Make labels work for you(freedom from insanity)

You may or may not notice that your imagination labels EVERYTHING automatically. It does this to have a non-reliance on the soul. In other words, the brain prefers interdependence, not dependence. A mix of self-sufficiency and cooperation is the strongest recipe in the eyes of evolution. The brain cares only for the soul as far as the soul benefits the brain. Once the brain feels it understands something, it would much rather be used in a way that "cuts to the chase" and not waste any more resources than it feels necessary (time or energy). For example, ever notice that when you daydream, at the foundation of it all is labels that are associated with one of three things (objects, contexts, and actions). Just think of a label, and the object will automatically pop up (think of the label "pink zebra" and the image just appears with no effort). The brain can (or at least will make an effort) do this with virtually anything. Think of the label "a confident me"...and the image (object + action) will appear. This sort of thinking can both get a person into trouble, and it is the reason why people worry about the future and the past (when you notice yourself doing this, become aware of the role labeling plays in the formation of these daydreams). 

In short, become aware of labeling, it's an extremely powerful function of the brain that typically goes unnoticed and unchecked. Awareness is everything in becoming the master of the brain. A soul that is unaware of the brain becomes a slave to it. Emotional issues like anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder (more or less), anger, jealousy, etc. are much easier to remedy when the forces underlying them are brought into awareness. Change without awareness is accidental, don't be an accident!

The imagination can cause stress

The imagination can be a powerful tool for us humans in the realm of abstract thinking. Unfortunately, it can also be a great source of paranoia, delusion, worrying, jealousy, anger. The key is to both recognize what the imagination is and how to use it properly as tool. In other words, it's important to make the imagination work for you, not the other way around. I've noticed both in myself and others that the imagination is such a dominate thing (especially for those with a powerful imagination) that it can overwhelm a person's world. The scary thing is that the imagination can dominate our reality formation to such a point where we see the world through our imagination, instead of senses. This is done by relying on labeling and overwhelming abstract thinking, both functioning in the realm of autopilot (which requires much less energy and frees the soul to focus on forming new habits). Essentially the soul lays down an understanding via the circuitry of the brain, and the only way to undo this circuitry is with awareness of its firing (which essentially rewires this). Mindfulness of our thought process and of the sensory input that triggers them is key to changing the mind so that it works better. Here's a poem I quickly wrote that sums up what I mean. Essentially it is awareness that lays down neural circuits, and in order to change these we need to utilize awareness. In order to change anything, we must first become aware of it.

as the soul pays attention

the understanding is created

that the foundation of habit

is the fazing out of the soul

The Purpose of the Soul (Poem)

as the soul becomes aware
understanding is created
which converts into knowledge
the foundation of habit
a phasing out of the soul

#5 Spiritual Atheist - New poem I wrote about the soul

The Purpose of the Soul

As the soul becomes aware
understanding is created
which converts into knowledge
the foundation of habit
a phasing out of the soul

The purpose of this poem is to create awareness. Be mindful! The greatest source of inspiration (at least in my opinion) is received by being mindful. Without awareness there is nothing. In other words, don't let life pass you by...

How to Become an Atheist

Becoming an atheist can take some work. Theism distorts an individuals worldview (effecting morality, perceptions, values, purpose etc.) and the process of becoming an atheist means to fix these distortions in the mind in order to see things as they are. The first step in becoming an atheist is....

1. Be certain first that you want to become an atheist. If making the jump to atheism is too great, try taking on agnostic views first (agnosticism = not knowing either way).

At this point there is no particular order, and if uncertain about becoming an atheist, but open to it, try the following...

2. Change the way you view the world (both internally and externally). For example, when you see a baby, instead of seeing God, see a baby...be objective.

3. Read books written by atheists about religion (Richard Dawkin's The God Delusion is a good start).

4. Look up theist vs. atheist debates on YouTube. Doing so will give you many of the big arguments provided by both sides. It's important to view these debates with rationality and objectivity.

5. Be mindful about how thoughts effect your emotional well-being (this will allow you to see how those "good feelings" provided by praying are given by the thoughts themselves, not a god)

6. Become interested in topics like biological evolution and the universe beyond earth (this will provide a source of inspiration and perspective).

7. Actually read the bible (or check out the "atheist cherry-picked bible" on this website)

8. Talk with other atheists (the internet is a great place for that)

9. Be skeptical, demand evidence. Like Carl Sagan once said: "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence"


Becoming an atheist is all about dumping theistic views by valuing accuracy over faith (valuing accuracy over faith causes faith to be put in its proper place). I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, being an atheist does have its draw-backs and benefits, and the same is true for theism. Atheism isn't right for everyone (some atheists would be better off with religion). Sadly, some atheists are scumbags with no sense of morality, so its a pick-your-poison kind of deal with them. In other words, if you're the kind of person that sees no reason to live and/or be a good person without God, stay in church/the mosque/the synagogue (or whatever the building is called). 

Atheist Thanksgiving

As an atheist I am thankful that there is no God, but plenty of turkeys to devour....mmmm

Ramen

Future of this website

I plan to make this site more active in the future (busy with college atm). I want to start having more of a focus on atheist-related news/news about crazy believers. I also want to make a section of this website for people to submit things they want included on the site. I may also start making videos. Unfortunately all of this wont happen for another few weeks. 

How to improve confidence

Confidence is one of the most important things a person can have. Many people wish they were more confident, but don't know how to actually increase their confidence. Many self-help sites talk about "going out and accomplishing things"...sadly this approach misses the forest full of trees. The reason why  accomplishing things improves confidence is because it changes the way  a person perceives themselves. The direct route for improving confidence is to change the way you think. We all have seen the kind of person who has all the confidence in the world who has nothing to show for it. I believe a combination of confidence and motivation is required to accomplish (many overly confident people lack motivation and/or intelligence). But this post is about confidence, I'll make sure to write about motivation later down the road. Anyways, confidence can be changed by changing thinking, by thinking consciously, with purpose, in a way that builds on the self. No matter what the situation, if you interpret yourself in a positive way, confidence will come. Confident thinking is strongly conducive of a general feeling of confidence (thinking confidently eventually becomes a habit, and happens subconsciously). To make this clearer, what I mean by "thinking confidently" is to constantly praise, compliment, and love yourself (in a way that is rational of course, don't cross the line into narcissism).

Using affirmations like those below can be effective, just make sure to feel them each time you repeat them in your mind. You may notice thoughts pop up that contradict the affirmation, this is a good thing. This is the negative thought(s) rearing its head. When you notice such a thought, logically find a way to falsify the negative idea (which can be easily done with enough practice).

"I love myself"

"my life is important"

"I am loved"

"I can do it"

"I am a very capable person"

"I am a strong person"

"I am confident in myself"

"I have a good life"

"I am proud of myself"


Having low confidence can lead to having problems with depression, anxiety, and anger (among others).  

Anxiety and Confidence (the relationship)

Anxiety and confidence are closely linked (anxiety being more of a symptom than anything). Anxiety is caused by too much emotionally-charged thinking (in that it throws off our chemical balance and causes many unpleasant symptoms). What causes anxiety? If it's too much worrying, well, then what causes the worrying? I believe it can be summed up with the concept of having too little confidence (in the self and/or the world). How does low confidence have to do with anxiety? Well, having low confidence causes a person to over-think aspects of their life that a confidence person wouldn't. If a person worries about anything too much, it can lead them down a road of paranoia. When a person worries too much it causes physical symptoms, and being that we are creatures that perceive based on "feelings", our perceptions become altered in a negative way to make sense of it all (which is an anxiety topic in itself). But yes, having low confidence can lead to excessive worrying, which can lead to anxiety, which reinforces the worrying, and the cycle begins (this is an anxiety disorder). Does this seem like such an odd idea? I mean, when was the last time you seen a person with a high level of confidence with an anxiety disorder? Confident people don't second guess themselves, don't worry about the past or the future, etc.

You're probably saying to yourself "Okay, Jeremy, I got it....you're rambling now, what can I do to improve my confidence?"

The best way to increase confidence is to start thinking with confidence, consciously. Using positive self-talk that is confident, when done enough, can become a habit, and once it becomes habit it is integrated into the way you perceive (self and/or the world). Conscious thinking happened at one point in the life of an anxious person to lower their confidence, and that type of thinking has become a habit (if something is done enough times, the brain gets bored with consciously doing it, and starts to do it without awareness). The best and perhaps only way to raise confidence levels is to think with confidence. Talk to yourself (out-loud or to yourself...but don't talk to yourself when you are around other people) about how great and important you are as a person, tell yourself how much you love yourself, compliment yourself, etc. In general, whenever you think about yourself, make sure to think about yourself in a positive way, a way that builds yourself up. When a negative thought comes about, tell yourself "that thought is wrong", and then think thoughts that contradict the negative thought.

If you have any questions or comments about this topic, feel free to leave a comment :)

Rap music damages the brain (new study confirms)

I read this article today (that I wrote) that shows beyond some doubt that rap music damages the brain. The article goes into detail about which areas of the brain are damaged, how this effects the listener, and what causes the damage. If you listen to rap music you should could take this very seriously.


Article Preview

A new study has shown that rap music causes irreversible damage to the brain (frontal lobe, cerebellum, and occipital lobe). While I could break down all the technical bullshit that I'm sure none of you would understand, I'm going to describe now how this damage is shown on an external level.
Frontal Lobe Damage"The executive functions of the frontal lobes involve the ability to recognize future consequences resulting from current actions, to choose between good and bad actions (or better and best), override and suppress unacceptable social responses, and determine similarities and differences between things or events. Therefore, it is involved in higher mental functions." -Wikipedia
We all know very well that people that are addicted to rap music are stupid, irrational, and have a poor ability to tell the difference between right and wrong (many rap fans are in prison because of the damage caused to their brains by rap music and drugs like meth and crack...but mostly rap music). From these observations alone, it is clear to me that rap music causes damage to the frontal lobe.

Click me for the full text. 

Health Benefits of Atheism

Becoming an atheist has many health benefits for the mind, body, soul, and society. Below is a list of the benefits of being an atheist. This list isn't so much to claim that theism is bad for the health, but that perceiving the world and other's beliefs from the perspective of an atheist does carry some benefits. A believer might have an easier time feeling a sense of belonging than an atheist (but that's another topic all together)

-Atheism reduces the stress caused by organised religion (such as religions that value guilt over pride).

-Atheist nations are generally more peaceful, so it can be assumed that atheists are more peaceful (probably do to the formation of a worldview that is more encompassing of all people).

-Atheists are better able to relax and be themselves, they aren't forced to always put up a front because of an imaginary stalker (which causes stress, which has consequences in the long-run).

-Atheists are much less likely to become a politician (which has the potential side effect of sociopathy, narcissism and republicanism, among other personality disorders)

-Atheists are better able to see the world as it is, instead of constantly worrying about how they should perceive (i.e. judge) it.

-An atheist is 100% less likely to sacrifice themselves to a god.

-Atheists don't waste good relaxation time by spending 3 hours in church feeling guilty about working on the Sabbath (if Christians don't, they should).

-Atheists, removed of the need to be judgmental about everything and anything are better able to put themselves in another's shoes (empathy is an important skill that many people are lacking).

-Atheism is conducive of a better education (those that need to "cover their eyes" when confronted with information that contradicts their worldview have a more difficult time learning (if they do, they need to frame everything in the tiny little theism box, otherwise it gets rejected).

-Atheists are more likely to believe in science, so more likely to seek medical care.

-Atheists are more accepting of their mortality, so they tend appreciate life more (people that constantly judge this world and imagine one which is far greater really diminish the experience of being alive).

-Atheists embrace logic over faith, which allows them to better adapt to their environment. This is important for those that live in a fasts changing world (why conservatives tend to be religious).

-Atheists can celebrate any holiday they want without worrying about what some god thinks about it (Christians and Halloween for example).

-Atheists are allowed more freedom when it comes to forming worldviews (being a cognitive slave is not very fun)

-Atheists are more realistic (i.e. their ideas better match  up with reality due to their lack of limitations in this domain), and being realistic is very important for dealing with the stresses of life.

These are just a few of the benefits I find with atheism, if I think of more I'll post em' up. If you have any ideas you want listed here, or believe I am wrong with certain items on the list, let me know in the comment section below. If I agree with you, the list will be altered in a way that conforms. 

Anxiety isn't a mental illness

Many people believe anxiety is a mental illness, and this belief is false (did the title give that fact away?). The reality is that anxiety is just the bad habit of not accepting things as they are (the self and/or world). When a person begins to believe that they and/or the world are abnormal, they want to normalize it, so they fight against reality (self and world) instead of changing the inaccurate beliefs. If something is a certain way, then that is normal (and it would be abnormal if it were to be different, which it can't be). The point here is that anxiety is not a mental illness, it is a problem with not accepting reality. Not accepting reality causes reality to be perceived as being abnormal (or "not as it should be"), which causes the conflict between the worldview and the senses. If you want to get rid of anxiety, try to perceive reality as being normal, and adjust your worldviews accordingly so that it matches up. Having an accurate worldview (a worldview that is reflective of how reality is) is an important thing for well-being. 

The Cure For Anxiety? How to feel normal again!

I'm sure many suffers of anxiety want to feel normal again. This can be done, and the solution is right underneath the proverbial nose. The one thing that all suffers of anxiety possess is the belief that either they are not normal or their environment isn't normal. When we don't believe something is normal (in general), we form a confrontational relationship to it and typically pick at it like a scab. It's impossible to view something as abnormal and accept it at the same time, and anxiety is a disorder of nonacceptance (of the self and or others). Let me just say this right now, everything about YOU is perfectly normal, and everything about the world is perfectly normal.  These two ideas probably seem counter intuitive (which is the point), but isn't it true that if something happens then it is normal automatically? To not accept something as being normal is to assume that there is a parallel universe in which it doesn't happen (whatever it may be). Everything you have experienced, and everything you are experiencing now is normal, it is even normal to not accept things as being normal. No matter where you look, all that is seen is normal. And this is the sort of mentality that can lift a person out of anxiety (which is normal to have if it exists).

In short

Start to view anything that you perceive to be abnormal as normal, changing this perception of reality can be very helpful for overcoming anxiety. We want to make ourselves feel normal, because we are, and to not feel normal can cause anxiety (and it often does).


If this way of looking at your anxiety issue (which is really a worrying issue, anxiety being a symptom) doesn't make sense and/or you don't understand how to put it to use, feel free to ask questions in the comment section below :)

anxiety caused by a core operational belief (must read)

Many people suffer from anxiety, and typically the underlying problem is with patterns of thought. Is this root cause underlying anxiety? Perhaps not. Perhaps the real problem is a core operational belief. If this is true, then how the brain/mind perceives and reacts to stimuli is based on the underlying belief that it is suppose to react that way. If this is true, then it is a major problem in the way in which we deal with people that have "anxiety disorders" as a society (labeling someone as having an anxiety disorder may only reinforce the belief that this is how the brain is suppose to function). If this is indeed the underlying cause of anxiety (and perhaps some other mental "disorders"), then the answer might be quite simple. Perhaps using hypnosis, positive affirmations, and/or belief falsification to change the underlying core belief which creates this way of seeing and reacting to the world is the answer. Essentially for a person with anxiety, this idea would mean that they experience the symptoms of anxiety caused by the belief that this is how they are suppose to perceive and react to the sensed reality. 

Side Note

 I've used this method a great deal for creating a state of mindfulness. What I do is tell myself these mantras (In no particular order, and in no particular % of each)

"I am mindful"

"I am aware of my senses"

"I am a mindful person"

"I am in the present moment"

Doing this sort of thing really does shift the mind to perceive the world in a much different way. If you have any comments, questions and/or concerns, feel free to utilize the comment section below. 

How to treat depersonalization and/or dissociation from reality

These problems are often the result of some other underlying mental disorder like bipolar disorder, anxiety and/or depression. What happens is that a person becomes so wrapped up in their imaginations that they lose touch (i.e. awareness) of reality. In other words, their thoughts become no longer linked up as intensely as they should be with the information coming in from the senses. The method that I find to be the most effective is to use labeling to force the thought process to become one with reality. What a person should do is be the narrator for what they see, taste, touch, smell, hear and so on. For example, if you are walking around your house, tell yourself "I am walking in my house"..."I am seeing a sink" ....etc. Basically use a controlled method of thinking in which you constantly describe what you observe, and be objective! Don't connect emotions with what you observe, this only causes delusional thinking. What we observe is not emotional. Separating emotion from our observation of reality is very important for mental health. Emotionally charged thinking causes so much stress; it's important to be constantly aware of our surroundings (not consumed with the imagination, based on reality or not), and to have our thought process in sync with our senses is so very important for creating accurate perceptions (which is one of the big underlying problems with anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorders). We are creatures of habit, and in order to change our habits, we must become aware of them and work to change them. 

TheAmazingAtheist made a porno video?

What kind of man shoves bananas up his ass? What a joke, why are people still subscribed to this moron? The fact that he is (the last time I checked) the most subscribed to atheist on YouTube is reflective of the moral deficiency of many atheists. In other words, why would people want to follow this guy unless they found his worldviews agreeable.


Jezuzfreek777


Jezuzfreek777 is so right here. I'm sure TheAmazingAtheist will regret what he did someday (or at least his kids will).  The problem with atheism is that it can lead to moral relativism. Many atheists believe that not being bound to a religion allows them to do whatever they want.

shockofgod

Christians are obviously having a good time with this. I disagree with shockofgod that all atheists can't be moral. There are many atheists that are able to develop their own code of morality, and morality isn't subjective in that it can be based on reason. While all cognition is subjective, morality that is rational is accessible to all rational individuals. An atheist morality should be based on maintaining a society that has the highest level of functioning. I believe morality and rationality go hand-in-hand (instead of banana in hand), and many atheists irrationally believe that just because there isn't a god that they don't need to rationally analyze their behavior as being "good" or "bad". Yes, some behavior is beneficial to the functionality of society and some is harmful.

TheAmazingAtheist sadly represents atheism in a big way on YouTube, and this whole thing really makes the Christians look so much more moral in the eyes of the many. If you are subbed to the TheAmazingAtheist, seriously consider getting rid of this, this guy doesn't deserve the attention he gets. I say this because his influence and/or representation of atheism is wholly negative. A person that is leaning towards atheism might be steered away because of this clown. He makes all atheists look like immoral/amoral, cynical, narcissistic sexual deviants.

This psychologically disturbed "atheist" should only be representative of his own disturbed brain, sadly many people will interpret this differently. In some people's minds this is what all atheists are like, and this is an understandable interpretation for a person that is looking to perceive atheism as being wrong. Like when an atheist wants to show how screwed up Christianity is, they can point to disturbed individuals like those who belong to the Westboro Baptist Church. When a Christian wants to show an example of atheism as being immoral, they wont have to look too far. 

Too much Computer and/or Television narrows the mind.

When I claim that television and the computer narrow the mind, I mean it causes the brain to become narrowly focused visually (the highest of the senses). A person that watches too much TV and/or computer screen eventually gets such a tunnel vision that they cognitively lose touch with everything that isn't on the screen. The screen is small compared to the entire field of vision. The issue here is how the eyes are used, and if a person gets into the habit of only focusing on a small area of vision, this behavior becomes a habit, and this narrows the ability of visual information to flow into the mind.

The key to avoiding the mind-narrowing affects of starring at a screen is to try to be as conscious as possible of the things going on around the screen as well. In other words, cognitively become more aware of your peripheral vision. This is so important because the eyes are the highest of the senses (the patterns they give to the brain are the most complex mathematically). If we ignore the information that comes from our peripheral senses, they get "out of shape" like a muscle, and the brain doesn't continue to expand its development in these areas (which is why it is unhealthy for children to sit and watch TV for long periods of time, it harms their development). To focus on all of the information that our eyes give us requires more effort and In other words, when it comes down to the brain's use of the eyes "use it or lose it" or tunnel vision both cognitively and physically will come about (peripheral vision will still exist, but the brain will be in the habit of ignoring it more and more for chronic screen viewers).

Being that television flips from scene to scene or from scene to commercial etc. it is not conducive of the development of a long attention span. The attension span is like a muscle in that it needs to be practiced if it is to develop properly. This I believe is the underlying cause for the rise in ADD and ADHD. 

Adrenal Fatigue Symptoms

Adrenal fatigue is a very common thing in modern times. Essentially adrenal fatigue is when the demands on the adrenal glands are so great, they become overwhelmed and are unable to keep up with demand, thus causing deficiencies of certain hormones (like adrenaline, cortisol, etc.)

Personally, I strongly believe that I have suffered from adrenal fatigue for the greater part of my life. And when looking up the symptoms of this problem on the internet, I find that they fit me like a book. I've composed a list based on my findings and experience. If you have experienced symptoms that are not found on this list, let me know in the comment section below and I'll add it. This page is intended to be a "symptoms page only". In other words, I will be writing many other posts about the causes and treatments for this nasty condition (I'll put in links, and there will be 'label links' at the bottom of the page as well). 

Physical symptoms
-Sensitive to light
-Low energy level and/or problems recuperating from physical exertion
-Poor digestion
-IBS (Irritable bowel syndrome)
-Deficient immune function
-PMS (Premenstrual syndrome)
-Symptoms of Menopause
-Low or high blood pressure (caused by increased emotional sensitivity)
-Sensitive to cold
-Tightness in chest and/or throat
-Onset of allergies
-Usually high rate influenza
-Arthritis
-Metallic taste in mouth
-Craving caffeine or other stimulants (including loud music, intense video games, etc.)


Emotional/psychological symptoms
-Craving food that is salty
-Craving food that is sugary
-Being overwhelmed and/or unable to cope
-Sleep that is not refreshing
-Fatigue and exhaustion, i.e. chronic fatigue
-Insomnia and/or frequent sleep disturbances
-Brain fogginess 
-Fearfulness
-Jumpy
-Depersonalization
-Derealization
-Difficulty focusing
-Anxiety
-Irritability
-Depression
-Impaired memory
-Reduced sexual drive and/or interest
-Increased sexual drive and/or interest (some use sex as an energy booster)
-Apathy
-Hopelessness
-Abnormally hungry
-Abnormally low appetite
-Panic and/or anxiety attacks
-Feeling vulnerable (i.e. lack of a sense of security)
-Being irritable, impatient, and/or quick to anger (everything annoys you).

Better to think of anxiety as a habit, not a mental disorder (which can make the problem worse)

We have been told over and over again that chronic anxiety is a mental disorder, and while there is a certain about of "disorder" in the mind that causes anxiety, this sort of label misses the underlying cause of anxiety and does nothing but put a sufferer down.

In reality, anxiety is caused by certain thinking habits. And when people get so entrenched in emotionally-charged thinking that the symptoms cause an "unbearable" amount of suffering, we (medically) put them on medication and put them through talk-therapy (which isn't totally a bad thing, but I find talk-therapy to not properly get at the heart of anxiety). Anxiety is caused by thinking patterns that occur because of a perceived environmental threat, and if the symptoms get bad enough, the anxiety attaches itself to these sensations, causing the person to worry about their own heath (causing a further perpetuation of anxiety). Anxiety is a bad perceptual habit. What do I mean by this? Well, we can view the symptoms of anxiety (such as sweating, heart racing, tense feeling in chest and throat, sweaty hands, etc) differently, and while doing so, disarming the viewing of these things as being a threat. One of the best ways of doing this is to stop viewing anxiety as a problem. In fact, stop viewing everything as a problem, nothing is a problem, and just become aware of the cause of the symptoms.

Becoming aware of the thought process allows us to view it objectively, and while viewing a thought objectively, it is viewed with a more rational lens. In the same way that if we know we are dreaming during a nightmare, it becomes much less scary, if we become aware that a thought is just a thought, it loses its emotional punch. I've brought this basic idea up in a few other blog posts, but it is very important to overcoming anxiety. Mindfulness in general is what is important in overcoming behavioral problems (which is what anxiety is). To put it simply, our brains functions in two modes: "objective/logical and emotional/reflex". Anxiety exists in the reflexive emotional part of the brain. You see, the point of emotion is largely to allow people to make quick decisions without having to think everything out (such as when people get a "gut feeling"). If you are in your head a lot, and everything seems fuzzy and worry thoughts constantly stream through your head, your brain is engaged in a way that will cause perpetual anxiety and stress in general.

My anxiety used to be horrible (I had bad generalized anxiety and social anxiety, which led to some nasty depression), but I started to realize these two-modes of operation in the brain. To show you what I mean, try this little experiment.

1) Find a particular point around you to stare at (like a dot, or a fixed point that is easy to concentrate
on).

2) Keep concentrating on the dot, whenever your attention drifts (as it will) just bring it back to concentrating

3) Do this for at least 10 minutes (it's best to use an alarm, try not to worry about the amount of time that has passed, because this is distracting)

4) After 10 minutes or so, begin to scan all the objects around you. Look at them with purpose, don't just label them an look through them.

If you do this, you should notice some interesting effects. This is how the brain is suppose to function, this mode is the mode the brain is engaged in when it is relaxed. Chronic worrying causes the brain to have a shift to utilize parts of the brain associated with worrying. This leads to a reduced awareness of the senses, leading to depersonalization and derealization (which is why mindfulness is so damn important for overcoming anxiety).

Atheist vs Christian debate

So today I, the atheist, (now that I think about it, the blog title may be a giveaway...) got into a debate with  a believer, and it went something like this (I don't remember it exactly, but this dialogue will be similar to what was said)...

This was after a class got done, and we just got our tests back...

Christian: "What grade did you get?"

Atheist: "93"

Keep in mind: She doesn't know I'm an atheist yet.

Christian: "You should thank God for that lucky grade"

Atheist: "God didn't stay up to 1 AM studying, and why would he help an atheist?..."

Christian: "Why don't you believe in God? Were you just not raised around religion?"

Atheist: "No, I used to believe, but the more I learned, the more ridiculous the idea seemed to me...obviously for a lot of people it makes sense"

Christian: "If God isn't real then how are you here?"

Atheist: "That's like saying if 'leprechauns don't exist how come there are rainbows?' .."

Christian: "That's a stupid argument...of course God exists, otherwise nothing would have gotten started...."

Atheist: "Not everything needs a point of creation, obviously...you probably believe God has existed forever...I believe energy has existed forever..the difference is that I have good science supporting the idea that energy cannot be created or destroyed...you can't prove God even exists"

Christian: "Atheists are all such close-minded assholes...that's why you don't believe in God"

Atheist: "That must be it...."

Pretty standard atheist vs. Christian debate, I just thought it was funny. I tried to be respectful at first, but when she started not respecting my atheism, I started not respecting her Christianity.

What causes anxiety?

Anxiety is caused by many things, but the vast majority of it is caused by bad habits. When we first learn to walk, it is quite a difficult mental effort, but as we grow up it becomes so mind-numbingly easy we can do it in our sleep (literally). Like how walking becomes a habit, thinking becomes a habit as well (we don't have the time to consciously think-out all cognition required to function day-to-day). Anxiety is a response to a perceived threat (the word 'perceived' being important). Being that anxiety shows itself externally and internally as a very physical thing (shaking, sweating, racing heart, flushing, etc.), people are too distracted by the sensations of anxiety to realize the actual problem: thoughts with emotional associations (fear or anger, i.e. fight or flight).

For me, my anxiety was caused by the emotion of fear (I had environmental issues at home and school). But, chronic anger is also a cause of anxiety as well. Anxiety, in short, is caused by the belief that a threat exists. Emotionally the only possible responses are to flee or attack the perceived threat (using non-emotional techniques is the only way to override this), and both cause physiological reactions that cause the symptom of anxiety (yes, anxiety is a SYMPTOM, not a problem).

This is a short version of what causes anxiety, if you want to know more about my views on both anxiety and/or how to overcome anxiety, use the search feature at the top of the page or click on the "anxiety" label. Also feel free to leave a comment asking any questions below (anything unrelated to anxiety will not be allowed). 

The importance of falsifying emotionally charged-thoughts

Anxiety, depression, anger....how do we get rid of these nasty things? Well, one way that I have found to be incredibly effective is to falsify habitual thoughts.

Emotionally negative thoughts are the biggest source of stress, and some people obviously have more emotionally negative thoughts than others. Issues with anxiety, depression, anger, etc. are linked to thinking behaviors that have become a habit. I say the behavior is a habit because nobody consciously chooses the way they think on a day-to-day basis. The majority of our thought process is reflexive depending on the signals our nervous system receive (i.e. the environment). For example, if you have social anxiety disorder, the problem is that when in a social situation you habitually think emotionally-charged thoughts that cause a painful physiological reaction. We are creatures of habit, we have to be because our day-to-day life is so damn complex we are forced to rely on habits. That said, habits can be changed if they are consciously overridden. The way to change the habit of thinking emotionally-charged thoughts when in certain situations is to do the following things:


1. Become fully aware of your thought process (many people with problems like anxiety and depression are not aware of their thoughts)


2. Realize that the thought is not reality, but is just a thought (like realizing a nightmare was just a dream, this removes the emotional power of the experience)


3. Find a way to discredit the thought, view it as being ridiculous in some way (finding a way to laugh at the thought is a good way to change the perception of it).

I know as well as anyone that anxiety and depression are not pleasant, I've experienced both at an extreme level. A lot of anxiety and depression is more physical than anything, but those feelings (we feel emotions) are caused by emotionless thoughts (thoughts =/= emotion, but are associated with emotions). The key here is to falsify the thoughts and disconnect the emotional associations.

don't look through your surroundings with labeling and mindlessness

how often do you actually look at things? when you see something? do you actually see it? or do you see a label?

Anxiety caused by how reality is perceived

A big cause of anxiety is distortions in how reality is perceived. What do I mean by this? Well, for example, the distortion that a thought = reality. This is a major perceptual problem that I believe is so pervasive in society that it is practically (if it isn't) considered normal. People often categorize anxiety as mental disorder caused by excessive worrying. But I believe, while this is true, perception (or how we see the world and ourselves) is the underlying cause behind the worrying, which leads to the symptoms. In other words, while trying to address excessive worrying is a good thing, it is best done so by addressing perceptions.

One of the biggest perceptual changes that have helped me is the way I view anxiety symptoms (sweaty hands, racing heart, flushing, trembling voice, shakiness, etc). What I did is when I noticed these symptoms, I would tell myself that these things are not a problem, but the symptoms of a problem.

This may seem trivial on the surface, but from what I've noticed, it is the symptoms of anxiety that cause the most worrying, and that worrying is caused by perceiving anxiety symptoms as being the problem. In fact, anxiety symptoms are a good thing, they make you aware that something is bothering you that you might otherwise not be aware of. This is why people that use things like alcohol or other temporary fixes to cover up their anxiety symptoms end up exasperating the problem because their lack of awareness allows it to go unchecked (along with the side effects of the actual fix).

The solution to solving the anxiety puzzle is to address not so much the symptoms (which is just sweeping the problem under the rug), but to go after the way thoughts are perceived, and the way the self and the world are perceived (realizing that all thoughts are just thoughts is important in this process).

Herman Cain is a dick

At first I didn't like most Herman Cain's politics, but he seemed to be a decent person (I liked his pro-life stance for example). But now that those sexual harassment claims  have been brought out, the immoral person that is Herman Cain has been brought to light. I'm a believer that we are able to see the core of a person's nature when their worst is brought out. Most of the time, when a politician is on TV, a strong front present (other than Ron Paul, which I believe doesn't put up much of a front, he seems fairly consistent across the board). 

Once a sexual harasser, always a sexual harasser in my book; that is why people accused of sexual harassment typically have a history of this kind of behavior "under the rug". Herman Cain, when it boils down to it, is a morally deficient human being. While many people dislike Obama for whatever reasons, there is a reason no sexual harassment claims have surfaced for him (the beautiful thing about the mudslinging in politics is that it brings these things out). 

The reason I view such claims so negatively is that it is reflective of a person's core values ("values" = the value they place on other humans, empathy [which ties in to how a person values others], along with capacity to do a job with dignity and responsibility). For someone that claims to be a Christian, Herman Cain certainly isn't Christ-like (he is both a sexual deviant and greedy). People attack atheists for being immoral, but the fact that Herman Cain is/was the front runner for the Republican party's (i.e. the party of the "moral/conservative" Americans) nomination speaks volume. 

Republicans are a sad bunch indeed. 

Thoughts as a source of entertainment

During the "good ol' days" religion was much more influential. I believe religion was one of the best sources of entertainment for people during the time before things like television, music, etc. It's not that people have stopped using religious ideas to entertain themselves, but there is a lot more competition (things today are just more entertaining). Back a long time ago, probably the most entertaining thing they did was attend church.

Of course even atheists keep themselves entertained in this way (thinking philosophically, thinking about science, contemplating the universe, etc). There are two important things to consider here:

1). An idea doesn't need to be logical to have an emotional effect
2). If an idea is believed, it will have a stronger effect

The importance for a believer is how the belief makes them feel. Thinking about the concept of heaven, and truly believing that one will someday be there, would certainly feel good. It's obviously not heaven being real which makes a believer feel good, but the idea of heaven. This is why Christians are so passionate (i.e. emotional) when defending their beliefs, and obviously the more people that believe an idea, the more believable it becomes. People are the same way with their drug of choice. For example, people who drink often will ignore and/or get angry at people who openly talk about the negative effects of alcohol.

People are nutty about defending their sources of entertainment. Me, I get some joy out of writing about atheism (and the other things I write about on my other blogs). And of course, I can easy get emotionally involved when defending my atheism (although I try not to). Sometimes I find it entertaining to debate hot-topics like morality or politics.

Getting back on point, many people, when they are bored, like to daydream. Even if the daydream is not based in reality at all, they still enjoy doing it. But for religion, it's (as stated before) a double-whammy because the actual thoughts (done through prayer, etc) cause good feelings and the ideas are believed to be truth (like heaven for you and a hell for your enemies...a fantasy that would make even an atheist feel entertained, and if it was believed to be real it becomes that much more powerful).

Today people aren't so reliant upon religion (and many people go to atheism because it is more fun to believe in evolution and science, and not be as morally restricted [for good or for bad]). In modern times being an atheist (for many) is just more fun, unlike the past, where being a believer was the most entertaining option. People only care about truth so long as it entertains them in some way (keep in mind that being afraid and/or angry can be entertaining).

Life must be boring if the most entertaining thing you have to do is pray to an imaginary friend, keep that in mind the next time you surf the internet or watch a movie. 

Should all views be respected?

I recently attended a presentation, and without going into detail about it, the speaker claimed that "all views should be respected, and looked at with an open mind" (during her talk she also claimed that six-year-olds should be taught sex-ed). The first thought that came to my mind when she made the claim that all views should be respected was "wow, this person is a f#@king nut". Then I got to thinking about how this may very well be the sign of a mental disorder. There are people out there that have the disease essessive empathetical thinking. I know, this sounds crazy (no pun intended), but empathy is the put oneself in another's shoes. But with people like this, they engage in so much empathetical thinking, they lose their sense of self, and sense of morality. In her talk she made it seem as if morality was not an important thing at all, and those that had morally-charged opinions were automatically discounted (which struck me as odd).

Politically I consider myself to be a moderate (as sane individuals are). I see super conservatives as being too driven by fear and hatred, and liberals as being mentally ill (again, they have lost their sense of self by engaging in too much empathetical thinking, which has caused them to lose their sense of morality as well). In other words, people at the extreme ends of the political spectrum are f#@king crazy, and we need to stop having these whack-jobs forming the dialogue in political discusions.  

I better slow down and get back on topic, but ranting on here is fun :)

The idea that all ideas should be respected and absorbed with an open mind is like claiming that all foods should be respected and eaten (which is the american way I suppose). The moral of the story here is: if some dumbass aging hippie tells you some stupid ass ideas, you do not, and should not consider those ideas with an "open mind". 

Being close-minded is NOT a bad thing, if you are too open-minded your brain will turn into liquid shit causing you to lose your sense of self along with creating a chaotic worldview to boot.

Of course, we are close-minded to some ideas. For example, as atheists (assuming most of the readers of this are atheists), we are close-minded to religious ideas (for good reason). We are educated to be close-minded to ideas that "racist" (again, for good reason, but I don't see any liberal claiming to be open-minded when it comes to that subject). Often when someone tells you to be open-minded, they just want you to believe an idea they and  you know is stupid. 9 times out of 10 they are telling you to remove the filter and absorb shit information. 

perfectionism causes anxiety and self-esteem issues.

A belief that the self and/or the world needs to be perfect in order to succeed can lie at the core of emotional problems like anxiety, depression, and anger. When I was very young, I was short (still am), and this caused me to be bullied and viewed as an "outsider" (I was super short for my age). This self-perception (that I was "not normal") caused great distress within me, which lead to extreme anxiety and a deterioration of my self-esteem. In response, I started to believe that in order to get people to approve of me, I would need to "be perfect" (i.e. without fault). And with this mentality, I became my own bully, and the level of self-criticism rose to emotionally painful heights (not to mention that it further pushed down my self-esteem).

The moral of this story is that perfectionism, while it may seem like a good idea on its surface, can lead to an exasperation of an already painful situation. From my own experience, perfectionism gets in the way of fully realizing the potential within. Because at the end of the day, being overly self-critical creates a ton of stress and anxiety, and those things only erect barriers to potential. 

Be objective about anxiety

One of the most important things that I've learned about dealing with anxiety problems it to be objective. When we view anxiety in a non-objective way, the sting of it is much worse, and it just feeds into the anxiety (anxiety being caused by worrying thoughts). If we view anxiety as it is (i.e. the symptoms of the anxiety, which are the symptoms), it's not nearly as bad as it is often initially perceived. Being mindful of the actual sensations and thoughts which both perpetuate and/or cause anxiety is very helpful. What this also does is helps in the creation of an awareness that anxiety is not the problem, but is a symptom of another problem (thinking habits).

Mindfulness is general is just a good tool for life in general, I know I feel much more sane when I practice it. Mindfulness brings me (and all those that practice it) out of my autopilot and into reality. Anxiety is a delusional disorder caused by day-terrors. 

Is everyone crazy? (mental illness and lack of mindfulness)

I've been doing some studying on mental illness (have taken classes on it and am taking one now, plus I have looked up a lot of stuff using Google :P ). And it seems to me that a lot of mental illness is caused by thoughts. It appears that stress-inducing thoughts are bar far the biggest cause of mental illness (aside from being human). And what is the cause of stressful thinking? Lack of awareness (at least in my opinion). When I am aware of my thoughts, and more importantly, aware of the fact that my thoughts are thoughts, they don't cause me stress (like realizing a nightmare was just a dream).

I believe that being in a state of awareness of the present moment (of our senses more specifically) is the intended default mode; but we have been bombarded with nonsense from TV and the internet, plus have been taught to see the world through the imagination in school (they teach you to see history through such a lens, for example). Most people today see the world through their imagination, they are constantly thinking about things that have happened or "will happen" (most people can't predict the future that accurately). I'm not much better (it's hard to stay in a state of mindfulness for an entire day), but I realize that mindfulness causes a shift away from being consumed with the imagination to a more accurate one (the imagination can distort our perception of reality).

I believe people that have thoughts constantly streaming through their heads, not being focused on the present moment, have a form of mental illness that is more common than not in today's world (given how hectic it is, people have adopted this sort of thinking, I believe, as a coping strategy). I'm obviously included in this bunch, but I'm also trying to shift myself out of it. I'm hoping that in time I can make mindfulness the default mode, instead of worrying (I notice that when I'm doing nothing my mind automatically starts worrying).

On a heavy end of the spectrum of this are anxiety disorders and depression (caused by a high volume of stress-inducing thoughts). I hope in time, people wake up from the daymares (like daydreaming) caused our imagination by realizing that it's not real (our brains are not really time machines going into the past or crystal balls looking into the future).

I still struggle with the process of trying to wake up, but I'm getting better in time.

Introverts are more honest than extroverts?

In one of the newer TED talks (click for video), a speaker named Pamela Meyer made an interesting claim that extroverts are more likely to lie than introverts. The problem with her lecture was that she provided no explanation for why. I agree with her, and I believe the reason extroverts are more likely to lie is because they exchange information for the sake of pleasure (they communicate in a way that maximizes pleasure). On the other hand, an introvert tend to exchange information for the sake of its accuracy and usefulness (which is why introverts are more honest, they value the information, not the feelings associated with communication). Introverts tend to dislike small-talk, which consumes the vast majority of extroverts communication. Extroverts could mindlessly babble on about anything all day long (nothing wrong with that, I suppose). And being that the primary objective of an extrovert in communication is to "feel good" they will bend the truth to accommodate this goal.

In short, it tends to be that introverts value accuracy of information, extroverts value the way information makes them feel. Obviously there is a spectrum here, most people find themselves somewhere around the middle. I find myself leaning towards the introvert side more than most people, but I do engage in some small-talk once in a while (albeit often awkwardly).

Mindfulness and lucid dreaming

One thing I notice quite often after practicing mindfulness over a long period of time (like when I go into the woods for the better part of a day) is the frequency of lucid dreaming increases astronomically. Such as last night, I was dreaming that I was standing in a street in a cartoonish-like city, and I instantly knew it was a dream. In fact, I remember having an awareness that it was a dream before the scene was created. One trouble I'm having with lucid dreaming however is that I struggle to control the content. I wonder if other people that practice mindfulness experience a similar thing, I also wonder if this is a good or bad thing. Another strange thing about this dream (and others) is that I still have my sense of self (I understand the dream is a process in my head, and I can create an awareness of my actual body) and memories of reality.

Falling asleep at the wheel (the habit of mindlessness)

When we fall asleep at the wheel of a car, typically the result isn't very good (unless the car isn't moving). I believe the same is true for life in general. We are asleep (unconscious) when we aren't aware of the present moment. And when this happens, our brain relies more and more on autopilot, and is forced to phase out its reliance on us (the soul). Most people live in that semi-conscious state where they mindlessly (or more specifically, soullessly) live their lives. Mindfulness is the awake state of being; but when not being mindful of the present moment, our brains get into a foggy, autopilot mode often accompanied with daydreams (some based on the past, future, worries, etc).

At least this is what I notice from my own experience. It's as if the soul doesn't like to deal with experience that it doesn't want to deal with, so it retreats into its shell of unconsciousness as a defense mechanism. The point here is to carry mindfulness wherever you go, don't let your brain adapt to unconsciousness. In other words, don't let mindlessness become a habit. This has happened with me, but in time I notice (with great effort) myself awakening. I've been practicing mindfulness (and meditation when I can) for a few years now, and I still feel as if I'm never fully awake (but I do notice improvement).

How mindfulness leads to happiness.

While I'm sure everyone has their own opinion on what happiness is, I believe the word "happiness" is interchangeable with the word "contentment". It is a when there are no worries (acceptance of everything, typically being temporary). Many people think happiness is laughing or hugging a loved one, but the truth is that those are not what happiness is, but are activities that can momentarily remove nonacceptance of reality. I believe that an awareness of how things are automatically create a state of acceptance. We don't accept things when we believe they could be different, it is our imaginations that create the nonacceptance of reality. This is delusional of course. Things can't be different than they are in reality (i.e. in the present moment, the only moment that truly exists, outside of thought).

Mindfulness (awareness of the present moment) is the cure to the pervasive delusion in the world that things could be different than they are (which is at the root of unhappiness).

This isn't to say that people should never feel unhappy, but I believe it is important for people to be aware of the source of unhappiness in order to bring themselves out of it (when they desire to).

The way thoughts make us feel...

I believe people (myself included) believe everything they do because of the way the beliefs (i.e. thoughts) make them feel, not because of the information itself. This idea may not seem strange on the surface, but give it some thought--does it feel strange now? If such a thought for you is underwhelming in the way it makes you feel, it's not the thought itself that is underwhelming, but the lack of mutually shared "feelings" between us. Some people might argue against this idea by pointing to beliefs that create unpleasant feelings (why would people want to ever entertain thoughts that make them feel bad?). I would argue that such a phenomenon (or is it "phenomena"?) occurs because of a belief that not thinking that thought would leave open certain vulnerabilities (the feeling of fear is a powerful thing).

Anyways, I don't want this to be a long post. But try to meditate on this idea, it is an incredible awareness (a feeling I personally enjoy, which is why I enjoy mindfulness and the ideas that lead me to it).

Yawning is a great way to relieve stress

The title says it all. Now of course there is some science already underlying it (Google it), but give it a try. Force yourself to yawn several times in a row and notice the results first hand. For me, I also notice a release of endorphins when I yawn along with reduced mental fatigue (seems to give a feeling of euphoria and mental clarity). Anyways, I'm rambling.

Try yawning 20 times in a row, and leave a comment describing your experience.

Believable Day-Terrors

Day terrors occur when we are partially asleep (i.e. not mindful or awake). While it's hard to be fully awake, even when practicing meditation and mindfulness techniques. This is because most of us have become so used to not being totally awake (being lost in thoughts, which are really just dreams that occur while being partially awake). And sadly, this sort of habit leaves us vulnerable to stress and causes a weakening of our ability to be aware (i.e. mindful, awake, and so on).

The scariest of day-terrors are those that we find to be the most believable. Just about any day-terror has an emotional effect, but for the moments that we truly believe the day-terror is really happening, it has an effect nearly as powerful as if it were. Such as if we are worrying about something we plan on doing in the future, and some scenario pops up with some problem(s). The fact that we find it incredibly believable that this event will happen (it being based on a real-life plan), this is why it can cause an incredible amount of stress. I believe this habit is learned by-the-way, but that is a different subject all-together. In short, a day-terror (or "worrying thought") is much more emotionally disturbing if we believe it is real, and the closer of an association with reality the day-terror has, the more "real" it will seem. Whenever you worry about the future, this is a day-terror (it's not real, reality is what's occurring in the present moment as you experience via the senses, anything else is just a thought).

Be mindful.

The type of music you listen to matters!

Feel like I'm stating the obvious here, but the type of music you listen to does matter. Like the types of thoughts we make a habit of thinking, the type of music we make a habit of listening to has an incredible impact on our well-being in the long run. The question is how music influences our emotional well-being (the kind and level of influence). The reality is that people don't like music, but the way music makes them feel. Harm is done to the self if music is used to create anger and/or aggressive emotions (such as rap, metal, and rock music). Whatever emotional states we nurture, the greater they will permeate the soul. Music is big because of the way it alters our emotional state, so keep all of this in mind when listening to your "favorite" music. I suggest listening to relaxing music with inspiring lyrics.

Mindfulness should not be viewed as a skill to master

I claim that mindfulness should not be viewed as a skill to master. The reasoning behind this is simple: if we view it as a skill, autopilot tries to take over for the sake of efficiency. Also this sort of thinking is distracting, because it creates worrying ("am I getting better at being mindful?"). The point here is that it does not matter where mindfulness can take you in the "future", but where mindfulness can take you right now.

Randomness: It's good to view thoughts as they are, the alternative is to allow them to control you. If we view thoughts as they are, we naturally become aware of the distortion of reality that is occurring in our own brains. All thoughts are false in some way (none of us can time travel and/or view events outside of the senses, a thought is cognition based on understood patterns made available by the senses...not superpowers!).

Chamomile tea is great for anxiety

As readers of this blog know, I'm am experienced when it comes to having to deal with anxiety (which I believe has given me great insight into this issue). One thing that I have been doing differently as of late is drinking a good amount of chamomile tea. What I do is, instead of using a single bag, I put two bags into a cup (makes it super concentrated). And I can just feel my anxiety melt away. I've read that chamomile acts like a mild tranquilizer and acts on areas of the brain similar to anti-anxiety medication. If you suffer from anxiety, I suggest checking it out, and giving it a good try (drink it for a few weeks). Of course take the necessarily precautions (like talking to your doctor, looking up side-effects, bad interactions with medications...etc.)

For me, if I drink a good ol' cup of chamomile tea right before class, it takes a huge notch out of my anxiety levels (I have mild social and generalized anxiety). My social anxiety is especially helped with chamomile because the "social anxiety" is just a really bad case of feeling awkward and not liking it (chamomile certain takes the edge off).

Disclaimer- I'm not responsible for anything that occurs as a result of this information. This information is for educational and/or entertainment (i.e. stuff "you can't sue me" for) purposes only. 


I put up the disclaimer here because I want to make it clear that this is just the observations of a lay-person, and it should be taken as such.

Godless Evil Atheist Blog - 11/3/11

Updated - 7:48 AM
Just another atheist day in an atheist universe. At least so far. One that last night that I read online that was a little disturbing was how Israel appears to be preparing to launch an attack against Iran (I believe it was from AP). As far as for today, for me, I have a class in the morning and two classes in the afternoon. After that, I will probably attend this meeting for extra credit (no idea what's about). 

Daily blog: 1/2/11

Updated - 11:01 PM
Super busy day today. Spent about 10 hours studying 130 pages worth of reading material (nonsense that I already read before, but wanted to review it again) for a test. So burned out, but I'm confident I did well on the test. While going to class (the one I had the test in, at 6:30 PM), there was this guy that was swearing and yelling at his (what I assume) girlfriend. Some people have no class and/or self-awareness of where they are. 

An Atheistic Religion

I want to start a cult. Yes, that's right, I'm not going to disguise this belief system as anything more than what it is. A good organised religion (i.e. cult) is one that is based on rational ideas. You may be wondering, what is the target of worship for this cult? YOU (a part of God). This is atheistic in that "God" doesn't exist "out there" but is just a label (the label being the word "God") for conscious energy (you being a piece of that pie).

Like nearly all cults, this cult is a patchwork of original and unoriginal ideas (many great ideas have already been had, and it would be a shame not to utilize them).

Here are a few of the core beliefs that lie at the foundation of this cult:

-God is the Pool of Consciousness
-Souls are like water droplets falling in a continuous cycle of evaporation and rain (there is no death, only loss of individuality).
-Conscious matter is subject to improvement over time (improvement = useful complexity)
-God (a pool of consciousness) has an influence (such as over its biological and external environments)
-The mind of God is a hive mind (bee = individual souls).
-Consciousness underlies the rapid evolution that has been seen in the last several million years
-The soul is essentially a "user" of a biological computer
-The soul has a bee to flower relationship with biology (you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours)
-The universe is subject to evolutionary forces (being an individual in the multiverse)
-There is no evil, only lack of useful complexity (some are useless in that they hold back progress, i.e. growth)

Soul = Conscious Mass x Efficiency (which improves when increasingly useful complexity is brought about)
Environmental influences = all which has an influence (souls included)

Well, that is a taste of what this belief system will entail. Stick around, this should be fun :)

http://cultofjeremy.blogspot.com/ (main site) 

Godless Evil Atheist Blog - 1/2/11

Updated - 8:26 AM
French class is in about 30 minutes, fun! Going to be a busy day for me, have a big test at 6 PM (Sociology of Social Services), and there is a lot of content to read through. 

Controlling ideas

All ideas are controlling. Even an idea as simple as "yellow is the best color" is designed to influence a person's worldview in some way.

rejecting an idea
If we don't accept an idea ( like "yellow is the best color"), then we reject the idea, and then throw up ideas to explain the source ("that guy is a dumb-ass", "that's just an opinion" etc.). But even a rejected idea has still had a controlling effect because of the way it influenced our thinking and perception (memory of the emotional stance is linked to the associated ideas) of the source (as being wrong).

Ever notice that when someone is confronted with information they have no confidence in understanding they will write it off as being "stupid" or "boring"? This is what we do to disqualify information so we don't feel the need to understand it (and feeling stupid isn't pleasant).

accepting an idea
Ideas that we accept have an immediate impact on the worldview: Contradictory ideas are discarded from the realm of "reality" (the worldview, which isn't actually real) and labeled as "wrong", "just superstition" "bigoted", "stupid", "intolerant", "science mumbo-jumbo" (such as in the case of a religious person  disowning contradictory scientific ideas like of evolution) etc. Ideas are either right (+) or wrong (-). The brain does not like grey areas, it likes its ideas to be neatly organized into two piles (positive or negative).


In this way, atheists are as controlled by ideas as the most devout believer. The difference is the way the ideas influence their worldview and actions. In the same way that there are certain ideas that no Christian would give up (e.g. God, heaven, souls), the same is true for atheists. Atheists would never give up the ideas like:

"logical thinking is the only way of validating information"
"the scientific method works and is accurate"

Some atheists are firm in their disbelief of souls and/or that abortion is morally permissible. It is ideas about ideas that allow atheists perceive themselves as being right about the invalidity of theistic ideas (and the same is true in reverse). It seems that both atheists and theists are victims of controlling ideas, and this is a control that isn't easy to escape (can only be truly escaped by viewing ideas as they are experienced, and perceiving the world through the senses). 

Godless Evil Atheist Blog - 11/1/11

Updated - 8:13 AM
It's 11/1/11!  isn't that a sign of some Apocalypse? I'm sure someone is shitting their pants now.

Just a boring day for me, have class at 9:30 AM (Sociology of Mental Illness), and then I have this class about woman's inequality in the workplace followed by Biological Ethics....fun! Big test in Sociology of Social Services tomorrow... God damn it! I just found a bug in the chamomile tea I made :(

On a random note, yesterday I was thinking about how ideas influence behavior, and I came to the conclusion that all ideas are designed to control two distinct areas: 1) perception of the world (i.e. worldview) and 2) actions. I'll probably write a blog post after this about my thoughts on ideas.. 


Wrote it, check it out: Controlling Ideas. 


Updated 
Today's classes were so strange (i.e. fucked up). In my first class we watched the oddest documentary that was made in the 1950s about this mental institution (or was it a prison?) in Russia. 80% of the video was old naked men stomping around and getting food poured down their noses with a hose/funnel. They also put this cotton ball (or that was what it looked like) in this guy's eye socket. After that class got done, I got food and relaxed in my dorm for a bit before my next class. In that class the topic was the sex slave trade that is going on TODAY (I was completely ignorant of it), and it is just awful. In Thailand, it is common for a family to sell their daughter in order to buy a color television. It's apparently a huge industry over there (black market, but even the police are involved, and if the girls/women escape, the police rape them and bring them back to their captors). And apparently this kind of thing happens all over the world. I guess many business men from the United States and Europe go to Thailand to have sex with enslaved children (shame they charges can't be brought against them in their home countries). And after that class, the next one's topic was abortion. It was funny how upset some of the people got when a pro-life student was making points (clearly an abortion survivor who wants their cake eat it to). What was annoying was how the teacher implied that all pro-lifers were religious. While many Christians are pro-life, many of them are not. I've also come across many pro-life atheists.