology who believe in the benefits of red wine, we want to be wary. We’re not going like gangbusters recommending people go out and start drinking. There are a lot of problems associated with drinking, like weight gain, cardiomyopathy, alcoholism, an increased breast cancer risk in women who consume two or more drinks a day.” Chiva-Blanch and her colleagues suspect that blood pressure improvements were due to the impact of polyphenols, a red wine component, on nitric oxide. The theory is that nitric oxide molecules help blood vessels relax, which allows better flow and more blood to reach the heart and other organs. For the new study, Chiva-Blanch and her colleagues followed 67 men with diabetes or three or more cardiovascular risk factors. During the study, the men were all required to consume the same foods along with one of three drinks: 10 ounces of red wine, 10 ounces of non-alcoholic red wine or 3 ounces of gin. During the 12 week study, the men tried each diet/beverage combination for four weeks at a time. The researchers determined that the standard red wine and its nonalcoholic counterpart contained equal amounts of polyphenols, an antioxidant which has been shown to decrease blood pressure. Men who drank regular red wine saw minor reductions in blood pressure – too small, in fact, to be statistically significant. Those who drank gin with their meals saw no change in blood pressure. But men who drank non-alcoholic red wine saw a blood pressure decrease of about 6 mm Hg in systolic and 2 mm Hg in diastolic blood pressure. Chiva-Blanch and her colleagues concluded that their findings show that the alcohol in red wine actually weakens its ability to lower blood pressure.</p>

For those red wine drinkers who’ve been feeling morally superior about all the health benefits of the relaxing glass or two sipped during dinner, there’s some bad news on the horizon.

Turns out, those glasses of wine would be a lot healthier if they were non-alcoholic, a new study shows. Spanish researchers led by Gemma ...

WHEN YOUR HIGHER POWER FAILS YOU

Fraser Trevor

Link Author

Title: WHEN YOUR HIGHER POWER FAILS YOU
Author: Fraser Trevor
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

It happens every time. Without fail. Without exception. I bet it's happened to you also. Just think about it. How often has your god fai...

<p>It happens every time. Without fail. Without exception. I bet it's happened to you also. Just think about it. How often has your god failed you? Every single time. Every single time I have turned a human being into a god, or turned something man-made into an idol, or placed my trust, expectation, hope, and confidence in anything else but the one true God, my god has failed me. Some people are slow learners. I am one of them. I have made the same mistake countless times. And every single time, that's right, you've got it. It happens every time.  Maybe I should be more careful when I place my trust, expectation, hope, and confidence in a human being. Maybe I should be more choosy with the human I choose. Not so. No matter the human, the same outcome will arise. My god will fail me.  I did it again recently. I made the same mistake. But my mistake wasn't the human I chose. My mistake was the choice I made to pick a human. And guess what happened? You guessed it. My god failed me. But how can this happen, time and again?  Easily. First, it happens when I fail to remember when I need not to forget. Never, ever, place what belongs to God in heaven in the hands of a human. My love and trust, my loyalty and faithfulness, my belief and confidence, my hope and expectation, must be placed in the Lord first and foremost, above all and everyone else - whether it be someone or something else, or whether it be myself.  Second, it happens not because I forget, but because I don't realize and recognize what I have done. Hard habits sometimes die slowly, don't they? And slow habits die hard. It has been a hard lesson for me, and I have to be vigilant to ensure I don't unconsciously do what I have so often done.  So what is the outcome of this all? My gods fail me. Every human I have ever made into a god, every person or thing I have ever turned into an idol, the result has always been the same. My false gods have failed me, hurt me, let me down, forsaken me, abandoned me, rejected me, broken me, fallen short, messed up, and a zillion other things. Seriously? Yes.  Will the real God please stand up?</p>

WHEN YOUR HIGHER POWER FAILS YOU

It happens every time. Without fail. Without exception. I bet it's happened to you also. Just think about it. How often has your god fai...

Researchers completing a new study on alcohol consumption have discovered that college-age students who binge drink are happier than those who don't.

Fraser Trevor

Link Author

Title: Researchers completing a new study on alcohol consumption have discovered that college-age students who binge drink are happier than those who don't.
Author: Fraser Trevor
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

Those who engaged in binge drinking tend to belong to so-called high-status groups: wealthy, white, male and active in fraternity life. An...

<p><p id="yui_3_5_1_21_1345507711715_348"> </p><p id="yui_3_5_1_21_1345507711715_343">Those who engaged in binge drinking tend to belong to so-called high-status groups: wealthy, white, male and active in fraternity life. And those who did not belong to the high-status groups could achieve similar levels of social acceptance through the act of binge drinking. In fact, the study results suggest that students engaged in the heavy drinking practice to elevate their social status amongst peers rather than to alleviate depression or anxiety.</p><p id="yui_3_5_1_21_1345507711715_349">"The present study offers another insight into the nature of a seemingly intractable social problem," the study released on Monday reads. "It is our hope that by drawing attention to the important social motivations underlying binge drinking, institutional administrators and public health professionals will be able to design and implement programs for students that take into account the full range of reasons that students binge drink."</p><p id="yui_3_5_1_21_1345507711715_350">The Washington Post reports that the study's co-author and Colgate University associate professor Carolyn Hsu presented some of the findings during the American Sociological Association gathering in Denver last week.</p><p id="yui_3_5_1_21_1345507711715_351">Interestingly, the study results compiled from surveying 1,600 college students also continues to support past evidence suggesting that binge drinking leads to a number of problems affecting the mind and body, including alcoholism, violence, poor grades and risky sexual behavior.</p><p>"I would guess it has to do with feeling like you belong and whether or not you're doing what a 'real' college student does," Hsu told LiveScience. "It seems to be more about certain groups getting to define what that looks like."</p><p>Binge drinking was defined as consuming more than four drinks in one occasion for women and more than five drinks for men. Sixty-four percent of respondents said they had engaged in the practice, compared with 36 percent who said they had not.</p><p id="yui_3_5_1_21_1345507711715_374">Those statistics differ from similar evidence gathered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC's statistics measure binge drinking in the same quantity but limit the consumption period to two hours or fewer. Its results also found that the majority of binge drinkers (70 percent) were over the age of 26. The CDC has also found that 90 percent of alcohol consumed by people under the age of 21 is done in the form of binge drinking, compared with 75 percent among all U.S. adults.</p></p>

Researchers completing a new study on alcohol consumption have discovered that college-age students who binge drink are happier than those who don't.

Those who engaged in binge drinking tend to belong to so-called high-status groups: wealthy, white, male and active in fraternity life. An...

The Five Keys to Mindful Communication

Fraser Trevor

Link Author

Title: The Five Keys to Mindful Communication
Author: Fraser Trevor
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

The first key of mindful communication, according to Chapman (2012), is having amindful presence. This means having an open mind, awake body...

<p>The first key of mindful communication, according to Chapman (2012), is having amindful presence. This means having an open mind, awake body and a tender heart. When you have a mindful presence, you give up expectations, stories about yourself and others, and acting on emotions.</p><p>You are fully in the present moment; your communication isn’t focused on the “me” and what the “me” needs, but the we.</p><p>Mindful listening is the second key to mindful communication. Mindful listening is about encouraging the other person. This means looking through the masks and pretense and seeing the value in the person and the strengths he or she possesses. It’s looking past the human frailties and flaws that we all have to see the authentic person and the truth in what that person is attempting to say.</p><p>Mindful speech, the third key, is about gentleness. Speaking gently means being effective in what you say. It’s about speaking in a way that you can be hard. To be gentle with our speech means being aware of when our own insecurities and fears are aroused to the point we are acting out of fear rather than acceptance.</p><p>Practicing self-compassion for our fear, envy, jealousy and self-doubts is more effective than focusing on others as being a threat or attempting to change them. When you use gentle speech, you are communicating acceptance to the other person and saying what is true, not an interpretation or an exaggeration or a minimization.</p><p>The key to mindful relationships is unconditional friendliness. Unconditional friendliness means accepting the ebb and flow of relationships. Sometimes you meet new friends, sometimes friends move on, sometimes there is joy and sometimes there is pain. Sometimes you’ll feel lonely, sometimes you’ll feel cherished and connected, and then you’ll feel lonely again.</p><p>Unconditional friendliness means that your acceptance of others is not dependent on them staying with you or agreeing with you. You don’t cling to relationships to avoid loss.</p><p>Mindful responsiveness is like playfulness.  Playfulness is the openness that you can have when you let go of preconceived ideas and strategies. It’s like creating something new. Imagine two skilled dancers who alternatively lead each other in creating a new dance in every interaction, never doing the same complete dance over and over. They respond in the moment to the message sent by the other. There are no rules or expectations and yet they both bring skillful behavior.</p><p>Mindful communication requires practice. If you choose to practice the keys, you might choose to focus on one at a time. Being willing to regulate your emotions is a prerequisite to mindful communication and mindfulness of your emotions is necessary for emotion regulation.</p><p>Mindfulness is a core skill for the emotionally sensitive.</p><p> </p><p>References</p><p><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=dreawarrreco-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=1590309413" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p>Chapman, Susan Gillis. The Five Keys to Mindful Communication:  Using Deep Listening and Mindful Speech to Strengthen Relationships, Heal Conflicts and Acceomplish Your Goals. Boston: Shambhala, 2012.</p>

The Five Keys to Mindful Communication

The first key of mindful communication, according to Chapman (2012), is having amindful presence. This means having an open mind, awake body...

ADDICTION charity Focus12 has received a huge financial boost after a codumentary about Russell Brand was shown last night.

Fraser Trevor

Link Author

Title: ADDICTION charity Focus12 has received a huge financial boost after a codumentary about Russell Brand was shown last night.
Author: Fraser Trevor
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

The documentary Russell Brand: Addiction to Recovery resulted in an immediate boost in donations and inspired the managing director of Bury ...

<p><p>The documentary Russell Brand: Addiction to Recovery resulted in an immediate boost in donations and inspired the managing director of Bury St Edmunds based Chevington Finance and Leasing to offer the charity £106,000 over three years.</p><div><p>Russell Brand attended Focus12, the Bury St Edmunds abstinence-based alcohol and drug rehabilitation centre, in 2003 and is now a patron of the charity, describing it as ‘a really excellent example of a small cost effective rehab that can help people change in dramatic ways’.</p><p>Chip Somers, Focus12’s chief executive, said: “Russell’s documentary and his work this year to raise the profile of abstinence based recovery has got people talking about addiction in a different way, and made them realise that there is a viable alternative to simply giving up on addicts, or parking them on methadone.</p><p>“We are blown away by the generosity of Chevington — this financial support will make a huge difference to us as a charity and will certainly mean we can continue to stay open and help those who need us for longer. Raising funds for a recovery charity has never been harder than it is at present, every day is literally a struggle to keep afloat and we are very grateful.”</p><p>Clive Morris, Managing Director of Chevington Finance and Leasing said: “My wife and I were incredibly touched by last night’s documentary, which inspired us to endorse the local treatment centre Focus12, and we have today agreed funding assistance for the charity of £106,000 over the next 4 years.</p><p>“We believe that as a successful, responsible and reliable company we have a duty to help local charities survive this recession and the work that Chip Somers and his team do is fantastic and we fully endorse their abstinence based programme and have seen what a difference it makes to people’s lives.”</p></div></p>

ADDICTION charity Focus12 has received a huge financial boost after a codumentary about Russell Brand was shown last night.

The documentary Russell Brand: Addiction to Recovery resulted in an immediate boost in donations and inspired the managing director of Bury ...

Breaking Free of the Co-dependency Trap presents a groundbreaking developmental road map to guide readers away from their co-dependent behaviors and toward a life of wholeness and fulfillment.

Fraser Trevor

Link Author

Title: Breaking Free of the Co-dependency Trap presents a groundbreaking developmental road map to guide readers away from their co-dependent behaviors and toward a life of wholeness and fulfillment.
Author: Fraser Trevor
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

Breaking Free of the Co-dependency Trap presents a groundbreaking developmental road map to guide readers away from their co-dependent behav...

<p>Breaking Free of the Co-dependency Trap presents a groundbreaking developmental road map to guide readers away from their co-dependent behaviors and toward a life of wholeness and fulfillment.UK Citizens<iframe src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=cosdelcri-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=1577316142&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p>This is the book that offers a different perspective on codependency and is strongly recommended by Dream Warrior Recovery as part of a solution based recovery. This bestselling book, now in a revised edition, radically challenges the prevailing medical definition of co-dependency as a permanent, progressive, and incurable addiction. Rather, the authors identify it as the result of developmental traumas that interfered with the infant-parent bonding relationship during the first year of life.US Citizens<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=FFFFFF&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=dreawarrreco-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=1577316142" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p>Drawing on decades of clinical experience, Barry and Janae Weinhold correlate the developmental causes of co-dependency with relationship problems later in life, such as establishing and maintaining boundaries, clinging and dependent behaviors, people pleasing, and difficulty achieving success in the world. Then they focus on healing co-dependency, providing compelling case histories and practical activities to help readers heal early trauma and transform themselves and their primary relationships.</p>

Breaking Free of the Co-dependency Trap presents a groundbreaking developmental road map to guide readers away from their co-dependent behaviors and toward a life of wholeness and fulfillment.

Breaking Free of the Co-dependency Trap presents a groundbreaking developmental road map to guide readers away from their co-dependent behav...

Mindfulness and the 12 Steps provides those in recovery with a new resource and fresh perspective for developing their own spiritual path.

Fraser Trevor

Link Author

Title: Mindfulness and the 12 Steps provides those in recovery with a new resource and fresh perspective for developing their own spiritual path.
Author: Fraser Trevor
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

In recent years, people of diverse social and religious backgrounds have embraced the Buddhist philosophy of mindfulness, or bringing one...

<p><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=dreawarrreco-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=1592858201" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p>In recent years, people of diverse social and religious backgrounds have embraced the Buddhist philosophy of mindfulness, or bringing one's awareness to focus on the present moment, to enrich their mental and spiritual lives. Through her experience as a counselor, a founding member of a Twelve Steps and mindfulness group, and a woman in recovery, Thérèse Jacobs-Stewart discovered a number of parallels between the practice of mindfulness and that of working the Twelve Steps, from the idea of living 'one day at a time' to the emphasis on prayer and meditation.</p><p>Mindfulness and the 12 Steps provides those in recovery with a new resource and fresh perspective for developing their own spiritual path. While revisiting each of the Twelve Steps, readers explore the interplay of ideas between mindfulness and Twelve-step traditions and learn to incorporate mindfulness into their path toward lifelong sobriety. Reflections and questions for inquiry are complemented by stories from Buddhist teachers and members of her mindfulness recovery group, as well as by the author's personal story of recovery as a practicing Buddhist.</p><p>Mindfulness and the 12 Steps will help awaken new thinking and insights into what it means to live fully—body, mind, and spirit—in the here and now.</p>

Mindfulness and the 12 Steps provides those in recovery with a new resource and fresh perspective for developing their own spiritual path.

In recent years, people of diverse social and religious backgrounds have embraced the Buddhist philosophy of mindfulness, or bringing one...

Pigs worship God of Materialism

Fraser Trevor

Link Author

Title: Pigs worship God of Materialism
Author: Fraser Trevor
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

If ever there was a god to prevent you from worshiping material things, it would be this one. The hideous pig-like thing is the masterpiece ...

<div><h1>If ever there was a god to prevent you from worshiping material things, it would be this one.</h1><div><dl><dt><br /></dt></dl></div><p>The hideous pig-like thing is the masterpiece by Chinese artist Chen Wenling called God Of Materialism.</p><div><img alt="godmaterialism" height="300" src="http://img.metro.co.uk/i/pix/2008/09/godmaterialism2EPA_450x300.jpg" width="450" />Ugly pig with green eye darting at thier master</div><p>Looking chuffed, the huge greedy pig has minions of other tiny, and just as unattractive and scary, pigs worshiping in awe at its heels.</p><p>The group stare up at their master, adorned with a plethora of jewels and necklaces representing the grotesque love of material things.</p><p>The sculpture, which looks like a bad dream, can be found at the Asia Art Centre in Beijing.</p></div><div class="clrd" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 10px; vertical-align: baseline; min-height: 1px; zoom: 1; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div class="art-lft" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; float: right; width: 480px;"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">And if you're brave enough to go and see it, it will be there till October 18th 2008.</p></div></div><p><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 10px; vertical-align: baseline; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><br /></span></p>

Pigs worship God of Materialism

If ever there was a god to prevent you from worshiping material things, it would be this one. The hideous pig-like thing is the masterpiece ...

True guilt is guilt at the obligation one owes to oneself to be oneself. False guilt is guilt felt at not being what other people feel one ought to be or assume that one is. Moderate feelings of guilt are beneficial because they encourage the individual to do the right thing

Fraser Trevor

Link Author

Title: True guilt is guilt at the obligation one owes to oneself to be oneself. False guilt is guilt felt at not being what other people feel one ought to be or assume that one is. Moderate feelings of guilt are beneficial because they encourage the individual to do the right thing
Author: Fraser Trevor
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

The Scottish psychologist R.D. Laing once said: True guilt is guilt at the obligation one owes to oneself to be oneself. False guilt is gui...

<p>The Scottish psychologist R.D. Laing once said:  True guilt is guilt at the obligation one owes to oneself to be oneself. False guilt is guilt felt at not being what other people feel one ought to be or assume that one is.  Moderate feelings of guilt are beneficial because they encourage the individual to do the right thing. If nobody felt guilty about anything it would likely lead to a fearful world and it could even threaten the survival of the human species. There is also a more negative form of guilt which is excessive and harmful. This refers to a situation where the individual carries a sense of guilt around with them most of the time. The reasons for why the individual may become a victim of excessive guilt include:  They have a poor self image. It can be a sign of mental health difficulties. Some people fall into negative thinking and this tends to include guilt. The individual has been a victim of physical or sexual abuse. Unhealthy relationships can leave people with feelings of guilt. Excessive stress. Alcohol or drug abuse.</p>

True guilt is guilt at the obligation one owes to oneself to be oneself. False guilt is guilt felt at not being what other people feel one ought to be or assume that one is. Moderate feelings of guilt are beneficial because they encourage the individual to do the right thing

The Scottish psychologist R.D. Laing once said: True guilt is guilt at the obligation one owes to oneself to be oneself. False guilt is gui...

Please shed whatever lowly vestments you're currently using to hide your disgusting body, and slip into one of these pre-shrunk cotton miracles.

Fraser Trevor

Link Author

Title: Please shed whatever lowly vestments you're currently using to hide your disgusting body, and slip into one of these pre-shrunk cotton miracles.
Author: Fraser Trevor
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

1. Biker Stryker Source: shop.themountain.me 2. DJ Peace Source: shop.themountain.me 3. DJ Caesar Source: shop.themountain.me 4. Boxe...

<div id="superlist_1646474_401582" class="buzz_superlist_item buzz_superlist_item_image" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px -30px; padding: 15px 0px 15px 30px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff; position: relative; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><h1 style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 24px; background-color: transparent; line-height: 32px; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-weight: normal; color: #121212;"><span class="buzz_superlist_number_inline" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline;">1.</span> Biker Stryker</h1><div class="sub_buzz_content" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;"><img alt="Biker Stryker" class="bf_dom" height="546" src="http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/web03/2012/6/29/12/enhanced-buzz-22014-1340986976-21.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;" width="625" /></div><div class="sub_buzz_source_via buzz_attribution" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 11px; background-color: transparent; color: #777777; float: right; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Source: <span style="background-color: transparent;">shop.themountain.me</span></div></div><div id="superlist_1646474_401554" class="buzz_superlist_item buzz_superlist_item_image" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px -30px; padding: 15px 0px 15px 30px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff; position: relative; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><h1 style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 24px; background-color: transparent; line-height: 32px; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-weight: normal; color: #121212;"><span class="buzz_superlist_number_inline" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline;">2.</span> DJ Peace</h1><div class="sub_buzz_content" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;"><img alt="DJ Peace" class="bf_dom" height="546" src="http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/web03/2012/6/29/12/enhanced-buzz-21946-1340986650-26.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;" width="625" /></div><div class="sub_buzz_source_via buzz_attribution" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 11px; background-color: transparent; color: #777777; float: right; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Source: <span style="background-color: transparent;">shop.themountain.me</span></div></div><div id="superlist_1646474_401593" class="buzz_superlist_item buzz_superlist_item_image" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px -30px; padding: 15px 0px 15px 30px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff; position: relative; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><h1 style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 24px; background-color: transparent; line-height: 32px; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-weight: normal; color: #121212;"><span class="buzz_superlist_number_inline" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline;">3.</span> DJ Caesar</h1><div class="sub_buzz_content" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;"><img alt="DJ Caesar" class="bf_dom" height="546" src="http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/web03/2012/6/29/12/enhanced-buzz-21969-1340987108-13.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;" width="625" /></div><div class="sub_buzz_source_via buzz_attribution" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 11px; background-color: transparent; color: #777777; float: right; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Source: <span style="background-color: transparent;">shop.themountain.me</span></div></div><div id="superlist_1646474_401585" class="buzz_superlist_item buzz_superlist_item_image" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px -30px; padding: 15px 0px 15px 30px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff; position: relative; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><h1 style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 24px; background-color: transparent; line-height: 32px; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-weight: normal; color: #121212;"><span class="buzz_superlist_number_inline" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline;">4.</span> Boxer Rocky</h1><div class="sub_buzz_content" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;"><img alt="Boxer Rocky" class="bf_dom" height="546" src="http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/web05/2012/6/29/12/enhanced-buzz-919-1340987002-22.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;" width="625" /></div><div class="sub_buzz_source_via buzz_attribution" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 11px; background-color: transparent; color: #777777; float: right; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Source: <span style="background-color: transparent;">shop.themountain.me</span></div></div><div id="superlist_1646474_401661" class="buzz_superlist_item buzz_superlist_item_image" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px -30px; padding: 15px 0px 15px 30px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff; position: relative; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><h1 style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 24px; background-color: transparent; line-height: 32px; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-weight: normal; color: #121212;"><span class="buzz_superlist_number_inline" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline;">5.</span> Hunter Buck</h1><div class="sub_buzz_content" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;"><img alt="Hunter Buck" class="bf_dom" height="546" src="http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/web03/2012/6/29/12/enhanced-buzz-31927-1340987757-8.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;" width="625" /></div><div class="sub_buzz_source_via buzz_attribution" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 11px; background-color: transparent; color: #777777; float: right; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Source: <span style="background-color: transparent;">shop.themountain.me</span></div></div><div id="superlist_1646474_401576" class="buzz_superlist_item buzz_superlist_item_image" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px -30px; padding: 15px 0px 15px 30px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff; position: relative; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><h1 style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 24px; background-color: transparent; line-height: 32px; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-weight: normal; color: #121212;"><span class="buzz_superlist_number_inline" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline;">6.</span> Biker JD</h1><div class="sub_buzz_content" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;"><img alt="Biker JD" class="bf_dom" height="546" src="http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/web03/2012/6/29/12/enhanced-buzz-22014-1340986864-16.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;" width="625" /></div><div class="sub_buzz_source_via buzz_attribution" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 11px; background-color: transparent; color: #777777; float: right; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Source: <span style="background-color: transparent;">shop.themountain.me</span></div></div><div id="superlist_1646474_401591" class="buzz_superlist_item buzz_superlist_item_image" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px -30px; padding: 15px 0px 15px 30px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff; position: relative; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><h1 style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 24px; background-color: transparent; line-height: 32px; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-weight: normal; color: #121212;"><span class="buzz_superlist_number_inline" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline;">7.</span> Combat Sam</h1><div class="sub_buzz_content" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;"><img alt="Combat Sam" class="bf_dom" height="546" src="http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/terminal05/2012/6/29/12/enhanced-buzz-17092-1340987044-8.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;" width="625" /></div><div class="sub_buzz_source_via buzz_attribution" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 11px; background-color: transparent; color: #777777; float: right; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Source: <span style="background-color: transparent;">shop.themountain.me</span></div></div><div id="superlist_1646474_401592" class="buzz_superlist_item buzz_superlist_item_image" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px -30px; padding: 15px 0px 15px 30px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff; position: relative; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><h1 style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 24px; background-color: transparent; line-height: 32px; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-weight: normal; color: #121212;"><span class="buzz_superlist_number_inline" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline;">8.</span> Combat Stryker</h1><div class="sub_buzz_content" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;"><img alt="Combat Stryker" class="bf_dom" height="546" src="http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/web04/2012/6/29/12/enhanced-buzz-20421-1340987065-3.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;" width="625" /></div><div class="sub_buzz_source_via buzz_attribution" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 11px; background-color: transparent; color: #777777; float: right; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Source: <span style="background-color: transparent;">shop.themountain.me</span></div></div><div id="superlist_1646474_401634" class="buzz_superlist_item buzz_superlist_item_image" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px -30px; padding: 15px 0px 15px 30px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff; position: relative; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><h1 style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 24px; background-color: transparent; line-height: 32px; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-weight: normal; color: #121212;"><span class="buzz_superlist_number_inline" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline;">9.</span> DJ Jahman</h1><div class="sub_buzz_content" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;"><img alt="DJ Jahman" class="bf_dom" height="546" src="http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/web04/2012/6/29/12/enhanced-buzz-22622-1340987658-4.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;" width="625" /></div><div class="sub_buzz_source_via buzz_attribution" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 11px; background-color: transparent; color: #777777; float: right; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Source: <span style="background-color: transparent;">shop.themountain.me</span></div></div><div id="superlist_1646474_401646" class="buzz_superlist_item buzz_superlist_item_image" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px -30px; padding: 15px 0px 15px 30px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff; position: relative; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><h1 style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 24px; background-color: transparent; line-height: 32px; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-weight: normal; color: #121212;"><span class="buzz_superlist_number_inline" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline;">10.</span> Graffiti Saber</h1><div class="sub_buzz_content" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;"><img alt="Graffiti Saber" class="bf_dom" height="546" src="http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/web04/2012/6/29/12/enhanced-buzz-22587-1340987698-3.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;" width="625" /></div><div class="sub_buzz_source_via buzz_attribution" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 11px; background-color: transparent; color: #777777; float: right; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Source: <span style="background-color: transparent;">shop.themountain.me</span></div></div><div id="superlist_1646474_401668" class="buzz_superlist_item buzz_superlist_item_image" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px -30px; padding: 15px 0px 15px 30px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff; position: relative; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><h1 style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 24px; background-color: transparent; line-height: 32px; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-weight: normal; color: #121212;"><span class="buzz_superlist_number_inline" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline;">11.</span> Navy SEAL</h1><div class="sub_buzz_content" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;"><img alt="Navy SEAL" class="bf_dom" height="546" src="http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/terminal05/2012/6/29/12/enhanced-buzz-19513-1340987807-7.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;" width="625" /></div><div class="sub_buzz_source_via buzz_attribution" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 11px; background-color: transparent; color: #777777; float: right; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Source: <span style="background-color: transparent;">shop.themountain.me</span></div></div><div id="superlist_1646474_401674" class="buzz_superlist_item buzz_superlist_item_image" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px -30px; padding: 15px 0px 15px 30px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff; position: relative; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><h1 style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 24px; background-color: transparent; line-height: 32px; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-weight: normal; color: #121212;"><span class="buzz_superlist_number_inline" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline;">12.</span> Smokin Jahman</h1><div class="sub_buzz_content" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;"><img alt="Smokin Jahman" class="bf_dom" height="557" src="http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/terminal05/2012/6/29/12/enhanced-buzz-19436-1340987849-4.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;" width="625" /></div><div class="sub_buzz_source_via buzz_attribution" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 11px; background-color: transparent; color: #777777; float: right; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Source: <span style="background-color: transparent;">shop.themountain.me</span></div></div><div id="superlist_1646474_401685" class="buzz_superlist_item buzz_superlist_item_image" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px -30px; padding: 15px 0px 15px 30px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff; position: relative; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><h1 style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 24px; background-color: transparent; line-height: 32px; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-weight: normal; color: #121212;"><span class="buzz_superlist_number_inline" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline;">13.</span> DJ Sarge</h1><div class="sub_buzz_content" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;"><img alt="DJ Sarge" class="bf_dom" height="546" src="http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/terminal05/2012/6/29/12/enhanced-buzz-19498-1340987955-8.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;" width="625" /></div><div class="sub_buzz_source_via buzz_attribution" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 11px; background-color: transparent; color: #777777; float: right; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Source: <span style="background-color: transparent;">shop.themountain.me</span></div></div><div id="superlist_1646474_401689" class="buzz_superlist_item buzz_superlist_item_image" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px -30px; padding: 15px 0px 15px 30px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff; position: relative; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><h1 style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 24px; background-color: transparent; line-height: 32px; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-weight: normal; color: #121212;"><span class="buzz_superlist_number_inline" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline;">14.</span> Rocker Cooper</h1><div class="sub_buzz_content" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;"><img alt="Rocker Cooper" class="bf_dom" height="546" src="http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/terminal05/2012/6/29/12/enhanced-buzz-19516-1340987980-5.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;" width="625" /></div><div class="sub_buzz_source_via buzz_attribution" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 11px; background-color: transparent; color: #777777; float: right; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Source: <span style="background-color: transparent;">shop.themountain.me</span></div></div><div id="superlist_1646474_401800" class="buzz_superlist_item buzz_superlist_item_image" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px -30px; padding: 15px 0px 15px 30px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff; position: relative; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><h1 style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 24px; background-color: transparent; line-height: 32px; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-weight: normal; color: #121212;"><span class="buzz_superlist_number_inline" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline;">15.</span> Duck Hunter</h1><div class="sub_buzz_content" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;"><img alt="Duck Hunter" class="bf_dom" height="546" src="http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/terminal05/2012/6/29/13/enhanced-buzz-19487-1340989395-27.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;" width="625" /></div><div class="sub_buzz_source_via buzz_attribution" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 11px; background-color: transparent; color: #777777; float: right; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Source: <span style="background-color: transparent;">shop.themountain.me</span></div></div><div id="superlist_1646474_401728" class="buzz_superlist_item buzz_superlist_item_image" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px -30px; padding: 15px 0px 15px 30px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff; position: relative; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><h1 style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 24px; background-color: transparent; line-height: 32px; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-weight: normal; color: #121212;"><span class="buzz_superlist_number_inline" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline;">16.</span> Big Cock Head</h1><div class="sub_buzz_content" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;"><img alt="Big Cock Head" class="bf_dom" height="546" src="http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/web05/2012/6/29/12/enhanced-buzz-5673-1340988493-7.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;" width="625" /></div><div class="sub_buzz_source_via buzz_attribution" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 11px; background-color: transparent; color: #777777; float: right; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Source: <span style="background-color: transparent;">shop.themountain.me</span></div></div><div id="superlist_1646474_401697" class="buzz_superlist_item buzz_superlist_item_image" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px -30px; padding: 15px 0px 15px 30px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff; position: relative; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><h1 style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 24px; background-color: transparent; line-height: 32px; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-weight: normal; color: #121212;"><span class="buzz_superlist_number_inline" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline;">17.</span> Guard Panzer</h1><div class="sub_buzz_content" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;"><img alt="Guard Panzer" class="bf_dom" height="546" src="http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/web03/2012/6/29/12/enhanced-buzz-31969-1340988031-9.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;" width="625" /></div><div class="sub_buzz_source_via buzz_attribution" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 11px; background-color: transparent; color: #777777; float: right; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Source: <span style="background-color: transparent;">shop.themountain.me</span></div></div><div id="superlist_1646474_401707" class="buzz_superlist_item buzz_superlist_item_image" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px -30px; padding: 15px 0px 15px 30px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff; position: relative; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><h1 style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 24px; background-color: transparent; line-height: 32px; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-weight: normal; color: #121212;"><span class="buzz_superlist_number_inline" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline;">18.</span> Nas T-Rex</h1><div class="sub_buzz_content" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;"><img alt="Nas T-Rex" class="bf_dom" height="546" src="http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/web05/2012/6/29/12/enhanced-buzz-5634-1340988149-12.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;" width="625" /></div><div class="sub_buzz_source_via buzz_attribution" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 11px; background-color: transparent; color: #777777; float: right; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Source: <span style="background-color: transparent;">shop.themountain.me</span></div></div><div id="superlist_1646474_401716" class="buzz_superlist_item buzz_superlist_item_image" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px -30px; padding: 15px 0px 15px 30px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff; position: relative; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><h1 style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 24px; background-color: transparent; line-height: 32px; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-weight: normal; color: #121212;"><span class="buzz_superlist_number_inline" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline;">19.</span> Punky!</h1><div class="sub_buzz_content" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;"><img alt="Punky!" class="bf_dom" height="546" src="http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/web05/2012/6/29/12/enhanced-buzz-5683-1340988287-12.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;" width="625" /></div><div class="sub_buzz_source_via buzz_attribution" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 11px; background-color: transparent; color: #777777; float: right; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Source: <span style="background-color: transparent;">shop.themountain.me</span></div></div><div id="superlist_1646474_401726" class="buzz_superlist_item buzz_superlist_item_image" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px -30px; padding: 15px 0px 15px 30px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff; position: relative; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><h1 style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 24px; background-color: transparent; line-height: 32px; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-weight: normal; color: #121212;"><span class="buzz_superlist_number_inline" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline;">20.</span> Backpack Kitty</h1><div class="sub_buzz_content" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;"><img alt="Backpack Kitty" class="bf_dom" height="546" src="http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/web04/2012/6/29/12/enhanced-buzz-22669-1340988456-7.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;" width="625" /></div><div class="sub_buzz_source_via buzz_attribution" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 11px; background-color: transparent; color: #777777; float: right; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Source: <span style="background-color: transparent;">shop.themountain.me</span></div></div><div id="superlist_1646474_401735" class="buzz_superlist_item buzz_superlist_item_image" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px -30px; padding: 15px 0px 15px 30px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff; position: relative; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><h1 style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 24px; background-color: transparent; line-height: 32px; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-weight: normal; color: #121212;"><span class="buzz_superlist_number_inline" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline;">21.</span> Come & Get It</h1><div class="sub_buzz_content" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;"><img alt="Come &amp; Get It" class="bf_dom" height="546" src="http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/web03/2012/6/29/12/enhanced-buzz-31927-1340988528-15.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;" width="625" /></div><div class="sub_buzz_source_via buzz_attribution" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 11px; background-color: transparent; color: #777777; float: right; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Source: <span style="background-color: transparent;">shop.themountain.me</span></div></div><div id="superlist_1646474_401743" class="buzz_superlist_item buzz_superlist_item_image" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px -30px; padding: 15px 0px 15px 30px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff; position: relative; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><h1 style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 24px; background-color: transparent; line-height: 32px; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-weight: normal; color: #121212;"><span class="buzz_superlist_number_inline" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline;">22.</span> Rastafurrian Kitten</h1><div class="sub_buzz_content" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;"><img alt="Rastafurrian Kitten" class="bf_dom" height="557" src="http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/terminal05/2012/6/29/12/enhanced-buzz-19513-1340988620-20.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;" width="625" /></div><div class="sub_buzz_source_via buzz_attribution" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 11px; background-color: transparent; color: #777777; float: right; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Source: <span style="background-color: transparent;">shop.themountain.me</span></div></div><div id="superlist_1646474_401747" class="buzz_superlist_item buzz_superlist_item_image" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px -30px; padding: 15px 0px 15px 30px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff; position: relative; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><h1 style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 24px; background-color: transparent; line-height: 32px; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-weight: normal; color: #121212;"><span class="buzz_superlist_number_inline" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline;">23.</span> T-Rex Tearing</h1><div class="sub_buzz_content" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;"><img alt="T-Rex Tearing" class="bf_dom" height="546" src="http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/web04/2012/6/29/12/enhanced-buzz-22678-1340988662-20.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;" width="625" /></div><div class="sub_buzz_source_via buzz_attribution" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 11px; background-color: transparent; color: #777777; float: right; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Source: <span style="background-color: transparent;">shop.themountain.me</span></div></div><div id="superlist_1646474_401812" class="buzz_superlist_item buzz_superlist_item_image" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px -30px; padding: 15px 0px 15px 30px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff; position: relative; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><h1 style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 24px; background-color: transparent; line-height: 32px; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-weight: normal; color: #121212;"><span class="buzz_superlist_number_inline" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline;">24.</span> Golden Feather</h1><div class="sub_buzz_content" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;"><img alt="Golden Feather" class="bf_dom" height="546" src="http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/web03/2012/6/29/13/enhanced-buzz-31966-1340989485-14.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;" width="625" /></div><div class="sub_buzz_source_via buzz_attribution" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 2px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 11px; background-color: transparent; color: #777777; float: right; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Source: <span style="background-color: transparent;">shop.themountain.me</span></div></div><div id="superlist_1646474_401822" class="buzz_superlist_item buzz_superlist_item_image" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px -30px; padding: 15px 0px 15px 30px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff; position: relative; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><h1 style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 24px; background-color: transparent; line-height: 32px; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-weight: normal; color: #121212;"><span class="buzz_superlist_number_inline" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent; display: inline;">25.</span> My personal favorite (SOLD OUT!!!)</h1><div class="sub_buzz_content" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;"><img alt="My personal favorite (SOLD OUT!!!)" class="bf_dom" height="750" src="http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/web03/2012/6/29/13/enhanced-buzz-31857-1340989651-8.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; background-color: transparent;" width="394" /></div></div>

Please shed whatever lowly vestments you're currently using to hide your disgusting body, and slip into one of these pre-shrunk cotton miracles.

1. Biker Stryker Source: shop.themountain.me 2. DJ Peace Source: shop.themountain.me 3. DJ Caesar Source: shop.themountain.me 4. Boxe...

Risks in Loving Men Who Can’t Commit

Fraser Trevor

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Title: Risks in Loving Men Who Can’t Commit
Author: Fraser Trevor
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

Commitment phobic men are not wounded birds waiting to be nursed to health. Should women spend time, energy, and emotion on a man who may ne...

<div><h1>Commitment phobic men are not wounded birds waiting to be nursed to health.</h1></div><div><img alt="" src="http://rsrc.psychologytoday.com/files/imagecache/article-inline-half/blogs/73955/2012/06/99479-96904.jpg" /></div><div>Should women spend time, energy, and emotion on a man who may never be a part of their future? All too often women say to themselves or their friends: “Well, he wouldn’t commit in the past, but I’m different.  I have more patience than the other women he dated, and I am more understanding than most women. I can help him.” <p> </p><p>If you have heard yourself saying the words “I can help him,” think of yourself as being trapped in the “wounded bird syndrome”  in which your desire to nurse someone back to health is so strong that it clouds your logical thinking.</p><p>Before getting too involved with a commitment phobic man consider asking yourself  these 20 Questions to Finding New Love and Marriage.  And then make a conscious effort to understand what is most important to you. 2 Virtues Enhance Falling in Love Forever. Also watch his body language and his actions towards you. If you are jumping through hoops for the commitment phobic man and thinking you can nurse him back to love – think again. Many commitment phobic men are reliving a dysfunctional family role (in fact, some women are in this trap as well.)</p></div>

Risks in Loving Men Who Can’t Commit

Commitment phobic men are not wounded birds waiting to be nursed to health. Should women spend time, energy, and emotion on a man who may ne...

self-compassion consists of three components:

Fraser Trevor

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Title: self-compassion consists of three components:
Author: Fraser Trevor
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

Self-kindness: Being kind, gentle and understanding with yourself when you’re suffering. Common humanity: Realizing that you’re not alone in...

self-compassion consists of three components:

Self-kindness: Being kind, gentle and understanding with yourself when you’re suffering. Common humanity: Realizing that you’re not alone in...

How to Keep Your Balance When There’s No Place to Stand and Nothing to Hold On To

Fraser Trevor

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Title: How to Keep Your Balance When There’s No Place to Stand and Nothing to Hold On To
Author: Fraser Trevor
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

Know you what it is to be a child?… it is to believe in belief…. – Francis Thompson, 19th c. British poet We don’t forget our first ah-ha e...

<div><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Know you what it is to be a child?… it is </span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">to believe in belief….</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">– Francis Thompson, 19th c. British poet</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We don’t forget our first ah-ha experience any more than we forget our first kiss. The difference is we have some idea of what to expect from a kiss, but we don’t know what to make of an enlightening incident. The experience lingers in memory as something special, but since we can’t account for it, we’re apt to keep it to o urselves.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Only in my thirties did I realize that an experience I’d had in my teens was the analogue of that first kiss. About six years after discovering that our third grade science book contained mistakes, it struck me that anything could be wrong. There were no infallible truths, no ultimate explanations.</span></p><p> </p><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><img alt="" src="http://rsrc.psychologytoday.com/files/imagecache/article-inline-half/blogs/31396/2012/06/99615-97018.jpg" /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">In high school we were learning that science theories and models were not to be regarded as absolute truths, but rather taken to be useful descriptions that might someday be replaced with better ones. I accepted this way of holding scientific truth—it didn’t seem to undercut its usefulness. But I still wanted to believe there were absolute, moral truths, not mere assumptions, but unimpeachable, eternal verities. My mother certainly acted as if there were.</span><p> </p></div><div id="inline-content-bottom-left"><div id="block-td_search_160"><h2><span style="font-size: medium;">But one day, alone in my bedroom, I had the premonition that what was true of science applied to beliefs of every sort. I realized that, as in science, political, moral, or personal convictions could be questioned and might need amending or qualifying in certain circumstances. The feeling reminded me of consulting a dictionary and realizing that there are no final definitions, only cross references. I remember exactly where I was standing, and how it felt, when I discovered there was no place to stand, nothing to hold on to. I felt sobered, yet at the same time, strangely liberated. After all, if there were no absolutes, then there might be an escape from what often seemed to me to be a confining socialconformity.With this revelation, my hopes for definitive, immutable solutions to life’s problems dimmed. I shared my experience of unbelief with no one at the time, knowing that I couldn’t explain myself and fearing others’ mockery. I decided that to function in society I would have to pretend to go along with the prevailing consensus—at least until I could come up with something better. For decades afterwards, without understanding why, I was drawn to people and ideas that expanded my premonition of a worldview grounded not on immutable beliefs, but rather on a process of continually improving our best working assumptions.Science Models EvolveIt’s the essence of models that they’re works in progress. While nothing could be more obvious—after all, models are all just figments of our fallible imaginations—the idea that models can change, and should be expected to yield their place of privilege to better ones, has been surprisingly hard to impart.Until relatively recently we seem to have preferred to stick to what we know—or think we know—no matter the consequences. Rather than judge for ourselves, we’ve been ready to defer to existing authority and subscribe to received “wisdom.” Perhaps this is because of a premium put on not “upsetting the apple cart” during a period in human history when an upright apple cart was of more importance to group cohesiveness and survival than the fact that the cart was full of rotten apples.Ironically, our principal heroes, saints and geniuses alike, have typically spilled a lot of apples. Very often they are people who have championed a truth that contradicts the official line.A turning point in the history of human understanding came in the seventeenth century when one such figure, the English physician William Harvey, discovered that the blood circulates through the body. His plea—“I appeal to your own eyes as my witness and judge”—was revolutionary at a time when physicians looked not to their own experience but rather accepted on faith the Greek view that blood was made in the liver and consumed as fuel by the body. The idea that dogma be subordinated to the actual experience of the individual seemed audacious at the time.Another milestone was the shift from the geocentric (or Ptolemaic) model (named after the first-century Egyptian astronomer Ptolemy) to the heliocentric model (or Copernican) model (after the sixteenth-century Polish astronomer Copernicus, who is regarded by many as the father of modern science).Until five centuries ago, it was an article of faith that the sun, the stars, and the planets revolved around the earth, which lay motionless at the center of the universe. When the Italian scientist Galileo embraced the Copernican model, which held that the earth and other planets revolve around the sun, he was contradicting the teaching of the Church. This was considered sacrilegious and, under threat of torture, he was forced to recant. He spent the rest of his life under house arrest, making further astronomical discoveries and writing books for posterity. In 1992, Pope John Paul II acknowledged that the Roman Catholic Church had erred in condemning Galileo for asserting that the Earth revolves around the Sun.The Galileo affair was really an argument about whether models should be allowed to change without the Church’s consent. Those in positions of authority often deem acceptance of their beliefs, and with that the acceptance of their role as arbiters of beliefs, to be more important than the potential benefits of moving on to a better model. For example, the discovery of seashells on mountaintops and fossil evidence of extinct species undermined theological doctrine that the world and all living things were a mere six thousand years old. Such discoveries posed a serious challenge to the Church’s monopoly on truth.Typically, new models do not render old ones useless, they simply circumscribe their domains of validity, unveiling and accounting for altogether new phenomena that lie beyond the scope of the old models. Thus, relativity and quantum theory do not render Newton’s laws of motion obsolete. NASA has no need for the refinements of quantum or relativistic mechanics in calculating the flight paths of space vehicles. The accuracy afforded by Newton’s laws suffices for its purposes.Some think that truths that aren’t absolute and immutable disqualify themselves as truths. But just because models change doesn’t mean that anything goes. At any given time, what “goes” is precisely the most accurate model we’ve got. One simply has to be alert to the fact that our current model may be superseded by an even better one tomorrow. It’s precisely this built-in skepticism that gives science its power.Most scientists are excited when they find a persistent discrepancy between their latest model and empirical data. They know that such deviations signal the existence of hitherto unknown realms in which new phenomena may be discovered. The presumption that nature models are infallible has been replaced with the humbling expectation that their common destiny is to be replaced by more comprehensive and accurate ones.Toward the end of the nineteenth century, many physicists believed they’d learned all there was to know about the workings of the universe. The consensus was that between Newton’s dynamics and Maxwell’s electromagnetism we had everything covered. Prominent scientists solemnly announced the end of physics.There is nothing new to be discovered in physics now. All that remains is more and more precise measurement.– Lord Kelvin (1900)</span></h2><h2><span style="font-size: medium;">Then a few tiny discrepancies between theory and experiment were noted and as scientists explored them, they came upon the previously hidden realm of atomic and relativistic physics, and with it technologies that have put their stamp on the twentieth century.</span></h2><h2><span style="font-size: medium;">Albert Einstein believed that the final resting place of every theory is as a special case of a broader one. Indeed, he spent the last decades of his life searching for a unified theory that would have transcended the discoveries he made as a young man. The quest for such a grand unifying theory goes on.</span></h2></div></div><div id="inline-content-bottom-right" style="padding-left: 15px; width: 465px; float: right;"><div></div></div>

How to Keep Your Balance When There’s No Place to Stand and Nothing to Hold On To

Know you what it is to be a child?… it is to believe in belief…. – Francis Thompson, 19th c. British poet We don’t forget our first ah-ha e...

Being and Flowing is a good place to begin Healing Your Thoughts.

Fraser Trevor

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Title: Being and Flowing is a good place to begin Healing Your Thoughts.
Author: Fraser Trevor
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

The first part of the Being and Flowing Sequence is a basic relaxation session where some (or several) of the techniques of guided imagery...

<p> </p><p>The first part of the Being and Flowing Sequence is a basic relaxation session where some (or several) of the techniques of guided imagery or meditation can be used. In fact, for this type of relaxation, you can use new techniques or techniques that are familiar to you and that have worked for you in the past. If you do the sequence regularly, you can switch between techniques if you like.</p><p>One caveat: We find that general medical/therapy techniques, specifically those that are not associated with a particular spiritual path, work best for the Being and Flowing meditation in this context. (We link to some general relaxation techniques from the University of Maryland Medical Center, below). </p><p>Being and Flowing First Step: Basic Relaxation Session</p><p>One: Position</p><p>If you are outdoors, find a quiet, safe place in a garden, park, beach or woods. Remember, safety comes first. If you are indoors, find a place where you won’t be disturbed. Sit on a floor cushion or in a chair with your feet on the floor, or lie down in a comfortable position. Whatever position you choose, try to remember, you might choose not to move or shift while being and flowing, so make sure it’s really comfortable.</p><p>Two: Watch Your Thoughts</p><p>Once you are comfortable, the first thing to keep in mind: Don’t worry about your thoughts. Allow them to come and go as they wish. Give them their freedom to come and go as they like. Don’t try to control them. Just observe them. </p><p>Three: Watch Your Breath</p><p>Don’t try to control your breathing. Just observe your breath. If you are familiar with breathing techniques and want to try them, you could, but to forge a new path it’s sometimes good to let go and experience non-familiar meditative pathways.</p><p>Four: No Goal</p><p>If you feel stressed or anxious, remember: there is no goal here. Just passively watch where your thoughts and breath take you. If after a few tries anxiety (or boredom, which can be a symptom of anxiety during meditation) feels overpowering, take a break.</p><p>Five: Far Away</p><p>At some point, your thoughts may seem to “melt away”. They may feel far away; you know they’re there, but they don’t seem to touch you, or you don’t really touch them. There is a gulf between you and your thoughts, including your less-than-helpful ones. When they are so far away, their ability to control you is greatly diminished.</p><p>Help!</p><p>If you need help we recommend you try music. We really like (and recommend) Dr. Harry Henshaw’s relaxation music. (Last year, we interviewed him, <a href="http://blogs.psychcentral.com/therapy-soup/2011/09/healing-with-music-relaxation-therapy/" target="_blank">here</a>.)</p><p>Dr. Henshaw’s audio tracks of <a href="http://www.enhancedhealing.com/" target="_blank">free-floating music</a> are really de-stressing. We can best describe them as providing a musical pathway on which your thoughts can flow. His music doesn’t restrain or confine your thoughts as much as gently supports them. We really liked the ones on <a href="http://www.enhancedhealing.com/products_results.php?ProductCategoryID%5B%5D=1&Search=Search" target="_blank">these pages</a>; so far, we’ve sampled the uplifting music of Clarity, the gentle vibrato of Cosmic Reflection, the sweet tones of Equilibrium and the progressions of Inner Peace.*</p><p>If you want more concrete help the techniques of progressive relaxation (and toe tensing) can be very helpful. The University of Maryland Medical Center has <a href="http://www.umm.edu/sleep/relax_tech.htm" target="_blank">clearly outlined them.</a> They recommend the techniques for sleep disorders, but they are also helpful for tension and anxiety. One quibble: they don’t mention that slightly tensing each area of the body (not just the toes) before you relax that part, can be even a more powerful path to relaxation.</p><p>We’ve made our own relaxation recordings at home. We record our soft, slow voices giving a step-by-step progressive relaxation session. You might enjoy making your own recordings, too.</p><p>Being and Flowing Second Step: Journal</p><p>If you are in therapy, or even if you’re not, it’s a good idea to do a Being and Flowing journal. Some people like to share this with their therapist, others don’t. It’s up to you.</p><p>You might consider doing an audio or video recording if you don’t like to write. Writing or otherwise recording your general experience with your relaxation session, is a good starting point. Then, if you like, continue to write or otherwise comment on your experience of your thinking process. What were your thoughts? Were you able to let them drift by? Did any thoughts “stick” more than others? Did new thoughts, thoughts you never “thought” before, pop up?</p><p>Also, you might explore the self that observed the thoughts. And so on. If you don’t like to write and don’t want to do an audio or video recording, you can try illustrating your experience by drawing, painting, collage (found objects, fabric, and so on), photography, etc.</p><p>Once you have a sense of Being and Flowing, you’ll might find yourself being able to step back, even in a non-relaxing session, from your thoughts that are not beneficial. You might find it easier to dispassionately examine your thoughts (and beliefs, which are a type of thought often mingled with emotion) and see if they are really beneficial to you.</p><p>In fact, a very important, even central, part of therapy is examining thoughts and beliefs that hamper or are openly damaging to: your personal growth, relationships, mental health, and physical health. Therapy, in part, teaches you how to “rethink” things, even changing your most closely held beliefs, if they don’t serve your growth. Healing your thoughts is central to healing your life.</p>

Being and Flowing is a good place to begin Healing Your Thoughts.

The first part of the Being and Flowing Sequence is a basic relaxation session where some (or several) of the techniques of guided imagery...

How do you treat yourself

Fraser Trevor

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Title: How do you treat yourself
Author: Fraser Trevor
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

How do you treat yourself? How should you treat yourself? What should you think about yourself? How should you feel about yourself? Well...

How do you treat yourself

How do you treat yourself? How should you treat yourself? What should you think about yourself? How should you feel about yourself? Well...

Smokers could one day be immunised against nicotine so they gain no pleasure from the habit, according to researchers in the US.

Fraser Trevor

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Title: Smokers could one day be immunised against nicotine so they gain no pleasure from the habit, according to researchers in the US.
Author: Fraser Trevor
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

They have devised a vaccine that floods the body with an antibody to assault nicotine entering the body. A study in mice, published in Scien...

<p id="story_continues_1">They have devised a vaccine that floods the body with an antibody to assault nicotine entering the body.</p><p>A study in mice, published in Science Translational Medicine, showed levels of the chemical in the brain were reduced by 85% after vaccination.</p><p>Years of research are still needed before it could be tested on people.</p><p>However, lead researcher Prof Ronald Crystal is convinced there will be benefits.</p><p>"As far as we can see, the best way to treat chronic nicotine addiction from smoking is to have these Pacman-like antibodies on patrol, clearing the blood as needed before nicotine can have any biological effect."</p><p>New approach</p><p>Other "smoking vaccines" have been developed that train the immune system to produce antibodies that bind to nicotine - it is the same method used to vaccinate against diseases. The challenge has been to produce enough antibodies to stop the drug entering the brain and delivering its pleasurable hit.</p><p>Scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College have used a completely different approach, a gene-therapy vaccine, which they say is more promising.</p><div>Continue reading the main story<h2>“Start Quote</h2><blockquote><p>If they start smoking again, they will receive no pleasure from it due to the nicotine vaccine, and that can help them kick the habit”</p></blockquote>Prof Ronald CrystalWeill Cornell Medical College</div><p id="story_continues_2">A genetically modified virus containing the instructions for making nicotine antibodies is used to infect the liver. This turns the organ into a factory producing the antibodies.</p><p>The research team compared the amount of nicotine in the brains of normal mice with those that had been immunised. After being injected with nicotine, the vaccinated mice had nicotine levels 85% lower.</p><p>It is not known if this could be repeated in humans or if this level of reduction would be enough to help people quit.</p><p>Prof Crystal said that if such a vaccine could be developed then people "will know if they start smoking again, they will receive no pleasure from it due to the nicotine vaccine, and that can help them kick the habit".</p><p>He added: "We are very hopeful that this kind of vaccine strategy can finally help the millions of smokers who have tried to stop, exhausting all the methods on the market today, but find their nicotine addiction to be strong enough to overcome these current approaches."</p><p>'Impressive and intriguing'</p><p>There are also issues around the safety of gene therapy in humans that will need to be answered.</p><p>Professor of genetics at the University of Kent, Darren Griffin, said the findings were "impressive and intriguing with great potential" but cautioned there were still many issues which needed addressing.</p><p>He said the main issue "is whether the observed biochemical effects in lab mice genuinely translate to a reduced addiction in humans given that such addictions can be both physical and psychological".</p><p>Dr Simon Waddington, from University College London, said: "The technology underpinning gene therapy is improving all the time and it is encouraging to see these preliminary results that indicate it could be used to address nicotine addiction, which is damaging to the nation's health and a drain on the health service economy."</p><p>If such a vaccine was developed it could also raise ethical questions about vaccinating people, possibly in childhood, before they even started smoking.</p>

Smokers could one day be immunised against nicotine so they gain no pleasure from the habit, according to researchers in the US.

They have devised a vaccine that floods the body with an antibody to assault nicotine entering the body. A study in mice, published in Scien...

Coke and Pepsi contain tiny traces of alcohol, reveals French research

Fraser Trevor

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Title: Coke and Pepsi contain tiny traces of alcohol, reveals French research
Author: Fraser Trevor
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

Coca-Cola and Pepsi contain minute traces of alcohol, scientific research published in France has revealed. The revelation will cause conce...

Coke and Pepsi contain tiny traces of alcohol, reveals French research

Coca-Cola and Pepsi contain minute traces of alcohol, scientific research published in France has revealed. The revelation will cause conce...

Pure ecstasy can be ‘safe’ for adults; should be regulated

Fraser Trevor

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Title: Pure ecstasy can be ‘safe’ for adults; should be regulated
Author: Fraser Trevor
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

B.C.’s top health official says taking pure ecstasy can be “safe” when consumed responsibly by adults, despite warnings by police in Alberta...

<p>B.C.’s top health official says taking pure ecstasy can be “safe” when consumed responsibly by adults, despite warnings by police in Alberta and British Columbia about the dangers of the street drug after a rash of deaths.  Dr. Perry Kendall asserts the risks of MDMA — the pure substance originally synonymous with ecstasy — are overblown, and that its lethal dangers only arise when the man-made chemical is polluted by money-hungry gangs who cook it up.  That’s why the chief provincial health officer is advocating MDMA be legalized and sold through licensed, government-run stores where the product is strictly regulated from assembly line to check-out.  Just like the growing chorus for marijuana legalization, Kendall believes crushing the dirty ecstasy-saturated black market and its associated violence requires an evidence-based strategy that revolves around public health.  “(If) you knew what a safe dosage was, you might be able to buy ecstasy like you could buy alcohol from a government-regulated store,” Kendall said in an interview.  He posits that usage rates would decrease.  Several studies agree the pure substance is not so “ominous,” including research by a Harvard psychiatrist that dispels more damning earlier work.  Kendall was asked whether ecstasy, after further study around correct dosage and in a setting involving strict controls, could be safe.  “Absolutely,” he responded.  “We accept the fact that alcohol, which is inherently dangerous, is a product over a certain age that anybody can access.  “So I don’t think the issue is a technical one of how we would manage that. The issue is a political, perceptual one.”  He does not advocate promoting the drug for recreational use.  At least 16 people from B.C. to Saskatchewan have died since last July from a tainted batch of ecstasy they obtained from criminal dealers, the only way an average person can acquire the drug in Canada. It was cut with a toxin called PMMA.  Police say an average of 20 British Columbians who consume street ecstasy die each year.  Kendall and several other health colleagues liken the mutation of MDMA into a contaminated street drug to the wave of bootleg beverages during the 1920s prohibition era.  “Methyl alcohol led to huge rates of morbidity and mortality in the United States under alcohol prohibition because of illicit alcohol manufacturing,” said Dr. Evan Wood, a lead researcher at the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS and internationally-recognized expert in drug addiction and related policies.  “PMMA is a natural and expected consequence of the prohibition on ecstasy.”  The RCMP in B.C., who have a team dedicated to dismantling clandestine drug labs, maintain no amount of the substance is safe.  “We would view ecstasy as extremely dangerous,” said Sgt. Duncan Pound, adding police don’t distinguish between MDMA and the street drug in terms of enforcement or prevention strategies.  “Not only given the fact that it’s very hard to determine what might be in any given tablet, but the fact that there’s such an individual reaction to those tablets.”  The medical literature says that MDMA — technically 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine — sends waves of serotonin flooding through the brain. The natural brain chemical makes people feel happy, social and intimate with others.  According to Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, MDMA carries a list of potential health affects that impact each user differently. They include teeth grinding, sweating, increased blood pressure and heart rate, anxiety, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting and convulsions, even at low doses.  The drug’s letdown can include feelings of confusion, irritability, anxiety, paranoia and depression, and people may experience memory loss or sleep problems, jaundice or liver damage.  The deaths associated with street ecstasy, says the centre’s website, usually result from dehydration and overheating when teens gulp down a pill and dance the night away.  It’s also more likely to negatively impact people with other health problems and can interact with other medications people are taking, the centre said.  The medical establishment widely agrees MDMA is not addictive.  But new research suggests some of the drug’s long-stated ill effects are exaggerated.  Using MDMA does nothing to impair cognitive functioning, found one U.S. government-funded study published in the journal Addiction in February 2011.  Dr. John Halpern, a Harvard Medical School assistant professor who led the research, said pure MDMA can change core body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure in the short-term, and decrease immune resistance for a few days.  “But barring that, it appears . . . it can be safely administered, certainly through research,” said Halpern, who has studied MDMA for 15 years and advocates for medical, prescription-based use of the drug.  He hopes Canada leads the way in crafting a “sensible” MDMA strategy.  “We’ve got to do something to make sure that the sanctity of life is protected,” said Halpern, with McLean Hospital in Massachusetts. “It’s certainly worthy of a healthy discussion.”  The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies has also administered MDMA to more than 500 people in various FDA-approved clinical trials, and there has never been a serious adverse event.  “Meaning that nobody has ever required any medical attention whatsoever from overheating or from a heart attack or from a stroke or from blood pressure going up,” said Rick Doblin, who has a doctorate in public policy from Harvard and founded the privately-funded organization in 1986.  The trials were conducted with pre-screened, healthy adults who did not use other drugs.  MDMA generally only produces the “peace-love” effect that users desire at low dosages, Doblin added.  He supports Kendall’s proposal, but agreed applying it in the real world has major challenges.  “There are problems with criminalization, there are problems with legalization,” he said.  “But the problems with criminalization are worse.”  Kendall’s harm-reduction approach flies in the face of long-standing drug laws. MDMA was criminalized in Canada in 1976 and in the U.S. 1985. It was recently boosted to the top of Canada’s drug scheduling list under the federal government’s omnibus crime bill.  Kendall argued the criminal designation is not based on pharmacology, toxicology, economic analysis “or even a really good analysis of what stops people using drugs.”  MDMA ranked 17 out of 20 drugs when compared in terms of their harms, below No.1-rated alcohol, and other drugs including heroin, cocaine, tobacco, pot and steroids, according to a U.K. analysis published in The Lancet in 2010.  The research was conducted by Professor David Nutt, a former chief adviser on drugs to the British government, who asked drug-harm experts to rank both legal and illegal drugs on 16 measures of harm to the user and to wider society.  Nutt found the legal status of most drugs bears little relation to their harms.  Health Canada approved the protocol for a Vancouver-based study of MDMA as a treatment for post traumatic stress disorder three years ago. However, researchers have hit multiple roadblocks getting necessary approvals for importing and storing the drug.</p>

Pure ecstasy can be ‘safe’ for adults; should be regulated

B.C.’s top health official says taking pure ecstasy can be “safe” when consumed responsibly by adults, despite warnings by police in Alberta...

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