Category Archives: General

Eternity

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I have heard atheists say that the belief in eternity makes a person less likely to savor each precious moment of this life, which is the only life we are guaranteed to have. This could definitely be the case. This is captured best in the adage, “What is this life compared with eternity?” The implication is that this life is not really important.

However, in my own experience, the belief in the possibility of an afterlife has enabled me to better appreciate each passing moment in this life. Why? Well, because I don’t believe that after I die I will automatically get a boost of knowledge or a boost of consciousness. I believe I will probably start off there pretty much where I left off here, except possibly being endowed with a resurrected body, whatever that happens to be.

In other words, I don’t believe that I will “wake up” in heaven being able to play the flute or do calculus unless I had already learned how to do those things in this life. The difference in heaven is that everything will be possible and I will be able to get teaching directly from the Source. However, because I will start off there where I left off here, at least as far as consciousness is concerned, it behooves me to savor every moment I have and learn and experience all I can.

Eternity is something I can eagerly look forward to but not in a way that downgrades my experiences right now. Eternity is basically a never-ending cycle of personal development, where every new skill I learn and piece of knowledge I acquire will allow me to connect more deeply with the one from whom it all came.

The penalty for not living consciously

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I am trying out what already is looking like a promising experiment. In several areas of my life, I have tried using long-distance motivational techniques that seem to work. Right now, these include subconscious reinforcement, detailed plans for failure, and food or monetary penalties. In the grand scheme of things, however, everything comes down to how much I live consciously. This means I respond to stimuli from a rational framework, guard against distractions, and live fully in each moment. So I have created what I believe will become the linchpin of my whole paradigm structure.

What I am implementing is a brief consciousness evaluation at the end of each day and then a general one for the entire week at the beginning of my philosophical appointed times. During these times, I will rate myself from a 0-10 scale, with 0 being no lapses in living consciously and 10 being an absolute failure. For the daily evaluations I multiply that number by 10 and put aside that many cents in a specified envelope. For the weekly evaluations, I figure out the number and put that many dollars into the same envelope. Once the envelope reaches $50, I will donate it to someone who has been influential on my journey to living consciously.

Obviously this scale will be somewhat subjective and always subject to change, but just to give you an idea, I have included my daily version here. 0 is not included but would basically be a really good day.

  1. Three or more “distractions”.
  2. One definite lapse.
  3. Two or three definite lapses.
  4. More than three lapses or one substantial lapse.
  5. Two substantial lapses.
  6. Three substantial lapses.
  7. More than three substantial lapses, but still generally maintained focuses, big priorities, and vows.
  8. Did not maintain focuses and big priorities.
  9. Did not maintain vows.
  10. Day in complete disarray.

I look at this as one way I can literally redeem, or buy up the time (Ephesians 5:16, Colossians 4:5). Each time I give into distraction it will cost me in a very direct way. I believe in time this might also act as a subconscious reinforcement as well, meaning that even though I don’t actually think about the penalty, my subconscious still registers it and I live more consciously as a result.

Two of my Scriptural focuses the past year have been redeeming the time and taking captive every thought. Both of these are crucial components to living consciously. I am moving on to a different focus now, but hopefully by following the technique above I will be able to safeguard what I learned through experience the past year.

The Wonder of Grace

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This is why I am a Christian. This is the heart of the gospel – the good news. There are a number of different interpretations on how grace is administered by the Father or appropriated by the believer, but the truth remains that grace is the linchpin of Christian experience. To be sure, there are Christians (in the sense that they find value and purpose in following some of the Christ’s teachings) who want nothing to do with grace, and though I respect their position, I feel they are sorely missing out on what has given me the most freedom in my life.

So, what is grace? I have heard many definitions with respect to Christian belief. Here are just a few:

  • God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense
  • The desire and power to do God’s will
  • The free and unmerited favor of God

For me personally, grace has come to mean the freedom from regret over past mistakes due to the promise of ultimate blessing conditioned upon consciously following the Christ in this present moment. Obviously this is a mouthful, so let me unpack it some.

According to I John 1:7, if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. How do I walk in the light? I do the next right thing. If following the Christ in this present moment means working, then work – passionately, for Him. If it means studying, then study mindfully. If it means taking care of kids, then do it joyfully. If it means meditating, then meditate peacefully. Don’t worry about the next hour, week, or year of your life; just live fully in the present and enjoy the Christ’s presence. This doesn’t mean don’t plan for the future. If the next right thing is to plan, then plan fervently. However, do it in the present, not as a reaction to fear or worry.

When I do this, I receive the promise according to Romans 8:28 that everything that has happened in my life – my successes, my failures, and my mediocrity – will work together for good – more good than I can comprehend right now. If that isn’t wonderful, I don’t know what is. And if that isn’t the gospel, the good news, then nothing is.

Now, the cynic will ask, “How do you know this is true?” Well, I don’t. But this is why this is the most empowering belief one can hold, because if it turns out to be false, I will never know about it, and will still experience the amazing placebo effects while I am alive on this earth. If you can find sustainable happiness in some other way, please do so and and share your experience with me.

The benefits of being a robot

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If you were given the choice to become a robot, would you take it? I am sure your instinctive reaction is a resounding “Of course not!” However, there are many benefits of being a robot. Here are ten reasons why being a robot would be beneficial:

  1. No stress. According to medicinenet.com, stress is caused by a physical or emotional change, or a change in your environment that requires you to adjust or respond. A robot experiences no stress because it just follows a pre-planned script that encompasses any situation in which it is placed.
  2. No depression. A robot never has time to be depressed since all of its energy is poured into whatever task it is currently performing. It is totally consumed by the now.
  3. No guilt. Guilt or regret happens when we do something that we later regret. Robot’s don’t experience this since all of their actions are programmed by someone else. If anything, the robot might get angry at its programmer. However, even this won’t happen unless the robot was programmed to do this, which would be unlikely.
  4. Deliberation is calculated and rational. A robot will only deliberate when it faces a decision about which it has not been programmed to respond. In this case, it would quickly deliberate to find the action that would be closest aligned to what it was programmed to do and function in that way until specifically programmed differently according to the situation.
  5. Respond rather than react to stimuli. A robot is not “surprised” by anything that happens to it. It doesn’t react rashly or emotionally to unanticipated situations. Instead, it calmly responds in the rational way in which it has been programmed to respond.
  6. Little ambiguity about purpose. A robot’s purpose is always crystal clear: to complete what it has been programmed to accomplish. It doesn’t have to wrestle with whether an activity is worthwhile or beneficial. It simply executes the next action on its hard drive.
  7. Ability to view pain simply as neurons firing in the brain rather than as an energy-sapping demon. A robot would sense pain as a signal that something is wrong and respond accordingly. It would not languish and consider suicide to end the pain. In doing so, it would be able to most effectively alleviate the pain.
  8. Not worried about what others think. A robot has no regard for the feelings or wishes of anyone else. It will perform any action it is programmed for without thought of anything else. It will never let social constraints hold it back.
  9. Not afraid of failure. There is no reticence on the part of a robot in doing what it has been programmed to do. It only functions in the present moment and simply functions according to the instructions given to it.
  10. Not despondent about messing up. If a robot does mess up in performing a task, there is no shame or embarrassment at having done so. Instead, it simply changes what it needs to so it can accomplish its mission.

Perhaps after reading this, you are warming up to the idea that being a robot isn’t all that bad. Actually, I am sure you are not doing anything of the sort. Why? I can answer that in one word: freedom. Embedded in our psyche is a drive for complete autonomy. Sometimes we choose to settle with something less than that, but that is always in the back of our minds. The problem is, freedom usually brings along with it all the negative things listed above, such as stress, depression, and fear. So, is there any way we can maximize our freedom while minimizing these negative by-products? I believe there is.

Many attempt to solve this dilemma by following some religion. However, I believe making any religious presuppositions the fundamental framework for your life is a very limiting option, unless someone could prove conclusively that the tenets of the religion were true using logic and evidence. My solution is actually much simpler and more liberating than religion. In fact, any person regardless of their religious affiliation could use the method I do without compromising any of their beliefs, at least initially. The method I am referring to I have outlined in previous posts as Living in Appointed Times by Faith. The main reason I wrote this post was to dispel the myth that being a robot was bad, because this would be the main objection to this paradigm, which you can read about by following the link above, as well as part 2, part 3, and part 4. Being a robot is only bad if one or both of the aspects below is true:

  1. Someone else is programming you. This is often what happens with religion. A person gives up their reasoning and moral compass to follow a holy book or an expert that they believe without good evidence has the important answers to life’s great questions.
  2. The program you are following can never change. The capacity for change is what freedom is all about. No one (I think) will choose to follow one set of parameters for ever. This would result in eternal boredom.

In my ideal paradigm, I follow a preset program of how to behave, think, and respond during scientific appointed times. Then, during philosophical appointed times, I reprogram my robot (or avatar) based on many factors that were processed during the previous week. This cycle can repeat endlessly, producing maximum efficiency, maximum freedom, and maximum enlightenment.

Now, to be honest, I am a horrible robot. I am very moody and am constantly evaluating everything. I get despondent about life very easily, but I also have times of ecstasy after having a breakthrough in some area. This is why this paradigm is perfect for me. It helps me to stay grounded and to realize that change happens gradually. I realize that not even the best paradigm can necessarily work for everyone. I would love to hear your critiques of this paradigm as well as its merits if you have tried it out. I really hope all of my readers are able to live life to the fullest and attain the highest possible level of happiness.

One final note: I don’t want it to sound like I am disparaging religion. I myself currently follow a religion, albeit my own unique version of it. What I do object to is making any religion the starting point in a person’s epistemology. This could be a road to disaster. Everything has to come down to logic and evidence in the search for truth.

Evaluation of my Month of Perfect Alignment

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The challenge for last month would have been better had I only focused on one or two aspects of proper alignment. If I do something like this again, that is what I will do.

Alignment is to some degree a very subjective concept. One reason for this is that humans are not statues; we are often in motion (and should be). Another reason for this is that each person’s physique is different than “normal” and some are majorly different. For this reason, when thinking about alignment, one has to take it to some degree with a grain of salt and think in generalities, not specifics.

Overall, my month was mediocre. There were some times where I really committed to my exercise routine and focused on really good alignment. However, there were also times where I was lazy both in maintaining alignment and in exercising.

Here is what I learned:

  • A “balance” must be found between relaxation and perfect alignment. Now, for some people, this might not be necessary. However, it was an imperative for me. Sustained tension can cause as much trouble (if not more) as improper alignment. This is something the Physical Medicine specialist I have seen several times in Houston warned me about as well, knowing my determination to achieve results.
  • Taking cold showers is a huge help in maintaining alignment. I am not sure why this is, I just know it is the case from experience. I learned this by accident. I have previously used cold showers strictly as a motivational tactic. However, if my back or neck feels tight or overworked, taking a cold shower dissipates the fatigue without compromising alignment. In my experience, hot showers do not do this, at least not to the same degree.
  • The best way to have perfect alignment is to constantly be flowing to different positions. When I am in classes, this is not very feasible. However, I am trying to find ways to easily adapt to different positions when I am studying or working on the computer. These include sitting, standing, lying down, squatting, and kneeling in a modified hero’s pose.
  • Find ways to crack your back if possible. If I didn’t do this many times a day, I would probably be miserable. If you are unable to do this, consider visiting a chiropractor, unless you feel that your back is perfect already. The main way I crack mine is by bending over to a 90 degree angle with knees straight and then jerking my torso upward.

Don’t ever get discouraged about alignment or let it negatively affect your self image. I am saying this for myself, but if you have similar tendencies, please take note of this. You will always improve the most when you have a positive motivation for what you are doing rather than a negative motivation. It also makes the process infinitely more enjoyable.

Auditing Beliefs

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I have a penchant for challenging the core pillars of my knowledge structure. I have a passion for combining logic with creativity and continually asking the question ‘why?’ Putting your beliefs and psychology on trial is one of the most liberating and terrifying things you will ever do.

If you decide to muster up the courage to challenge yourself in this way, here are some pointers that will help you along the journey:

  1. Focus on only one thing at a time.  I often find myself, say, rethinking some theological position I hold. That will then dovetail into some political controversy and might extend into science or medicine and other subjects as well. Pretty soon, I am trying to solve all the world’s problems. This never gets me anywhere. It is better to just focus strictly on one specific issue and don’t consider the possible ramifications of that in other areas until after you have come to a resolution of sorts.
  2. Seek to find the integration of truth and happiness. Probably the main reason you are auditing your beliefs is that you, like me, are intensely plagued by the quest for truth. This being the case, be wary of confirmation bias. A good way to do this is to do everything you can to prove that what you believe is wrong. This is, understandably, an extremely difficult mindset to adopt. This doesn’t mean you should only read or study things that oppose your viewpoint, but you should give more time to the opposing viewpoints than on researching your current position. Far to many people fall into what I call ‘leading the evidence where they want it to go.’ They have already decided what is true and are therefore just looking for whatever happens to confirm their presupposition. Although this may bring a level of happiness, it is shallow and for me, undesirable. Instead of sacrificing the pure truth for your personal happiness, allow them to tag alongside each-other by doing what I call ‘believing in the possibility.’ This means that while not accepting certain things as the most likely truth, you still see them as possibly true and find the potential benefits of trying them out to outweigh the cost in doing so.
  3. Have an outlet for sharing what you are studying. There is a phrase we use when people own up to something they believe or practice that is contrary to the societal norms they belong to and that is ‘coming out.’ If you grew up in a very liberal family and community, it would be very hard to come out as a conservative. If you grew up in a fundamental Christian family and community, it would be very hard to come out as an atheist. If everyone you know is pro-choice, it would be hard to come out as pro-life, and vice versa. Therefore, if you are challenging a deeply rooted societal or family value, find a safe outlet that you can share your thoughts with about the extremely controversial topic you are researching.
  4. Be excited about wherever you are going. Don’t fear change. This is one of the most significant obstacles to progress: fear of change. It halts innovation, stifles creativity, promotes slavishness, and deadens relationships. Auditing beliefs will lead you into uncharted territory. Embrace the adventure.

Please know that if you need an outlet for anything, I can help. I will not judge you or think strangely of you regardless of what you tell me. In fact, I will do everything I can to prove I am wrong if what you say happens to clash with what I currently believe. Humility, open-mindedness and a non-judgmental spirit are the hallmarks of a true friend. May you find many in life.

Happy travels!

Finding the Willpower to Overcome Depression

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There are times of depression when our willpower just won’t cooperate, even though our minds and emotions might be in the right place. What is the secret for finding the willpower to live consciously? I have read several articles about how to use willpower most effectively once you have it. However, what do you do when you don’t have it and are just in a muddle? After all, it takes some willpower to seek willpower. It takes some willpower to do anything. Do we have to just be at the mercy of our will all the time? Obviously, there are not any easy answers to these questions, if there are any answers at all. However, here are some thoughts from personal experience:

  1. Find whatever small amount of willpower you do have and use it. Willpower is like any muscle in your body. The more you exercise and stretch it, the stronger and more flexible it will become. Maybe all you can find the willpower to do is to take a deep breath. Do that. Maybe you can put on a momentary smile. Do that. After each small thing you do, check in with yourself to see what you can do next. Don’t put a guilt trip on your willpower to do more than it is able, and then loathe yourself when it does not conform. This will only increase your despondency.
  2. Once you have coaxed your willpower to start doing small things that don’t tax its strength, create a new opportunity (NEW OP). In a previous post, I talked about how to create a NEW OP, which stands for nap, exercise, water, organize, and pray, all in 1-2 minute intervals. Of course, this step doesn’t have to be done; just monitor your willpower and see what it needs.
  3. Post something helpful or inspiring to hopefully prevent the same depression from happening again in the near future. This could be a quote, a short blog post, a Scripture verse, or anything else that works and could be done in a picture frame or on the desktop of your computer. Sometimes for me, reading one of my previous blog posts can be the most relevant option.
  4. Continue living in the present. Depression usually overtakes me when I allow myself to live in the past or the future. Both of these areas of time are useful for living fully in the present. However, there is a fine line between evaluating the past and living in the past. There is also a fine line between planning for the future and living in the future. If I can center my awareness on just being in the moment in which I find myself, I have the best chance of warding off depression, especially if I am living in appointed times by faith.

Lately, I have been battling a lot of depression, most of which is coming from existential questions. I believe being mindful of these strategies will allow me to both find answers as well as live consciously now. I agree with Socrates that, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” However, me must all find a way to examine our life while living in reality and avoid paralysis by analysis.

A Month of Perfect Alignment

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This next month I am going to focus on maintaining perfect body alignment, given my current limitations. This is something I already do focus on a good bit, but I have been getting a bit lax lately. One problem I have been having is finding a good balance between holding myself in the best alignment I can and totally relaxing. If I don’t maintain perfect alignment, my back generally feels worse. However, if I engage my muscles too much, that can produce stress, which affects my wrists and arms. Here are my general objectives to constantly maintain:

  • Engage the abs at least moderately. This supports my lower back and can prevent pain from spreading south.
  • Keep pelvis close to neutral. Sometimes I want to tip it back farther than neutral because it makes my back look a bit straighter, but I don’t think this is necessarily healthy and it can also cause stress in the back.
  • Mildly engage the trapezius muscles. This doesn’t have to be excessive, but I should always feel a slight pull back there. The right trap should pull down and to the left, while the left pulls down and to the right.
  • Keep feet parallel. Whether sitting or standing, it is best to keep the feet parallel to each other most of the time.
  • Externally rotate both legs. This means to engage the leg muscles so that the feet want to point outwards. However, the feet should not be allowed to move.
  • When bending down to get something, do a forward bend or a squat. I want to not do something in-between, because that type of oblique motion generally makes my back feel worse.
  • Keep chin tucked and head back. Making a double-chin is good for this. The head should be pulled straight back, not up at all.

The challenge for this month is of course not just doing these things, but maintaining them at all times. In order for this challenge to be successful 24/7, I want to be diligent with doing all my stretches and exercises every day.

Up next: Evaluation of my Month of Orderly Surroundings.

Humility

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I believe the highest virtue a person can possess is humility. However, what do I mean by the word humility? Humility is the opposite of pride. I define pride as not realizing one’s own nature, which for humans would necessarily imply acknowledging the possibility of being wrong. With that underscored, here are what I consider incorrect statements about humility.

  1. Humility means devaluing your opinion. No, you can be humble while having very strong opinions about any and all subjects.
  2. Humility means thinking everyone is better than you. No, you can reckon yourself to have superior reasoning or technical skills than someone else and still be humble.
  3. Humility means denying the virtues you possess. No, you can tell other people that you are humble and still be humble. I view myself as humble and I don’t hesitate to say that.

Humility as I define it is simply being aware of who you really are. I happen to know that I am not infallible (and I tend to think everyone else isn’t either) and so being humble principally means that I admit I could be wrong about anything. This includes my views on religion, science, politics, philosophy, relationships, and any other possible category. I have strong views in all of these areas and I don’t think I am wrong (or I wouldn’t believe as I do) but I do think that I could possibly be wrong.

Humility is an easier virtue to acquire if you have had some beliefs that you used to believe adamantly but then later realized were completely indefensible. Once this has happened in one area, as it did for me, it makes it much easier to be honest with yourself that you just can’t say for sure, even though you may hold strong beliefs.

Humility is a very simple concept but I am amazed at how many people lack it. Why is it so hard to say, “I am not 100% sure; I could be wrong”? Humility does not equate to skepticism, which usually implies extreme incredulity except when there is undeniable evidence. You can be humble and believe whatever you want; you just have to honestly admit that you could be mistaken.

I could be mistaken about the existence of an eternal mind. I could be mistaken about the reality of an afterlife. And if it is possible that I could be mistaken about those things, it is possible that I could be mistaken about anything.

Embracing the concept that you could be wrong about anything can be a very frightening proposition. However, the amazing thing about embracing humility is how much it liberates you. When you truly know yourself, you can finally experience the joy of asking questions without presuppositions. You can respect and learn from the beliefs and opinions of every person you come in contact with. You can embark upon the ultimate challenge of seeking knowledge.

Is there such a thing as ‘wrong’ music?

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Very divisive attitudes can arise in relation to music, especially in church settings. On the one side, those who more or less accept all music often view those who disagree as ignorant legalists. On the other side, those who think some music is acceptable and some is not are apt to view those who accept all music as, at best, deceived, and at worst, worshiping the devil.

To approach this topic, two words need to be defined: ‘wrong’ and ‘music.’ I defined what music is in an earlier post, and I want to clarify here that I am talking about the style of the music, not the lyrics. Those are very important as well, but not what is being discussed here. What does ‘wrong’ mean? As I concluded in my post on morality, I think it would be better to replace the word ‘wrong’ into one of its usual components, such as contrary to human flourishing, contrary to the Bible, or contrary to logic and reasoning, instead of conflating it into something about which no one is in agreement. So, I want to look at music in reference to those three specific categories I just mentioned.

First, is some music contrary to human flourishing? The only way to comment on this would be to argue that certain combinations of sounds or frequencies were unhealthy in some way. This is something that is not clear and is something on which opinions should be reserved until indisputable scientific research is forthcoming. Heavy metal music is probably targeted the most for producing suicidal thoughts or actions, but it can have benefits as well if you value them, such as independent thinking and a sense of belonging. To me, the only clear health risk for any type of music is the decibel level. Sustained exposure to volume levels greater than 90 decibels is linked to hearing loss. For some more interesting thoughts, check out this article.

Second, is some music contrary to Biblical commands or principles? While the Bible mentions several different instruments and styles of music, it does not directly condemn any as wrong. People have used the incident with the golden calf to say some music is bad, where Joshua and Moses liken the musical style coming from the camp of Israel to the sound of war and revelry, respectively (Exodus 32:17-18). However, is war or revelry always a bad thing? Some might argue so, but it seems strained to state that categorically. I generally lean to the side of not imposing something as a general rule that is easily questionable, as this subject is.

Third, is some music contrary to logic and reasoning? Since lyrics are not being considered, it is hard to think of any sound as being illogical or against reason; this is something that is usually reserved for language and thought. However, music does have the ability to greatly affect how we think, and so I suppose in this sense, it could be said to enhance logic and reasoning or discredit them. There have been some studies that suggest certain types of classical music will allow you to think more clearly, but I think these should be taken with a grain of salt. There are certainly many very smart individuals who listen to other styles of music or no music at all.

As far as my opinion is concerned, I don’t label any style of music as wrong, bad, or destructive. I find it much more helpful to focus on what, very broadly speaking, a style of music is communicating (although this could be different for different cultures) and make sure the music played in a particular venue is appropriate for the occasion. Love, anger, rebellion, joy, peace, angst, and sorrow are all emotions music can communicate and none of these emotions are intrinsically bad. However, they may not be always appropriate for a specific occasion or with certain lyrics.

Music is one of the most accessible pathways to experiencing transcendence. Let’s not rob this of others by criticizing or demeaning the music they listen to without very good reason. Our tastes and opinions on this matter will differ, and polite discussion on this topic is healthy, but I believe erring on the side of allowing freedom in this area is the wiser choice. The only thing in music that I am definitely opposed to has nothing to do with style but rather with volume. It is better not to be around sounds above 90 decibels if one can avoid it.