The Media Fast: Go Hungry Today

In his highly thought-provoking book The 4-hour Work Week, professional young vagabond Timothy Ferris recommends taking a complete media fast (see my review of Ferriss' book here). That is, he suggests stopping watching, listening to and surfing the news media in all its forms - indefinitely. Ferriss recommends a total fast, but that is probably more than many people would prefer. I would include myself in that category. I prefer to be selective in what I read and watch in the media. Nonetheless, I believe that it is highly beneficial to detach for periods of time from the mass media.

It is Ferriss' idea of the media fast that inspired me to include a media fast day in my Urban Enlightenment booklet and workshop. Again, this is an easy-to-do process that anyone can apply - if they are prepared for a little discomfort as their daily routine changes. For greater effect, try turning off the media for longer periods, say 1-3 days, or even a week. 

The Media Fast is meant to be part of a 30-day programme, and will work best as it builds upon the attention-shifting processes outlined in Urban Enlightenment. (A one-off day is is less likely to be as deeply transformational). 

Here's the process in it's entirety. Give it a try!

The Media Fast

Newsflash: the media world isn’t real. That’s right. By ‘real’, I mean it does not project an impartial view of the world. Remember the first law of consciousness: what you focus upon expands, and the media focuses upon that which sells newspapers, airspace and that which gets viewers glued to the TV screen. By definition, the media brings to attention that which is loudest and that which captivates the attention. The problem is that your senses are a vestige of more ‘primitive’ human urges and needs. Your brain is ‘designed’ to be alert to the dangerous and the threatening; and to scan for possible procreation prospects! This is the way our minds and bodies have developed through millions of years of evolution.

The popular media exploits your primitive biological impulses, and locks you into a world of fright, flight, and another unmentionable ‘f’! Everything is distorted through the lens of the Darwinian mind. A plane may have crashed in Africa today, but another 100 000 planes took off and landed without a hitch – but that didn’t make the news. Nor did my stopping on the way to work on Tuesday to check if an old guy sleeping on the stairs downtown in Hong Kong was OK (he was just drunk).

The other issue is that the media presents a consensus reality that effectively brainwashes us. As just one small example, ideas related to Integrated Intelligence, which I have written about extensively, almost never appear in the mass media, and when they do it is often done so in a derisive manner. Clearly, such cognitive constraints can prevent us from activating our full mental potential.

Today your task is to completely detach from the media, no matter what! Do not read any newspapers, media-based magazines, web media, nor view any TV news media  and so on Instead, place your attention elsewhere. Make sure that while you are out and about that you note the REAL world around you. You will probably notice that you are not about to die, and that not everyone wants to have sex with you! Relax and enjoy your safe life in the security of the present moment, the only most real world you can ever experience.

Marcus

Working and Learning with Marcus T. Anthony

Marcus T Anthony's new web site and blog can be found at: www.mind-futures.com.

Spiritual Insight with Marcus T. Anthony (PhD)

 

Marcus' remarkable talent enables him to intuit the big issues in your life, the major challenges, your strengths and your weaknesses. He hit so many salient points it was as if he were peering into our souls. We followed his advice and the situation resolved itself.

Trish MacGreggor, co-author of The Seven Secrets of Synchronicity

My main goal is to help people empower their lives and live their dreams. I use a powerful intuitive method, spiritual insight, to get right to the heart of problems, and help people find the right path to their ideal future. Spiritual insight can help heal the psychological and spiritual issues that may be holding you back. Twenty years ago I discovered I had natural clairvoyant abilities, and since that time I have developed those abilities further by working with advanced spiritual teachers. An important motivation for me is to teach people how to find their true calling using their own natural, intuitive gifts. You already have them. You just need to know how to use them. I conduct sessions in person in Hong Kong. For those outside of Hong Kong, sessions can be done by phone, Skype, or email. 

All those who do any of the personal sessions will also receive a free copy of my e-book Extraordinary Mind.

Soul Purpose Readings: This personal one-on-one process is for people looking to move forward, align their lives with the deeper needs of their spirit, and develop personal empowerment. Your 'Soul Purpose' is what you are here on Earth to learn. These readings will benefit people at turning points in their lives, or facing recurring professional, creative or emotional issues. The process will help you:

·        Identify your soul gifts and personal strengths.

·        Discover the best way to achieve success for you.

·        Identify and heal the Soul Issues which lie at the core of your life journey, and which may sabotage your hopes and dreams.

·        Clarify your soul needs, and learning how to actualise them.

·        Connect with and heal your inner child.

·        Learn to use your innate intuition to achieve success.

Fees: In person or Skype: HK$1000 (US$130) - usually 1 hour.

Soul Purpose Readings for couples: For couples wishing to create more loving and harmonious relationships. They are particularly useful for couples who have recurring problems which they cannot get to the bottom of. Couples sessions are for those wishing to continue their relationships and move them to a more blissful level. These personal sessions can also be done for friendships, parent-child relationships and other kinds of relationships. The process may center upon:

• Identify and acknowledge the strengths within your relationship. 

• Uncover the psychic projections which prevent harmonious relationships developing, and which lie behind many arguments and conflicts.

• Develop your intuitive skills, to help you and your partner take greater responsibility for emotional energy, with the goal of becoming more loving to one another.

• Uncover the trapped emotional energy from childhood and past lives which prevents truly loving relationships from developing.

Fees: In person or Skype, HK$1000 (US$130) - usually 1 hour.

Public Talks

Dr Anthony is highly entertaining and knowledgeable public speaker. He has conducted talks on a wide range of Futures-related issues. In particular his talks focus upon:

• Integrated Intelligence and human consciousness evolution

• Education and the teaching of intuitive and spiritual ways of knowing

• Integrated Inquiry (intuitive methods for researchers and re-discovering the passion of learning)

• Futures Studies

• The Futures of China and Asia

Fees: Variable according to location, venue and time.

What others are saying about Marcus

Marcus Anthony reads energy. This remarkable talent enables him to intuit the big issues in your life, the major challenges, your strengths and your weaknesses. After our computers were hacked, Marcus offered to do a reading on the situation, and my husband and I were blown away. He hit so many salient points it was as if he were peering into our souls. We followed his advice and the situation resolved itself.

Trish MacGreggor, co-author of The Seven Secrets of Synchronicity, USA

Marcus is an exceptionally gifted psychic who at the same time has his feet firmly on the ground - not to mention a great sense of humour. In a compassionate and non-judgmental way, he shows you and shares with you the deeper reality that underlies our everyday world: the feelings and influences that we're unaware of or try to keep hidden, even from ourselves. Highly recommended to anyone facing difficult choices or dogged by unhappiness in their personal or working lives.

Simon Buckland, Wall Street Institute, London

I have had the pleasure of attending a series of workshops and a private readings by Marcus, which I found both informative and inspiring. His insight and interpretation of the situation was remarkable to say the least. His knowledge and energy silenced any doubts within and begins to put you on your own spiritual path. Marcus truly come from a place of understanding and through his own experiences helping others explore their soul and innate intuition.

Dr Alick Lau, Brisbane, Australia 

Marcus did energy channeling for me and I was amazed at how accurate he was. He helped me to understand the situation that I was in and helped me to go through one of the most difficult times in my life. I also attended an intuition course which was conducted by Marcus. It was a very interesting course and Marcus was able to explain the intuition in a simple and easy to understand manner. Thanks Marcus.

Devi Syarif, Hong Kong

To book a personal session, workshop or talk, contact Dr Anthony: mindfutures at gmail dot com.

The Connector:

Here's another daily focus process from my booklet Urban Enlightenment. I confess the very simple programme outlined in the booklet was been written as much for me as anyone else. In an urban environment, it's so easy to forget the principles and attitudes that create connection with Spirit. Still, the fact is it's very easy to create a shift in consciousness with just a few simple processes. There's nothing earth-shattering here, just time-honoured spiritual processes that work. "The Connector" is one of my favourites. I have found it very powerful.

Have you ever noticed that in public spaces in many cities people rarely talk to strangers? In Hong Kong where I live, many people don’t even acknowledge the existence of service people in the supermarket or Seven-11, neither looking at them nor making eye contact as they complete their transaction. This has created an increasingly dehumanised urban environment.  Yet the truth is that it is the person who is refusing to connect with others who is creating his own alienation. Is it any wonder that most people look utterly miserable in urban public spaces! People need connection. It’s our bonds with others that sustain our lives. But don’t despair. The Connector is here (and it is you!).

Here's how it works. Today (or tomorrow, if it is late in the day) you will deliberately connect with FIVE people (count ‘em!) in public space. These will be strangers or people you do not know well (although it works just as well, even better maybe, with friends and loved ones). Service people are great "targets" - door men, policewomen, cashiers, bus drivers and so on. You will also find that if you are present, and keep your head up and eyes relaxed and on the people around you (without focusing upon anyone for too long), that opportunities will open up to greet those around you on lifts, on public transport or on the street.

The key to The Connector is that this is no simple "Good morning". This moment of connection will be done in presence. That means that your mind will be fully present to the person you are meeting and greeting. Just for those few seconds, you will leave all thoughts or worries about other things, and give your entire attention to the person before you. Let's get specific.

Firstly, just before you enter the personal space of the person, bring your attention to your breath, and feel yourself fully within your body. As you approach, look them in the eye and SMILE! (try it, it’s easy!). Greet them with a friendly hello or “How are you?” If you have a spare half-minute, and if the person is not too busy, make a small comment like ,“You must have a very busy job” (don’t make it a negative, like “How can you stand dealing with the general public?”, or "This country is going down the crapper"). Make sure you stay present with the person while you are there, even if they are performing some mundane activity like giving you your change. When you leave, look them in the eye and say goodbye or, “Have a nice day.” Most people will respond positively. With service people, they usually welcome customers who actually take a few seconds to connect with them. However, if the person behind the counter remains poker faced, don’t take it personally. Just move on. You can’t please everyone!

So that’s The Connector. It’s simple, and it’s a lot less confronting than the Free Hugs campaign! All you have to do is repeat the process at least five times during your day.  That is easy. There are no excuses! You can try it at work too, with colleagues you might not normally connect with. If you want to go further, extend the connection time with the person.

The Connector is simple and it really will make you feel better. It will make those whom you connect with feel good too! The other great benefit of The Connector is that it helps bring you into presence, and if done regularly, disciplines the mind to value "the now." And it is in the now that connection with Spirit is deepest.

Let me know how you go with it. 

Marcus

Skate or Die Practicing

Bob Bournquist

Imagine falling 40 feet from a building and landing on concrete. You’d probably experience some serious damage, and the prospect of death is a genuine possibility. Yet this is effectively the possibility that top-notch skateboarders face when they attempt the most radical maneuvers on the Mega ramp.

Bob Bournquist is a skateboarder described as taking “Mega-Ramp skating to daunting new heights.

Bournquist spent two hours last Saturday attempting a 900-degree rotation above the huge wall of the Mega ramp at Vista, California.

Eventually he nailed it. Take a look at the video here. The feat was described as "possibly the best trick to date on a skateboard" by Bucky Lasek. Bob Bournquest became only the fifth skateboarder to successfully complete the 900, but the first to do it "fakie to fakie”. He is also the first to do it on the 25 foot Mega ramp – the others did it on smaller 15 foot ramps. He skated up the wall backward – climbing some 40 feet above ground and spinning 900 degrees then landing backward!

Tony Hawk, the skateboarder who was the first to successfully complete the 900 in 1999 commented that: "Bob has upped the ante once again and ramp skating will never be the same, thanks to him. He is unbelievable."

What interests me about this amazing feet is how readily it exemplifies the features of deliberate practice, as I outlined in my last post  here on 22c+. People who succeed at something at levels far beyond ordinary are not typically more gifted than others. They just work a lot harder and smarter.

Geoff Colvin’s Talent is Overrated is a thoroughly researched volume which shows that innate ‘genius’ is not enough for a person to become exceptionally good at something. What unites the greats from Mozart, to Tiger Woods, to Bill Gates to Bob Bournquist is that they practice their craft again and again and again, intelligently and systematically. Let me just recap the features of deliberate practice. They may seem mundane, but they are vital to anyone who has a passion to succeed at something they love.

Deliberate practice is hard work. You need to come out of your comfort zone, and fail repeatedly, and learn from those failures. Mot people just keep doing the stuff they know they can do, over and over again, year after year. That’s not deliberate practice.

Deliberate practice is designed specifically to improve performance. You must carefully analyse your weaknesses, then work diligently to bring them up to scratch.

Repetition is common to deliberate practice. The most successful footballers, violinists and golfers tend to put in far more hours than those who are less successful.

To be most effective, deliberate practice requires feedback. This is best given by someone very knowledgeable in the domain. Self-feedback must be brutally honest.

Practicing something systematically and intelligently is highly mentally demanding. It requires a great deal of focus and concentration.

How well does the amazing skateboard feats of Bob Bournquist conform to the ideal makeup of deliberate practice?

Bournquist doesn’t give up easily. After a recent competition he announced that he was going for the 900. But it proved extremely difficult. He kept failing over and over again. When asked how many times he has attempted the 900, Bournquist answered, "I've tried hundreds of times, probably 900 times, who knows?"

That’s hard work and a lot of failures. His extraordinary performance required an inordinate amount of time spent out in the discomfort zone. When he finally managed that jump, it was after two hours of trying on that day alone.

Bournquist said: "I didn't want it just to be another 900. In my mind I'm like, 'I don't care how long it takes, I'm going to do it differently.' "

In fact, behind that jump of a few seconds lies 15 years of intense competition for the 33 year old Brazilian, and probably more than 20 years of total skateboarding experience. This is consistent with findings which indicate that it takes at least ten years of deliberate practice to reach world class in most fields.

Bob Bournquist is one committed person living his Bliss. The popular t-shirt says "Skate or die", and Bournquist is a man pushing the limits of mortal existence.

Why 'Bliss' is not enough

Australian cricketer Don Bradman. Why was he twice as good as anyone else?

In my book Sage of Synchronicity I wrote about “living your Bliss” – following your heart to live the life of your dreams. Using Integrated Intelligence, you can listen to your guidance as you advance confidently towards your Bliss. Yet I would like to clarify a certain misunderstanding which exists amongst some alternative spiritual philosophies.

New Age ‘go with the flow’ philosophies may delude some people into thinking that hard work and ‘deliberate practice’ are not required to achieve success and excellence in a particular field of endeavor.  ‘Deliberate practice’ is the intelligent application of repetition in order to improve performance. Let me assure you that intelligence, sustained commitment and hard work will almost certainly be required if you are live your Bliss. The truth is that this is a very competitive world, and that standards of performance and excellence have increased dramatically in many fields in recent years. Certainly, if your goal is to reach world class status, then deliberate practice cannot be avoided.

I highly recommend Geoff Colvin’s fantastic book Talent is Overrated as a good introduction to this topic. It shows that deliberate practice is what often separates genius form very good. Colvin outlines the following features of deliberate practice.

Deliberate practice is hard work. It is not what we normally think of as practice, such as when you strum a guitar for a bit of fun. You have to move out of your comfort zone to perform deliberate practice. That’s not much like ‘Bliss’ at all. So this is where we need to be careful that we do not trip ourselves up with the idea of ‘Bliss’. Living your Bliss does not preclude the possibility of discomfort and a certain degree of sacrifice.

Deliberate practice is designed specifically to improve performance. This means intelligent thought is put into the practice session, so that deliberate and conscious goals for improving performance are met. This in turn requires you to carefully define the elements of your skill that require enhancement, and then go about working at those. Benjamin Franklin, for example, wanted to be a great writer, but realised that his vocabulary was lacking, so systematically set about improving it.

Repetition is common to deliberate practice. Most of the greats in any given field repeat practice activities far more than mere amateurs. This requires great concentration and commitment. It is said that as a boy Don Bradman, an Australian cricketer who had a batting average of just under 100 runs per innings (almost twice as good as the next best guy) used to spend hours hitting a golf ball up against a metal tank using a cricket stump as a bat, just to improve his hand/eye coordination.

To be most effective, deliberate practice requires feedback; and generally speaking, the more the better. You must either find someone who is willing to tell you your shortcomings, or you must make the time to honestly critique your own work on a regular basis.

Practicing something systematically and intelligently is highly mentally demanding. It requires a great deal of focus and concentration. Studies have shown that excellent violinists practice a lot more than those of lesser skill. Generally speaking, there are limits to how long you can practice, however. Sessions of no more than ninety minutes at a time, and totaling four to five hours per day are ideal. Any more than that, and you risk burnout. Mental visualisation should not be underestimated here, as it can greatly enhance performance, as long as the imagined practice is correct and conforms to the requirements of deliberate practice. That means that specific skills are identified, and the imagined scenario is as life-like as possible.

Living your Bliss will require hard work and commitment. A lot of New Agers and dharma bums falsely believe that if it isn’t fun and ‘easy’, then it is not spiritual.  Hard work will be a part of the journey, yet for the Sage this work will be done in alignment with Spirit. His mind will remain present and mindful of intuitive prompts when deliberate practice is required. The Sage will have the advantage over many others in his field in that he is drawing upon integrated intelligence as he goes about practicing and performing his Bliss.

True Purpose Meeting (Hong Kong)

True Purpose is a group for people interested in developing their true calling. It is for people who are transitioning to a life or career more in tune with what they sense to be a deeper calling. It is organised by me, Marcus T. Anthony. If you are a regular reader of this blog, you'll know that my approach is not aligned with any specific philosophical or spiritual belief structure, but most members of True Purpose have a 'spiirtual' bent. You can learn more about the group from the links, below.

http://www.meetup.com/True-Purpose/

The very first real world meet up for True Purpose will be this coming Thursday, Sept. 9, evening at 7.00 p.m., at Pacific Coffee in Wellington St. Central! It’s free (but you buy your own drinks/food) Here’s the address, and the link goes to a simple map

Pacific Coffee UG/ F, Somptueux Central, 52-54 Wellington Street, Central

http://www.pacificcoffee.com/eng/store/images/store_map/hk/wel.jpg

The first meeting will be a friendly get together and introduction.

I’d also like there to be a short discussion or presentation by a member for the meetings, whenever possible. This will be quite informal, due to the location (no computers or whiteboards!). For the first meeting I will talk very briefly about why I started True Purpose. We can discuss what we’d like to do with the group. I will keep promoting the group on Facebook and other forums.

Call me on 66745977 with any questions, or email mindfutures@yahoo.com

I hope to see you there.

Marcus

Is Your City a Spiritual Desert?

 

The bright lights of Hong Kong

(For those living in other big cities, you can ask the same question of your urban centre. This comes from a booklet I have written called "Urban Enlightenment: Reactivating the Spirit in Hong Kong").

Is Hong Kong a spiritual desert?

When the Buddha wanted to reach enlightenment, he sat under the banyan tree. If he were alive today, would he come to a place like Hong Kong for some shopping therapy?  Probably not. Shopping in Central is less likely to lead to satori, as drive a man half crazy (although there are rumours that some women actually like it). Most of us would agree that we need peace and quiet to find serenity.

I am here to tell you that this is not correct. The more urbanised and chaotic a city, the greater the opportunity for psychological and spiritual growth. You just have to think and act a little smarter than the average guy.

You cannot control the culture of a city. People in any large city have certain restrictions, and these might include their exact mode of work, their working environment, the style of accommodation, the habits of the locals etc. Perhaps, like many people in Hong Kong, you live in a relatively small space in a high rise, far away from the serenity of nature. Maybe the only “greenery” you ever see on your way to work is the contents of a drunk’s stomach on the sidewalk, left over from the previous night's drinking binge. 

But you can control your personal “culture”. Most importantly, you have the potential to control the relationship that you have with yourself. In spiritual terms, you can develop the right relationship with ego.

Connecting with your spirit is not complicated. It is simple. That is why this book (Urban Enlightenment) is simple. I’ve got a PhD, and for my doctoral thesis I studied a lot of this kind of stuff. But let me tell you that head stuff is mostly useless as far as the practical process of living spiritually every day goes. Too much cleverness is the death knell of the spiritual.

Many Hong Kong expats, whether from the West, Asia or elsewhere (including myself), had well developed spiritual lives before they came to Hong Kong. We swam in the oceans, walked in nature, attended meditation workshops, and chatted with friends and acquaintances about spiritual matters. Many of us had spiritual routines such as meditation, prayer, yoga and so on.

Then we came to Hong Kong. As we all know, Hong Kong is a centre of finance. It is what I call a real “money and machines” society. It seems that most people are focused on work and money, and a lot of free time is spent fiddling with gadgets and computers. On the weekends, many locals like to peruse the shopping malls. As for expats, many work hard during the week, and then hit the bars on the weekend. They develop a lifestyle of working hard and partying hard.

The lifestyles of many expats and local Hong Kongers leave little room for the spirit.

Yet that culture is not compulsory. There are choices.

The truth is that Hong Kong, and virtually any big city, is actually a great place to develop your spiritual life. It may not be easy, but you can think of it as a test for the ego. It might well be easier to live the spiritual life if you are, say, a surfer living by the sea in a small town in Eastern Australia. You would have slow days, clear skies, unspoiled nature, a clean ocean, and far less hustle and bustle.

But the very full-on nature of a big city provides multiple opportunities to observe the workings of the human ego, especially your own. You just need to be more self-disciplined than that surfer on Oz.

Of course there is the reality that there are indeed many serene and tranquil places in Hong Kong to chill out and be with nature. It’s just that it is not in the local culture to use them! Trust me, relative to some other megacities in mainland China (such as Beijing and Shanghai), Hong Kong has numerous “getaways”, and many of them are much less than an hour from downtown! Check out this great view, above Discovery Bay – 23 minutes in ferry from Central. In how many cities in the world can you do that!

 

Yet you do not need to flee the urban areas to reactivate the spirit in Hong Kong. You can actually use everyday life processes as a means to connect with Spirit. Just one process I have developed is called “Subway Satori”. You can do it on the MTR (subway), a bus, tram or on any other form of public transport.

But you do need to make time with spirit a priority. There’s no way around that. You have to be committed and self-disciplined. If there is a sure way to bring your spirit down and invite depression, it is to reject your world and the people in it. It is pointless living the Hong Kong or expat lifestyle and then blaming Hong Kong for being “unspiritual”.

The key principles of urban enlightenment are these.

·         Develop intention. That means that you have made a decision within yourself to commit to the process. Only you can bring this to the table.

·         Prioritise. You will need to make your spiritual life important, and honour the spirit within yourself.

·         Practice presence. You will need to bring your mind into the here and now.

·         Practice non-judgment. Allow people, places and events to be what they are. You cannot experience peace while you are in judgment. Period.

·         Develop the right relationship with ego. When you/your ego slips up, a gentle correction will bring you back on your spiritual track. Be like a parent to a naughty child: firm but loving.

·         Responsibility. Your level of personal responsibility needs to be higher than that of most people in today’s world. You need to stop giving your power away to people and life circumstances by blaming and judging. You must start to assume responsibility for your reactions and your perceptions.

·         Letting Go. Surrender all thoughts and judgments to a higher power. You are not here to be perfect, so don’t even try. Give it to God.

It is true that the culture of Hong Kong is not focused upon spiritual concerns. They are not a priority for most people and institutions. However, that is no reason to fret. Like in all cities, opportunities to connect with Spirit abound.

Are Your Gadgets Making You Sick?

One of the benefits of being a "sensitive" is that I can sense the harmful effects of certain environmental "hazards". This awareness often comes as an intuitive feeling, but it also comes in dreams and visions. Often when I am meditating or sleeping, small "movies" will play in my head, and they will convey some information about something.

One thing that I have seen repeatedly is the harmful effect of electrical fields on the human body and mind. In these visions I will suddenly see electricity shooting forth, sometimes electrifying my body. The times these visions occur are almost always after extended use of laptop computers. Let me say this as something that I am absolutely certain of. If you use a laptop computer on your lap, you are doing some real damage to your body and your consciousness field. 

Researcher and parapsychologist Michael Persinger showed quite clearly that there is a correlation between nightmares and the presence of electrical devices close to beds. In one instance, a girl reported being attacked by evil spirits. Persinger is a sceptic. When he investigated the case, the first thing he did was remove an alarm clock from a drawer near the girl's bed. The "psychic attacks" stopped. Persinger concluded that the electrical field of the clock disturbed the electrical activity of the girl's brain, making her have nightmares.

I would go a little further than Persinger. As someone who is very aware of the consciousness fields of other people and even of disembodied beings (call them spirits if you like), I have seen repeatedly that over-exposure to electrical fields opens the human aura to manipulation and even possession by low-density consciousness fields and entities. 

My intuitive reading also indicates that there is a correlation between over-exposure to electrical fields and depression. This depression follows from the degeneration of the person's energy field, and/or from the psychic interference.

What can you do about this? Here are some suggestions, and they are all common sense.

1.  If you live next to a power plant, sell the house (preferably to someone who voted for GWB). If you can't sell it, give it away.
2. Turn off all electrical devices if you are not using them, including at the power point.
3. Minimise mobile phone calls.
4. Never, ever, ever use a laptop on your lap. This is psychic suicide.
5. Gong the gadgets! It really perturbs me to see the onset of the gadget culture. Even in their spare moments on the bus or subway, many people are glued to iPods, laptops and fancy mobile devices. Run! Run away!
6. If you have your mobile around at night, keep it well away from your bed. Better still, turn it off.
7. Avoid electric blankets.
8. Keep note of what lies on the other side of the wall if your bed is up against the wall. If there is a TV, CD Player or electrical appliance on the other side of the wall, make sure you turn it off before you go to bed.
9. If you use computers for a long time, take breaks where you get away from the machine. Get outside for a few minutes if you can, and preferably to a place where there is fresh air, grass, trees, or a body of running water. The natural ions in the air will help restore your energy field. Go bare foot if you can!
10. A wooden table is probably best between the computer and you.
11. Nominate at least one computer/gadget free day per week, if possible.

I can't prove any of this, but there is a body of research which provides some evidence (see the article by Stephen Goldate for Living Now magazine.   

 To live your Bliss, you need to find the right spark! However, the electric kind are not recommended!


Marcus

From Where Does Inspiration Come?

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Caravaggio's The Inspiration of  Saint Matthew

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 Marcus T Anthony's new web site and blog can be found at: www.mind-futures.com.

From where does inspiration come? I have long believed that at least some of my own creative insights and ideas come from external sources. Let me be blunt. I see, hear and feel information which comes from external sources of consciousness. 

The idea of divine guidance is thousands of year old, of course, so I claim no credit for it. I prefer to call these helpers them spirit guides. When I am meditating, sleeping, or half asleep I often get ideas flowing through me. I even get poems and songs coming through that I have never heard of. I sometimes wish I’d put more time into learning to play a musical instrument, because some of these songs sound pretty good to me! Other times I see book covers, page numbers, tv channels, specific magazines and so on. When that happens, I almost always go and read the page, the book, the magazine or turn on the tv channel. This is an almost daily occurrence to me. 

Two nights ago, just as the idea for my last blog post about social narratives and hatred, the number “71” appeared before my eye very clearly. I turned on the light, picked up the book by my bed, and read a short passage by David R. Hawkins. It said that below a certain level of consciousness development, spiritual ideas are incomprehensible. These lower levels of mind are dominated by animalistic drives, including the need to survive. I realised straight away that it was senseless blaming hyper-nationalist for their hatred. They are simply operating at a level of mind which makes their worldview inherently xenophobic. I felt more compassion for them after this realisation.

I don't think we can attribute all creative impulses to external sources, but I believe that  some definitely can be.

Enough from me. Let’s listen to someone else talk about the same subject area. Writer Elizabeth Gilbert spent a year of her life travelling through Italy, India and Indonesia, and in the process managed to write the best selling book Eat, Pray, Love. I have not read the book, but it is, I am told, a book of self-discovery.

It’s interesting that I found this video today, because I have been contemplating doing something quite similar – taking a year off, and travelling while writing and videoing. My idea though is to completely give the process over to intuitive guidance. That is, merely having a general idea to write a book called (maybe), A Year of Inspiration, but applying Integrated Intelligence to every step of the journey.

Presently, it’s just an idea – but whose idea?

Let's listen to Elizabeth. 

Marcus

Extraodinary Mind

Dear 22Cplus members and guests,

I'm excited to introduce my new book Extraordinary Mind: Integrated Intelligence and the Future. This reader-friendly book examines the role of spiritual intelligence (what I call Integrated Intelligence) in human futures. There's a 20% discount for all 22Cplus members, or for those who state they saw the book on this blog. If you would like to buy a copy of the book, you can email me personally (mindfutures@yahoo.com), or via the links provided on the website.

Go to this web site for more info about Extraordinary Mind. 

www.extraordmind.com

You can also download and read the first 50 pages for free here!

http://www.scribd.com/doc/36574943/Extraordinary-Mind-1st... 

Enjoy your reading!

Marcus