Roots of Empathy

After James Holmes went on a shooting spree in a Colorado theater showing the Batman movie Dark Knight, Peter Bogdanovich, an American film historian, director, writer, actor, producer, and critic, told The Hollywood Reporter magazine, “Today, there's a general numbing of the audience. There's too much murder and killing. You make people insensitive by showing it all the time. The body count in pictures is huge. It numbs the audience into thinking it's not so terrible. Back in the '70s, I asked Orson Welles what he thought was happening to pictures, and he said, "We're brutalizing the audience. We're going to end up like the Roman circus, live at the Coliseum." The respect for human life seems to be eroding.” Yes, cultural conditioning. Audiences are being conditioned to accept murder and violence as a form of entertainment. Violence is in the news every day. Respect for human life seems to be a thing of the past. What to do about it? One woman has an answer. Mary Gordon is the Founder/President of Roots of Empathy which is an organization whose mission is to build caring, peaceful, and civil societies through the development of empathy in children and adults.

Roots of Empathy's goals are:

• To foster the development of empathuy
• To develop emotional literacy
• To reduce levels of bulling, aggression and violence, and promote children's pro-social behaviors
• Ro increase knowledge of human development, learning, and infant safety
• To prepare students for responsible citizenship and responsive parenting

Roots of Empathy's program is successful. In 2001, the Government of Manitoba commissioned a three-year follow-up study of Roots of Empathy, measuring pro-social behavior, physical aggression, and indirect aggression. Results show a significant improvement in all three behaviors.

Roots of Empathy is an international organization based in Canada. The program has crossed the border to Seattle, Washington. Maybe its time to make more people aware of this program and expand it throughout the United States. If Roots of Empathy was taught everywhere in the world there would be no war or bullies. Everyone would be able to respect and understand their own feelings and also other people’s feelings. Roots of Empathy would be able to change the world making peace and there would be no harm. I think that it could change the world forever.” - a Sixth Grader.

 For more information about this program, or to make a donation please visit rootsofempathy.org

Lucifer's Redemption

Every now and then I think about Brett Dean McGibbon.  Brett is a self-published author who binds his books in leather and sells them on a street corner in Seattle, Washington. 


I was walking the streets of Seattle camera in hand. Click, click, click. I noticed a small restaurant that I liked, click, and then crossed the street. As I walked by, a guy at a table handed me a piece of paper. I usually try real hard to ignore these things as it seems everyone wants something; a dime, a quarter, a dollar; some thing. You can only give so much, you know? I took the piece of paper and looked at it. Words. I started reading them out loud. "..men and women who were raging with life, who looked within and wrestled with their beasts, who were engaged in mortal combat with what mattered and were not gonna let what mattered escape." I liked the words. I was attracted to the words. The guy drew my attention off the paper and pointed out that he was selling books and signing them (he was an author). I looked at him for the first time. I became conscious of this - I was so fascinated by the words that I never looked at him. I picked up a copy of the book, Lucifer's Redemption,  and started reading the Preface. He encouraged me on. After the Preface, the Introduction. I was hooked. I was also attracted to the physical form of the book. Apparently he prints the pages himself on a laser printer (that is explained by a character in the book). The pages are then hand bound in leather with (Irish-linen twine). It had a nice feel. I liked the font. Like an old fashioned typewriter. I liked the book. The sign said twenty bucks so I gave him twenty bucks. I wanted it. I asked him if I could photograph him. That night I read half the book in my hotel room. It hit, drew me in. Made me think. Made me ponder. Made me reflect. At times I identified with the main character, James. We share similar attitudes about some important things. I finished the book off in Seattle Tacoma International the following day. Toward the end I almost felt that it was written about me - the inner thoughts. Then I decided anyone who reads it probably feels that way. It stuck with me. It stuck in my mind for two days. It also occurred to me that I have not read a book in years. This was the first in years. And it somehow seemed that I was fated to read this book.

If you are ever in Seattle you might run into Brett.  I have talked to people who say he is still there.  I see a used copy of Lucifer's Redemption going for $70 on Amazon.  Not only a good read but a collector's item as well as each copy is unique.

Visit our Table of Contents to view more interesting articles

Exotic Energy - A Pure and Perfect Body

A near-death experience (NDE) refers to a broad range of personal experiences experienced by people who have been pronounced clinically dead and brought back to life or by people very close to death. Often a sense of detachment from the body and the presence of a bright white light are reported as well as a variety of additional experiences. These experiences seem to be quite common and are often described as either hallucinations or evidence that there is an afterlife.

 "In their quest to find answers about the cause of the NDE, the mainstream scientific community has so far come up with two explanations. The first one considers the NDE a neurological phenomenon. The second explanation considers the NDE a supernatural phenomenon. After more than ten years of study, I am convinced of a third possible explanation..." Maureen Venselaar, PhD.

In an article published in Noetic Now, Maureen Venselaar presents a new theory on what happens during a near death experience (NDE) which is rooted in the dynamics of both physics and astrophysics. Venselaar's theory takes the severity of the trauma the patient is experiencing into consideration and addresses the idea "that an NDE becomes more profound and more complete as a trauma or a sickness grows more life threatening."

Venselaar is a spiritual/mental coach who works with elderly and sick people in The Netherlands. She has been studying near death experiences for over ten years and is convinced that there is a third way of looking at near death experiences other than as either a neurological phenomenon or a supernatural phenomenon.

According to Venselaar, "As we approach the end of life, our sensorial observation decreases, our normal consciousness disappears, and deep down in our physical body, at the (sub)atomic level, a fundamental process starts which releases an 'exotic energy' (i.e. light-energy/photons). This special 'exotic energy' is the foundation of another new, pure and perfect body, and another kind of consciousness/awareness. With this new body, of exotic energy/photons, we can travel through the barrier of space and time. The near-death experience is without a doubt a real voyage."
A near death experience is a five stage process in which there is a separation from the physical body, a journey through a tunnel, an experience of being in the presence of the light near a border, a return through the tunnel and a unification once again with the physical body. Those who pass on do not return but cross over the border. Venselaar refers to this as The Five Phase Theory.   For detailed information about each of these phases visit Noetic Now or visit Venselaar's website   De (binja) dood ontrafeld 


Visit our Table of Contents to view more interesting articles


　

The Agony and the Ecstasy

"Art has a magic quality: the more minds that digest it, the longer it lives." - Irving Stone

While writing a review of Irving Stone's The Origin, Rob Alan Marsh reminds us, "Great books remain relevant for a reason – because they teach us something. They better us; broaden our understanding of the world and its many fascinating inhabitants. And for that reason they deserve to be re-introduced, from time to time, so they may find in this vast ocean of distractions, some few new fertile islets upon which to propagate."

Irving Stone wrote The Agony and Ecstasy after living in Italy for several years and visiting many of the historic places he would be writing about in the book. The Agony and the Ecstasy is a "biographical novel" based on the life of Michelangelo. In addition, it is a historical novel which brings the Italian Renaissance to life. Anyone with an interest in Renaissance Italy can gain quite alot of insight into it simply by reading this book. Although it is about the life and struggles of Michelangelo, the reader will learn about the art, wars, and religious and political atmosphere prelavant during this time period.

In order to make a living, Michelangelo was at the mercy of his patrons who were Popes, Cardinals and Political Leaders each with their own agenda. He was forced to create whatever works they desired and lived under the threat of being imprisoned if he chose to deny his services to the Vatican. His contemporaries included Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Martin Luther, Machiavelli, and Lorenzo de Medici among others.

"There are the Florentines – lusty, artistic, and wealthy; the Romans – dangerous, dark, self-involved; the Carrara – interdependent, suspicious, isolated; the Bolognese – joyous, hearty, uncultured. As Michelangelo travels and interacts with these different people, their cultures come to life and these too have lasting impact on Michelangelo’s works and methods." - Roofbeamreader Review.

Irving Stone had 495 of Michelangelo’s personal letters translated from Italian to English in order to help him write this book. It took Stone six years to complete the book. Stone spent much of this time living in Italy in order to research the book and visit the many historical sites that were part of Michelangelo’s life. The book is very factual and extremely interesting as it allows readers to experience this period of time from Michelangelo’s point of view.

Visit our Table of Contents to view more interesting articles

My Reincarnation

 My Reincarnation is a documentary film about the relationship between a father and his son.  Tibetan-trained Buddhist master Choegyal Namkhai Norbu and his Italian born son have differing goals and desires in regard to how Yeshi (the son) should live his life.  Yeshi is believed to be the reincarnation of his father's uncle who was a famous Dzogchen master who died after the Chinese invaded Tibet. Yeshi refuses to accept the destiny he inherited from birth which is to return to Tibet and be a spiritual teacher. Yeshi just wants to live a "normal" life.

 My Reincarnation was Directed and Produced by Jennifer Fox who spent twenty years filming this documentary. My Reincarnation utilizes archival film, still photographs, and over 1,000 hours of intimate scenes shot between 1988 to 2009. In addition, interviews with Namkhai Norbu and Yeshi help tell the story of one man's struggle to keep a spiritual tradition alive and another man's struggle to maintain his personal identity.   Over time both begin to change as documented in the film.

Visit our Table of Contents to view more interesting articles