I've been thinking a bit about time travel. Admittedly, I've been viewing excessive amounts of Star Trek TNG, however I am still inspired to muse on a subject I've been interested in a long time. It has long been considered that a wormhole or similar tear in the space-time continuum, if properly controlled, can act as a doorway from not only one point in space to another, but also one point in time to another. It has been extrapolated that one could potentially travel not only to the future, but also to the past.
This theory has long been considered unlikely due to the extreme energy required to even create a stable wormhole that can be utilized with any predictability, tho may be plausible with future improvements in technology. It has however been brought to my attention that this theory may be moving out of the realm of plausible with recent developments in the study of time.
It is being considered that future developments may enable such a power source to generate the vast amount of positive energy, or inversely negative energy, required to provide such conditions to be possible to stabilize a wormhole, however the nature of time itself is leading many in the field to believe that only forward movement in time may be possible.
In the first three dimensions, length, width, and height, one can move in any direction. As an object of mass moves in any of those directions, it moves along a specific arc along the space-time continuum, perceived as gravity. The theory of relativity states that perception of the movements of mass can be altered by the relative position of the mass in movement and the observer. It appears that the perception of time may be altered to appear to move more quickly or more slowly. It does not, however, state that the perception can be slowed down beyond that forward moving direction and actually reverse itself.
This idea made me wonder about many things. First, my own perception of time travel. I enjoy thinking about possibilities, and as any being of loss may attest to, it is tantalizing to ponder the possibility of re-connecting with a lost loved one, re-work mistakes in ones own past, or even to simply enjoy once again moments of joy or exhilaration from one's past. It is part of the human condition to believe that extreme disasters could be avoided, that loved ones are never truly gone, or one can simply observe the events of the past to see how accurately our facts represent our own history.
And it is equally fun to ponder any effects such an action may have on the events to follow. One theory revolves around the idea that the same mass cannot occupy the same point in space at conflicting times, making the prospect of meeting one's past or future self a highly dangerous endeavor.
Another suggests that altering any sort of past events, no matter the significance of the event, will irrevocably alter all events to follow, making it trigger an unstable reality that spirals out of control. This 'butterfly effect' will cause the alternate reality to implode on itself, possibly due to increasing tears in the space-time continuum that compound and snowball as events move away from their natural gravitational arc.
I've always enjoyed films on the subject. The first I recall watching as a kid was Back to the Future. I obviously don't need to go into the plot of the film as I'm sure many are familiar. If not, google! Anyway, this film explores the butterfly effect, the meeting of not only one's different time self, but also those directly involved with the creation of the observer, in this case, Marty's parents.
I've since gone on to films like 12 Monkeys, positing that no matter the intents or actions done to alleviate the past, it is only possible to observe the past, and that any actions done while in the past time have already been accomplished, and that one's fate has already presented itself. The Butterfly Effect further explored the theory of it's own title. Donny Darko explored the mechanics of wormhole regulation and the conditions required to travel through. It also explores the instability of any alternate reality that may occur and that time must be brought back to its main arc.
Interesting stuff.
With the recent developments, it seems that no matter the attempt at traveling through the space-time continuum at will, we would only be able to move forward, making all this speculation moot.
But then I started to wonder about a few other ideas. The first being the immediate perception of ideas we are just beginning to understand. When science first started to analyze the concept of space and the earth's relation to other objects, it was believed that the earth was flat. That travel too far to one direction or the other would cause one to fall from the surface of the earth. It was once believed that the entire universe revolved around the earth. Once it was realized that perception had not extended its range of sight far enough, it was found that the earth was not flat, but spherical, held together by forces at the atomic level as well as by the accumulation of mass that drew objects to each other. It was discovered that not only did the earth revolve around the sun, but that even the sun itself was not the center of the universe. Each time perception was moved farther forward, a line became a revolution or an arc, and eventually a cycle once appeared. Then alterations in cycles were discovered to state that even they would end at some point. The sun would eventually run out of energy and life cycles would end. But what about larger cycles that enveloped the smaller ones that we are more easily able to perceive?
Imagine, if you will, the perception of the first person to see the sun. See it move across the sky, then disappear over the horizon. Imagine the horror at being in the dark, not knowing if light would ever return, only to find it come back in a few hours. Then again the next time. Then the daily cycle developed. Then weeks. Then months. In early religions, some believed that only as long as the gods perceived appeasement would these cycles continue. The sun god drew the necessary warmth daily to energize crops. Lunar cycles were controlled to maintain tides. Seasons and weather were subject to the gods, providing amply crops or removing them entirely producing extreme drought and famine.
Each time that the cycle was reviewed and examined, a greater regulating cycle appeared to help explain, and limitations of mental development advanced accordingly.
So finally we come to the big bang theory. It is proposed that all energy and matter are moving away from a single location, where it once all existed in a highly powerful force of mass and energy. I'm no expert on this, however it seems that once the less powerful force of gravity was increased enough, its power exceeded it's regulation sub-atomic force causing a massive explosion that sent all we see and experience hurling away from the point of origin. In essence, gravity exceeded the molecular bond that hold that matter together. Thus a larger (or in this case, more powerful, not 'larger') regulating force was exceeded by the force it governs. This suggests, at first, that this direction is irreversible, and that this movement can only operate in one direction.
Then consider the first law of thermodynamics. This states the energy in a closed system is static. It can neither be created, nor destroyed, but simply changes form without the application of outside forces. In essence, true perpetual motion is impossible, and the energy required to move an object is limited to the amount of work it can achieve in its environment. The energy applied to the system transforms into heat as it is applied, and once the transfer is complete, the work ends and only low-grade heat remains. The energy is still there, but not in its potential form. It transfers from potential, to kinetic, to low-grade heat.
Thus, when applied to the big bang theory, it would seem that once this system has expended its energy, it will no longer have any potential, and the universe as we know it would end.
That is based on the idea that this explosion would be a closed system. It is not, however, the only factor. Remember that the subatomic bond was exceeded by the pressure of gravity. Would it then be possibly for gravity to then recover from the kinetic energy produced? Does the mass simply disappear? Or is it possible that gravity would eventually collect up its mass and start to reunite the matter of the system and naturally return it to potential? There are two possibilities.
The big bang theory describes the expansion of the universe. Thus the big bang wasn't an explosion 'in' space, but rather an expansion of it. This idea is extrapolated by the research on the types of energy within the system. Most that we can see, feel, or perceive are what was present in the original big bang. Vast concentrations of matter and energy that were being propelled outward. Thus, most of the original big bang consisted of highly dense energy. In-between these pockets of energy was something little is known about...dark energy. At on time, the universe was much hotter and much closer together. As the universe expanded, the spaces between these pockets grew. This implies that galaxies were once much closer together, and are moving away from each other.
Further, it is generally accepted that this process is accelerating. That brings us to the two possiblities of the energy of the system. Either the gravity that formed atomic particles, then atoms, then masses will reach an escape velocity and keep moving away from each other for eternity, leaving only the low grade heat that exists in a closed system. The second possibility is that the masses will eventually reach a large enough size that their respective gravities will overcome the initial force of the system and start drawing the masses and energies back to their original state. This would entail a second part of the big bang theory and expansive universe, namely that of a big crunch theory and a contracting universe.
There is little evidence to know for sure which one is true, as it is so far beyond our experience to truly know if the universe will ever stop expanding. Are we a one-time shot of a cosmic singularity, destined to go out in a single flame of glory? Or does the system actually have a cycle. Those to experience the first day might have been terrified of the prospect of the first night, the prospect that it was all over and so quickly. But a cycle was discovered. Is it also possible that this cosmic force has a counter-force, or even a regulatory system beyond the dimensions of space and time?
Our mastery over the third dimension has caused us to explore the fourth, time. In our perception, the only measurable observations of time exist within the expanding universe, so we can only perceive the linear movement of the space-time continuum. But does the arc of time stretch for so long that it's dimension eventually loops back on itself?
One can only speculate.
But consider the traditional notions of traveling back in time. They suggest that to travel back in time, one must force this force to move in the opposite direction at will. Not only does it seem unlikely that it can be reversed, but that it is implausible altogether. But what if the notion of traveling back in time does not entail reverse a force with such power has nothing to do with a reverse course?
Imagine the force of one of the most incredibly powerful natural occurences on earth: glacial movement. There is not really a way to even fathom reversing their course of our own volition. They seem to move at will based solely on the temperature of the earth. Thus moving them would be much more difficult that a billion ton flame-thrower or a mile high snow machine. It would ential willfully altering the temperature of the planet itself. Hell, we can barely provide sufficient power to heat and cool our own homes without damaging this system of climate we rely so heavily on for survival.
It would seem that we could possibly nudge it in the direction it is already going, but to reverse it's course? Not likely. Not only that, but if there is a problem with the direction of their movements, how would accelerating their course help? Rising sea levels due to glacial contraction wouldn't get any better by melting them faster. And reversing course seems beyond our capabilities.
So it would seem that backwards time travel would require control of an unstoppable force. A force that moves in the direction it is inclined to, even if we could influence it somehow. We might be able to accelerate time in the direction it is moving, possibly even travel from one moment to a future moment. Our planet very likely would be non-existent by the time the universe starts contracting, if that is even the nature of our path at all.
So now, let's move from physics into an even more controversial topic...metaphysics. Metaphysics, philosophy, consciousness. It is our perception that we travel a path. That that path moves from one place to another in a natural order. We have our own free will to effect events as they come, but once an event happens, its time comes and then is gone. We have always mourned the loss of loved ones. We have always lamented the finality of our existence. We create gods to make us sleep better at night, hoping that our perception is somehow limited. That information is kept from us and that there is something else out there. It is the same impulse that causes us to desire to find other life beyond this planet. Is there anybody out there? As Fox Mulder might say, I want to believe. That is the only reason to philosophize at all. The simple hope that there is something out there, or someone.
So imagine our own minds, our own perceptions or our environment, our own search for spiritual fulfillment. Is there an interconnectedness of things?
In our search to understand sound, we developed ways of discerning patterns. In our search to understand numbers we organized them in ways that made sense. In our quest, we found that mathematics can be applied to sound. We found that each distinct sound had a related frequency, a related wave of energy. We found connections between those notes and found that notes we perceived to be pleasing had a mathematical relationship to one another. In our study of beauty, we developed a taste for art. We found that mathematics could describe the relationships of images that seemed to please the eye. We found shapes, triangles, squares. Mathematics also applies to art now? Can art apply to sound as well? We learned to organize sound as an art. We learned to develop art as a science.
The interconnectedness of our physical environment is undeniable. Our relationships with aspects of that environment creates a situation of cause and effect. Likewise, our relationships with other beings in that environment have an effect. So how, then, does our environment effect us? We get cold when it does, and hot as well. Is that the limit of its effect, and is that the end of our relationship. Is it a one way street?
From a basic perception, we are completely at the mercy of our environment. Yet the more we study it, the more we realize our capabilities within that force. Further, we begin to notice how much that envirnment mimics our very own existence. Electricity exists within nature. It also exists within the mind. Water cycles through different forms on earth, and likewise cycles through our bodies. The more we map the neurons in the brain, the more familiar it seems to be. The closer it seems to mimic the universe. The movement of energy within our bodies.
Does our knowledge of these have an upper limit, a ceiling? Does our experience end with the body? All these philosophical questions may have a correlation with the experience the universe itself is experiences. It has been suggested in some religions that our experience on a cosmic level isn't limited to simply one lifetime. That we come back through reincarnation to further advance our spirit. Then the other idea posted...do we have a final destination? Is experience ever completed? Is it ever over? These questions seem to mimic our investigation of the universe, and our travel through it.
Now suppose again the concept of time travel, and relate it to the possibilities of experience. What if the nature of the universe does eventually cause it to collapse and re-explode again? Is there any correlation to our own mental and spiritual nature? If so, does time truly effect us in the cosmic sense? Are we simply limited to incarnating in future lives? What if the essence of our energy is immortal, and exists beyond the experience of time? Could it be conceivable that one could exist beyond the expanding universe, beyond the contracting universe, and into the next incarnation of existence. If our energy is always there, does it ever die?
It seems plausible, if that is the condition of our nature, we could possibly move from our current moment in time to another. But to do it at will? If the universe is a cycle of expansion and contraction, and is in an ever forward moving system, could it be possible to move so far forward in time to surpass the existing universal expansion itself into its own next incarnation? Could it be possible to measure relocating to a point in the future universe's existence to be in a location behind our current location, thus landing in a place perceivable as a past location, when in fact it is so far forward that events are happening again?
Then let's extrapolate even further. Let's consider this second big bang. Would it reverse and then expand in such a course that events turn out exactly how they did the previous time? That scenario is very questionable. That would suggest that free will does not exist and that no matter the perception of choice, all things are predestined. In philosophical terms, that is a very disheartening prospect, for nothing we do or learn will ever matter, that it is simply a time loop. Would that make the experience of life meaningless? Do we exist simply to experience what we are destined to?
This brings yet another question. A few, actually. First, consider that the universe expands with its own matter and energy. Does it truly get larger and smaller, or simply exist in a single location? This is a compelling line of query, for it is a truly expansive idea. If the universe creates itself over and over again, are all those incarnations ever in different locations? Does each incarnation have its own footprint, essentially forming congruent alternate universes? Are they similar? Vastly different? Identical? Do we all exist in each reality? And then expand thought even further...are there other universes out there, existing in the same way ours is in a different location?
All these questions seem very promising for discovery. Hell, we may even eventually actually discover that there is a finality. That we will all float off into space in the form of low-grade heat, that entropy eventually overtakes all other forces in nature and existence no longer...exists? Curious.
And one finally, are we inescapably linked within this system, and are encased within it, or are we an outside force acting within it? Causing its perpetuation in some way, or even simply experiencing it as an observer? And what possibilities lie outside of those dimensions we can even currently perceive? If we are simply mortals, backwards time is neither useful nor desired, and is entirely moot. If our knowledge of the universe can expand outside of it, would it be possible to eventually rule time as we now can operate within the physical forces of our third dimensional knowledge?
We may never know. And admittedly, I'm not smart enough to even properly explain what we have discovered, much less have the hubris to believe that I am intelligent enough to extrapolate beyond that. But it is fun to think about.
Sunday, March 26, 2017
Friday, November 11, 2016
Donald Trump
Hey folks. Just wanted to say a few words on the recent election. While I haven't had an online presence for a while, I have been discussing the future of the country at great lengths with a lot of people, on both sides of the aisle. Most of my friends lean liberal, I'd say about 2 of 3. But a huge portion are also conservatives. I work at some pretty nice areas, and they are largely conservative. And I'm not shy about talking politics with them, so I've gotten a good sense of how I thought they felt going into the election. Then obviously, on the flip side, are all my liberal friends who are scared as hell. So let me break a few things down.
Let me start with the conservatives. Many of those I spoke with personally, with the exception of one lady, had the same exact thing to say about Trump: "I hate the guy. I think he is an awful human being, but I have to vote for him. I have no choice. Insurance costs have doubled for everyone that is paying, and people cannot get ahead anymore. The others I spoke with, whom I know are conservative, simply said they could not in good conscience vote for either of the two. Now fast forward one week, and the same people are saying: "Do you see all the liberal tears, hahaha. Oh boohoo, you lost, get over it." Literally hi-fiving each other in the streets. I had one friend say how glad they were they finally have a president 'that is going to bring everyone together to start healing the country'. Seriously? I know, they've been underdogs for so long under the juggernaut that was Obama (more on him later). So, yes, you can have your victory lap. But "get over it?" "Bring the country together? " Did you not pay any attention to what just happened?
How long was it before the right accepted Obama as their president? Ooooohhhh, thats right, they NEVER did. Obama hasn't gotten one iota of respect for 8 years. There have been conservative tears for 8 consecutive years, but liberals and progressives need to get over it in one night. I know they get held to a higher standard, but damn!
Conservatives. I love you guys, I work with you. You are in my family. So let me be clear, that this in a sense of reality and not sarcasm, but do you honestly think liberals are just going to forget that. It's been 8 years of " Obama is a Nazi. He's a Nazi, a communist, socialist, black, muslim Nazi. that's the worst kind of nazi there is, sneaky too and a zombie, I think he's a zombie (zoinked from David Cross). 8 straight years of that. The brew of that constant stream of vitriol was the very stew out of which Donald Trump as a politician was first born. He led the birther charge, that was him. So Donald Trump's VERY FIRST political act was to attempt to deport someone he didn't agree with. First thing he ever did. Keep that in mind for later.
That brings us to the second point, "going to bring the country together." Ok, let me just slow you down right there. Let's take a look back at when George Bush Left office utterly disgraced. He left the economy in shambles, built up a massive war debt, and was a convicted war criminal in certain countries. Did you know that? Bush is considered a mass murder in some countries. The country HATED him. They were out for blood too, and what did Obama do? Did he launch an investigation into his political rival, no. Why? Because that is how politics works in third world countries. You confuse the vote, seize power, then imprison your political rivals.
Now look at your "gonna bring people together" guy, Trump. This is a guy who was handed the world on a silver platter by his daddy. Surrounded himself with nothing but yes men, and if he didn't like someone, he just fired them. You're fired! Then he systematically ran his company straight into the ground. Because that's what happens when you hire yes men and dispose of everyone you don't like. Not once, but 4 fucking times he failed his own business. That is his whole platform, "I'm a businessman that filed for bankruptcy 4 times."
So what is Trump's first line of business, repeal obamacare, of course! Nope, that's actually the second thing. The very first thing he did was form an enemies list. He is going to seek charges against Hillary Clinton for fraud, embezzlement, and corruption. Now let's look objectively at this. First of all, yes, there is a very high chance there was some wrongdoing, otherwise you don't first of all hide behind a personal server for state business, then delete everything when they come knocking. So I'm not admonishing her or convicting her there. But after running for the highest position in the land, there is absolutely no way that can be perceived as justice anymore, now it is reaching into political vengeance. Whether you agree or not, it will get challenged up to the supreme court, and if conservatives in the supreme put a political opponent to their party in prison it becomes an act of political vengeance. That's what kings do, thats what third world countries that pretend they are democracies do. That is why President Bush is walking around a free man when the world considers him a war criminal.
So, yeah, yeah, yeah, but his enemies are just those liberals we hate them anyway. Not us conservatives, right? Wrong. The first two names on the list are Lindsay Graham and John Kasich. Yep, two MORE political rivals. Yes, the same John Kasich that probably most liberals would have been ok with as president. Well, maybe not most, but you would not be seeing the level of disgust being outpoured that is. Trump ran a straight hateful, untruthful, bigoted campaign from start to finish. He is already taking steps to imprison his political rival. That is not how you bring people together. That is how you take an already deep wound right down the middle of america and drop a stick of dynamite on it.
So to start to wrap this up, that is the point. The disappointment you see on the faces of your liberal friends and family isn't just disappointment, it is downright anger and disgust. When Bush won the second time, I was like, yeah, this sucks. But I didn't feel this same level of disgust at the state of my country that I do now. I am so angry and disgusted with america for letting this happen that my stomach has been turning in knots to the point of physically wanting to vomit.
And I don't want to take it out on my conservative friends, because they aren't the only ones to blame, but, seriously, fuck you for this. Fuck you for allowing this guy to be your candidate. That is what you see on the faces of your liberal friends.
And it doesn't stop there. Because what they are feeling, the fear deep in their hearts, is because of one very specific thing that I will NEVER forgive Obama for...due process is no longer legal in the united states. Let me repeat that if you didn't get it the first time. DUE PROCESS IS NO LONGER LEGAL IN THE UNITED STATES. Loud enough for you? That's not hyperbole, it is the LAW, signed by Obama, that the government can hold american citizens indefinitely, without trial, without a defense. Obama said "yeah, but I'll never use that" OK, but what if the next guy is a fucking lunatic that locks up everyone he doesn't agree with. Oh, yep, got him.
THAT is what all of your liberal friends are feeling right now. Trump has basically unchecked power in a level this country has never seen before, embodied in a man that went after gays, women, muslims, even members of his own party. This is the guy you're telling us it will all be ok because of? With that much power, and that spoiled rich brat temper he has shown time, and time again. That's the guy that will bring balance to the force?
Ok, well I hope you are right and he isn't EXACTLY who we've seen bullying people around on tv these last years. I truly hope you are right, but if you are wrong, then this is literally the worst decision America has ever made. So I hope it is ok in the end, but until then, fuck you Obama for signing that law, fuck you conservatives for bringing us President Fuckface von Clownstick. Fuck you liberals for not bringing a better fight. And fuck me too for not putting a stop to it. Fuck, fuck, fuck!!!!!
P.S. I still love my liberal friends. I still love my conservative friends. But shame on us.
Let me start with the conservatives. Many of those I spoke with personally, with the exception of one lady, had the same exact thing to say about Trump: "I hate the guy. I think he is an awful human being, but I have to vote for him. I have no choice. Insurance costs have doubled for everyone that is paying, and people cannot get ahead anymore. The others I spoke with, whom I know are conservative, simply said they could not in good conscience vote for either of the two. Now fast forward one week, and the same people are saying: "Do you see all the liberal tears, hahaha. Oh boohoo, you lost, get over it." Literally hi-fiving each other in the streets. I had one friend say how glad they were they finally have a president 'that is going to bring everyone together to start healing the country'. Seriously? I know, they've been underdogs for so long under the juggernaut that was Obama (more on him later). So, yes, you can have your victory lap. But "get over it?" "Bring the country together? " Did you not pay any attention to what just happened?
How long was it before the right accepted Obama as their president? Ooooohhhh, thats right, they NEVER did. Obama hasn't gotten one iota of respect for 8 years. There have been conservative tears for 8 consecutive years, but liberals and progressives need to get over it in one night. I know they get held to a higher standard, but damn!
Conservatives. I love you guys, I work with you. You are in my family. So let me be clear, that this in a sense of reality and not sarcasm, but do you honestly think liberals are just going to forget that. It's been 8 years of " Obama is a Nazi. He's a Nazi, a communist, socialist, black, muslim Nazi. that's the worst kind of nazi there is, sneaky too and a zombie, I think he's a zombie (zoinked from David Cross). 8 straight years of that. The brew of that constant stream of vitriol was the very stew out of which Donald Trump as a politician was first born. He led the birther charge, that was him. So Donald Trump's VERY FIRST political act was to attempt to deport someone he didn't agree with. First thing he ever did. Keep that in mind for later.
That brings us to the second point, "going to bring the country together." Ok, let me just slow you down right there. Let's take a look back at when George Bush Left office utterly disgraced. He left the economy in shambles, built up a massive war debt, and was a convicted war criminal in certain countries. Did you know that? Bush is considered a mass murder in some countries. The country HATED him. They were out for blood too, and what did Obama do? Did he launch an investigation into his political rival, no. Why? Because that is how politics works in third world countries. You confuse the vote, seize power, then imprison your political rivals.
Now look at your "gonna bring people together" guy, Trump. This is a guy who was handed the world on a silver platter by his daddy. Surrounded himself with nothing but yes men, and if he didn't like someone, he just fired them. You're fired! Then he systematically ran his company straight into the ground. Because that's what happens when you hire yes men and dispose of everyone you don't like. Not once, but 4 fucking times he failed his own business. That is his whole platform, "I'm a businessman that filed for bankruptcy 4 times."
So what is Trump's first line of business, repeal obamacare, of course! Nope, that's actually the second thing. The very first thing he did was form an enemies list. He is going to seek charges against Hillary Clinton for fraud, embezzlement, and corruption. Now let's look objectively at this. First of all, yes, there is a very high chance there was some wrongdoing, otherwise you don't first of all hide behind a personal server for state business, then delete everything when they come knocking. So I'm not admonishing her or convicting her there. But after running for the highest position in the land, there is absolutely no way that can be perceived as justice anymore, now it is reaching into political vengeance. Whether you agree or not, it will get challenged up to the supreme court, and if conservatives in the supreme put a political opponent to their party in prison it becomes an act of political vengeance. That's what kings do, thats what third world countries that pretend they are democracies do. That is why President Bush is walking around a free man when the world considers him a war criminal.
So, yeah, yeah, yeah, but his enemies are just those liberals we hate them anyway. Not us conservatives, right? Wrong. The first two names on the list are Lindsay Graham and John Kasich. Yep, two MORE political rivals. Yes, the same John Kasich that probably most liberals would have been ok with as president. Well, maybe not most, but you would not be seeing the level of disgust being outpoured that is. Trump ran a straight hateful, untruthful, bigoted campaign from start to finish. He is already taking steps to imprison his political rival. That is not how you bring people together. That is how you take an already deep wound right down the middle of america and drop a stick of dynamite on it.
So to start to wrap this up, that is the point. The disappointment you see on the faces of your liberal friends and family isn't just disappointment, it is downright anger and disgust. When Bush won the second time, I was like, yeah, this sucks. But I didn't feel this same level of disgust at the state of my country that I do now. I am so angry and disgusted with america for letting this happen that my stomach has been turning in knots to the point of physically wanting to vomit.
And I don't want to take it out on my conservative friends, because they aren't the only ones to blame, but, seriously, fuck you for this. Fuck you for allowing this guy to be your candidate. That is what you see on the faces of your liberal friends.
And it doesn't stop there. Because what they are feeling, the fear deep in their hearts, is because of one very specific thing that I will NEVER forgive Obama for...due process is no longer legal in the united states. Let me repeat that if you didn't get it the first time. DUE PROCESS IS NO LONGER LEGAL IN THE UNITED STATES. Loud enough for you? That's not hyperbole, it is the LAW, signed by Obama, that the government can hold american citizens indefinitely, without trial, without a defense. Obama said "yeah, but I'll never use that" OK, but what if the next guy is a fucking lunatic that locks up everyone he doesn't agree with. Oh, yep, got him.
THAT is what all of your liberal friends are feeling right now. Trump has basically unchecked power in a level this country has never seen before, embodied in a man that went after gays, women, muslims, even members of his own party. This is the guy you're telling us it will all be ok because of? With that much power, and that spoiled rich brat temper he has shown time, and time again. That's the guy that will bring balance to the force?
Ok, well I hope you are right and he isn't EXACTLY who we've seen bullying people around on tv these last years. I truly hope you are right, but if you are wrong, then this is literally the worst decision America has ever made. So I hope it is ok in the end, but until then, fuck you Obama for signing that law, fuck you conservatives for bringing us President Fuckface von Clownstick. Fuck you liberals for not bringing a better fight. And fuck me too for not putting a stop to it. Fuck, fuck, fuck!!!!!
P.S. I still love my liberal friends. I still love my conservative friends. But shame on us.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Dreaming, Lucid Dreaming, and Astral Travel Primer
My sister recently shared something regarding instructions to lucid dreaming. The post basically gave instructions for forcing yourself into what they called sleep paralysis, and suggested that would be inducing lucid dreaming. She felt it would be more like Astral Projection than Lucid Dreaming and would be terrifying, so I'll try my best to explain this. Keep in mind that I'm by no means an expert on either subject, though I do have at least some experience with both.
The original post basically suggested that just prior to falling into true sleep that you could force yourself to stay awake and begin to hallucinate and are, thereby 'Lucid Dreaming.' To begin, there are a number of things going on here, all dealing with the various levels of consciousness that humans can normally experience, being the first, second, and third levels of consciousness (not to be confused with 1st 2nd and 3rd dimension) that humans normally deal with. Those are generally termed the subconscious, conscious and super-conscious levels of awareness. For the most part, humans spend the vast majority of their time in the subconscious and conscious levels.
When we are awake, we are in the conscious level of thought. When we fall asleep, the conscious mind slows down and falls into a state of suspension between these two levels. When we begin dreaming, we fall down fully into the sub level. The article suggests that we can take advantage of this level of suspension and retain our consciousness as we go into that sub level state. This is, in itself, true, and can be quite helpful for self-discovery, but it is also incomplete and a wrong way to go about it. It can be terrifying as well. The reason for this is that the various levels of consciousness operate in completely different ways. The conscious mind, which holds our attention while we are awake, is what we normally experience. We can see and feel, hear, and smell things that are going on around us, and as this is our normal state, it is the most comfortable for us to process.
The subconscious mind operates not on concrete evidence of thought, but basic thought patterns that have no evidence we can experience and process. Our dreams are how our subconscious mind communicates to our conscious minds. We actually make a lot of decisions in this state, due to the simplification of the process...we have less to take in and if we can understand its language, interpret easier. So a dream is in essence a conversation with ourselves. This operates on many levels of our experience, which is why it can be tough to figure out exactly what our subconscious mind is telling us.
Sometimes our dreams are a classifying and filing of recent events. If you've ever played a game all day, then dreamt about it at night, this is what is happening. Whether we process what we are experiencing when we played the game or not, our minds are still taking it in, and if we don't process it consciously, we will subconsciously. These dreams have a purpose, but not a whole lot of meaning to our lives, as their content is largely mundane.
The next type of dream has to do with slightly more important things going on in our daily lives: issues we are currently struggling with. Perhaps physical ailments, money issues, relationship woes. These are important for our daily lives, but are more of a day-to-day importance still than for our life paths as a whole (though they will eventually add up to this). The upper end of this type of dream deals with life lessons. These are things we have chronic issues, or have a leading role in our current life on earth and our soul's path as a whole.
This level of dreaming is where Lucid Dreaming becomes useful, as we can process in real time the messages we are receiving from our subconscious minds. Now, while this takes place in our subconscious minds, the superconscious mind does sneak things in, using the language of the conscious mind. The reason for this is it is generally much easier for our superconscious to speak to use through the subconscious as we have more experience in that state than in trying to raise our conscious level to the superconscious and communicate directly. In fact, many people never directly speak to their superconscious minds except in times of great duress, when it is a make or break situation. Those are the solitary moments when we suddenly escape danger in the nick of time, or get a message while waking that prompts us to take immediate action, and they seem to come out of nowhere. These can be those 'aha' moments of sudden but momentary enlightenment.
So what the article suggests is to take control of that moment between sleeping and waking. This can be done, but not likely by anyone that has not first learned the language that the subconscious mind as well as trained themselves in lucid dreaming. Without those first two steps, this will be difficult (though not impossible) but more importantly, will throw you into a world that has a language that you haven't consciously learned. This can most certainly be terrifying, and it certainly is not the same as hallucinating. When you Lucid dream, you are asleep, and you are dreaming, but are simply aware that you are.
So how can this be dangerous? What I've gathered is that a nightmare is pretty close to lucid dreaming due to the realness of the experience. It is easier for me to recognize that I'm dreaming if the dream is particularly bad. I've actually had to come to terms with this personally due to the frequency of my own bad dreams, which is what prompted me to study this stuff in the first place.
The first thing to understand is that the subconscious mind speaks in a very vague language. Here we call it symbolism, where an object, idea, or experience is actually representative of something else. This is hard to write rules about as things mean different things to different people. I once had a friend that, when she had dreams that someone died, she would soon after receive news that someone was about to have a baby. I don't have this experience, but it illustrates how each of our conversations in dreaming with our subconscious are very personal and are tailor-made for ourselves. This is why it is best to do most dream interpreting for yourself, as you know best what a dream really means.
That said, there is a basic structure that will hold true for most people. I won't go too into detail as it would be too long and there are a ton of dream books out there that can help you on your way. As an example, though, is that buildings in dreams would generally represent our 'house.' These are things that make up our basic structure, so you can easily relate that basic notion to any building that you find yourself in while dreaming. For example, if you had a dream that took place in a temple, your subconscious may be speaking to your spiritual being. If you had a dream about a bank robbery, it might be telling you something about your finances. If you had a dream about a prison, it could be telling you about constraints that either you have put on yourself or are being placed on you by external forces. The surrounding symbols would then detail what the message is really about.
This understanding of symbols is sort of like lucid dreaming 101. It is the alphabet of subconscious thought. It is not a good idea to alter your consciousness unless you understand the place that you are going to, and inducing it externally is akin to altering your state of mind using drugs. This takes you to a level of consciousness that you might not understand and probably aren't ready to experience. It can be overcome, but make no mistake, there is a reason that when we begin a dream that we pass from the conscious to subconscious levels. It is due to the language of that level, and the chance we might misinterpret what is going on and eventually panic.
Lucid dreaming is very simple...it is being aware that you are dreaming. That is all. Once you become aware that you are dreaming, you then control your actions. This can be both good and bad. This can help you understand what is going on and what messages you are being told, but it can also confuse the conscious mind. If someone is only used to operating from their conscious minds, they will apply that knowledge to their lucid dreams and will begin to have control issues. They may attack problems the same way as if they were awake dealing with the physical world, and as dreams operate in vague symbols, the tools we use here may or may not work there. We may find ourselves battling ghosts or imaginary demons with only the physical tools we are used to grabbing with our hands, with knowledge of gravity, with the experiences of pain we've had in our lives, and then be stuck in a lucid nightmare.
If you want to begin to try lucid dreaming, ignore what the article said and start from square one, and for that I have a few suggestions. The first step is to let the dream happen naturally, and it is NOT easier if you are more tired. The more tired you are, the less likely that you will fall into the dream state, as all your energy would be focused on healing your physical body. The second is, while sleeping, try and catch when you are dreaming. Don't try to take control of the dream, just be aware that you're dreaming. Then if anything hellish may happen, you probably won't have control over what you're doing, but you will at least be able to recognize that you are, in fact, only dreaming and that you will survive the experience. This is like watching how something is done before actually stepping in and doing it yourself. Be an observer at first. You can then build up to taking action later when you are more comfortable.
The third step is to keep a dream journal by your bed, and write down every dream you have...whether important or not. Write down what happens, what symbols you saw, the impressions you got, and what type of dream you just had. This only takes a couple minutes, but must be done the minute you wake up...no fumbling for a pad and pen, you must be able to reach over and start writing. It helps for remembering what happened, and you are also still in that in-between state of sub and conscious thought. You will still be more in tune with the language of symbols, and will be able to give better interpretations, or at least, a better rough draft interpretation or first impression. Be sure to write what type of dream it is though. If you dreamt you ate a cheese burger, there probably isn't a whole lot of significance to the dream, but write it down anyway and take note of it. For more important dreams, go back later in the day/week/month and reread what you wrote down. You may consciously think of a more important definition of what happened, and can further hone your grasp of the language of symbols.
Those will help train you to learn the language and understand when you are awake in a dream. Then when you have an understanding of that, you can then begin to work in your dreams. An example of how to use the process from my experience is that I have is recurring dreams. It's easy to lucid dream in these as they've happened before and I don't even have to think about it to know that I'm dreaming. In these, I will either try to take advantage of what is going on and figure out solutions or I will simply let the dream run its course without interference, but look for signs of meaning I may have missed before or differences from previous experiences. Remember, taking control of your dreams can be useful, but only if you put it to use. That is, to have a purpose for lucid dreaming. Don't consciously enter into that state without having a reason to do so. If you don't you will not really need to be there consciously and possibly have a bad experience.
Now, lucid dreaming usually takes place in the subconscious mind. That doesn't mean that you cannot enter the superconscious state while there, as the post suggests, but it is very tough. It is easier to enter the superconscious while awake, alert, and fully rested. The more tired you are, and the lower your consciousness level, the harder it is and further you have to raise your awareness. It can be done, but it isn't an efficient way to go about it. Actually, that entering of the superconscious while in a dreamlike state isn't lucid dreaming or astral travel at all, it is called pathworking, but if you're reading this, that's years away from where you're at now.
So then, what is astral projection (astral travel)? It is when you raise your conscious level to where your spirit can leave your body. I've heard many think they won't be able to find their bodies again and be frightened of it, but really the bond between the physical body and the spirit is incredibly strong, so while you may consciously be outside your body, you are still bound to it. Some call it the 'tether.' I wouldn't say it is impossible to lose that connection, but it is incredibly unlikely you would even be able to do so, even if for some odd reason you knew how. Further, when you astral travel, you are not hallucinating at all. Not one bit. It is a conscious experience and you are dwelling outside your body. If you are having hallucinations, you aren't astral traveling. The greatest fear I've ever had in astral travel is gravity...a consequence of normally living in the conscious state.
Further, astral travel takes place in superconsciousness, and is not lucid dreaming at all. Remember, it is a raised consciousness level, not a lowered one. This is very, very hard to do well. Many can get to that state, but not leave their body, or leave for only a few feet and only for a short while. Some would have difficulty doing this at all, because in the modern world, we have a lot working against our vibration levels. Our diet, our water supply, our air, our living habits, our electrical system, sedentary lifestyles, stress levels, our integration into the modern world...these are all working against us. That said, these are things everyone can do, but it requires dedication and a lot of practice. In fact, what people may confuse for astral travel is actually a dream of flight.
So to sum up this ramble:
Existence = 1st Dimension
Dreaming = subconscious state of thought (2nd Dimension, also partially 2nd to 3rd activity)
Lucid dreaming = entering a subconscious state while in a conscious state of thought (2nd to 3rd)
Consciousness = awareness (3rd Dimension)
Meditiation = the process of entering a superconscious state of thought (3rd to 4th)
Superconsciousness (4th Dimension)
Astral Travel = Heightened conscious state of thought to the point of not having to reside in your body, though still bound to it. (exploring the 4th)
Pathworking = Entering a subconscious state while in a superconscious state of thought (a highly advanced form of meditation) (4th to 5th)
5th dimension = ?
6th dimension = ?
7th dimension = ?
8th dimension = ?
9th dimension = ?
10th dimension = ?
11th dimension = ?
12th dimension = ?
These all take place in the 1st through 4th dimensions. Pathworking is between the 4th and 5th. In essence, pathworking and meditiation are the same type of activity, but take place one dimension away from each other. Astral Travel is mostly just exploring the 4th dimension, though not entirely for spiritual means. This is like learning to walk, but not actually walking anywhere in particular. I have no names beyond those dimensions, as I haven't made it there ever. I'm sure someone has come up with them on the internet, but I try not to get ahead of myself. If you're wondering, I'm still on the pathworking level. Pathworking is very, very difficult. I should try it again though as I kind of threw up my arms and gave up last time.
Anyway, I hope that made at least a little sense.
The original post basically suggested that just prior to falling into true sleep that you could force yourself to stay awake and begin to hallucinate and are, thereby 'Lucid Dreaming.' To begin, there are a number of things going on here, all dealing with the various levels of consciousness that humans can normally experience, being the first, second, and third levels of consciousness (not to be confused with 1st 2nd and 3rd dimension) that humans normally deal with. Those are generally termed the subconscious, conscious and super-conscious levels of awareness. For the most part, humans spend the vast majority of their time in the subconscious and conscious levels.
When we are awake, we are in the conscious level of thought. When we fall asleep, the conscious mind slows down and falls into a state of suspension between these two levels. When we begin dreaming, we fall down fully into the sub level. The article suggests that we can take advantage of this level of suspension and retain our consciousness as we go into that sub level state. This is, in itself, true, and can be quite helpful for self-discovery, but it is also incomplete and a wrong way to go about it. It can be terrifying as well. The reason for this is that the various levels of consciousness operate in completely different ways. The conscious mind, which holds our attention while we are awake, is what we normally experience. We can see and feel, hear, and smell things that are going on around us, and as this is our normal state, it is the most comfortable for us to process.
The subconscious mind operates not on concrete evidence of thought, but basic thought patterns that have no evidence we can experience and process. Our dreams are how our subconscious mind communicates to our conscious minds. We actually make a lot of decisions in this state, due to the simplification of the process...we have less to take in and if we can understand its language, interpret easier. So a dream is in essence a conversation with ourselves. This operates on many levels of our experience, which is why it can be tough to figure out exactly what our subconscious mind is telling us.
Sometimes our dreams are a classifying and filing of recent events. If you've ever played a game all day, then dreamt about it at night, this is what is happening. Whether we process what we are experiencing when we played the game or not, our minds are still taking it in, and if we don't process it consciously, we will subconsciously. These dreams have a purpose, but not a whole lot of meaning to our lives, as their content is largely mundane.
The next type of dream has to do with slightly more important things going on in our daily lives: issues we are currently struggling with. Perhaps physical ailments, money issues, relationship woes. These are important for our daily lives, but are more of a day-to-day importance still than for our life paths as a whole (though they will eventually add up to this). The upper end of this type of dream deals with life lessons. These are things we have chronic issues, or have a leading role in our current life on earth and our soul's path as a whole.
This level of dreaming is where Lucid Dreaming becomes useful, as we can process in real time the messages we are receiving from our subconscious minds. Now, while this takes place in our subconscious minds, the superconscious mind does sneak things in, using the language of the conscious mind. The reason for this is it is generally much easier for our superconscious to speak to use through the subconscious as we have more experience in that state than in trying to raise our conscious level to the superconscious and communicate directly. In fact, many people never directly speak to their superconscious minds except in times of great duress, when it is a make or break situation. Those are the solitary moments when we suddenly escape danger in the nick of time, or get a message while waking that prompts us to take immediate action, and they seem to come out of nowhere. These can be those 'aha' moments of sudden but momentary enlightenment.
So what the article suggests is to take control of that moment between sleeping and waking. This can be done, but not likely by anyone that has not first learned the language that the subconscious mind as well as trained themselves in lucid dreaming. Without those first two steps, this will be difficult (though not impossible) but more importantly, will throw you into a world that has a language that you haven't consciously learned. This can most certainly be terrifying, and it certainly is not the same as hallucinating. When you Lucid dream, you are asleep, and you are dreaming, but are simply aware that you are.
So how can this be dangerous? What I've gathered is that a nightmare is pretty close to lucid dreaming due to the realness of the experience. It is easier for me to recognize that I'm dreaming if the dream is particularly bad. I've actually had to come to terms with this personally due to the frequency of my own bad dreams, which is what prompted me to study this stuff in the first place.
The first thing to understand is that the subconscious mind speaks in a very vague language. Here we call it symbolism, where an object, idea, or experience is actually representative of something else. This is hard to write rules about as things mean different things to different people. I once had a friend that, when she had dreams that someone died, she would soon after receive news that someone was about to have a baby. I don't have this experience, but it illustrates how each of our conversations in dreaming with our subconscious are very personal and are tailor-made for ourselves. This is why it is best to do most dream interpreting for yourself, as you know best what a dream really means.
That said, there is a basic structure that will hold true for most people. I won't go too into detail as it would be too long and there are a ton of dream books out there that can help you on your way. As an example, though, is that buildings in dreams would generally represent our 'house.' These are things that make up our basic structure, so you can easily relate that basic notion to any building that you find yourself in while dreaming. For example, if you had a dream that took place in a temple, your subconscious may be speaking to your spiritual being. If you had a dream about a bank robbery, it might be telling you something about your finances. If you had a dream about a prison, it could be telling you about constraints that either you have put on yourself or are being placed on you by external forces. The surrounding symbols would then detail what the message is really about.
This understanding of symbols is sort of like lucid dreaming 101. It is the alphabet of subconscious thought. It is not a good idea to alter your consciousness unless you understand the place that you are going to, and inducing it externally is akin to altering your state of mind using drugs. This takes you to a level of consciousness that you might not understand and probably aren't ready to experience. It can be overcome, but make no mistake, there is a reason that when we begin a dream that we pass from the conscious to subconscious levels. It is due to the language of that level, and the chance we might misinterpret what is going on and eventually panic.
Lucid dreaming is very simple...it is being aware that you are dreaming. That is all. Once you become aware that you are dreaming, you then control your actions. This can be both good and bad. This can help you understand what is going on and what messages you are being told, but it can also confuse the conscious mind. If someone is only used to operating from their conscious minds, they will apply that knowledge to their lucid dreams and will begin to have control issues. They may attack problems the same way as if they were awake dealing with the physical world, and as dreams operate in vague symbols, the tools we use here may or may not work there. We may find ourselves battling ghosts or imaginary demons with only the physical tools we are used to grabbing with our hands, with knowledge of gravity, with the experiences of pain we've had in our lives, and then be stuck in a lucid nightmare.
If you want to begin to try lucid dreaming, ignore what the article said and start from square one, and for that I have a few suggestions. The first step is to let the dream happen naturally, and it is NOT easier if you are more tired. The more tired you are, the less likely that you will fall into the dream state, as all your energy would be focused on healing your physical body. The second is, while sleeping, try and catch when you are dreaming. Don't try to take control of the dream, just be aware that you're dreaming. Then if anything hellish may happen, you probably won't have control over what you're doing, but you will at least be able to recognize that you are, in fact, only dreaming and that you will survive the experience. This is like watching how something is done before actually stepping in and doing it yourself. Be an observer at first. You can then build up to taking action later when you are more comfortable.
The third step is to keep a dream journal by your bed, and write down every dream you have...whether important or not. Write down what happens, what symbols you saw, the impressions you got, and what type of dream you just had. This only takes a couple minutes, but must be done the minute you wake up...no fumbling for a pad and pen, you must be able to reach over and start writing. It helps for remembering what happened, and you are also still in that in-between state of sub and conscious thought. You will still be more in tune with the language of symbols, and will be able to give better interpretations, or at least, a better rough draft interpretation or first impression. Be sure to write what type of dream it is though. If you dreamt you ate a cheese burger, there probably isn't a whole lot of significance to the dream, but write it down anyway and take note of it. For more important dreams, go back later in the day/week/month and reread what you wrote down. You may consciously think of a more important definition of what happened, and can further hone your grasp of the language of symbols.
Those will help train you to learn the language and understand when you are awake in a dream. Then when you have an understanding of that, you can then begin to work in your dreams. An example of how to use the process from my experience is that I have is recurring dreams. It's easy to lucid dream in these as they've happened before and I don't even have to think about it to know that I'm dreaming. In these, I will either try to take advantage of what is going on and figure out solutions or I will simply let the dream run its course without interference, but look for signs of meaning I may have missed before or differences from previous experiences. Remember, taking control of your dreams can be useful, but only if you put it to use. That is, to have a purpose for lucid dreaming. Don't consciously enter into that state without having a reason to do so. If you don't you will not really need to be there consciously and possibly have a bad experience.
Now, lucid dreaming usually takes place in the subconscious mind. That doesn't mean that you cannot enter the superconscious state while there, as the post suggests, but it is very tough. It is easier to enter the superconscious while awake, alert, and fully rested. The more tired you are, and the lower your consciousness level, the harder it is and further you have to raise your awareness. It can be done, but it isn't an efficient way to go about it. Actually, that entering of the superconscious while in a dreamlike state isn't lucid dreaming or astral travel at all, it is called pathworking, but if you're reading this, that's years away from where you're at now.
So then, what is astral projection (astral travel)? It is when you raise your conscious level to where your spirit can leave your body. I've heard many think they won't be able to find their bodies again and be frightened of it, but really the bond between the physical body and the spirit is incredibly strong, so while you may consciously be outside your body, you are still bound to it. Some call it the 'tether.' I wouldn't say it is impossible to lose that connection, but it is incredibly unlikely you would even be able to do so, even if for some odd reason you knew how. Further, when you astral travel, you are not hallucinating at all. Not one bit. It is a conscious experience and you are dwelling outside your body. If you are having hallucinations, you aren't astral traveling. The greatest fear I've ever had in astral travel is gravity...a consequence of normally living in the conscious state.
Further, astral travel takes place in superconsciousness, and is not lucid dreaming at all. Remember, it is a raised consciousness level, not a lowered one. This is very, very hard to do well. Many can get to that state, but not leave their body, or leave for only a few feet and only for a short while. Some would have difficulty doing this at all, because in the modern world, we have a lot working against our vibration levels. Our diet, our water supply, our air, our living habits, our electrical system, sedentary lifestyles, stress levels, our integration into the modern world...these are all working against us. That said, these are things everyone can do, but it requires dedication and a lot of practice. In fact, what people may confuse for astral travel is actually a dream of flight.
So to sum up this ramble:
Existence = 1st Dimension
Dreaming = subconscious state of thought (2nd Dimension, also partially 2nd to 3rd activity)
Lucid dreaming = entering a subconscious state while in a conscious state of thought (2nd to 3rd)
Consciousness = awareness (3rd Dimension)
Meditiation = the process of entering a superconscious state of thought (3rd to 4th)
Superconsciousness (4th Dimension)
Astral Travel = Heightened conscious state of thought to the point of not having to reside in your body, though still bound to it. (exploring the 4th)
Pathworking = Entering a subconscious state while in a superconscious state of thought (a highly advanced form of meditation) (4th to 5th)
5th dimension = ?
6th dimension = ?
7th dimension = ?
8th dimension = ?
9th dimension = ?
10th dimension = ?
11th dimension = ?
12th dimension = ?
These all take place in the 1st through 4th dimensions. Pathworking is between the 4th and 5th. In essence, pathworking and meditiation are the same type of activity, but take place one dimension away from each other. Astral Travel is mostly just exploring the 4th dimension, though not entirely for spiritual means. This is like learning to walk, but not actually walking anywhere in particular. I have no names beyond those dimensions, as I haven't made it there ever. I'm sure someone has come up with them on the internet, but I try not to get ahead of myself. If you're wondering, I'm still on the pathworking level. Pathworking is very, very difficult. I should try it again though as I kind of threw up my arms and gave up last time.
Anyway, I hope that made at least a little sense.
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