tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18131856867748834002024-03-13T22:04:23.343-07:00Explore A Bit MoreEclectic adventures in food, physics, spirituality, photography and, of course, the mountains and desertAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02260017465845457855noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813185686774883400.post-83911580657095113822015-01-14T18:14:00.000-08:002015-01-14T18:41:33.574-08:00Avawatz Mountain and McCullough Mountain<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p>Much like us, mountains often seem to have personalities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the very least, each mountain has its own distinctive feel, with there being a veritably infinite set of variations amongst the mountains out there. Sounds
crazy, but it seems like many people who spend some time in the
mountains, come away saying something similar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But, have you ever had that experience where you see somebody in photos,
or hear about a person through third parties, but when you finally meet them in
person, they seem quite different from what you expected and built up in your mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More rarely,
some folks turn out to be almost exactly what you expected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the Christmas break, I went on a road
trip that involved hiking two different desert peaks - Avawatz Mountain outside
Baker, California and McCullough Mountain just over the border in Nevada - that
were fine examples of both scenarios.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Avawatz turned out to be different than what I had
expected for a few reasons, starting with the drive in to the “trailhead”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The guidebook talks about what sounds to be
an easy-to-reach 2wd trailhead and a 4wd trailhead that is further in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 2wd trailhead is at the base of the
mountains at what's called Mormon Springs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The hike from there is around 13 miles rough trip and perhaps close to
4,000 feet of gain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Depending on how far
you can make it up the 4wd road section, the hike could be as short as six
miles round trip, with considerably less gain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well, apparently, things have changed since the guide book was
written.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, based on other reports
I have read, something must have changed in the past couple years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 4wd road was gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, I mean gone, like obliterated, an
apparent victim of flash flooding, which left only a rutted out wash instead,
with no trace of the old road remaining.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Even the 2wd road was rougher than anticipated and one section stymied
me on two attempts in my 4wd 4runner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
could have probably eventually made it through, even with my balding tires, but
I get nervous with stuff like that when I am solo, so I ended up parking about
a mile shy of the 2wd parking, making for a 15 mile day and roughly 5000' of
gain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">All this turned out to be advantageous when it came to
the photography, though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I started
out for the peak in the morning, a little ways down in the desert was THE place
to be, as the sun came out for a beautiful sunrise light-show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The morning lighting was so moody and
colorful and the hillsides of Avawatz Mountains were also briefly lit up with wonderful,
pastel-like hues of color.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After roughly
a mile of soaking in this amazing light, I entered the canyon leading into the
mountains. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This timing was perfect
because the sky and lighting got pretty bleak once the sunrise was over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although the canyon portion wasn’t the
mindless, easy stroll up a road I was expecting, it was still rather pleasant,
albeit a bit more tiring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some parts of
the wash were a bit messy and rough, but many stretches were sandy and pleasant
enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love the feelings of these
desert canyons at times. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They seem like
a magical place - focal points for the mysterious energy of the desert.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Sometimes, I swear you can almost feel a timeless, serene energy reverberating off the canyon walls, especially so when they are glowing golden in a late afternoon light. </span>What I guess was a raven, maybe a hawk, would occasionally fly by, squawking over me with that
classic sound you often hear in a movie with a desert scene.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's mysterious call would echo off the canyon walls. It reminded me
of that scene in the The Doors movie when Morrison wanders off in the desert, minus the hallucinations since I wasn’t on Peyote myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">After a few miles in the canyon, I found myself at the small,
abandoned radio tower of sorts along the ridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Shortly before this spot, I was able to pick the old road back up where
it climbs out of the canyon putting a safe distance between itself and the flash
flooding below.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From the tower, I
followed the road as it contoured around to the hillsides on the far side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I picked a semi-random spot to leave the road
and gain the ridgeline, but not before meeting the crux of the route.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This consists of a steep hillside with white
cliffs, which was now towering in front of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It mostly looked like it would be a bit tiring, but I could see obvious ways around the cliffs, so I
wasn’t too worried about them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact,
it wasn’t too bad overall. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just took
my time and next thing I knew I was on top and starting out along the ridgeline
to Avawatz.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This portion was pretty long
too, but I had some amazing clouds to gaze at and occupy my mind as I strolled
along.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The clouds looked surreal: popcorn shaped puffs, forming checkerboard like patterns off to the
horizon in both directions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was lucky
to have these clouds spice up an otherwise bleak, gray sky. In addition, the timing of my arrival at the summit was rather fortuitous, in that all the clouds and bleak lighting I had since after sunrise, mostly
cleared up right after I got there, leaving me crisp, clear vistas with just
the right amount of clouds to spice up the view.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Some of the remaining popcorn-puff clouds left a checkerboard like pattern of shadows across the desert floor to the East. </span>I rested for some time, took photos, snacked
and soaked in the views as much as I could before starting down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the hike back down was
uneventful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I enjoyed snapping photos of
the hillsides on the way down, which were now vibrant and colorful with the
bright, clear afternoon light.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I got
back to the car, I enjoyed a beer and relaxed in the back of the 4runner cooking
up some dinner – black bean soup with a can of chicken thrown in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A pretty tasty meal for a hungry hiker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After dinner I packed up all my stuff and
slowly made my way down the rough road and on to McCullough Mountain.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">McCullough Mountain turned out to be almost exactly what
I expected and built up on my mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Right from the drive in, McCullough felt a bit familiar, despite never having
the pleasure of meeting this mountain in person before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was roughly eight miles of dirt road to
get to the start of the hike near Pine Springs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This road was in considerably better condition than the road to Avawatz and the miles went by quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> There were still some rough spots, but at least I could get above 10 mph quite often, unlike with Avawatz where I felt like my speedometer was on zero most of the time. </span>I took a few
night sky photos on the way in, but between it not being the season for Milky
Way photos and the moon being out I had a hard time getting a nice photograph
of our galaxy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still though, I did get
one, or two, of the dirt road and Joshua trees with a nice star-covered
sky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With it already being dark and my long hike
earlier in the day, I retired to the back of the 4Runner for a good night’s
sleep shortly after I arrived.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">It was awfully cold when I started the hike to McCullough
the next morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the kind of
cold where I felt like I had to keep moving just to avoid going hypothermic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried to stop and take a few photos of the
morning light as the sun began to rise, but my fingers were stinging and going numb
almost instantly, accompanied by rather intense shivering. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All this initially made photography a particularly
unpleasant activity, resulting in only a couple photos of marginal
quality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, once that sun started to
rise, it warmed up really, really fast and next thing I knew I was removing a
few layers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">McCullough has a reputation of being a navigation, or orienteering,
challenge and right from the start I could tell it would live up to this
reputation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not even real obvious
you are hiking into actual mountains in the beginning, let alone having a visible
summit, or high point, you can aim for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Initially, McCullough
is hidden behind an intervening ridgeline covered in many similar looking hill
tops, or high points.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really, it looks
like you’re just hiking into a jumble of bushy, desert hillsides, with all
directions looking the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are many
washes to choose from and no real clear high point of reference that makes one
more appealing to take than the other, in so far as being sure it’s taking you
in a direction towards the actual highpoint of the range.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A topo map and compass would make all this
easier, but even that would be challenging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Luckily, I cheated and downloaded a pre-planned route I came up with into
my GPS and mindlessly followed that to the top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Although, having my GPS fail on me more than once before when I needed
it, I was at least smart enough to vigilantly make note of my surroundings in
case I had to hike back without any electronic assistance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Overall, the hike was very pleasant, much of which
involved hiking up sandy tree-lined washes while being bathed in the warm,
golden early-morning sunlight and listening to birds chirp some morning
song.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently, the mountain is extremely
popular with cows, as there were cattle tracks all over often forming a clear herd
path.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At first, I thought of the old saying,
“follow the cows home”, in the event that my GPS actually did die, but it soon
became clear cows had been up and down every canyon I came across, leaving
there tracks unhelpful in choosing which way to go. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe all the tracks were a result of them
getting lost in this maze of pine, creosote and sage. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It didn't take long to get to the summit and I think I was on top before 9AM, enjoying the
views off into every direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could
see Las Vegas peeking out behind some intervening hillsides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It sure looked tiny from my comparatively lofty
vantage point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could also see the
massive solar power plant near state-line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not too long into my stay I heard some cows that were making quite a
racket down in the canyon I had just hiked up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On my way down, I noticed that it looked like
a family consisting of an adult female, two calves and an ever-watchful bull that
let me know I better steer (no pun-intended) clear as he let out some loud bellows that echoed
across the canyon. When I finally made eye-contact with him, he reminded me of
a neighbor’s dog back home who would always give the obligatory warning barks, but
you could tell by the look in his eye and the energy he gave off that he was
relaxed with no real desire to come after you. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>He just had to do what a guard dog is supposed
to do, that is, bark at strangers. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Likewise with this Bull.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I kept to the far side of the canyon to
be safe, which suddenly didn’t seem as wide as it did before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe I made more of a big deal out of this
than I needed to, but tank-sized animals with large horns making loud bellowing
noises always make me a little nervous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I had a nice lunch along the crest of the intervening
ridgeline that was about halfway between my car and the summit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I wasn’t sitting quite where I
thought I was sitting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turns out that section
of ridgeline looked just like a saddle I still needed to cross over to get into
the correct wash that heads back to my car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, even with the GPS in hand, I still managed to not traverse over to
the saddle like I should have, instead dropping down too early and heading down
the entirely wrong canyon!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily I
caught my mistake after not too long, but it still left me with an extra couple
hundred feet of hillside I had to now climb back up, so I could cross back over into
the correct canyon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Consulting a topo map l</span>ater on, I noticed
the canyon I took by accident would have taken me pretty far from
my car if I had not caught my error.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
would have found myself standing at the foothills of the McCullough Mountain
range with over a mile of intervening ridgelines and washes between me and my car and wondering where the hell I was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, luckily that didn’t happen and I arrived
back at my car for a celebratory beer to toast off a couple of nice, adventurous
days in the desert.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02260017465845457855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813185686774883400.post-83815988701634856362014-10-12T12:12:00.000-07:002014-10-21T13:06:28.970-07:00Colosseum Mountain via Sawmill Pass, September 18th, 2014<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">The eastern escarpment of the Sierra Nevada is an impressive geological feature, rising from the desert floor of Owens Valley around 4500' feet in elevation all the way up to granite spires towering some 10,000 feet above at elevations exceeding 14,000' feet in spots. Today, most of the trail heads are reached on paved roads that climb into the mountains some distance, giving the hiker an advantage of starting their trip at anywhere between 7000' and 10,000' feet in elevation. However, there are still a handful of trails that start all the way down on the hot, parched desert floor, before climbing up and over the Sierra crest at what's called one of the High Passes. Four notable such trails are the Shepherd's Pass Trail, Taboose Pass Trail, Baxter Pass Trail and Sawmill Pass Trail. I've always wanted to get over each of these passes and my goal for this trip was to climb Colosseum Mountain via the Sawmill Pass Trail - a trip of around 24 miles and roughly 8500' of gain.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xC9ai3k0iQ4/VDl1xEspjDI/AAAAAAAABeI/BZgAoBz5s-g/s1600/i-Lz8bgMH-XL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xC9ai3k0iQ4/VDl1xEspjDI/AAAAAAAABeI/BZgAoBz5s-g/s1600/i-Lz8bgMH-XL.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Eastern Aspect of the Sierra Nevada Near The Whitney Region - as seen during a hike of Mount Inyo (and Keynot)</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">As some readers of my blog may know I've been fighting a stubborn, chronic ankle injury that started out as slight degeneration of the tendon and bursa and turned into who knows what. It's been slowly getting better over the years, but until now I have been unable to build up the fitness and acclimatization to take on a day hike like Colosseum Mountain. What finally got me over the hump was practicing Yoga, which seems to be keeping the chronic irritation at bay, if not curing it altogether. I'm happy to say my ankle did great this day, with no ill effects. Namaste! ;-)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">I started my journey the night before, driving up to the trail head with plans to spend the night and get an early morning start. An early morning start is an absolute requirement for these trails. Temperatures on the desert floor can be in excess of 100 degrees, which is no way to start a long, steep and waterless climb into the mountains. I arrived at the trailhead on a dark, moonless night and got out of my car to scope out where the trail started. Right away I started hearing some strange noises that sure sounded like something big walking around a ways off in the desert. It creeped me out a bit, but turned out to only be something flapping around in the wind on the big wilderness sign that I <i>thought </i>marked the beginning of the trail - a mistake, as I found out the following morning. Feeling better and having that settled, I climbed back in my car for a few hours sleep.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">I woke up to my alarm at 2:45 AM and had what's lately been my breakfast of champions before a hike - my favorite cinnamon cereal with 3 scoops of Hemp Protein powder and vanilla flavored almond milk. It's a small, light feeling breakfast, but provides energy for quite some time. I finished that, put on my hiking boots, grabbed my pack which was already good to go from preparations the night before and headed out on what I thought was the trail. Unfortunately, this petered out very quickly, leaving me traveling cross country across the desert floor, weaving around creosote and sage and hopping over rocks. Not an encouraging start to this hike. Thankfully, I had brought my GPS, but initially mixed up two different tracks on there. One was an accurate Google Earth track and one was an approximate topo map track. After some time, I finally figured out which was the right track and used it to gain the trail. Not an auspicious start!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Soon, the trail started to steeply climb up the desert hillside at the base of the mountains. It was very dark and I couldn't make out much of my surroundings, which made for a quiet, meditative climb in the cool air and rhythmic pace I had set, with the only thing in my visual field being the small patch of ground my headlamp was lighting up. The only thing to disturb the mood were coyotes howling off in the distance. Sometimes they would sound close and sometimes far away. I couldn't help but wonder if it was a couple different packs howling at each other, just like when a bark-fest gets set off between all the dogs in our neighborhood at home. If you have ever heard coyotes howl they can have an eerie sound and feeling to them at times. I think this might have been the first thing that set me off on a bit of a funk. The next thing that did was that it began feeling like I was making zero progress getting out of the desert and into the mountains, despite the amount of hard work already being put into this hike. My legs muscles were already burning and I was feeling a little over exerted for so early on in the hike. It was about this time I also started to realize the smokey smell I noticed back at the car was smoke from a forest fire that blew in during the night. As I got a little higher, I was able to tell Owens Valley was covered in a blanket of smoke. Suddenly, I started to wonder if I should even be working out in this as much as I already had, let alone go in for the long haul to Colosseum Mountain. More to add to my funk!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">I kept going and finally made it to a section where if feels like one has finally entered the mountains, as the trail rounds a corner and traverses into Sawmill Canyon. The trail drops down a little ways to the stream coming down the canyon. Here, the trail goes through a moderately wooded section and it was very dark in here and bushy in spots. I think because of my funk I already had going, I felt a little vulnerable and nervous hiking through here and a bit more on alert for animals (or, even the boogeyman!) than usual. It was by this time that I started to feel the remote and secluded nature of this trail for the first time and it just seemed like a perfect place to run into some wild life like a mountain lion. On the positive side, I did get a second wind here and felt better hiking up the steep trail. Also, I got the impression that the smoke was clearing some, being the most dense down in the valley. After not too long, I could see the first signs of light from the coming day. The predawn, early morning light greeted me as I slowly climbed out of the wooded area and I felt like the Sun and I were both climbing out of a darkness, one that was filled with all the negative feelings I had on the way up, but all of which were purged by the coming daylight.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ijKTLk1mGDo/VDqx6OepYQI/AAAAAAAABec/Ohc2o_6fWVc/s1600/01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ijKTLk1mGDo/VDqx6OepYQI/AAAAAAAABec/Ohc2o_6fWVc/s1600/01.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Rising From The Darkness</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Light That Rescued Me From The Darkness</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">It wasn't too long from here that I finally made it to one of the minor goals along the way - Sawmill Meadow. The meadow also had a bit of an eerie feel to it, as well, but mainly due to a sky mixed with smoke and some dark clouds. There was a fall color on the ground, with the green being long gone during this very dry year. I was also a bit dismayed by what I saw at the head of the meadow, which was a rather substantial uphill that had to be tackled to get to the next milestone of Sawmill Lake. My second wind was petering out a bit so I had a snack here and slowly headed out towards Sawmill Lake.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uLhqSLYWiF4/VDqzumxq-zI/AAAAAAAABes/6hG7dYxN2kU/s1600/03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uLhqSLYWiF4/VDqzumxq-zI/AAAAAAAABes/6hG7dYxN2kU/s1600/03.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sawmill Meadow</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Following The Trail Above Sawmill Meadow</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">When I got to Sawmill Lake I started to feel like I made some serious progress, as I was now about 7 miles in and had around 5,500 feet of gain out of the way, leaving around 5 miles and some 3000' of gain to the summit. However, I felt like I was hitting a wall again. Admittedly, I did not go into this hike with the optimum level of fitness I would normally like to have, or should have, and I was definitely feeling it. I started to consider and even become open to the idea that I might only try for the pass, which would make for a great hike in and of itself. I just didn't see how I was going to make the peak at this point. While thinking about all this, I filtered some water, refilled my water bottles and had another snack. After fueling up and resting for a bit, I started out again for the pass.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ECPeHrUd4tw/VDq4mxgXdhI/AAAAAAAABfA/A7SoWs6NB5c/s1600/05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ECPeHrUd4tw/VDq4mxgXdhI/AAAAAAAABfA/A7SoWs6NB5c/s1600/05.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sawmill Lake</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7QclYfNQcO8/VDq9hkmkFNI/AAAAAAAABfY/l4SGFFkvPmE/s1600/IMG_7575-copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7QclYfNQcO8/VDq9hkmkFNI/AAAAAAAABfY/l4SGFFkvPmE/s1600/IMG_7575-copy.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Old Kitchen Set at Sawmill Lake</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">At first, I thought the pass was at a low point to the left of lake in the background, but it actually headed to what looked like a higher point to the right. The going was a bit steeper and more tiring than it first appeared from the lake. I still felt like I was hitting a wall and one dark corner of my mind was even trying to make me give up on the pass, but no way I was going to give in to that. I trudged on. The pass itself sort of snuck up on me, because next thing I knew I was staring at the big sign at the pass itself and the Sierra Nevada opened up before my eyes out to the West. This whole area on the back of the pass had a remote, wild and pristine feel to it. One advantage to these grueling trails is that one is guaranteed to see few, if any, people in these parts. So far, I had had the entire mountain range to myself, or so it seemed to me, which just added to the ambiance. There were also some moody clouds floating around adding to the scenery.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sawmill Pass, Colosseum Col Is The Low Point In Distance Just Above Sign On Left. The Ridge Partially Lit Up By Sunlight and Rising To The Right Leads to Colosseum Mountain, Still Out Of Sight</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Heading Out From Sawmill Pass</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">My strategy for the whole day was to just take my time, make sure I never got my heart rate up too high, or my breathing too labored, no matter how slow it meant I had to go. I think this strategy worked out in the end, because I felt a wee bit rejuvenated a few minutes after I got to the pass. With 9 miles and almost 7000' feet of gain done, I knew I got the majority of the work done for reaching the summit of Colosseum Mountain. But still, Colosseum Col looked far away and the peak was still out of sight and I now I had some trail-less cross country travel plus what promised to be a bit of a loose, steep scramble up Colosseum. But, my newly-found energy and the beautiful landscape beckoned me on. I had to see what what was over there and I didn't want to give up while I still had something left in me, so I started out again towards the Col, which was my new "baby step" towards reaching the actual peak. I was also relieved to see that the smoke was pretty much gone by now. I really enjoyed this part going across the small valley towards the Col. Some views opened up into Woods Lake Basin as the Sierra Nevada stretched out further with some tall, remote peaks towering in the distance. There were many animal prints through here and I came across one bear print that had such interesting and almost human looking toes that I joked with myself about it being a Sasquatch print.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sasquatch Print!?</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">After a mile, or so, of weaving around small rock walls and strolling across a few easy meadowy stretches, I reached a small lake near the base of Colosseum Mountain. I refilled my water bottles and refueled one more time. I wasn't far from the Col at this point, but it looked like a nice amount of boulder hopping to reach it. Meanwhile, the slopes just above the lake didn't look too bad and there was even a rib that looked like it might offer some Class 2-3 scrambling, thereby avoiding any loose, sandy stuff. So, I made the decision to head up here and it worked out pretty well. It was steep and tiring, but I stuck with my strategy of strictly pacing myself at a speed that didn't over-exert. Slowly, but surely, I made my way up this steepest part and onto some gentler slopes above that passed one false summit and brought the true summit into view. It was during this part that I saw the only people I encountered the entire day. Two people were over at the Col and starting up Colosseum Mountain shortly after me. I got a bit annoyed, because I really enjoy getting into the moment on these isolated peaks by myself and on my own wavelength. But, it did sound nice to say Hi and see how these guys made there way up here and if they were backpacking, or not. However, it sounds like a lot of people are surprised to find out the Western summit is the higher one, because on your way up, the Eastern summit definitely does look higher. In fact, I still have my doubts about all this. I headed up the Western summit and found the register marking it as the "official" high point, but the Eastern summit still looked higher. In fact, a small tower on the North Ridge even looked a few feet higher. Ah well, I was too tired to care and I know these kinds of things can play tricks with the eye, so I felt satisfied just reaching the one with the register and I wasn't about to go explore the other spots. Anyhow, either the guys got tricked, or they decided to visit the Eastern one first, giving me my solitude on the summit. Actually, it was only one guy now, as I never did see his partner again. Perhaps, he/she decided to forgo the summit. After signing the register and snapping a few photos, I remembered the pizza that I had brought and became absolutely ravenous for it. That made for one tasty snack! I should have brought a napkin though, because I kept getting tomato sauce on my hands and having to wipe it off on my pants. I was going to make for a nice smelling treat if I ran into that Sasquatch on the way down! I took a few photos and reveled in the views for a bit, while also feeling a bit relieved that the rest was mostly downhill, even if it was roughly 12 miles of it!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Colosseum Mountain Summit View</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Colosseum Mountain Summit View</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Colosseum Mountain Summit View</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">I started down and got back to that steep part right when my legs suddenly started to feel extremely tired and wobbly. It was looser and more treacherous coming down so I had to go real slow to maintain safe footing and not slip and hurt myself. I got back down to the lake and rested one more time before heading back to Sawmill Pass. I made my way through this part enjoying an apple as I walked and soaked in the views. Before getting back to the pass I had about 400' of gain I had to get out of the way. I started to hit a wall again, but I just went really slow, taking on only like 10-50' feet of walking at a time, before resting again. It took awhile, but I eventually made it back to the pass. I didn't stop long because now I was on a mission to get back. I reached Sawmill lake again and then Sawmill Meadow. After descending for what seemed like <i>forever</i>, I was greeted by a rather discouraging view. I could now see down to the valley floor, which looked like a LONG ways down still. My car was down there and off to the left, still out of view. I also was getting low on water, but not wanting to filter again, so I just grabbed some unfiltered out of the stream in my one empty bottle. If I really needed it, I could always filter it out of the bottle later. I kept heading down, my knees doing good, but starting to get sore. I neared the desert slopes again as I took in the view of the impressive granite cliffs making up the far side of Sawmill canyon down here. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Owens Valleys (and my car) Are Still A Long Ways Down!</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Granite Cliffs Along The Trail</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">After a few small uphills traversing out of the canyon and back onto what I keep referring to as the desert portion of the climb, I could finally see the part of Owens Valley where I was parked. It looked far away still, being 2-3 miles distant yet. But, the end was in sight! The day was growing late at this point and the Sun was beginning to set behind the mountains. Long shadows of the Sierra were beginning to stretch across the Valley floor and the late afternoon light was giving the landscape before me a golden hue. It was so peaceful. The only sounds were my sandy footsteps and crickets chirping all along the trail. The air was getting cool and the shade felt welcome. Unfortunately, my knees were aching at this point, with every downhill step being quite painful. I just zoned out as much as I could and enjoyed the views without trying to get in too much of a rush to get back. Next thing I knew I was down on the flatter terrain, crossing the last stretch of desert back to my car, which made for a welcome sight. This part was quite a bit easier when you're on an actual trail too, unlike earlier in the morning! I opened the hatch of my car and grabbed a nice, cold coconut water I had brought for this moment and sat down, feeling fully relaxed and spent. I wasn't sure if one mountain I was looking at was Colosseum, or not, but it looked really far up there! An adventurous and rewarding day!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-29WhvEMaYeM/VDrK0X2L2lI/AAAAAAAABg0/-__acpYxVKc/s1600/14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-29WhvEMaYeM/VDrK0X2L2lI/AAAAAAAABg0/-__acpYxVKc/s1600/14.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hiking Back Down Into Owens Valley</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rA53vB43shQ/VEa8hj8PG9I/AAAAAAAABhE/J8Gq3UujXdw/s1600/Z998%2B-%2BColosseum%2BMountain%2BTopo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rA53vB43shQ/VEa8hj8PG9I/AAAAAAAABhE/J8Gq3UujXdw/s1600/Z998%2B-%2BColosseum%2BMountain%2BTopo.JPG" height="510" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Colosseum Topo Map</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02260017465845457855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813185686774883400.post-52366517526729523952014-10-09T16:47:00.002-07:002014-10-10T10:03:03.734-07:00Time Symmetric Quantum Mechanics<div class="moz-text-plain" lang="x-western" wrap="true">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Practically a century ago, Albert Einstein challenged the advent of Quantum Mechanics, perhaps most well-known through the phrase "God does not play dice with the Universe". Today I want to provide a short, cursory introduction to my favorite flavor of Quantum Mechanics, which provides an answer to why God might want to play dice with the Universe, as well as provide interesting insight into Free Will. Let's start by looking at what the two main branches of physics - classical mechanics and quantum mechanics - have to say about the nature of reality.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Classical Mechanics consists of the physics (electromagnetism, celestial mechanics, etc) which describe the macroscopic world. One key characteristic of the physical laws in this domain is that they are deterministic in nature. Given a set of initial conditions, one can predict future trajectories. In addition, objects are considered to have precise historical trajectories. The classic example is billiard balls. Given some initial force by the que stick in a given direction, one can determine exactly where those balls will end up. The billiard balls also had precise historical trajectories along the way, in that they followed a definite path at a definite speed across the pool table. So, what does this say about free will? If we are just large collections of molecules, which were set in motion at the beginning of the Universe (amongst many, many other molecules), we're all just like those billiard balls bouncing around. All our actions and thoughts are <span style="font-family: inherit;">pre</span>-determined by the initial conditions of the Universe, which leaves zero room for Free Will. Not looking promising so far, but let's move on to Quantum Theory. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7mo9xgi0zZ0/VDcYLKYsZmI/AAAAAAAABc8/toMaFUqtcEc/s1600/24854-quantum-mechanics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7mo9xgi0zZ0/VDcYLKYsZmI/AAAAAAAABc8/toMaFUqtcEc/s1600/24854-quantum-mechanics.jpg" height="250" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Quantum Mechanics (QM) is an altogether different story and a very exotic place. A simple example is a quantum particle which has only two spin states - spin-up and spin-down. (Spin is equivalent to a top spinning, or even the Earth rotating, but in QM spin states are quantized, or restricted, to certain values) Classically, one would expect the physics to be able to predict whether one would get spin-up or spin-down upon measurement. Instead, QM says the best one can do, even in principle, is predict the probability of what one will get upon measurement. For a physicist who is used to being able to precisely predict outcomes, this can be a bit disconcerting, which is partly why Einstein said "God does not play dice with the Universe". Perhaps even more troubling than the probabilistic nature of the predictions is that before measurement the particles are considered to be in a superposition of spin-up and spin-down, which would seem insane in the classical world. This applies even to the particles position, meaning they do not have well-defined historical trajectories. As unfounded and strange as this all sounds, it is well verified over the past century via experiment. So, what does this say about free will? QM still presents us with an undesirable picture for free will. Here, we have a set of potential outcomes where multiple actions, or thoughts, might be possible, but they are completely left up to chance. Whether you got the bacon crisp or avocado burger for lunch was not your choice, but rather left up to the "flip of a coin", perhaps in your neurons.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XVbz5BrI9eU/VDcYR38LfSI/AAAAAAAABdE/kZb6mamhhAY/s1600/dice.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XVbz5BrI9eU/VDcYR38LfSI/AAAAAAAABdE/kZb6mamhhAY/s1600/dice.png" height="320" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This probabilistic nature of Quantum Mechanics has been an area of great debate and intense study for the past century. Why would reality take on such a bizarre nature? Anyhow, this is how it would all seem ... so far. This is what the two big pictures in physics seem to say about the nature of reality at first glance. Let's take a look at Time Symmetric Quantum Mechanics (TSQM) and see how things change. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Both areas of physics above assume that time is solely linear, flowing from past to present to future. If A happens before B and B happens before C, then what happens at A can effect B and C, and what happens at B can effect C. But, what happens at C will never effect what happens at B and A, and what happens at B will never effect what happens at A. This is cause and effect as we normally view things. TSQM mixes things up a b<span style="font-family: inherit;">it</span>, but in very subtle ways. Standard quantum mechanics has a wave function (the mathematical object that encodes the above mentioned probabilistic outcomes) that propagates forward in time (from A to B to C). TSQM consists of two wave functions - one propagates forward in time to the present and the other propagates from the future to the present. In other words, the outcome from a measurement obtained in the present (say, at B) depends upon information from the past (what happened at A) and the future (what will happen at C). (I would like to stress this is a very subtle type of retrocausality that in no way violates our everyday notions of cause and effect. I will get a bit more into this below). Modern experiments seem to suggest that what happens at C, can indeed effect measurement at B. See the reference links provided below.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yakir Aharonov is one of the founders of TSQM and the insights this formulation contains.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"Aharonov accepted that a particle’s past does not
contain enough information to fully predict its fate, but he wondered,
if the information is not in its past, where could it be? After all,
something must regulate the particle’s behavior. His answer—which seems
inspired and insane in equal measure—was that we cannot perceive the
information that controls the particle’s present behavior because it
does not yet exist." (*)<br /><br />“Nature is trying to tell us that there is a
difference between two seemingly identical particles with different
fates, but that difference can only be found in the future,” he says. If
we’re willing to unshackle our minds from our preconceived view that
time moves in only one direction, he argues, then it is entirely
possible to set up a deterministic theory of quantum mechanics." (*)</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In fact, Aharonov decided to mix things up and instead of making a claim like, "God does not play dice", he decided to ask a question. What advantage would there be for God <i>to </i>play dice? Is there something we are perhaps missing, that could make us realize there is a deeper reason why nature would at first appear probabilistic. As it turns out, TSQM suggests there is indeed a larger picture we are missing here. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Consider the following three principles:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">(1) Genuine Free Will </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">(2) Cause and Effect </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">(3) Retrocausality </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The first two we are well familiar with and, for the most, take for granted. The third is introduced by TSQM. At first glance, all three seem to be mutually exclusive to each other. Free will seems to be prohibited by classical and quantum theory, as discussed above. All your choices are determined, or effected by a preceding physical cause, meaning they can never be truly free (and QM alone didn't offer much help here). Retrocausality seems to contradict both. How can one have retrocausality without violating our normal notions of cause and effect? And, if there is a "destiny" out there waiting for us (let alone reaching back in time to effect the present), how can we have free will, or choose our own destiny? </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It turns out the "rolling of dice", or the probabilistic nature of Quantum Mechanics, is exactly what one needs to allow those three principles to live together! To set Einstein straight, this is why God plays dice! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Wow!! </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When taken in a larger context of a reality which allows a richer structure for spacetime, a seemingly bizarre and perhaps undesirable facet of reality suddenly becomes not only enlightening, but useful beyond our wildest imagination. Not only that, the probabilistic nature of the reality at the quantum scale seems to indirectly imply free will, even if at first glance it appears to be a stumbling block to it. In addition, for the three above-mentioned principles to exist harmoniously it would appear we need a richer view of time than our normal linear time, specifically one that allows for the type of retrocausal influence found within TSQM.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KAzxjPKYslQ/VDcZe5IiSsI/AAAAAAAABdY/sDcxcIkiSqk/s1600/Yin-Yang.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KAzxjPKYslQ/VDcZe5IiSsI/AAAAAAAABdY/sDcxcIkiSqk/s1600/Yin-Yang.png" height="200" width="200" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That these three can harmoniously exist within the framework of TSQM has been shown by physicists working in the field, although a comprehensive paper outlining the specifics is still waiting to be published. I'll try to quickly cover some of the basics of how this works and will dig into it more in a future blog post. Of course, this will be stated in terms of a scientist having free will, or free choice, over what he does and does not measure. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In a subtle fashion, Mother Nature protects free will choice from "destiny", by making it so one can never be sure if what they observe in the present is really a wave function (i.e. "destiny") propagating back in time or just error in the measurement process, which is a ramification of the type of measurement used within TSQM - weak measurements. No matter what way they have come at this problem, they cannot get around it. It is only by examining all the measurements (past-present-future) after the fact, that one is able to decipher what really happened. In this way, free choice in the present, as to what measurements one can take, are protected from these subtle retrocausal influences. Further, it has been shown that it is precisely the probabilistic nature of QM that is needed in order for (1) free will, (2) cause and effect, and (3) a subtle retrocausality, to all exist harmoniously. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As you may already know, I also explore parapsychology on this blog, so I can't help but point out that this is the kind of direction physics needs to head in to accommodate a phenomenon like psi. One type of psi experiment shows that folks seem to react (on an unconscious level) to certain stimuli 1-10 seconds before the stimuli actually happens. This is screaming for a richer view of reality, like the one presented in TSQM, which does allow information from the future to leak into the past. TSQM doesn't yet provide a mechanism for psi, but it does begin to open up a new window to reality that at least seems conducive to the existence of psi.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T8pj0HqnufI/VDcZlGMSNrI/AAAAAAAABdg/Exap1vCWIgc/s1600/Parapsychology.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T8pj0HqnufI/VDcZlGMSNrI/AAAAAAAABdg/Exap1vCWIgc/s1600/Parapsychology.jpg" height="186" width="200" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I would imagine this blog post has raised a number of questions, even if potentially providing a number of fascinating answers to some other questions. I hope to cover more in future posts I am planning to write about TSQM. Stay tuned! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">References</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://discovermagazine.com/2010/apr/01-back-from-the-future" target="_blank">(*) Discover Magazin<span style="font-family: inherit;">e: Back <span style="font-family: inherit;">From The Future</span></span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://arxiv.org/abs/0706.1232" target="_blank">(**) New Insights on Time-Symmetry in Quantum Mechanics</a> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.closertotruth.com/series/physics-free-will#video-3122" target="_blank">(***) C<span style="font-family: inherit;">loser To The Trut<span style="font-family: inherit;">h: Jeff Tollaksen</span></span></a></span></span></div>
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</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02260017465845457855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813185686774883400.post-88337480561219252092014-06-01T12:24:00.000-07:002014-06-01T12:26:00.936-07:00New Photography WebsitesHello, I have to apologize that it's been so long since I put up a new blog post. I've been dedicating most of my spare time to starting up a new photography hobby on the side. I've started a couple new websites and have been taking several trips to feed my new obsession with the Milky Way.<br />
<br />
If you like the photos below, you can see more here:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/evanthomasphoto">https://www.facebook.com/evanthomasphoto</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.evanthomasphoto.com/">http://www.evanthomasphoto.com/</a><br />
<br />
Feel free to like and share on facebook. I'd be eternally grateful for any help on getting the word out.<br />
<br />
I still managed to get two new blog posts about 98% done that I will be posting up soon. One of them is about Time Symmetric Quantum Mechanics, which offers an answer to Einstein's question on why God would play dice with the Universe. In the other I decided to tackle the meaning of life ... easy one, right? <br />
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Hope folks enjoy the photos in the meantime.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SMoWiAJf2gI/U4t9OQZSMyI/AAAAAAAABcE/FrSOiBNTgXQ/s1600/Into+The+Heart+Of+The+Inyos+-+FB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SMoWiAJf2gI/U4t9OQZSMyI/AAAAAAAABcE/FrSOiBNTgXQ/s1600/Into+The+Heart+Of+The+Inyos+-+FB.jpg" height="254" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02260017465845457855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813185686774883400.post-58553650196183588332014-02-27T12:31:00.000-08:002014-03-02T13:22:06.890-08:00Hallucinogenic Mushrooms (Psilocybin) and Ramifications For The Nature of ConsciousnessHow's that for a provocative title? As we'll see, it's not
as crazy as it sounds! In fact, this post is about a semi-recent
scientific study that was reported in Nature and Scientific American
not all that long ago.
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dHzAnq82-bA/Uw9YOM73mXI/AAAAAAAABXM/yCbglkjUSgs/s1600/magic-mushrooms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dHzAnq82-bA/Uw9YOM73mXI/AAAAAAAABXM/yCbglkjUSgs/s1600/magic-mushrooms.jpg" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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My most recent blog post before this one discussed alternative
models for the mind/brain problem, or the "<i>hard problem of
consciousnes</i>s", which attempts to answer how conscious,
subjective inner experience (i.e. qualia) can arise from unconscious
matter. These alternative models assume that consciousness is
primary and does not arise from matter. Instead, they hold that the
brain acts as an intermediary, or as a reducing valve, or filter, or
in a fashion similar to a 2-way radio transceiver. You can
poke, and prod the circuitry in a radio as much as you want looking
for the source of the transmission, but you're missing the point
until you realize the radio is not the source. The broadcast
waves exist separate and independent from the radio. It's best
to realize these are all just meant to be crude analogies to help us
start looking at the problem in a different perspective, or from a
consciousness-first perspective. So, we shouldn't take them too
far. Of course, all these analogies are opposed to the more
popular matter-first perspective, which assumes that the brain
produces consciousness, which would be the more natural assumption in
the eyes of most.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: normal;">So, the obvious question to ask
would be, </span><i>is</i><i> there any evidence that trumps one
perspective over the other?</i> At this point the answer is no.
However, lets look at what one might conclude based on each perspective.
If the brain acts more like a filter one would expect that if the
filter is "shut off" we would have unrestrained cognition,
or an enhancement in perception. Near Death Experiences seem to confirm this, but the jury is still out. On the other hand, we would
expect the opposite if the brain produces consciousness. Under
this model, the more intense the brain activity, the more intense the
conscious experience. No brain activity would mean no consciousness,
which is the materialistic view of death.<br />
<br />
Now, let's apply this to psilocybin - the chemical agent
responsible for the intense high, or the intense conscious
experience, associated with hallucinogenic mushrooms. A
study was recently done in the UK which investigated the brain
activity of folks under the influence of psilocybin. Of course,
the obvious expectation in line with the "<i>brain produces
consciousness</i>" perspective is that these guys would have their
brains lit up like Christmas Trees under fMRI scanners. On the
contrary, they found an overall reduction in brain activity, which is
in correspondence of what one would expect if the brain acted as a filter, while the psilocybin "loosened" the filter a bit.<br />
<br />
To be fair, mainstream neuroscience has come up with ideas in an
attempt to explain findings like these. One posits inhibitory
brain processes in one area allowing excitatory process to grow
unchecked elsewhere. However, there was no increased activity
found <i>anywhere </i>in the brain during the psilocybin studies.
Ultimately, the problem really comes down to the fact that all
mainstream theories are unproven and fall short of their ultimate
goal. As David Chalmers points out, we have made essentially
zero progress in the last 100 years on answering the question of how
inner conscious experience can arise from matter. Similarly,
the "<i>consciousness is primary</i>" camp isn't exactly
able to say how the brain acts as a filter, or receiver, nor can they
definitively point "out there" to some field of
consciousness.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I-JTWSxCBK8/Uw9Zxdo0v_I/AAAAAAAABXg/zvNHVJwySMc/s1600/aldous-huxley-doors-of-perception.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I-JTWSxCBK8/Uw9Zxdo0v_I/AAAAAAAABXg/zvNHVJwySMc/s1600/aldous-huxley-doors-of-perception.jpg" height="290" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
However, even the Nature and Scientific American articles
(referenced below) note the following.<br />
<br />
<i>"In his 1954 book The Doors of Perception, novelist Aldous
Huxley, who famously experimented with psychedelics, suggested that
the drugs produce a sensory deluge by opening a “reducing valve”
in the brain that normally acts to limit our perceptions." *</i><br />
<br />
<i>"The new findings are consistent with this idea, and with
the free-energy principle of brain function developed by Karl Friston
of University College London that states that the brain works by
constraining our perceptual experiences so that its predictions of
the world are as accurate as possible." *</i><br />
<br />
As hinted at in the quotes above, there could indeed be a survival
advantage to the brain acting as a filter, thereby limiting conscious
experience. One does not need to be distracted by other
ethereal realms, or angels, while being stalked by a saber tooth
tiger! The body evolves within and for efficient function in
this world, not the next.
<br />
<br />
The consciousness-first perspective also jives up with the age old
wisdom from cultures around the world. I'm currently reading a
book by Sri Aurobindo called "The Life Divine".
Aurobindo talks about the natural and ultimate state of all things,
which is referred to as Sat-chid-ananda. Sat means being,
existence, the thing that truly is. Chid means knowledge, or
the free, all-creative self awareness of the Absolute. Ananda
means Bliss, or Beatitude, or refers to the self-delight which is the
very nature of the transcendent and infinite existence. This
refers to the original state of unity, which I discuss in my <a href="http://exploreabitmore.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-middle-way-part-ii-interdependent.html" target="_blank">Middle
Way, Part II </a>blog post. The idea that Aurobindo puts forth
is that this unity is reduced into multiplicity, at least partly, by
ego consciousness. One could then view the brain as the house
of ego consciousness, or the tool which enables the ego experience,
or which filters the state of unity down into multiplicity.
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<br />
<i>How will we eventually know which perspective on consciousness
is the correct one</i>? I see this potentially playing out in
several ways. (1) A study like AWARE unambiguously shows that
consciousness can exist independent of the brain. (2) The
accumulating evidence for psi becomes undeniable and perhaps backed
up by a compelling theory. (3) Psi and spiritual experiences
become common enough amongst the population to where it will become
natural to view consciousness as more than just the brain. Or,
(4) enough experiments like the one talked about here will make the
consciousness-first perspective the more parsimonious viewpoint.
In reality, it will probably end up being an interplay of all these
factors, plus ones I did not think of, that ultimately bring about an
acceptance that consciousness is indeed primary. As you can
tell, I do feel fairly confident things will eventually trend in this
direction, although I can't be sure.<br />
<br />
Factor 4 is very similar to what may be currently happening within
Quantum Mechanics. There are two formulations of Quantum
Mechanics I have been following: (1) the popular interpretation of QM
where time is linear and unidirectional, which is our normal way of
viewing time; (2) the time symmetric formulation (TSQM) which has a
richer view on time, including a type of retro-causal influence.
Although they sure don't sound like they would be, these two theories
turn out to be mathematically equivalent, i.e. they make the same
predictions. Therefore, no single experiment can trump one over
the other, at least as far as we know. Ten to fifteen years
ago, TSQM was not given a high level of consideration. Why
evoke such an exotic concept of time when it provides no extra
value? Since then, however, a number of modern experiments have
been done that are actually more simple and elegant to explain within
the TSQM framework, while being convoluted within the standard QM
framework. Therefore, more physicists are beginning to find
the TSQM framework compelling. But, the jury is still out on
which view truly represents physical reality. More on this in a
future blog post! Perhaps more experiments could make the
"<i>consciousness is primary</i>" model more compelling in a
similar fashion.<br />
<br />
I think all this shows, once again, that it is best for us to keep
an open mind on the mind/brain problem, while waiting to see where
the evidence takes us.<br />
<br />
(*) <a href="http://www.nature.com/news/psychedelic-chemical-subdues-brain-activity-1.9878" target="_blank">Psychedelic
chemical subdues brain activity</a>, Nature<br />
<br />
(**) <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/hallucinogenic-chemical-magic-mushrooms-subdues-brain-activity/" target="_blank">Hallucinogenic
Chemical Found in Magic Mushrooms Subdues Brain Activity</a>,
Scientific American<br />
<br />
(***) <a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2012/01/17/1119598109" target="_blank">Neural
correlates of the psychedelic state as determined by fMRI studies
with psilocybin</a>, Original Paper Found In Proceedings of the
National Academy of the Science, PNAS<br />
<br />
(****) <a href="http://www.bernardokastrup.com/2012/01/disembodied-trippers.html" target="_blank">Disembodied
Trippers</a> by Bernardo Kastrup, for analysis similar, but superior,
to my own.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02260017465845457855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813185686774883400.post-47990282199194663292014-02-25T12:20:00.001-08:002014-02-25T12:26:10.577-08:00Reality Sandwich Article - Does Consciousness Depend On The Brain?The materialistic paradigm prevalent today has been fantastically successful in giving us our current level of understanding of the Universe, as well as in its contribution to our technological development. Materialism basically holds that everything is physical, or that matter/energy is primary. Another way of saying that is once all physical facts, or laws, are known, a full understanding of all aspects of reality would follow. The current level of success behind this worldview that most of us have been inculcated with since birth, makes it very natural and obvious for us to assume that the brain produces consciousness. Once all physical facts are accounted for a complete understanding of consciousness would follow, including the "why" behind your loves, passions, talents, etc.; the "why" behind everyday decisions like whether or not to get the fish taco or burger for lunch; even the "why" behind the inner feeling you get from the color red, or the smell of the ocean, as well as a fundamental explanation of any of the other veritably infinite variations on human experience that is possible. We would have a scientific, mathematical model that could explain all this in <i>physical </i>terms, or in terms of <i>physical </i>laws/facts and, at least to some extent, offer predictions. At least, that's the idea.<br />
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However, given that we have no understanding of how conscious, subjective inner experience (i.e. qualia) can arise from unconscious physical matter, it is just that - an unproven assumption. Also, anyone with a historical viewpoint should take caution here. One thing history, specifically the history of science, has taught us is that adamantly and stubbornly sticking to the existing paradigm only guarantees that you will eventually be wrong, despite whatever level of success you currently have. It is also perhaps especially the case the longer you bump your head up against any one problem and fail to explain it under the existing paradigm. Nothing qualifies better here than the problem of explaining consciousness. As David Chalmers points out, we have made essentially zero progress in the last 100 years in our understanding of how subjective, inner experience can arise from physical matter. He coined this "<i>the hard problem</i>" of consciousness. <br />
<br />
I recently came across an enjoyable article that provided a good discussion on alternative ideas which hold consciousness as primary, rather than matter. These ideas have been around for quite some time and given serious consideration by folks as far back as Hippocrates and as recently as William James. With recent evidence for psi becoming stronger and the prevalence of Near Death Experiences growing, as well as other anomalous phenomenon, these ideas are regaining momentum today. I'll included a few snippets below and a link to the article found at realitysandwich.com. I hope you find it enjoyable.<br />
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<a href="http://realitysandwich.com/86571/does_consciousness_depend_brain/" target="_blank"><img alt="http://realitysandwich.com/86571/does_consciousness_depend_brain/" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SfMKY1osZeI/Uwzu9h2VlII/AAAAAAAABWo/xIV8PVHRRLw/s1600/Untitled-1.png" height="257" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>"Lamont rightly contends that the fundamental issue is the
relationship of personality to body, and divides the various positions into two
broad categories: monism, which asserts that body and personality are bound
together and cannot exist apart; and dualism, which asserts that body and
personality are separable entities which may exist apart. Lamont is convinced that the facts of
modern science weigh heavily in favor of monism, and offers the following as scientific
evidence that the mind depends upon the body:
</i><br />
<i>
</i><br />
<ul>
<li><i>in the
evolutionary process the versatility of living forms increases with the
development and complexity of their nervous systems</i></li>
<li><i>the
mind matures and ages with the growth and decay of the body</i></li>
<li><i>alcohol,
caffeine, and other drugs can affect the mind</i></li>
<li><i>destruction
of brain tissue by disease, or by a severe blow to the head, can impair
normal mental activity; the functions of seeing, hearing and speech are
correlated with specific areas of the brain.</i></li>
<li><i>thinking
and memory depend upon the cortex of the brain, and so 'it is difficult
beyond measure to understand how they could survive after the dissolution,
decay or destruction of the living brain in which they had their original
locus.' "<a href="http://realitysandwich.com/86571/does_consciousness_depend_brain/#_edn2" name="_ednref" title="_ednref"></a></i>
</li>
</ul>
<i>......</i><br />
<br />
<i>"However, this conclusion is not based on the evidence
alone. There is an implicit,
unstated assumption behind this argument, and it is often unconsciously
employed. The hidden premise
behind this argument can be illustrated with the analogy of listening to music
on a radio, smashing the radio's receiver, and thereby concluding that the
radio was producing the music. The implicit assumption made in all the
arguments discussed above was that the relationship between brain activity and
consciousness was always one of cause to effect, and never that of effect to cause. But this assumption is not known to be
true, and it is not the only conceivable one consistent with the observed facts
mentioned earlier. Just as
consistent with the observed facts is the idea that the brain's function is
that of an intermediary between mind and body -- or in other words, that the
brain's function is that of a two-way receiver-transmitter -- sometimes from
body to mind, and sometimes from mind to body."</i><br />
<br />
<i><i>......</i> </i><br />
<br />
<i>" .... as for the objection that the transmission hypothesis is
somehow fantastic, exactly the same objection can be raised against the
production theory. In the case of
the production of steam by a kettle we have an easily understood model -- of
alterations of molecular motion -- because the components that change are
physically homogenous with each other.
But part of the reason the mind-body relationship has seemed so puzzling
for so long is because mental and physical events seem so completely unlike
each other. This radical
difference in their natures makes it exceedingly difficult to conceptualize the
relationship between the two in terms of anything of which we are
familiar. It is partly for this
reason that even though it has been more than a century since James delivered
his lecture, in all that time neither psychology nor physiology has been able
to produce any intelligible model of how biochemical processes could possibly
be transformed into conscious experience."</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VP8WtXCRux8/UwzxTe0inzI/AAAAAAAABW8/4n3lypQGiqE/s1600/th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VP8WtXCRux8/UwzxTe0inzI/AAAAAAAABW8/4n3lypQGiqE/s1600/th.jpg" height="320" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">William James</td></tr>
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I think it is important to realize that transmission, or TV/radio, is meant to be just an analogy and a rather crude one at that. But, it does help to point us in a direction where we can start viewing the mind/brain problem from a different perspective. A perspective that as William James pointed out is just as valid as the standard "<i>brain produces consciousness</i>" perspective. At this point one idea is no more supported by evidence than the other.<br />
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It has been suggested to think of consciousness more as a field found in Quantum Field Theory, with the usual non-local properties, however this too is just an analogy. Psi evidence seems to suggest consciousness is capable of obtaining information in ways that the usual fundamental forces, as modeled within QFT, would be unable to provide<i> </i>with the typical conventional signals. We also know that QFT is an incomplete theory and that the field perspective is probably not a fundamental picture of reality.<br />
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The perspective of holding consciousness as primary does not negate materialism, nor does it require us to throw out any existing physics. On the contrary, it would only show that materialism is a limiting view, like all human views, but still entirely valid within its domain. Likewise, we would only need to extend physics, similar to how Relativity is an extension of Newtonian theory, which is still also valid within its domain.<br />
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And, so, I still contend that is best for us to keep an open mind and not commit
ourselves solely to the idea that "<i>brain produces consciousness</i>". <br />
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<a href="http://realitysandwich.com/86571/does_consciousness_depend_brain/" target="_blank">Reality Sandwich - Does Consciousness Depend On The Brain?</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02260017465845457855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813185686774883400.post-35703636534635513412014-02-22T18:36:00.002-08:002014-02-23T10:11:20.935-08:00Helter Skelter in Death Valley, December 2013On the weekend before Christmas week, I decided to head out to Death Valley. The only thing feeling more haphazard, disorderly and confused than me on this trip was the weather. I felt scatter brained from the start. It seemed like I was constantly fumbling with gear I couldn't find, or forgot altogether. Not only could I not decide on what to do and where to go, I would ultimately fail to reach the destinations I finally picked. Still, I enjoyed riding the whirlwind, which ultimately purged me of my stresses and scatter-brained tensions, allowing me to relax into the next two and a half weeks I had off.<br />
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For one of the sunniest places on Earth, the skies and lighting could not have been more dismal over Death Valley. But, the sun would not give up, momentarily breaking through the gloom now and then. Likewise, with the stars. I tried to take photographic advantage of each moment. Rain clouds tried to form, dropping a few drops and the occasional odd thunder peel could be heard on the horizon on the first day. After a sunny hike in the morning on the second day, I drove through a snow squall on the way back home over Towne Pass and all around Darwin.<br />
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On the drive there, I saw some wild Burros along the 190. They were quite the jittery pair, so they ran pretty far once they spotted me. I thought maybe they were the <a href="http://exploreabitmore.blogspot.com/2013/10/lee-flat-darwin-plateau-exploration.html" target="_blank">same jittery guys</a> I saw a couple months back along the beginning of the nearby Saline Valley Road, but with one of their companions now missing. Anyhow, add the distance to the dismal lighting and I didn't get the best photo. Still, I always love a wildlife sighting. <br />
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As I already hinted at, I didn't know where to go when I first arrived. The crappy weather had me all thrown off. I ended up parking by Corkscrew Peak and just wandering aimlessly in the desert. An interesting peak eventually caught my eye that I figured must be Little Corkscrew Peak. I decided to give it a go, or more correctly, I was pulled inexorably in its direction like sailors were towards the sirens in the old Greek legends. Perhaps, not an altogether bad comparison, either. Although, I was not crashed to death up against rocks, I was repeatedly cliffed out trying to get to the top, as I "corkscrewed" around the West side of the Little Corkscrew Peak several times. I finally realized what side I needed to be on. With the heavy pack full of my photography gear and my ankle acting up a bit, I decided to save it for another time. I wandered over to a nearby easier peak by following big horn sheep trails which were occasionally littered with their droppings. Since the peak did not have a register, nor was it named on the map, I took the liberty of unofficially naming it Sheep Poop Peak. The next picture shows Little Corkscrew Peak above the wash I used on approach to the saddle found on the west side of the peak.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ylmSGC6-3Is/UwlKM-7kcZI/AAAAAAAABUQ/C3QVgVxkgyQ/s1600/P02+-+In+Wash+Leading+to+Saddle+Next+to+Little+Corkscew,+Looming+Above-XL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ylmSGC6-3Is/UwlKM-7kcZI/AAAAAAAABUQ/C3QVgVxkgyQ/s1600/P02+-+In+Wash+Leading+to+Saddle+Next+to+Little+Corkscew,+Looming+Above-XL.jpg" /></a></div>
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Afterwards, I headed up to Dante's View where I decided to spend the night in my car, taking pictures of the night sky before going to bed and hoping for some sunrise shots in the morning. Neither quite worked out as planned - cloudy skies at night, which somehow amazingly cleared right before sunrise. Still, I managed to get a few fun images. The first is a 30 sec exposure which caught a sunset afterglow no longer visible to the naked eye, as well as adding a cool effect by smearing out the clouds. Just wish the stars were in better focus. The next image shows the Milky Way and Venus momentarily popping out from behind the clouds. The third is from a failed timelapse of the moon, but I still managed to grab that image out of it.<br />
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I also tried my telephoto lens out for the first time on the moon. I was pleasantly surprised by how much detail it caught. The following is a crop of a 300mm focal length shot. I am excited to try more moonshots, with either something interesting in the foreground, or during a moonrise in the east while the moon is buried in the pastel colors shortly after a sunset.<br />
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Since the sunset fizzled the following morning, I ended up taking more pictures of the moon as it set into an ocean of clouds above the Panamint Range. I was surprised by the wide range of camera settings (shutter and aperture) needed to properly expose the moon in different conditions. Get it wrong and no details of its surface show up. I definitely still need some practice.<br />
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For day 2, I decided to try and find the "secret" Kaleidoscope Canyon, since it was supposed to be a great spot for photography. The canyon walls are apparently covered in rocks of various colors similar to Artists Pallet. Since the sun managed to peak out during the morning, I figured conditions might even be good for capturing the colors.<br />
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On the way to the Canyon, I came across the Time Traveling Gypsy Mobile at Death Valley Junction. I seriously thought about trading in the 4Runner for this thing.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z4D2mTxHuNQ/UwlNJ-5wsYI/AAAAAAAABVQ/L8FBkcD-5d0/s1600/P31+-+Time+Traveling+Gypsy+Mobile+At+DV+Junction-XL.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z4D2mTxHuNQ/UwlNJ-5wsYI/AAAAAAAABVQ/L8FBkcD-5d0/s1600/P31+-+Time+Traveling+Gypsy+Mobile+At+DV+Junction-XL.jpg" /></a> <br />
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Kaleidoscope Canyon is called "secret" because guidebook authors have left it out of their books for now and folks who have managed to find it have, so far, stayed mum on the location. I gathered a few vague hints on where it might be, studied the map, picked a potential canyon and loaded it into my GPS. After hiking up the initial wash for two miles, I was about to turn into the canyon (then, still out of sight) I suspected was the correct spot. As I turned the corner, I found .... nothing! I was a bit shocked I had guessed wrong, so I guess my over-confidence was a bit unwarranted. I decided to try the right branch to this canyon, as well, but as I came around each turn I was greeted with another view that looked nothing like the impressive Kaleidoscope was supposed to look. I felt like I was getting sucked further and further back into the mountains as they kept showing me something around the next corner that tantalizingly looked like it might be the location of Kaleidoscope canyon but, in reality, was not. I decided to stop playing the mountains games and I eventually gave up and turned around. Besides, it was supposed to be found much closer to the road than I was at that point. It was still a great hike in a pretty area with lots of solitude, though. I'm cautiously optimistic I know where the canyon is for next time! <br />
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I ran into this cute little guy on the way back to the car. He also wouldn't let me photograph his little "secret" - the vibrantly colored topside of his wings. Apparently, when threatened these butterflies pinch their wings together, revealing only the bottom sides, which blend perfectly into the surrounding rocks. Seems like the desert often tries to hide its colors, but it can be quite a beautiful sight when it finally reveals them. You just have to be lucky enough to be there with your camera in the right place at the right time. I hope I have a little more luck on the next trip!<br />
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I could tell I was a little out of shape, because the hike sure made me tired, but it felt great to get the needed exercise. After relaxing by the car and enjoying a beer, I started to drive back up towards Bad Water along the southern end of the park. Near Jubilee Pass the sun struggled to break through the clouds again, finally succeeding as I got down to the valley floor. <br />
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I saw several coyotes one other time while coming through here. On the off chance that I would see them again, I grabbed my telephoto lens and got it ready. Sure enough a couple coyotes were hanging out along side the road in what seemed like the same spot as last time, or at least very close to it. One of the coyotes was not very shy and would get fairly close to my car. His companion was more shy and hung out by the bushes some distance a way. It was pretty obvious they were looking for food handouts, which I resisted giving them. <br />
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Once again, the weather couldn't make up its mind and the drive home over Towne Pass and the next pass to the West near Darwin had me driving in the snow. I got out to take a quick picture at Towne Pass and discovered that the temperate had sure plummeted, brrrrrr.<br />
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A great trip, overall. Check out the rest of my photos on <a href="http://granite4brains.smugmug.com/Desert-Hiking-and-Climbing/Little-Corkscrew-Peak-and/i-mGBvRRM" target="_blank">SmugMug</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02260017465845457855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813185686774883400.post-44416230119101118612014-02-12T18:13:00.001-08:002014-02-12T18:13:48.405-08:00Spirit Mountain (5,639'), Nevada, January 18th, 2014The weekend of January 18th, 2013 had me once again setting off for another remote corner of the desert. The original plan was to head out to Searchlight, Nevada and climb nearby Spirit Mountain, which is about (10<i>²</i> + 8<i>²</i>)^(½) miles from Searchlight, as the crow flies, using the Pythagorean Theorem and the fact that one drives south for 10 miles on the 93 before driving east for 8 miles on a dirt road slightly past Christmas Tree Pass to the starting point for Spirit Mountain. (Yes, this is occasionally a math/physics blogs too) The following day I would climb New York Mountain in Mojave National Preserve. In the end, I was pretty beat after Spirit for some reason, so I tucked my tail between my legs and headed home a day early. Still, I felt quite satisfied, for Spirit Mountain was a great experience.<br />
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The drive out to Searchlight had me on the Joshua Tree Highway in Nevada. I couldn't see most of the surroundings which were swallowed up in the blackness of night. Except for a few sections, which had the unmistakable, contorted silhouettes of Joshua Trees, looking like they were reaching out over the highway, as if they were almost trying to grab my vehicle. I blinked and almost missed the entire town of Nipton, CA, which is a place I recommend for filming the next Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Searchlight, NV itself was more than a few blinks of the eye long, but I quickly put that town behind me and was once again heading in earnest across the desert.<br />
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I was pleased to find the dirt road heading to Spirit was in excellent shape. While driving over Christmas Tree Pass, I noticed the Junipers and Yuccas were actually decorated with tinsel and Christmas ornaments here. This gave me the creeps a bit in the dark, as I pictured some desert loons running around in the middle of nowhere with Christmas decorations, but I appreciated the fun, festive, harmless nature of it later the next day. I finally arrived at Christmas Tree pass a bit after 11PM and crashed in my car for the night, falling asleep to the wind blowing over the pass. I woke up the next morning to a nice scene of the moon setting while the sunrise lit up the nearby hillsides.<br />
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The hike starts out for a very short distance on a dirt road, but the route quickly turns into cross country and heads to a small saddle not far from the trail head. The peaceful, beautiful ambiance of the mountain was obvious from the start. In fact, this mountain is a sacred place to the <span class="userContent">Chemehuevi </span>Indians. I don't know exactly why, maybe proximity, or local history, or the fact that the peak looks like it is covered in granite steeples, but just the feeling of the place has to factor in somewhere. Along this initial section were some of the healthiest and robust looking chollas I've ever seen all in one place. I was sure it was going to be a cactus-jumping fest to get up the peak, but it was as if a heavenly truce was set up between man and cactus here on this sacred mountain. Or, maybe it was just the small use trail one soon encounters near the base, which avoided the cacti by weaving around and past them. There were also some nice looking barrel cactus along this stretch. These barrel cactus had a distinctive purple color in the morning shade, but looked bright red later in the day, when the long shadow of Spirit mountain finally retreated under the advance of the noonday sun and allowed daylight to reach the ground here.</div>
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The use trail leads to a tiny saddle between a small tower and the main massif of Spirit Mountain. From here, one traverses over into the main ascent gully used to get up Spirit by most parties. The use trail was fairly solid throughout this section making for considerably easier travel than it would be without it. Still, the going was steep, gaining a couple thousand feet in around a mile. Some Class 2 scrambling was required in a couple sections in addition to the occasional wrestling match with a few bushes. The use trail wasn't perfect either, so I did manage to lose it for a few brief periods. As I climbed higher between granite spires some expansive nice views opened up off to the West.</div>
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After trudging up the main ascent gully, I reached the summit ridge itself where a short jaunt leads to the summit area of Spirit Mountain. Of course, being on sacred ground, something had to be guarding the summit, which took its shape in the form of a Class 3 section that needed to be surmounted. </div>
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This was easy enough to climb and I soon found myself on the summit. The views were expansive and I'm pretty sure the photos just don't do it justice. I humped all my photography gear up there so I had fun playing around with the tripod and taking some panoramas. Those can be seen on our smugmug page (social media button above), but here are a few photos of the summit views. </div>
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I also wandered over the lower eastern summit to take in views of Lake Mojave down below. I spent probably a good hour up there soaking it all in before slowly making my way back down. Overall the descent was uneventful. I eventually made my way back down to the tiny saddle behind the small tower near the bottom. The granite spires were all lit in the daylight now and looked beautiful. It seemed like a perfect place to rest and have a bite to eat. I was cozy for about 2 minutes before a bee decided to come along and harass me. I finished my food pacing around a bit since this little guy wouldn't stay out of my face. I took one last look over towards the granite spires and continued down the use trail with the occasional behemoth barrel cactus and rock cairn marking the way.</div>
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On the last little stretch I saw a few big jack rabbits hop away as I walked past the bushes they were hiding in. I relaxed in the back of the 4Runner and enjoyed a couple Hop Notch IPAs from Uinta Brewery my brother-in-law gave us while we were back in Utah for Christmas. I thought I would try and get a few photos of the rabbits before I left, but now that I had my telephoto out they were all gone. Considering it was a 3-4 hour drive back home, it sure went by fast. Great trip!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02260017465845457855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813185686774883400.post-59289192247335724912014-02-11T07:03:00.003-08:002014-02-11T07:04:52.020-08:00Was Buddha Just A Nice Guy?With the Holidays and other distractions, I have been slacking on the blog writing for a little while now. I thought I would ease myself back into it by sharing one of Dean Radin's recent presentations called "Was Buddha Just A Nice Guy"? I thought it was a pretty neat video, which contained some updates on the latest and greatest in the psi world. Perhaps the most exciting piece of news was on the new meta-analysis which was performed on Dayl Bem's work of not too long ago. Bem is a respected psychologist out of Cornell that used his repute to get a psi paper published in a respected, mainstream psychology journal. The backlash was pretty fierce. Rumor has it that the most recent meta-analysis puts the effect at 6-sigma, which very strongly indicates, once again, that these psi effects being studied are real. I've been thinking about an upcoming blog post that covers Bem's paper a little more. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this video by Dean Radin.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02260017465845457855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813185686774883400.post-56022317180447562642013-11-20T21:20:00.000-08:002013-11-21T20:24:07.310-08:00Blackrock Well Petroglyphs and Lee Flat Nightscapes, November 9th, 2013On the east side of Lee Flat and up against the western flank of Nelson Mountain range, lies Blackrock Well - a place where one can take a walk back through time. This is a remote, secluded petroglyph site where ancient drawings on the canyon rocks tell stories from people long ago. I had tried to get to this site on my<a href="http://exploreabitmore.blogspot.com/2013/10/lee-flat-darwin-plateau-exploration.html" target="_blank"> Lee Flat, Darwin Plateau Exploration</a> ride a few weeks back, but had bungled the directions, ending up a not-so-impressive old mining site instead. Disappointed to miss the petroglphys, I came back out over the weekend of November 9th, 2013, with Rebecca and the doggies, Rosco and Daisy, for a second attempt at locating this magical little canyon.<br />
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Doing a little more research this time, I realized there was no road to the actual location. Perfect! It had been a while since my last hike and it felt great to get out again. Plus, I knew the site would be that much more secluded. It was about 2 miles of cross country travel through scattered Joshua Trees across Lee Flat, leading to the western escarpment of the Nelson range. Canyons wind their way down from the high rocky ridges, with dark, volcanic looking rocks gathered near the bottom flanks. One of these canyons had the mysterious petroglyhs we were looking for. But, which one?<br />
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Showing up extra prepared this time, we used a GPS to lead us right to the canyon holding Blackrock Well and its rock art. It would have been easy to spot, but I wasn't taking any chances this time! There was one particular canyon where Mother Nature had gathered the areas prize collection of dark-colored, clean,
granitic boulders that native people discovered made a perfect
parchment for their artwork. The drawings are enigmatic and one
can't help but wonder what story they are trying to tell, but the details are lost to time. However, some things were clear. Big Horn Sheep and the Snake were obvious co-inhabitants in this land long ago, as they figured prominently in many of the drawings. Occasionally a figure of either a warrior, or hunter, would appear. Sun bursts would appear, giving hints the desert could get just as hot then, as now.<br />
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After taking an extended hike further up-canyon and taking lots of photographs, we trekked back across Lee Flat, hopped in the 4Runner and headed over to the excellent camp site I found last time I was here. Rebeca made a yummy back country dinner, which you can read about <a href="http://seekalittlesolace.blogspot.com/2013/11/treasure-hunt.html" target="_blank">here</a>. It was delicious! The dogs were so relaxed, as they hung out nearby in the vehicle. They had the most amazing expressions of serene contentment I had ever seen. Clearly, they needed a good hike too!<br />
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Next up, waiting, followed by a little more waiting. We didn't mind. It always feels nice to soak in the desert surroundings. We were waiting to try out some timelapse photography on the sunset, followed my some photos of the night sky. The sunset wasn't spectacular, but the timelapse still came out pretty decent. The clouds were very cool. They appeared stationary in real time, so it was neat to see all the hidden movement come alive in the video! I also took an hour's worth of exposures every 60 secs to put together one of my first star trails photo and an accompanying timelapse. I didn't get the intervals quite short enough, though. So, overall, nothing spectacular, but good stuff for a first try.<br />
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Our timelapse vidoes are available on Vimeo and embedded below.</div>
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We just ordered a new dSLR, which should really improve the landscape and night scape photos. A Canon EOS 6D with a Sigma 20mm f/1.8 Wide Angle lens. Cant' wait to try it out on an upcoming trip!<br />
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I think we got hooked on the petroglphys too. There are many other secluded sites in Death Valley that are not well known and would also be very cool to visit. So much to explore! <br />
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<a href="http://granite4brains.smugmug.com/Desert-Hiking-and-Climbing/Blackrock-Well-Petroglyphs-Lee" target="_blank">Smugmug Photo Album - Blackrock Well Petroglyphs, Lee Flat Sunset n Nightscapes</a><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02260017465845457855noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813185686774883400.post-7848450564671010942013-11-03T16:13:00.004-08:002013-11-03T16:26:51.570-08:00Reincarnation - Scientific American: Ian Stevenson’s Case for the Afterlife<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Scientific American Article</span></u></b><br />
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This was an interesting article about Ian Stevenson who conducted the first systematic and rather monumental research effort into reincarnation. Stevenson was a psychiatrist at the University of Virginia for ~50 years. His work is continued there today by other folks in the <a href="http://www.medicine.virginia.edu/clinical/departments/psychiatry/sections/cspp/dops/home-page" target="_blank">Division of Perceptual Studies</a>. It was a bit shocking to see an article like this in Scientific American, especially one that acknowledges any rigor or the compelling nature of Stevenson's work. Indeed, despite what certain folks think of reincarnation, it is rare to hear disparaging comments thrown in the direction of Stevenson. Perhaps that alone says much for his repute of a scientist and the quality of his work, even if folks may not like the topic. <br />
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Overall, the article seemed like a fair assessment of his work. I'll quote some of it here with a link to it included below. I will also briefly discuss reincarnation further below, with a focus on Christianity.<br />
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"<i>Stevenson’s main claim to fame was his meticulous studies of
children’s memories of previous lives. Here’s one of thousands of cases.
In Sri Lanka, a toddler one day overheard her mother
mentioning the name of an obscure town (“Kataragama”) that the girl had
never been to. The girl informed the mother that she drowned there when
her “dumb” (mentally challenged) brother pushed her in the river, that
she had a bald father named “Herath” who sold flowers in a market near
the Buddhist stupa, that she lived in a house that had a glass window in
the roof (a skylight), dogs in the backyard that were tied up and fed
meat, that the house was next door to a big Hindu temple, outside of
which people smashed coconuts on the ground. Stevenson was able to
confirm that there was, indeed, a flower vendor in Kataragama who ran a
stall near the Buddhist stupa whose two-year-old daughter had drowned in
the river while the girl played with her mentally challenged brother.
The man lived in a house where the neighbors threw meat to dogs tied up
in their backyard, and it was adjacent to the main temple where devotees
practiced a religious ritual of smashing coconuts on the ground. The
little girl did get a few items wrong, however. For instance, the dead
girl’s dad wasn’t bald (but her grandfather and uncle were) and his name
wasn’t “Herath”—that was the name, rather, of the dead girl’s cousin.
Otherwise, 27 of the 30 idiosyncratic, verifiable statements she made
panned out. The two families never met, nor did they have any friends,
coworkers, or other acquaintances in common, so if you take it all at
face value, the details couldn’t have been acquired in any obvious way</i>." *<br />
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"<i>This Sri Lankan case is one of Stevenson’s approximately 3000 such
“past life” case reports from all over the world, and these accounts are
in an entirely different kind of parapsychological ballpark than tales
featuring a middle-aged divorcée in a tie-dyed tunic who claims to be
the reincarnation of Pocahantas. More often than not, Stevenson could
identify an actual figure that once lived based solely on the statements
given by the child. Some cases were much stronger than others, but I
must say, when you actually read them firsthand, many are exceedingly
difficult to explain away by rational, non-paranormal means. Much of
this is due to Stevenson’s own exhaustive efforts
to disconfirm the paranormal account. “We can strive toward objectivity
by exposing as fully as possible all observations that tend to weaken
our preferred interpretation of the data,” he wrote. “If adversaries
fire at us, let them use ammunition that we have given them.” And if
truth be told, he excelled at debunking the debunkers</i>." *<br />
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<i>"I’d be happy to say it’s all complete and utter nonsense—a moldering
cesspool of irredeemable, anti-scientific drivel. The trouble is, it’s
not entirely apparent to me that it is. So why aren’t scientists taking
Stevenson’s data more seriously? The data don’t “fit” our working model
of materialistic brain science, surely. But does our refusal to even look at his findings, let alone to debate them, come down to our fear of being wrong? 'The wish not to believe,' Stevenson once said, 'can influence as strongly as the wish to believe.' "</i> *<br />
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"<i>Towards the end of her own storied life, the physicist Doris Kuhlmann-Wilsdorf—whose
groundbreaking theories on surface physics earned her the prestigious
Heyn Medal from the German Society for Material Sciences, surmised that
Stevenson’s work had established that 'the statistical probability that
reincarnation does in fact occur is so overwhelming … that cumulatively
the evidence is not inferior to that for most if not all branches of
science.' </i>”* <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Christianity and Reincarnation</b></u></span><br />
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Reincarnation was a common idea around the time of Christ among the Jewish people. It was a fairly foundational concept within Jewish Mysticism like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabbalah" target="_blank">Kabbalah</a>. <br />
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<i>"The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zohar" target="_blank">Zohar </a>and related literature are filled with references to reincarnation, addressing such questions as which body is resurrected and what happens to those bodies that did not achieve final perfection, how many chances a soul is given to achieve completion through reincarnation, whether a husband and wife can reincarnate together, if a delay in burial can affect reincarnation,18 and if a soul can reincarnate into an animal."**<br /><br />"The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahir" target="_blank">Bahir</a>, attributed to the first century sage, Nechuniah ben Hakanah, used reincarnation to address the classic question of theodicy -- why bad things happen to good people and vice versa"**</i><br />
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Reincarnation was also very common among the Greeks. No doubt Luke, an author of one of the three synoptic gospels, was also familiar with the concept.<br />
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Prominent early Church Fathers like Origen taught metempsychosis, or transmigration of the soul, now better known as reincarnation.<br />
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<i>" .... 'On First Principles', which is the most systematic and
philosophical of Origen’s numerous writings. In this work Origen
establishes his main doctrines, including that of the Holy Trinity
(based upon standard Middle Platonic
triadic emanation schemas); the pre-existence and fall of souls;
multiple ages and transmigration of souls; and the eventual restoration
of all souls to a state of dynamic perfection in proximity to the
godhead.</i>" ***<br />
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Certain Bible quotes also suggest that not only was the idea common, but that discussion centered around it was not anathema.<br />
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John, Chapter 9:1-3<br />
"<i>And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him</i>."<br />
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How can a man sin before he is born? This sounds more like "karma" from a past life than anything. Also, Jesus did not repudiate them for intimating at reincarnation, which would be surprising if reincarnation was a taboo, off-limits topic, as it it considered to be today in the Christian tradition. <br />
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Matthew 17:10-13<br />
<i>"The disciples asked him, 'Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?' Jesus replied, 'To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.' Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist."</i><br />
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Once again, this sounds like a clear case of reincarnation, specifically dealing with John/Elijah. Not only was it not repudiated by Jesus, he played a part in the suggestion!<br />
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Let's not also forget that reincarnation becomes an obvious theme when reading the theories within the Bible on just who Jesus was, as thought by the people of the day.<br />
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Mark 8:27-28<br />
<i>"Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, 'Who do people say I am?' They replied, 'Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.'"</i><br />
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All the theories here presented in Mark 8 clearly involve reincarnation. Herod was also left confused by the theories he was hearing.<br />
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Luke 9:7-9<br />
<i>"Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was going on. And he was perplexed because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead, others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life. But Herod said, 'I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?' And he tried to see him."</i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Modern Day Accounts</u></b></span><br />
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Modern day accounts of reincarnation persist, even in cultures like our own where reincarnation is not an accepted belief. The following is perhaps one of the more popular stories of a young boy who presumably remembered a past life, despite his parents being traditional Christians with no belief in reincarnation.<i> </i>Some of the details are rather remarkable.<i><br /></i><br />
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Here's a few more videos on this particular case:<i><br /></i><br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78OEtsp3MUM" target="_blank">Case for Reincarnation - Part I </a><br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvD6Bq-ghqw" target="_blank">Case for Reincarnation - Part II</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Summary</b></u></span><br />
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The idea of reincarnation has been a very wide-spread belief across many cultures throughout time. Why it waned within Western culture is a complex discussion I might try to tackle another time. However, it can be found within the seeds of our beliefs, even if it is hiding at times. It is a recurrent theme in modern day Mystical Experiences and Near Death Experiences. Despite the fact that the evidence could be claimed to be anecdotal, I think the sheer volume suggests that it would be best to at least keep an open mind when it comes to reincarnation. And, if studies like <a href="http://horizonresearch.org/main_page.php?cat_id=212" target="_blank">AWARE </a>end up showing that consciousness can exist independent of the body, concepts like reincarnation may suddenly become rather plausible.<br />
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Here is a video by Jim Tucker who is continuing Stevenson's work at the
Division for Perceptual Studies, University of Virginia. He provides a nice summary of Stevenson 's work where one can also start to get a feel for the rigor of the work and the amount of systematic studies that have been done.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>References </b></u></span><br />
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<a href="http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/bering-in-mind/2013/11/02/ian-stevensons-case-for-the-afterlife-are-we-skeptics-really-just-cynics/" target="_blank">*Scientific American: Ian Stevenson’s Case for the Afterlife: Are We ‘Skeptics’ Really Just Cynics?</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.aish.com/jl/48943926.html" target="_blank">**Reincarnation and the Jewish Tradition</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.iep.utm.edu/origen-of-alexandria/" target="_blank">***Origina of Alexandria</a> <br />
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<a href="http://www.medicine.virginia.edu/clinical/departments/psychiatry/sections/cspp/dops/home-page" target="_blank">University of Virgina School of Medicine, Division of Perceptual Studies</a><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02260017465845457855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813185686774883400.post-83003126612011224192013-11-01T15:18:00.002-07:002013-11-01T15:18:46.226-07:00Crystal Crag, North Arete, 5.7This was a memorable trip and part of the effort I have underway to get some retrospective trip reports up here. I guess I'm getting into this blogging thing rather late in the game! Crystal Crag was a really nice climb in a beautiful setting and it was also our first multi-pitch climb in the Sierra. Crystal Crag sits just outside Mammoth Lakes, CA and is a rather striking peak from several angles. It's a fairly tall, narrow, impressive looking fin of granite. Although not quite as impressive as some other pieces of granite in the Sierra, the close proximity to Mammoth and all the nearby lakes adds something special to it.<br />
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The North Arete climbs the steep right-hand skyline seen in the picture above, which is then followed by an aesthetic, scenic ridge traverse to the summit. It was quite an accomplishment for us given that I was still coming off of the lower back injuries/surgery and was also having some problems with my upper back! At the base of the climb, I was having some discomfort even when I would breathe in, so it probably wasn't the wisest decision to go on with the climb. Despite all that, everything turned out great.<br />
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We spent the night in Old Shady Rest campground in Mammoth and opted for an early pre-dawn start. Rumor had it that the top of the climb was loose and the last thing we wanted was parties ahead of us kicking rocks down on us. As luck would have it, not only were we the first ones on it that day, we were the only ones on it <i>all </i>day!<br />
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We climbed the N Arete in three pitches. The first pitch is rated 5.7 and is the crux of the whole climb. The crux move itself was pretty fun and interesting. It required transitioning out of the chimney the climb starts in and onto the face just right of it . However, it was actually the move shortly after this which grabbed my attention the most. The next piece of pro I was able to place wasn't exactly what I would call bomber. Right after this, one traverses slightly left to gain the crack system going up the Arete. The traverse involved a foothold, which was nice-sized, but oddly angled and a bit slippery. Along with the bad handholds here and the less-then desirable pro, I was glad to gain the crack system, which then provided a fairly easy, fun cruise to the top of pitch one. The second pitch was mostly class 3/4, with a few small class 5 moves thrown in for fun. Some great views of the lakes below start to open up on this pitch. The third pitch has another small section of 5.5/6 crack climbing. The following picture shows these bottom pitches, although it has the usual "shrinking" effect on the upper pitches, making them look shorter than they really were. There are many variations on the climb, but it sounds like the difficulties most folks encounter are fairly equivalent on average.<br />
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We had a bit of an incident on pitch 3, which turned into one of those valuable learning lessons. When I started out on pitch 3, the first 30 feet or so were rather circuitous followed by a move back into a deep-set chimney. At the bottom of the chimney, I had a feeling I should bring Rebecca up and just make another pitch out of it. I didn't listen to my gut instinct and part way up the chimney the rope drag got so bad I could barely climb forward at all. I ended up making an anchor and used my body weight to overcome the drag, while Rebecca lowered me back down to the bottom of the chimney. I built another anchor here, brought Rebecca up and then tackled the chimney <i>and </i>with much less rope drag this time! I guess, perhaps, this really made our climb 4 pitches. Lesson learned: listen to gut instincts and don't be lazy!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crystal Crag, N Arete is Along the Sun/Shade Line</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dhW8IeXEBsw/UnQd5sNGhMI/AAAAAAAABNg/Hct_egTTruk/s1600/P08+-+Crystal+Lake.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dhW8IeXEBsw/UnQd5sNGhMI/AAAAAAAABNg/Hct_egTTruk/s640/P08+-+Crystal+Lake.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crystal Lake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--MvhlmnibOw/UnQd-fiIkyI/AAAAAAAABNs/FuyZ-hvjz8U/s1600/P14+-+Rebecca+About+To+Top+Out+On+Pitch+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--MvhlmnibOw/UnQd-fiIkyI/AAAAAAAABNs/FuyZ-hvjz8U/s640/P14+-+Rebecca+About+To+Top+Out+On+Pitch+1.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rebecca Coming Up The First Pitch</td></tr>
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The most talked about part of this climb is the Crystal Pitch at the top. Crystal Crag is named for the amount of crystal quartz found on the peak and this pitch is 100% all crystal quartz. At first, I thought it would be very slippery, but it actually was pretty gritty supplying all the friction one needed to climb through this section. It was a pretty short pitch, but kind of surreal while it lasted!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dzA2NVg11RA/UnQd9xMykKI/AAAAAAAABNo/dcp4Z25lZxs/s1600/P19+-+A+Crystal+Stairway+To+Heaven.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dzA2NVg11RA/UnQd9xMykKI/AAAAAAAABNo/dcp4Z25lZxs/s640/P19+-+A+Crystal+Stairway+To+Heaven.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "Crystal Pitch" Just Below Summit Ridgeline</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rebecca At Top of "Crystal Pitch"</td></tr>
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Next up was the summit ridge traverse, which was as much a blast as it was reputed to be. It had one semi-long, exposed Class 4 downclimb, but other than that not too bad. After this, one arrives at a notch for the final bit of ridge to the summit. Rebecca and I decided to call it quits here. There was a ferocious wind at this point, making the exposed, balancy moves rather scary. We were also both tired and neither one of us felt like getting the rope out again! So, we leisurely made our way down the Class 3 East Face to Crystal Lake below where we relaxed with a hard-earned snack. The hike back was beautiful, as the trail meandered along on a hillside above all the lakes. On the way home, were also treated to a beautiful desert sunset. A very nice day and a highly recommended climb.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rebecca On Crystal Crag Summit Ridge Line</td></tr>
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We made a video for the trip, but it's just a slide show containing several more photos not pictured above. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02260017465845457855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813185686774883400.post-44699927029901280292013-10-25T14:01:00.002-07:002013-10-25T15:08:37.804-07:00Inyo Mountains, Mazourka Canyon Ride, May 25th, 2012This is another one of those retrospective blog posts. Since I've been writing up trip reports on a few recent outings, it seems like a shame to not have one for some of our more noteworthy trips in the past. Plus, I wanted this blog to partly be a resource for others to find inspiring, fun destinations to explore and ideas for adventure. Not too mention, on this particular trip, I made one of my first GoPro videos that actually turned out half-way decent! Curtis and Mark joined me on this trip.<br />
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Our ride went up Mazourka Canyon and into the Inyo Mountains. Inyo comes from the Owens Valley Paiute, which means "dwelling place of the Great Spirit".* We slowly made our way up Mazourka Canyon and entered Badger Flats, without much anticipation of an actual meeting along the lines of Moses' encounter on Mount Sinai. From Badger Flats, we started a loop that initially heads back towards Papoose Flats. This section of road got a little rocky and rough in places, but it was a lot of fun and the views off to the Sierra were pretty expansive in several spots. Papoose Flats was a really cool place - remote, scenic and tad-bit unusual. It's a fairly wide flat with large, isolated granitic boulder formations spread out across its extent, which had a somewhat other-worldly feel to them. If it wasn't for all the sage and other desert brush, which makes me feel right at home, Papoose could almost start to resemble an alien landscape. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Papoose Flats</td></tr>
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We had lunch in Papoose Flats before heading over to Squaw Flats, another pretty and isolated area nestled deep in the Inyos. The trail was pretty sandy getting over to Squaw, but then there was a fast, fun section of trail right through Squaw Flats that led to a hill climb of sorts on the far side. I had a blast trying to keep up with Curtis through this part as we weaved our way along to the far side of Squaw Flat. However, it made it go by too fast! It was nice to visit Squaw Flats again because it brought back some good memories. Rebecca and I drove back there quite a few years ago to hike up <a href="http://granite4brains.smugmug.com/Desert-Hiking-and-Climbing/Waucoba-Mountain-11123-and/i-JqP7qt2" target="_blank">Waucoba Peak and Squaw Peak</a> with Rosco and Daisy. We all really enjoyed that one. Gotta say, sure was a lot easier getting back there on a dirt bike, though!<br />
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From here, we headed out to the 178 highway and then circled back through Harkless Flats before returning to Papoose Flats. I'd love to get back to Harkless Flats to explore around some more. The crest between Papoose and Harkless had yet more great views of Owens Valley and the Sierra. The clouds were building above the Sierra by this point and a swift wind was picking up over the Inyos.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking Back At Squaw Flats</td></tr>
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When we got back to Badger Flats near the top of Mazourka Canyon road, Curtis and Mark had to head back home to Ridgecrest and take care of some family business. Since I drove up separate, I decided to stay and ride on up to the top of Mazourka Peak and check out the views, which held some promise for being some of the best that day and, indeed, they certainly were. I found a couple of really nice on-the-edge-of-the-world camp sites up there that are still on the to-do list for one day! I got off my bike, took off the helmet and some gear and relaxed for a while in this awe-inspiring location. I love crisp, cold mountain winds. They feel almost cathartic and enlivening as they purify, carrying away any concerns, frustrations, or any other emotional tensions, with each gust. I rode back down the mountain feeling re-invigorated.<br />
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Next up, I decided to try getting out to the Betty Jumbo Mine, one of those more obscure locales. The road to Betty Jumbo follows a narrow road that precipitously snakes its way along the side of the Inyos for about 9 miles, with a lot of steep, rugged mountainside stretching far above on one side and far below on the other. Frequent large, fallen boulders lay across the middle of the road. It's always neat getting to these antiquated, rarely-visited old mining sites. Since the mine site was separated off a bit from the main mountain massif and out on an isolated sub-peak, it made for a nice lookout with views stretching up and down Owens Valley below. One can quickly feel tiny and insignificant in this vast landscape.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Betty Jumbo Mine</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking Back At Road to Betty Jumbo</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Betty Jumbo Mine</td></tr>
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I slowly made my way back over to Mazourka Canyon and down to my vehicle parked in Owens Valley. I packed up my gear and loaded my bike up as the wind occasionally blasted me with clouds of sand swept up from the desert floor. I headed back down the 395 to a hot shower, a yummy dinner and a couple cold beers. After a good night sleep, I enjoyed relaxing the next day. I always enjoy the contrast of rugged adventure, followed by a well-earned day of sheer, utter laziness. ;-)<br />
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*Zdon, Andy; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Desert-Summits-Climbing-California-Southern/dp/1893343022/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382730041&sr=8-1&keywords=desert+summits" target="_blank">Desert Summits</a>, Spotted Dog Press, 2000<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02260017465845457855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813185686774883400.post-74556295868614382013-10-25T14:01:00.001-07:002013-10-25T14:53:34.879-07:00Protein Quinoa Bowl and Chia Seed CerealI've been regularly eating a couple breakfast meals that now rank amongst my favorites since starting to eat a bit healthier. These are the Protein Quinoa Bowl and Chia Seed Cereal. They're both <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Superfood-Kitchen-Cooking-Natures-Amazing/dp/145490352X/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382732165&sr=8-1&keywords=superfood+kitchen" target="_blank">Julie Morris</a> recipes, albeit with perhaps a few small modifications here and there. She rightly calls the Protein Quinoa Bowl the ugly-duckling of breakfast bowls. That, however, must make the Chia Seed Cereal the fugly-duckling of breakfast bowls. The unappetizing green color is mostly caused by the Hemp Protein Powder found in both cereals. <br />
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Surprisingly enough, they are both delicious and very satisfying. I like them both a bit before, or after, a good workout, because they are easy to digest and leave you with a light feeling, even though they provide energy for hours. No doubt, you have probably heard the Chia Seed Cereal mentioned before if you have read some of my other blog posts. I often take it with me on my trips for an early morning energy source, before a good hike or ride.<br />
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First, let's start with the Protein Quinoa Bowl. This is a hot meal and best during the cooler months. Like I said above, it doesn't look super appetizing. But, don't let looks fool you! If you like the taste of almond butter and maple syrup, topped with a little banana and cinnamon flavor,well you're probably going to like this hot cereal. Let's start with the ingredients.<br />
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<ul>
<li>1 cup Hemp (or Almond) Milk</li>
<li>⅓ cup Quinoa Flakes</li>
<li>1 <i>heaping </i>tablespoon Almond Butter </li>
<li>2 tablespoons Hemp Protein Powder</li>
<li>1 tablespoon Maca Powder</li>
<li>2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon of Maple Syrup</li>
<li>1 Banana</li>
<li>Cinnamon Powder</li>
</ul>
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Bring the Hemp Milk to a boil in a medium saucepan. Then, stir in the Quinoa Flakes and turn off the heat and let sit for about three minutes, allowing the Quinoa to cook through.<br />
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Next, add in the remaining ingredients and stir until smooth. Dish into your favorite bowl and add sliced banana and Cinnamon Powder to your liking.<br />
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Next, prepare to be amazed how yummy this ugly-duckling of breakfast bowls can taste. Don't forget to go for a work-out and feel the endurance!<br />
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I should also note that Maca can also provide a bit of energy. At the same time, it's also a powerful adaptogen, making for a "calming" energy while regulating stress, if that makes any sense. Incan warriors used to eat Maca before going into battle to increase both strength and stamina during long battles. However, given it's libido enhancing effects, the women of the tribes demanded the men not be allowed to eat it during times of peace, so they could have some piece and quiet.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Protein Quinoa Bowl</td></tr>
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Next up - Chia Seed Cereal. This is best cold, or even at room temperature, which I actually prefer. Also, if you need more fiber in your diet this is the cereal for you. The 3 tablespoons of Chia Seed Cereal contains 15 grams of fiber alone! Hemp Protein is a fairly rich fiber source, too. So, it may be best to start out with 2 tablespoons of Chia Seeds and see how you handle it. Either way, you probably don't need a whole lot of fiber for the rest of the day. As mentioned, I find the Chia Seed Cereal very easy to digest, despite the fact that other high-fiber meals may be a bit more of a challenge.<br />
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In addition, since the Chia Seed absorbs the Hemp Milk and becomes "gelatinous", it's also helps detoxify your system. I've also read that Chia Seeds can help with extended hydration during exercise, due to this moisture absorbing property. To be honest, I haven't really noticed a difference here, myself.<br />
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Lets start out with the ingredient list again.<br />
<ul>
<li>1 cup Hemp (or Almond) Milk</li>
<li>2 to 3 tablespoons of Chia Seed</li>
<li>2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon of Hemp Seed</li>
<li>2 tablespoons Hemp Protein Powder</li>
<li>1 scoop Amazing Grass Chocolate Infusion Greens Powder</li>
<li>1 small handful Goji Berries</li>
<li>1 small handful White Turkish Mulberries</li>
<li>1 Banana</li>
<li>Cinnamon Powder</li>
</ul>
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I also like to add dried dragon fruit when we have it around.<br />
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Start out by adding everything but the Hemp (or Almond) Milk into a large bowl.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the Dry Ingredients For Chia Seed Cereal</td></tr>
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Then, pour in the Hemp Milk and stir well. Let this sit for about 15-20 mins. It doesn't hurt to occasionally stir during this period, but it's not necessary, either. When ready, give it a final stir and add some banana slices and Cinnamon Powder to your liking and enjoy.<br />
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Easy Peasy!<br />
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Once again, it doesn't look very appetizing, but I personally think it's pretty yummy. I gotta admit though, when Rebecca first introduced me to this one, I was a bit frightened to try it. I think it took a few times to acquire a taste for it, as well. Who knew it would turn into a fairly regular meal! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chia Seed Cereal</td></tr>
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I'll also sometimes have a small glass of "chocolate" milk with these breakfasts. It's as simple as adding one scoop of Amazing Grass Chocolate Infusion Greens Powder to an appropriate amount of Hemp (or Almond) Milk. The powder is made from Cacao, which is an unprocessed, unsweetened and healthier form of "chocolate". In fact, it is one of the most anti-oxidant rich foods known. If you need a little more protein you can throw in 1 tablespoon of Hemp Protein, but this does alter the taste quite a bit.<br />
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Here's to starting the day off right! ;-)<br />
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Morris, Julie; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Superfood-Kitchen-Cooking-Natures-Amazing/dp/145490352X/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382732165&sr=8-1&keywords=superfood+kitchen" target="_blank">Superfood Kitchen</a>, Navitas Naturals, 2011<br />
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Wolfe, David, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Superfoods-The-Food-Medicine-Future/dp/1556437765/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1382733604&sr=8-3&keywords=superfoods" target="_blank">Superfoods</a>, North Atlantic Books, 2009Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02260017465845457855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813185686774883400.post-5991765077988348842013-10-20T17:27:00.000-07:002013-10-20T17:30:31.048-07:00FaithI wanted to share my view on faith, which was partly summed up so well in a series of Alan Watts quotes.<br />
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<i>"Faith is a state of openness or trust."<br /><br />"And the attitude of faith is the very opposite of clinging to belief, of holding on."<br /><br />"But the attitude of faith is to let go, and become open to truth, whatever it might turn out to be."<br /><br />"To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim you don't grab hold of the water, because if you do you will sink and drown. Instead you relax, and float."<br /><br />"In other words, a person who is fanatic in matters of religion, and clings to certain ideas about the nature of God and the universe, becomes a person who has no faith at all."</i></div>
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~All quotes by Alan Watts</div>
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Living in a predominantly Christian society, it seems most folks equate faith to simply believing in Jesus. Don't get me wrong, I ultimately consider myself a Christian. However, I think this view has a tendency to forget that Jesus also taught inner transformation and self-knowing, as all religions do. Also, it is a mutually exclusive view, which seems sort of hard to reconcile these days, since fields like comparative mythology and psychology have shown that all religions are saying the same thing. It's also very hard to reconcile with what comes out of the Near Death Experience and the Mystical Experience, as they are reported out of all cultures and religions around the world with the same consistent, universal and <i>inclusive</i> themes and messages.<br />
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I view faith as a stepping stone to experience, meaning we’re not talking about a “blind faith” here. Faith is an opening of the mind to a deeper reality that one can eventually come to directly experience, <i>here and now</i>. I know this might sound strange, as most of us aren't familiar with the idea, or the possibility, of a direct experience of God, or the ground of all being, while still alive. But, this is what ultimately comes out of the teachings of religions worldwide. In reference to all the literature and scripture discussing the nature of this transcendent, yet immanent, experience, Aldus Huxley called it the “<i>perennial philosophy</i>” and Alan Watts called it “<i>a single philosophical consensus of universal extent</i>”. One can also simply call it a spiritual awakening, which typically requires first being open to the possibility of having a spiritual awakening. <br />
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In the Gospel of St Thomas we hear, “<i>The Kingdom of Heaven is spread out upon the Earth, but men do not see it</i>”. The good news, which is the meaning of “gospel”, is that we can learn how. It all starts with <i>faith</i>!<br />
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If you would like to read more on my views on God, religion, and the nature of reality, you may also want to check out: <br />
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<a href="http://exploreabitmore.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-middle-way-part-i-introductory-ideas.html" target="_blank">The Middle Way - Part I, Introductory Ideas</a><br />
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<a href="http://exploreabitmore.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-middle-way-part-ii-interdependent.html" target="_blank">The Middle Way - Part II, Interdependent Co-Arising </a><br />
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If you’re interested in more Alan watts, here's a lecture by him on Christianity I really enjoyed. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02260017465845457855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813185686774883400.post-8824424117129219022013-10-16T21:40:00.002-07:002013-10-17T21:01:07.531-07:00Lee Flat, Darwin Plateau Exploration, October 12th, 2013'''<i>Be ye warned, 'dem Flats be haunted with the restless, angry ghosts of old-time Death Valley miners</i>". That's along the lines of what some enigmatic Internet personality named Dingus Milktoast once dramatically told me about Lee Flat - a semi-remote spot in Death Valley NP, which also happens to be one of the more impressive Joshua Tree "forests" in California. I don't know if that factored into my decision on whether to drive out the night before my ride and spend the night in Lee Flat or leave really early in the morning instead, but I ended up going with the early morning departure. <br />
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When I arrived to the turn off for Lee Flat the next morning, Wild Burros were hanging out in the area. Most burros I have seen in the past either barely take the time to look up and acknowledge your presence, or they just stand there and keep a leery eye on you until you leave. These three guys were jittery and booked it quite a ways before finally turning around and staring me down with much trepidation. Between that, the low light and incorrect camera settings, I didn't get the best picture. Still though, any wildlife pictures are always a gem in my mind. Aren't their white noses cute?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arrival to Lee Flat</td></tr>
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I found a nice camp site in Lee Flat and spent a few minutes watching the desert come alive as the first rays of light made it over the mountains shortly after I arrived. Perfect timing!<br />
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My original plan was to do a loop through Death Valley that I have been wanting to do for some time. So, what are the chances the government would shut down right before I go and decide to shut down the desert too? Quite ridiculous, but that's what happened. Anyhow, I picked a new ride that still went through small parts of Death Valley, but at least I wouldn't be quite as blatant about it. Plus, if I broke down, maybe I'd have a chance for a rescue!<br />
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My new plan was to explore some lesser known roads that climb up into the Inyo Mountains. One led up to the Bonham mine and was just north of and parallel to the Cerro Gordo road. This one wasn't too bad to get too, but the bottom of the road leading to Cerro Gordo was gone, washed away in a flash flood leaving behind a bunch of rocks and debris. This made for about a 1/2 mile of interesting wash riding before getting to the Bonham mine road proper. The second road was south of the Cerro Gordo road. On the map it looked to go all the way to Cerro Gordo, but I only made it to about a 1/4 mile before the Belmont mine. If I had company I would have gone further, but it was getting rougher than I was comfortable with being solo. This was yet another road that appeared to be damaged from the heavy rains this year. Both areas were real pretty and it was fun to visit these secluded spots.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making My Way To The Inyos</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inyos, Pleasant Mountain</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bonham Mine</td></tr>
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From here I had a blast on a long, fast stretch through Santa Rosa Flat that led back down to the 190 highway. I crossed over and made my way down towards the northern edge of the Navy base. The plan was to head down Centennial Canyon (rocky!) to Upper Centennial Flat (more rocks!) and the Navy base boundary. From here, I would loop around over into Joshua Flat (even more rocks!), nestled back in the Coso Range. It was pretty obvious nobody has been back here in a while. The only tracks in the canyon were burro tracks and the road was almost non-existent in spots in Upper Centennial Flat. There were so many burro tracks (and burro poop!) in some spots I was surprised to not run across some more. <br />
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I had a bit of a navigation snafu back here too. (Snafu means "a badly confused or ridiculously muddled situation", which seems to sum up best what happened!) I thought I had already crossed Joshau Flat and was climbing up to a saddle on the far side when I crashed and ate it in some rocks. Being rather remote, this made me a bit nervous. So, as I lay there with the bike still on top of my leg, I made the decision to turn around and head back. Later on, I found out I was only climbing up to the saddle between Upper Centennial Flat and Joshua Flat and still had 5 miles left to get to where I thought I was in the moment. In retrospect it all seemed pretty obvious. Ah well! Joshua Flat will still make for a nice adventure to a rarely-visited and scenic area for a future trip. Maybe next time I will see some burros, or even wild horses, which also roam the Coso Range. <br />
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After this, I started heading back towards camp with the plan to stop at Talc City and check out some of the old mines. There wasn't much to see, but I found a really nice spot up on a hill to enjoy the views and have lunch.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tacl City Mines</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Lunch Spot</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tough Flower All By Its Lonesome</td></tr>
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After Talc City Mine, I hopped on the pavement for a bit and headed over to the Saline Valley Road where I cut back towards Lee Flat again. On the way, I visited the the Box Car Cabin, located just before Lee Mines. This was a neat cabin that had several pieces of artwork, both outside and inside. Always neat the unexpected things one can come across in the desert!<br />
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After the Box Car Cabin, I rested for a bit back at my camp before setting out for the next destination. This was a little spot I've been thinking about since first visiting this area back when Rebecca and I hiked up Nelson Mountain. It looked like the road we drove in on then may have kept going back to a potentially killer view of Saline Valley. Turns out it did just that and the photos don't do it justice. I think the views from here were probably better than from Nelson Mt itself. There was a great campsite here too that we'll both have to come back to one day.<br />
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Last stop was the Nelson Mountain Cabin. Another spot Rebecca and I skipped over after our hike years ago. I didn't get to see much this time, either. There was a Hantavirus warning so I made a retreat in fairly quick order!<br />
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I headed back to camp and relaxed with a couple cold beers, while listening to the wind rush through the nearby Joshua Trees. It was the only sound the desert was making and it was quite peaceful to listen. I became mesmerized watching the especially contorted shapes of some other Joshua Trees rustle in the wind. They looked almost uncomfortable and resistant as if the wind was causing them pain. Joshua trees have quite a personality at times.<br />
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Overall a great day! Only regret was being too tired to join <a href="http://seekalittlesolace.blogspot.com/2013/10/perfect-day-for-picnic.html" target="_blank">Rebecca for Alabama Hills</a> the next day.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02260017465845457855noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813185686774883400.post-56475106550412005322013-10-03T15:12:00.000-07:002013-10-03T16:21:32.274-07:00Lookout Peak (11,902'), July 20th, 2013I wasn't originally planning on writing up a blog post on this particular trip, but since this will probably be my last Sierra trip of the season, it's looking like my last chance to write up any others.<br />
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The original plan was to hike/climb up Little Lakes Peak and Mount Morgan with Charles and Jay. However, my ankle was starting to get irritated once again as the summer wore on. Although, I suppose it has done better than prior years, since I was going every weekend this summer, with no rest up until this trip. We all met up there the night before and I still wasn't sure what I was going to do. The originally planned hike/climb sounded exciting and was something I have been wanting to do for a bit. In addition, it had been a while since I hiked with either of those guys. In the end, I decided to play it safe and just do a small jaunt to Ruby Lake, which is only about 4.5 miles round trip. <br />
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I started up the trail with Charles and Jay, until the junction with Ruby Lake. I wished them good luck on their climb and started up the lovely Ruby Lake trail in the morning light. The air was crisp and cool and the early morning sunshine seemed so clear and bright to be almost ethereal. I enjoyed the views down to Little Lakes Valley, while listening to the birds chirp their morning tunes. When I arrived at Ruby Lake, the views were as gorgeous there as usual. <br />
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I started checking out Lookout Peak - a small peak in the area I had already climbed over 10+ years prior. As usual, I couldn't help myself and just relax at the lake. I almost immediately started scheming about a new potential route up Lookout Peak I could take. So, I contoured up grassy benches around the North side of the peak and there looked to be various ways up to the lower northern summit on this side, ranging in difficulty from 3rd class to 5th class. I eventually went up a nice solid rib that could either be called the NE ridge or NE face. It had some stiff class 3 moves down low, but it wasn't exposed. The rest of the climbing was easy Class 3 to pleasant Class 2 boulder hopping near the top of the lower northern summit. I then traversed over to the higher southern summit enjoying views of Ruby Lake down below. After enjoying the views on the summit and having a snack I descended down the SW ridge of the peak, leaving me at the little meadow above Ruby Lake and below Mills Lake.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Higher Southern Summit of Lookout Peak Ahead</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruby Lake From Lookout Peak</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Descending the SW Ridge of Lookout Peak</td></tr>
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After lookout peak, I rambled around the little basin just below Mills Lake scouting for any wildflowers, or other photographic opportunities. The flowers were pretty lean and most were on their way out for the season, but I found a few nice patches of Columbine. I also had fun playing with color accent feature on the Canon G15 again. You can see the before and after on one particular type of (but not exact same) flower below. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Columbine</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Normal Photo</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Color Accent on Pistal</td></tr>
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After aimlessly wandering around for quite some time up there, I figured I had better head down to meet Charles and Jay. I tried to time it so that if they moved at a decent pace, we would probably arrive back at the same time, or at least with me slightly before them. When I got back to the car, it was just me, but that wasn't too surprising. Mountain climbs can often take longer than expected. So, I cracked open a Mammoth Brewery 395 Pale Ale and relaxed by the nearby stream. More time went on and my beer bottle eventually ended up empty. Why not have another to pass the time, I figured. This process repeated itself until I finished all four Pale Ales I brought along and also started to get concerned because of the time. When the clock hit 6PM, I started to think that even at the slowest pace they should be back by 7PM. I decided that if they weren't back by 9PM something bad must have happened for sure and I would head down to call for help. Much to my relief Charles came off the trail around 6:45, with Jay about 10 minutes behind. Phew! They were fine and had a good day - the climb just turned out to be a bit more involved than anticipated.<br />
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We all headed down and had a delicious burger and fries at Jack's Restauarant. Sometimes the best part of a day in the Sierra is the delicious dinner afterwards, while toasting off a great day with a couple beers! Jay and I headed back to Ridgecrest and Charles headed up North for one more climb the next day. It was a nice day for all of us.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mount Starr</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02260017465845457855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813185686774883400.post-53364355752571095732013-10-03T15:10:00.003-07:002013-10-03T15:12:20.832-07:00Flatworms Lose Their Heads But Not Their MemoriesWe often walk around with ideas we regard as facts, which in actuality are false. Recently, an <a href="http://www.livescience.com/39923-americans-believe-brain-myths.html" target="_blank">article </a>was published showing that two thirds of Americans mistakenly believe we only use 10% of our brains, which is now known to be false. A significant number of people still regard as fact that creative folks are right-brained and analytical folks are left-brained, which has also been shown to be false, starting with a <a href="http://www.livescience.com/39373-left-brain-right-brain-myth.html" target="_blank">study </a>done at the University of Utah. These ideas are both "myths" in the simplest sense of that term. Their continuing presence is, however, quite natural and expected. As science progresses, it either refines or negates existing theories, eventually replacing them with more accurate ones. In the meantime, old ideas do linger for a while.<br />
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However, there is an even more subtle source of mistaken notions. This source is our worldviews, which are images of reality we form as a culture that enable us to operate in the world. This corresponds to the broader meaning of "myth" as it is used in comparative mythology and similar fields. Rather than showing up as one simple incorrect fact, these manifest as paradigms under which the whole of society operates, including science. The paradigms influence not only how we view a problem, but what we think the form of the potential solution <i>must </i>come in. Worldviews are always self-limiting, but we do not let go of them easily.<br />
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The dominant worldview, or myth, within Western society is materialism, which typically holds to some basic assumptions, such as physicalism ('everything is physical'), reductionism ('sum of its parts') and objectivism ('reality exists independent of consciousness'), as far as science goes, but ultimately even leads to other ideals like consumerism and the accumulation of wealth. This isn't too say materialism is inherently wrong, but rather self-limiting and incomplete like all worldviews have historically been. Being under the influence of this materialistic worldview, many of us would immediately assume that the brain <i>must </i>be the source of consciousness. As Richard Dawkins so bluntly stated, "<i>We are all biological meat robots</i>", or as AI pioneer Marvin Minsky said, "<i>The brain is just a computer made of meat</i>". However, since we have no idea how consciousness actually works, these are assumptions, <i>not </i>facts.<br />
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Since memory is an aspect of consciousness, the automatic <i>assumption </i>would be that it too must be sourced somehow by the brain. Indeed, most theories in neuroscience generally assume that memory is <i>somehow </i>encoded within the structures of the brain. However, neuroscientists have had a hard time pinning down just how this happens, with some studies indicating that memories are stored across the entire brain, as if stored in a fashion similar to a hologram. Further, Near Death Experience (NDEs) research and Psi (psychic ability) <a href="http://www.deanradin.com/evidence/evidence.htm" target="_blank">research </a>seem to indicate that memories are stored external to the brain. Reputable guys like <a href="http://www.sheldrake.org/homepage.html" target="_blank">Rupert Sheldrake</a> have gone as far as coming up with theories like his <a href="http://www.sheldrake.org/About/guide/morphicresonance.html" target="_blank">Morphic Resonance</a>, which is a kind of consciousness-as-a-field theory, where the brain acts more like a filter/transceiver of this field. Even such noted folks like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_penrose#Physics_and_consciousness" target="_blank">Roger Penrose</a> are considering ideas where consciousness may be a fundamental and irreducible aspect of reality.<br />
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Indeed, the number of individuals starting to look at ideas beyond the typical mainstream, materialistic views is growing, at least in part because explaining consciousness under the materialistic paradigm has made very little progress. The so-called "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_problem_of_consciousness" target="_blank">hard problem</a>" of consciousness - that is, how does subjective, inner experience (i.e. qualia) arise from unconscious, inanimate matter - remains completely unsolved to this day.<br />
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However, more and more studies are coming out of the mainstream that also hint at a potential science beyond materialism. The point of this blog post was to introduce one of these studies. For example, one would assume that if memories are really stored in the brain, decapitation would eliminate those memories. This is rather difficult to test for in humans, but not so difficult with flatworms (planaria), since they can regrow a head! The results of a recent study (full text below) seem to strongly indicate that memories are not <i>solely </i>stored in the flatworms brain. It's possible the memories here are stored in some kind of "cellular memory" within somatic tissue and I am sure they will exhaust what will be considered more pragmatic explanations before jumping to something like Morphic Resonance. However, when these results are considered alongside the results coming out of Psi <a href="http://www.deanradin.com/evidence/evidence.htm" target="_blank">research</a>, I think this make it more compelling for us to begin to consider the possibility that memory is not only stored external to the brain, but even the body, thereby allowing non-materialist theories like Morphic Resonance to be considered a valid, competing hypothesis for attempting to explain memory formation/recall.<br />
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"<i>(Phys.org) —<b>Tufts University biologists using new, automated training and testing techniques have found that planarian flatworms store memory outside their brains and, if their heads are removed, can apparently imprint these memories on their new brains during regeneration.</b><br /><br />The work, published online in the Journal of Experimental Biology, can help unlock the secrets of how memories can be encoded in living tissues, noted Michael Levin, Ph.D., Vannevar Bush professor of biology at Tufts and senior author on the paper.<br /><br />"As bioengineering and biomedicine advance, there's a great need to better understand the dynamics of memory and the brain-body interface. For example, what will happen to stored memory if we replace big portions of aging brains with the progeny of fresh stem cells?" said Levin, who directs the Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology in Tufts' School of Arts and Sciences.<br /><br />Planaria have a remarkable capacity to quickly re-grow new body parts, and decades-old research on planarian learning had suggested that memory can survive brain regeneration. Difficulties inherent in complex and tedious manual worm training experiments contributed to planaria falling out of favor as a model for such research, but the new automated training system developed by the Tufts researchers may reverse that.<br /><br />"We now have a reliable, state-of-the-art approach that moves beyond past controversies to identify quantitative, objective, high-throughput protocols for studying planarian long-term memory capabilities," said Tal Shomrat, Ph.D., first author on the paper. A former postdoctoral associate with Levin, Shomrat is now a postdoctoral researcher at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. "I believe that investigating this unique animal that displays relatively complex behavior and can regenerate its entire brain in only a few days will provide answers to the enigma of acquisition, storage and retrieval of memories," he added.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Toward the light</span><br /><br />Shomrat and Levin focused their attention on planaria of the species Dugesia japonica. One planarian group lived in containers with a textured floor while the other was housed in smooth-floored Petri dishes. The worms, which naturally avoid light, were then tested to see how readily they would eat liver in an illuminated quadrant on the bottom of a rough-textured dish.<br /><br />Automated video tracking and subsequent computer analysis of the worms' movements (image above) showed that the group familiarized to the rough-floored dishes overcame aversion to the light significantly more quickly and spent more time feeding in the illuminated space than did the non-familiarized group.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Off with their heads</span><br /><br /><b>Both groups of worms were then decapitated and housed in a smooth-floored environment while their heads regenerated. Two weeks later, the fully regenerated segments were again tested. Worms regenerated from the familiarized group were slightly but not significantly quicker to feed in the lighted part of the container. However, when both groups of worms were given a brief refresher session of feeding in the textured environment, then removed and retested four days later, the planaria generated from familiarized segments were significantly quicker to feed than those regenerated from unfamiliarized worms—showing that they retained recognition of the link between this type of surface and a safe feeding environment.<br /><br />Exactly how this memory was retained and recalled remains unclear. Shomrat and Levin suggest that traces of memory of the learned behavior were stored outside the brain, and imprinted on the newly-regenerated brain through mechanisms not yet identified. More investigation is needed to determine the basis for these interactions between the regenerating central nervous system and remote somatic tissues, as well as the mechanism by which specific memories are encoded in physical changes within the brain and body.</b>"</i><br />
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PhysOrg Article: <a href="http://phys.org/news/2013-08-flatworms-memories-brain.html" target="_blank">Flatworms Lose Their Heads But Not Their Memories: Study Finds Memories Stored Outside the Brain</a><br />
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The Journal of Experimental Biology: <a href="http://jeb.biologists.org/content/216/20/3799" target="_blank">An Automated Training Paradigm Reveals Long-Term Memory in Planarians and Its Persistence Through Head Regeneration</a><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02260017465845457855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813185686774883400.post-66683488754095245612013-09-29T18:40:00.001-07:002013-09-29T18:40:04.499-07:00An Autumn Adventure in Mono County<br />
As I was driving home with sore, tired muscles, feeling windswept and
dusty and stinking like sage brush, that peaceful feeling came over me
that always does after a rugged day in the outdoors. This particular
trip, however, did not go quite as planned. It was mostly in retrospect
that I was able to realize I had a great day.<br />
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The plan was for three dirt bike rides. Each ride was one that I had been talking about for some time now. With a week off, I decided to just go and crank a few of them out in one shot. For my first ride, I decided on ~135-mile loop, starting in Sage Hen Meadows south of Mono Lake, which goes around and over the southern crest of that range, visiting Adobe Valley, Crowley Lake and other scenic areas. My second ride would be the Coyote Flat loop between Bishop and Big Pine. My third ride was going to be the Hunter Mountain, Racetrack, Saline Valley loop out of Lee Flats in Death Valley. Long story short - I only got in the first ride - and barely!<br />
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If it had been a little while since my last multiday hiking trip, it was a <i>really </i>long time since a motorcycle trip of that type. With motorcycles you've got to bring a lot more stuff with you. Feeling a little scattered in my mind, I was having a hard time thinking of what I needed to bring. I was sure I would forget something! Sure enough, about two hours north of my home, I realized I forgot my daily medication for Mitral Valve Prolapse. Not a trivial item! Luckily I was able to track down a Rite Aid in Bishop and they were able to refill my prescription. Phew, trip destruction narrowly averted, part one!<br />
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Not too long afterwards, I arrived at one of my favorite camp sites, which is located up in Sage Hen Meadows around 8,500' in elevation. This is a secluded, primitive camp site (a dirt pull out, really) in a spectacular setting with fantastic wide-open views of the whole Mono Lake area and the Sierra Nevada. I had a few hours to relax with my delicious sandwich from Schatts in Bishop, unload the bike, and take care of other business before the sun set. I took the bike out for a small ride and for some reason it was idling really low and feeling like it wanted to stall out. It eventually went away, so I chalked it up to cold temperatures, not having used it in a while and not warming it up enough. However, it chipped away a little at my confidence to head out into remote areas the following day. The trip "bad luck" bug was biting at me again.<br />
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I quickly realized it was quite a bit cooler up there than in Ridgecrest too. Being a guy used to 100+ degrees during the day and overnight lows in the 70s, the low-to-mid 20s the next morning was a bit of shock and made the first part of the ride bone chillingly cold. My hands were switching back and forth between stinging really bad and going numb, while shivering so bad I felt like I might accidentally jump right off the motorcycle while still in motion! As I headed down into Adobe Valley and out into the sunlight, I started to warm up a bit, but not quite warm enough to stop and take a picture of the herd of wild horses I saw. I am still regretting that one!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Adobe Valley</td></tr>
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There was quite a few spots of deep sand in Adobe Valley, and one part of the loop turned into a dead-end of sorts. One section of the old road dropped down into a dry creek bed and climbed up out the other side. When I came to the next section like this, the creek was flowing and an 8-foot wall of plant growth was blocking the way! I had to back-track and cut down to Hwy 120 to catch the next part of the loop. Here, one slowly heads over to the east side of Glass Mountain and then traverse over to the southern part of the range before crossing over just north of Squaw Teat. Rebecca and I had hiked up Glass Mountain in a mega-day trip from Ridgecrest several years ago with the pups, so I was looking forward to seeing even more of the range on dirt bike now. Many of the roads cut through some beautiful areas with fall colors. The range is called Glass Mountain because of all the Obsidian Rock, which shines like black glass in the Sun.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glass Mountain</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fall Colors in the Glass Mountain Range</td></tr>
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The roads leading from Sawmill meadows to Squaw teat were fun, curvy and narrow, cutting through several sections of aspen in beautiful fall colors. Once I got to Squaw Teat, the road curves around the peak and then goes down a long ridge line all the way down to Long Valley below. The views of the valley, Lake Crowley and the Sierra Nevada were awesome! However, lots of sand and some rocky sections made for a rugged ride in spots. I pretty much bulldogged the bike down a couple sections. One uphill at the very bottom required four attempts before I finally got up it - very deep sand, plus my bike always feels pretty underpowered at altitude (as if it didn't at sea level!). There was another road, but having no idea where it went, or even if it was a dead end, or not, had me feeling a wee bit trapped for a few minutes. Some desperate Fred Flintstone maneuvers got me up the hill on that last attempt, though! Seriously though, that might be all that got me up there in the end.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starting Around Squaw Teat</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Crowley, Sierra Nevada</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting Close to Bottom of Ridgeline</td></tr>
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From here, I had a blast zipping across Long Valley on the way to Lake Crowley. Fast, curvy trails with some mild whoops and sand thrown in for fun. After Crowley, one heads into the hills and woods to the north, with great views of Mount Morrison. Much of the trail was covered in sharp Obsidian rocks. I also stopped for lunch in here and had a delicious almond butter and honey bagel. I must have been pretty hungry, because that sure hit the spot!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mount Morrison From Long Valley</td></tr>
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Somewhere in this area I started noticing a funny sound every time I let off the gas, like a high pitched whooshing noise. Couldn't figure out what it was until I pulled over and realized my tire was going flat. Fuck! I was still a little over 10 miles from the highway, or an easy access area. I just decided to keep going with the little air that was left in the tire and see if I could make it to the highway. Then, I could try and change the tube, or call for help. I was pleasantly surprised that I actually made it! First, I tried to pump up the tire only to find out my pump was broken too! There went the option of changing the tube. I called Rebecca and let her know what was going on. I noticed what little air was left in the tire seemed to be holding. I figured, hell, I'm going to hop on the freeway and try and make the 30 miles of road and 5 miles of dirt back to camp. Sure sounded like a better prospect than wait three hours on the side of the road for Rebecca. I was pretty sure she would be pretty relieved not to have to come up there too. Once again, to a much greater and even more pleasant surprise, I actually made it back to camp! My back tire swerved around a bit and the valve stem disappeared up into the rim, with a completely flat tire right as I pulled into camp. Even though I had no mirrors, a close to flat tire, hugging the side of the road at 50 mph, none of the highway patrol I saw pulled me over, either. Lucky!<br />
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I cracked open a hard-earned beer, or two, enjoyed the views and rambled around the nearby fall colors, while snapping some photos. It was nice to relax with the great views before starting the drive home<br />
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I took some video too, but it turned out pretty disappointing. The mount was loose and the camera ended up looking down at the ground more than the scenery! Most of the fall colors and scenery never even made it into the field of view. Really wish I snapped more photos of the fall colors and even the wild horses I came across, but I thought I was capturing a ton of video, so why bother! Oh well. I still managed to put together a half-way decent little clip.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02260017465845457855noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813185686774883400.post-54434909668824253932013-09-18T22:34:00.000-07:002013-09-19T12:12:24.072-07:00Study on Rats Proposes a Mechanism for NDEsQuite frequently a new study will come out purporting to explain Near Death Experiences (NDEs). These are typically attempts to explain NDEs as some aspect of a dying brain. If you're a staunch materialist, I guess it really is the only reasonable way to view the NDE phenomenon. But, almost all of these fall short of explaining most aspects of the NDE phenomenon. Some can even get pretty darn silly. One claimed, "<i>many of the phenomena associated with near-death experiences can be biologically explained</i>", which was done by comparing different aspects of NDEs to various common and uncommon disorders. Quoting just some of the disorders they used, I facetiously summed up their analysis of NDEs in the following manner.<br />
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"<i>So, basically, if I happen to simultaneously have <span class="highlight">Cotard</span>'s
syndrome and Parkinson's disease, while suffering from interrupted
sleep patterns, while tripping on acid and become afflicted with some
strange eye problems, it then becomes possible for me to have an NDE?</i>"<br />
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However, a study came out recently that was pretty interesting. They found highly coherent, global oscillations in the brains of dying rats. (yes, they killed the poor little guys). I planned to write something up on this, but I noticed Robert Mays of the International Association of Near Death Studies (IANDS) wrote up an article, which is probably better than anything I would write and he is far more qualified to discuss the issue. So, I will just quote the contents of that article below and provide a link.<br />
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I would add one extra flaw to his list. One cannot actually ask the mice if they had an NDE. I think this is especially important, given that the level of electrical activity found would not normally be sufficient for normal waking consciousness, let alone a hyper-real lucid experience that is reported in NDEs.<br />
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Nonetheless, I've said for a long time that even if NDEs are a result of consciousness becoming free of the brain (I discuss this "filter" model of the brain in this <a href="http://exploreabitmore.blogspot.com/2013/04/eben-alexander-neurosurgeons-nde.html" target="_blank">blog post</a>), certain aspects of the NDE may be modulated by the dying brain, or by trauma to the brain. So, if any electrical activity is found during a period when an NDE is suspected to occur, it must be investigated and may provide some insight into the NDE experience and to what extent it is modulated by the brain. Clearly, it should have nothing to do with the veridical aspects, or the hyper-real lucid states of consciousness that are reported. Eben Alexander mentioned the Earth-Worm Eye view aspect of his NDE (again discussed in the post linked above) may have been the best consciousness his meningitis-ridden, pus-soaked brain could put out. Perhaps, similar aspects of his and other NDEs are modulated by the brain, at least partially. However, this is just my idea, which doesn't seem to be widely supported, so take it with a grain of salt,<br />
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Anyhow, here's the content of the May's article (links provided below)<br />
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<i><b>"A recent study</b> by Jimo Borjigin and colleagues (University of Michigan) reports that <b>highly coherent, global oscillations in the brains of rats</b> occurred from about 12 to 30 seconds after cardiac arrest. The investigators found that near death, some of the <b>electrical signatures of consciousness exceeded levels found in the waking state</b>, providing "<b>strong evidence for the potential of heightened cognitive processing in the near-death state</b>."
"The measurable conscious activity is much, much higher after the
heart stops." They assert that this evidence provides "a scientific
framework to begin to <b>explain the highly lucid and realer-than-real mental experiences reported by near-death survivors</b>."<b> </b></i><br />
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<i><b>How well do these assertions hold up to scrutiny?</b></i><br />
<br />
<i><b>Commentary by</b> <a href="http://selfconsciousmind.com/" target="_blank"><b>Robert Mays, NDE researcher</b></a></i><br />
<i><b> </b></i>
<br />
<i>There are <b>three major flaws in the reasoning</b> that the University of Michigan researchers used. <b>The first flaw</b>
is that a near-death experience, with its elements of the sense of
being out of the body, feelings of peace, hyper-real lucid sensations
and mentation, and so on, occurs only when an individual is near death.
It's important that <b>any explanation of the phenomenon of NDEs explain the broad spectrum of cases in which they occur</b>.
NDEs can be triggered by cardiac arrest or a physical trauma, but they
can also be triggered by an accident in which the NDEr is not hurt and
even in a healthy individual who experiences an NDE spontaneously.</i><br />
<br />
<i>
</i>
<i>Furthermore, <b>shared-death experiences provide even further evidence</b>
where a healthy person at the bedside of a dying loved one experiences
many of the same elements of the NDE (see Moody and Perry, Glimpses of Eternity, 2010).</i><br />
<br />
<i>
</i>
<i>There is <b>no physiological explanation of NDEs and SDEs</b>
that can explain the variety of trigger conditions and elements of the
experience. So while the results of Dr. Borjigin and colleagues are
interesting, they <b>do not provide a scientific framework for explaining NDEs</b>.</i><br />
<br />
<i>
</i>
<i><b>The second major flaw</b> in reasoning has to do with the <b>assumption that coherent oscillations in widely separated regions in the brain constitute a general signature of consciousness</b>. In fact, coherent oscillations are neural correlates of consciousness, but are <b>specific to cognitive activity that is directed toward a particular task</b> such as visual spatial attention or directed motor activity. <b>The oscillations tend to be transient</b>, lasting only a few hundreds of milliseconds and the brain regions involved are related to the cognitive task at hand.</i><br />
<br />
<i>
</i><i>In fact the transient pattern of coherent gamma oscillations (25-55
Hz) that were observed in the awake rats in this study prior to
anesthesia is typical of consciousness. The coherent oscillations are
only a small part of the overall picture of the rat's consciousness. <b>Coherent gamma oscillations are indications only of specific, directed cognitive activity rather than general consciousness</b>. These oscillations always occur in the context of other electrical activity that indicate general consciousness. Thus <b>the
result that the gamma oscillations increased significantly in the
period after cardiac arrest is not an indication of a heightened general
consciousness</b>.</i><br />
<br />
<i>
</i><i>Finally, <b>the third major flaw</b> is that the researchers <b>discounted or ignored the overall power of the electrical activity in the awake rat,</b> where there is clearly consciousness, <b>compared with the greatly reduced power of electrical activity after cardiac arrest</b>. The overall power of electrical activity <b>in the conscious rat is more than 30 times greater than after cardiac arrest</b>. (This is an estimate since I do not have access to the specific data).</i><br />
<br />
<i>
</i><i>There is ample evidence that consciousness is supported only by a certain minimal level of electrical activity.<b> After the cardiac arrest, the rats do not have sufficient electrical brain activity to support consciousness</b>.
This conclusion is consistent with EEG studies in humans who
experienced cardiac arrest and who immediately lost consciousness.</i><br />
<br />
<i>
</i><i><b>So what do the highly coherent, global oscillations in the rats indicate? </b>Most
likely they are a natural oscillation that occurs in resonant neural
circuits when the neural activity of the living rat has ceased. In other
words, they are the remnant electrical activity of a dead brain."</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://iands.org/home.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hrw3sDTeWJk/UjqJNogkr_I/AAAAAAAABBc/n-VyX1quMd0/s1600/logo.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2 class="contentheading ">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>IANDS Article</b>: </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://iands.org/news/news/front-page-news/981-study-on-rats-proposes-a-mechanism-for-ndes.html" target="_blank">Study on rats proposes a mechanism for NDEs </a></span></span></span></h2>
<h2 class="contentheading ">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></h2>
<h2 class="contentheading ">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Original Paper:</b> </span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/110/35/14432.short" target="_blank">Surge of neurophysiological coherence and connectivity in the dying brain</a></span></span></h2>
<h2 class="contentheading ">
</h2>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02260017465845457855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813185686774883400.post-78588479933398014262013-09-18T13:38:00.000-07:002013-09-18T13:39:53.691-07:00UFO VideosNot too long ago, I wrote a <a href="http://exploreabitmore.blogspot.com/2013/07/abduction.html" target="_blank">blog post</a> on John Mack's book Abduction
and within that I shared a video on UFOs called "I know What I Saw", directed by James Fox.
Since then I came across a few more good ones I wanted to share.<br />
<br />
The first one is called "UFOs Out of the Blue" and is by the same director (James Fox) of "I Know What I Saw". This is probably my favorite UFO video to date. <br />
<br />
The
second one is "Best Evidence: Top 10 UFO sightings". Although, I kind
of disagree about some of them being the "best evidence", it's a pretty
good list of the some of the better known sightings. There are also
some new ones not covered in the James Fox videos. The narrator's voice is a little creepy, though ;-)<br />
<br />
The last video is on the Hessdalen lights. This one is pretty cool. This is an unexplained UFO-type phenomenon that has been seriously studied and
caught on film many times. It's existence isn't debated, just it's
explanation. I suspect there is a natural, "terrestrial", explanation
for this one, but either way, it's pretty neat.<br />
<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02260017465845457855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813185686774883400.post-84700184521057017192013-08-24T17:40:00.000-07:002013-08-24T17:42:32.566-07:00Dynamite FudgeThis is one of my favorite sweet-tooth superfood treats. I don't know if you ever watched the 70's sitcom called Good Times, with Jimmie Walker and his infamous "Dyno-mite!!" line. I guarantee when you taste a piece of this dynamite fudge you will have an uncontrollable urge to cry out "dynamite!" just like Jimmie Walker in the video below. Yes, indeed ... it's that good!!<br />
<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/73054823" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
</center>
<br />
<br />
This fudge hosts several superfood powders, including the anti-oxidant powerhouses Maqui Berry and Cacao. It also uses Lacuma powder, which is naturally sweet, without any sugar content. The Mesquite powder also adds an interesting flavor I can't really describe, but fits the name.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EQf1zghdfDo/UhlGs7bguVI/AAAAAAAABAs/CGroiHnbFQI/s1600/01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="356" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EQf1zghdfDo/UhlGs7bguVI/AAAAAAAABAs/CGroiHnbFQI/s640/01.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
This is another one those delicious Julie Morris recipes, which can be found in her book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Superfood-Kitchen-Cooking-Natures-Amazing/dp/145490352X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377390696&sr=8-1&keywords=julie+morris" target="_blank">Superfood Kitchen</a>.<br />
<br />
The full list of ingredients goes like this:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>2 tablespoons Maqui Powder</li>
<li>2 tablespoons Maca Powder</li>
<li>1 tablespoons Mesquite Powder</li>
<li>6 tablespoons Lacuma Powder</li>
<li>½ Cacao Powder</li>
<li>¼ cup Palm Sugar</li>
<li>6 tablespoons Coconut Oil</li>
<li>¼ cup Maple Syrup (or Agave Nectar)</li>
</ul>
<br />
The maple syrup and agave nectar both provide distinct flavors to the fudge. I personally like the maple syrup better, but will sometimes make them with the agave nectar, just to mix it up now and then. Either way, the outcome is ... dynamite!<br />
<br />
Put all those ingredients in a food processor and mix until they're combined well. Check the consistency and try adding a little more coconut oil, if it seems too dry. Once everything seems good, pour the mixture onto some plastic wrap and mold the fudge into a 1-inch high square/rectangular shape. Fold it up and place in the refrigerator for about an hour, to let it solidify more. Then, take it out and ...<br />
<br />
Enjoy!<br />
<br />
With ¼ cup Palm Sugar and ¼ Maple Syrup, you do want to eat these
sparingly to keep it healthy. Everything in moderation, right?<br />
<br />
At least
that's what I told myself right before eating half the batch of fudge I made!<br />
<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02260017465845457855noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813185686774883400.post-77122497703038932442013-08-21T22:31:00.001-07:002013-08-27T17:38:48.677-07:00Eben Alexander, Esquire UpdateAnybody who follows parapsychology knows there is a consistent
back and forth between proponents and skeptics. Every time a
new story comes out, the skeptics go hard to work to shut it down and
an incessant debate rages between the two sides. It's been
called the Culture War. I normally try and steer clear of all
this, because it gets kind of old after awhile. However, there
has been a recent ruckus over an Esquire article put out on Eben
Alexander - the neurosurgeon who had an Near Death Experience and
whose story went "viral". Since I put up
a post on Eben not too long ago, I feel a bit responsible to post an
update, because the Esquire article has been shown to be inaccurate,
at best, or possibly a deliberate hit-piece against Eben, at worst.
I want to help set the record straight, because Eben's story has been
an inspiration to many people and it deserves to be shown in the
right light. Although, perhaps this is exactly how one gets
sucked into the Culture War, with no hope for return. I'll have
to be careful, hehe!<br />
<br />
The link below is for the Esquire article about Eben Alexander.
As you follow the link, you'll notice Esquire decided to make
people pay for this article, which was written by Luke Dittrich.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.esquire.com/features/the-prophet" target="_blank">Esquire - The Prophet</a><br />
<br />
It basically consists of two arguments: (1) against Eben's
reputation as a doctor, and (2) another against the validity of his
NDE. Both parts were essentially an attack on his character, in
attempt to make him appear untrustworthy.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://iands.org/news/news/front-page-news/970-esquire-article-on-eben-alexander-distorts-the-facts.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8a0H23yrGow/UhWeg5mQQVI/AAAAAAAABAU/H3EWmgG0kpw/s1600/logo.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
A couple weeks ago a full rebuttal to the Esquire article came
out from the International Association of Near Death Studies.
It was written by NDE researcher Robert Mays. It covers pretty
much everything from the Esquire article in relation to Eben's NDE,
or point (2). It's a pretty informative read.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8a0H23yrGow/UhWeg5mQQVI/AAAAAAAABAU/H3EWmgG0kpw/s1600/logo.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<a href="http://iands.org/news/news/front-page-news/970-esquire-article-on-eben-alexander-distorts-the-facts.html" target="_blank">IANDS
- Esquire article on Eben Alexander distorts the facts </a>
<br />
<br />
I'm going to focus on a key aspect of Part (2), because I think
it's the main sticking point, as far as the validity of Eben's NDE.
Eben says his coma was brought on by the bacterial meningitis and was
persistent throughout the week. Dittrich claims his coma was
mainly chemically induced by hospital staff and that Eben was occasionally
awake and delirious throughout the week. Dittrich then makes
the argument that Eben's brain was not "off-line" and the
NDE was a vivid hallucination.<br />
<br />
It would seem Dittrich's main reason for claiming this was from his interview from
Dr Laura Potter, Eben Alexander's ER physician. However, when
Dr. Potter learned of the article she gave out the following
statement:<br />
<br />
"<i>I am saddened by, and gravely disappointed by the article
recently published in Esquire. </i><i><b>The content attributed to me
is both out of context and does not accurately portray the events
around Dr. Eben Alexander’s hospitalization. I felt my side of the
story was misrepresented by the reporter</b></i><i>. I believe Dr.
Alexander has made every attempt to be factual in his accounting of
events</i>." — Dr. Laura Potter<br />
<br />
Also, in the back of Eben's book was a statement by Scott Wade who
was his main doctor during his illness. It says:<br />
<br />
<i>" .... Despite prompt and aggressive antiobiotic treatment for
his E.coli meningitis, as well as continued care in the intensive
care unit, <b>he remained in a coma six days</b> and hope for
recovery faded (mortality over 90%), Then, on the seventh day , the
miraculous happened - he opened his eyes, became alert, and was
quickly weaned from the ventilator. <b>The fact that he went on
to have a full recovery from this illness after being in a coma for
nearly a week is truly remarkable.</b>"</i><br />
<br />
In his book, Eben did talk about making guttural groans and
thrashing around in his bed, but this is apparently normal for a
person suffering from bacterial meningitis. This was also discussed
in the IANDS article, where they quote from Eben's book.<br />
<br />
<i>"Contrary to Luke Dittrich's assertion, Eben Alexander did
disclose the use of sedatives in a 'chemically induced coma':</i> <i><b>'At
times, early in the week, I would move. My body would thrash around
wildly</b></i><i>. </i><i><b>A nurse would rub my head and give me
more sedation, and eventually I'd become quiet again.</b></i><i>.. </i><i><b>By
the end of the week these occasional bursts of motor activity had all
but ceased</b></i><i>. </i><i><b>I needed no more sedation</b></i><i>,
</i><i><b>because movement</b></i><i>—</i><i><b>even the dead,
automatic kind initiated by the most primitive reflex loops of my
lower brainstem and spinal cord—had dwindled almost to nil'</b></i><i>"</i><br />
<br />
I suspect it is this part of what Dr Potter said, that Dittrich distorted. The funny thing is, I actually thought this strengthened Eben's case. This showed that not only had the meningitis attacked his cortex, which was where the infection started, it had actually progressed to the point that it was attacking deeper, more primitive, brain structures. How can one have a hyper-real lucid experience via higher brain functions within the cortex, when the brain isn't even capable of putting out primitive reflexes? More along these lines below.<br />
<br />
In addition, there are a couple of other pertinent points.<br />
<br />
(1) There seems to be a mistaken assumption out there that
one has to have zero brain activity to have an NDE. This is
just not true. NDEs have been reported from people with little, to
zero, brain activity with severe trauma, to folks with no injury in
the waking state but faced with an imminent and deadly threat.
This means even if the Esquire article was correct and Eben's coma
was chemically induced, it is still hard to explain away an NDE on this basis alone.
Also, whether his coma was chemically induced, or not, seems to do
little to explain the other problem I talked about in my <a href="http://exploreabitmore.blogspot.com/2013/04/eben-alexander-neurosurgeons-nde.html" target="_blank">earlier
pos</a>t, quoted here for convenience:<br />
<br />
" <i>.... this leaves skeptics open to claim it happened
during a reboot of the brain as he came out of the coma. Here's
the problem with that explanation, though. Patients who fall
ill with bacterial meningitis, or similar conditions, do indeed end
up going through a sort of reboot process. As the brain comes
back online and the various areas start to communicate again,
patients typically go through a very confused state of affairs, which
is called ICU psychosis. Dr. Alexander remembers going through
this and confirmed he was pretty far out of it, as to be expected.
However, he also remembers his NDE, as a hyper-real, crystal-clear
lucid experience, with near-prefect memory recall. </i><i><b>Why
would the brain be able to produce a hyper-real, crystal-clear lucid
experience at an earlier time, during coma, when it was even more
impaired? </b></i><i> You wake up from a coma because the brain
has presumably healed itself enough to regain "waking"
consciousness, but it's still not a fully-functioning consciousness
at that point in time. It is disconnected, to say the least,
which is why one goes through ICU psychosis. </i><i><b>So, how
did he have an ultra-real, lucid experience when his brain was even
more impaired than this</b></i><i>?"</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e5u8GH4I1ew/UhWe5glnSNI/AAAAAAAABAc/fOVdgwqXS6U/s1600/brain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e5u8GH4I1ew/UhWe5glnSNI/AAAAAAAABAc/fOVdgwqXS6U/s320/brain.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
(2) Again, it's hard to argue that Eben's brain was not severely
impaired. I covered some details of that in this <a href="http://exploreabitmore.blogspot.com/2013/04/eben-alexander-neurosurgeons-nde.html" target="_blank">blog
post</a>, but I also thought the IANDS article gave another good
summary, which I will quote here.<br />
<br />
<i>"Eben Alexander had developed a severe case of bacterial
meningitis. There were lots of measures of how serious his condition
was: the very quick onset of his symptoms, persistent seizure (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Status_epilepticus">status
epilepticus</a>), the presence of E. coli bacteria in his <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_spinal_fluid">cerebral
spinal fluid</a> (CSF), the high white blood cell count and high
protein level in his CSF, the very low glucose level in his CSF, and
the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ct_scan">CT scans</a> of
his brain that showed diffuse <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edema">edema</a>,
damage in all eight lobes of his cortex and widespread blurring of
the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_matter">gray-white
junction</a>. </i><br />
<br />
<i>And there were several specific neurological exams showing
severe alterations: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abnormal_posturing">abnormal
posturing</a> indicating damage to the cortex and thalamus, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papilledema">florid
papilledema</a> indicating elevated intracranial pressure, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pupillary_light_reflex">fixed
pupils </a>indicating brainstem damage, and no <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vestibulo-ocular_reflex">vestibulo-ocular
reflex</a> also indicating brainstem damage. Alexander's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasgow_Coma_Scale#Motor_response_.28M.29">motor
response</a> declined further to "no motor response to noxious
stimuli," indicating widespread cortical and brainstem damage."</i><br />
<br />
As mentioned, rich and complex NDEs (with veridical components)
have happened in cases with less apparent brain trauma than what we
have here. It's always a stronger case if you can show there
was zero, or close to zero, brain activity, as far as showing
consciousness can exist independent of the brain. But, Eben's NDE never was generally considered one of the better NDEs, as far as providing solid evidence along these lines. But, it certainly shouldn't be dismissed as "just a hallucination", either.<br />
<br />
I think its been shown the Esquire article was an
unfair representation of what really happened. It may even have
been an intentional hit-piece meant to damage Eben's story. It
wouldn't be the first time something like this went down, that's for
sure. In fact, the damage is done. Esquire has a larger
reading base than IANDS. Even with a solid
rebuttal, anybody who wants to be skeptical
will just go back and reference the Esquire article and confidently proclaim: "<i>NDE debunked!</i>". If folks don't want to dig deeper to see what really happened, that's what they'll walk away with. All too often, that's how it seems to work.<br />
<br />
However, it's hard to silence the truth, especially when it comes in the form of an inspirational story like Eben's. I'm sure we'll learn more, as time goes on. And, this won't be the last time something like this happens.<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
UPDATE: Skeptiko had an interview with Robert Mays, author of the IANDS article.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.skeptiko.com/220-esquire-proof-of-heaven-expose-debunked/" target="_blank"> Esquire Proof of Heaven Expose Debunked, Dr. Eben Alexander Prevails</a><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02260017465845457855noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813185686774883400.post-58041349867039593902013-08-18T17:44:00.001-07:002013-08-23T07:27:58.587-07:00Supernormal by Dean Radin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Supernormal-Science-Evidence-Extraordinary-Abilities/dp/030798690X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376782621&sr=1-1&keywords=supernormal" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iNCWLVRKIjs/Ug_ZobqhR8I/AAAAAAAAA-k/eUgoc1YP8mY/s400/dean-radin-supernormal.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
<br />
I recently enjoyed reading Dean Radin's new book. Since my intention with this blog post is to mainly share some of the information I found fascinating, think of this entire blog post as being covered by one gigantic footnote, referencing Dean's book, which is also linked by the image above.*<br />
<br />
I really liked the angle Dean took in this new book. It seems like some folks interested in parapsychology, or psychic phenomenon (psi), don't seem to have a desire to learn about mythology, or even seem to have an aversion to religion altogether. I can't say I blame them, as many modern Western religious groups have an aversion to psi. It's really too bad, because psi is mentioned in many ancient texts in the East and amongst more mystical traditions in the West, even in modern-day times. In fact, even fundamentalist Christians acknowledge the existence of psi, but it's only allowed to happen in one person - Jesus. Jesus performed remote healing, telepathy, mind-over-matter and other "miraculous" acts, very much in accord with what is talked about in modern day psi research, albeit at a far lower level of manifestation. <br />
<br />
The religious text that most explicitly talks about psi is probably the Yoga Sutras by Patanjali. Held to be written approximately 2000 years ago, perhaps 2nd century BC, the oral traditions are believed to go back much, much further. Images of figures in a yoga posture have been found on archeological artifacts dating back much further, as well. Within the Yoga Sutras, certain abilities are outlined in rather explicit detail, which one is said to gain via concerted mental efforts. These abilities are called Siddhis and they correspond very well with modern day psychic abilities, such as telepathy, mental healing, clairvoyance, psychokinesis and others.<br />
<br />
I appreciate Dean Radin tying modern day psi research back to these ancient traditions. I feel it adds credence to the overall psi phenomenon when what is being validated by modern scientific method today has been talked about for thousands of years. The more robust and consistent an observation, the more likely it is a real phenomenon. In addition, our materialistic cultures seem to have lost some of the mental apparatus for gaining psychic ability, so these ancient traditions can tell us how great our potential is. In fact, the <i>cycle </i>of progress often seems to take the form of re-gaining something of old in a new, more powerful form. <br />
<br />
Anyhow, Dean Radin isn't likely to win a Pulitzer Prize in literature anytime soon, but his books are always insightful and an entertaining read. He is one of the leading psi researchers in the field and his books typically have some of the latest and greatest research mentioned, as well. So, I plan to just cover some of the more interesting tidbits mentioned in his book. Hopefully, these tidbits will be tantalizing to others, as well. I'll also cover a small selection of the experiments covered in the book that I found especially interesting. A link to a longer list of published studies can be found at the bottom of this blog post.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ge441UmhaSE/UhADnRTCUuI/AAAAAAAAA-0/_6Hs4zt6Y9s/s1600/yogasutra+1-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="182" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ge441UmhaSE/UhADnRTCUuI/AAAAAAAAA-0/_6Hs4zt6Y9s/s400/yogasutra+1-12.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yoga Sutra 1:12</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Early on in the book, Dean talks about how stories are found in the lore of every culture about a repeatable human experience, often called the mystical experience, where one attains to an experience of the Divine, or a direct knowing of something that is ineffable, which is later identified as the ground of all being. Aldous Huxley called this Perennial Philosophy, which later became the title of his well known book. Dean quotes Alan Watts, who also noted this<br />
<br />
"<i>... single philosophical consensus of universal extent. It has been held by men and women who report the same insights and teach the same essential doctrine, whether living today or six thousand years ago, whether from New Mexico in the Far West or from Japan in the Far East</i>"<br />
<br />
I recently spoke about an aspect of this experience in my Middle Way blog posts <a href="http://exploreabitmore.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-middle-way-part-i-introductory-ideas.html" target="_blank">Part I</a> and <a href="http://exploreabitmore.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-middle-way-part-ii-interdependent.html" target="_blank">Part II</a>, though mostly talked about in <a href="http://exploreabitmore.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-middle-way-part-ii-interdependent.html" target="_blank">Part II</a>.<br />
<br />
After discussing this common experience, Dean mentions William James' definition of the mystical experience, which I hadn't heard of before, but found rather insightful. He says a mystical experiences is comprised of the following four elements, or qualities:<br />
<br />
<i><b>(1) Ineffability</b></i>, which means the experience is beyond something that can be put into language, or words. It is only through having the experience, that one can truly understand. <br />
<br />
<i><b>(2) Noetic</b></i>, which means the experience is one of a state of knowledge, or illumination, or a revelation. One has a greater awareness of reality after the experience, than before. <br />
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<i><b>(3) Transiency</b></i>, which means the experience transcends time. The experience may only literally happen over a few minutes, but may seem far longer, or even vice-versa. <br />
<br />
<i><b>(4) Passivity</b></i>, which means the state may have been brought about via efforts of the experiencer, whether through meditation, or some other discipline, but once the experience begins, it proceeds as if the experiencer is no longer in control, at least not completely. After all, how can one control the contents of a revelation?<br />
<br />
Dean also gets into the discussion of why psi is taboo and on the possible reasons for such intense skepticism, even though psi has been demonstrated to be real to modern scientific standards. Even Richard Wiseman has admitted that all psi phenomenon meet the usual standards for a normal claim. However, I'm going to avoid talking about most of that, except for a new angle I hadn't heard of before and how it relates to funding for psi research.<br />
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You may have heard of the Myers-Briggs personality type test. As it turns out, people that are more creative, or likely to have a psychic experience, or even being open to having a psychic experience, typically are a type called NFP - N for intuitive, F for feeling, and P for perceiving. However, 99% of top executives are what you might call the opposite type, or STJ - S for sensing, T for thinking, and J for judging. These are the types that are less oriented towards "touchy-feely" kind of experiences like psi, so there is potential for bias right from the start. Since these folks predominantly control the power and funding, this bias affects not only psi, but also other areas like alternative medicine, which suffer from similar taboos.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9069c_ZeBJs/UhE0T4pvtdI/AAAAAAAAA_Q/AprpNdvwA-E/s1600/l31_00511013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9069c_ZeBJs/UhE0T4pvtdI/AAAAAAAAA_Q/AprpNdvwA-E/s400/l31_00511013.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large Hadron Collider (LHC)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Since psi is a small effect that is typically not under conscious control of the test subjects, its existence is validated to a large extent by statistical analysis. However, this is not at all unusual in science. As I mentioned in a previous blog post <a href="http://exploreabitmore.blogspot.com/search/label/Spiritual" target="_blank">here</a>, the Higgs particle recently discovered at the LHC was not directly detected. It was only by analyzing a large enough amount of data that gave odds against chance of 1 million to 1 that the result was a statistical fluke, which finally gave scientists the confidence to proclaim an "official" discovery. Even Aspirin was released to the market for its heart benefits on similar statistical grounds. Anyhow, try and remember that 1 million to 1 figure!!<br />
<br />
Before we dig into some of the modern-day experiments confirming the existence of Siddhis, we need to define a few terms. The first two are technical terms dealing with statistical analysis.<br />
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<u>Meta Analysis</u>: a type of analysis useful for systems that are complex, variable and/or subtle, to such a degree that it is very difficult for a single experiment to provide persuasive evidence that a consistent phenomenon, or effect, is occurring. Instead, a strictly defined set of methods is used to combine data from many studies, making the statistical equivalent of one single, gigantic study. Meta analysis helps us to gain high confidence in small effects found within large, complex and variable systems.<br />
<br />
<u>Effect Size</u>: more, or less, determines how "big" an effect is. A small effect size means that only a tiny fraction of the observations can be explained by the effect in consideration. Small effect size does not at all imply a certain phenomenon is any less real. Statistical analysis like the above mentioned meta analysis can help us pin down the uncertainty of a small effect size, giving us a high degree of confidence the effect is real, albeit small. An example provided by Dean of a real, but small effect size, comes out of the pharmaceutical industry. The effect size of the relationship between tamoxifen ( a breast-cancer drug) and clotting is only 0.01, meaning only 1% of folks taking this drug may experience a blood clot. However, the downside of an occurrence is so catastrophic for the patient, this tiny effect size is taken very seriously.<br />
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The next four terms deal with terms used in the Yoga Sutras. <br />
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<u>Dharana</u>: is essentially concentration, but a steady, sustained form focused on a single object, or concept<br />
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<u>Dhyana</u>: is essentially meditation, consisting of prolonged levels of concentration, with higher levels of absorption and awareness.<br />
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<u>Samadhi</u>: is a state where the object being concentrated on and the subject doing the concentrating merge in mystical absorption, or a state of unity, which is a hyper-aware, blissful state. The absorption of subject/object and seeming loss of individual identity is usually viewed as a loss by an ego-bound personality. However, for those that can break free and achieve this state, it is described as a state of incredible richness and activity, to which normal waking consciousness cannot begin to compare.<br />
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<u>Samyana</u>: a combined effort of the Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi, resulting in inner transformation. When one can practice Samyana on certain objects, or concepts, it is here that the Siddhis are gained - but, not to be experienced just transiently, as a fluke, but to be used at will in full strength. However, it should be stated that within Yoga it is advised to ignore the Siddhis, as they can be become stumbling blocks by re-inflating the ego.<br />
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One can now perhaps appreciate why psi is very subtle in the laboratory and is often considered a small effect. Few people are capable of keeping their mind focused for 10 mintues, let alone practice Samyana at will for indefinite lengths of time. Imagining the amount of concentration required is enough to give most folks a head ache just thinking about it. Therefore, it is very difficult to find subjects that can perform Siddhis (psi) at will in any appreciable way. What modern day experiments seem to be finding is that this potential <i>does</i> exists in <i>all </i>of us at a mostly unconscious level and shows up as a small effect in the world at large. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Precognition</u></span><br />
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Now that we got those definitions out of the way, let's look at some experiments. The first few will deal with precognition, which correspond with <i><b>Sutra 16, in Book III, of the Yoga Sutras</b></i>, which basically says one can gain knowledge of the past and future by practicing Samyana on the changes in Samskara, or mental impressions.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rNkudmo0l3U/UhFVLh-FvKI/AAAAAAAABAA/lzFrrfCcsiQ/s1600/zener_cards_w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="205" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rNkudmo0l3U/UhFVLh-FvKI/AAAAAAAABAA/lzFrrfCcsiQ/s400/zener_cards_w.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zener Cards</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Perhaps the most simple type of precognition experiment are the forced-choice experiments. The classic example is among one of the first major psi experiments, which was conducted by Joseph B. Rhine and colleagues at Duke University. The experiment basically consists of card "guessing" using a set of 5 cards called Zener cards (named after psychologist Karl Zener). Of course, if the participants were really just guessing, we would expect an outcome from the experiment that matches chance expectation. With 5 cards, they would only get a right answer 20% of the time. The larger, and larger, the data set taken the more the results would converge upon 20%, with greater and greater confidence. What one finds instead is something above chance results, telling us that the participants are getting hits, or correct "guesses", more often than they should based on chance alone. In fact, a meta analysis of 309 forced-choice experiments showed odds against chance of 10^25, or ten million billion billion to one!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Another kind of experiment along these lines are called "free-response" experiments, which basically test whether, or not, an individual can foretell the future like in the force-choice, but here they are allowed to freely report an impression they receive, which are then matched to a hit/miss. One example of this kind of test was performed by Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research (PEAR) laboratory. The "percipient" was separated by 2,200 miles from an "agent" who would travel to a randomly selected location, which the percipient would try to determine beforehand. Without getting into the details, many free-response precognition experiences have been done, but the bulk come from two large sources. The first source is a partially declassified government program involving Sciences Applications International Corporation (SAIC) and Standford Research Institute (SRI). The second source was PEAR. The 770 free-response tests conducted at SRI resulted in odds against change of 300 million to 1. At SAIC, 445 tests resulted in odds against chance of 1.6 million to 1. Finally, at PEAR, a total of 653 sessions resulted in odds against chance of 33 million to 1. <br />
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Another precognition experiment and one of my favorites is the presentiment tests that have done utilizing skin conductance, or even reactions within the eye, such as pupil dilation, spontaneous blink rate and simple eye movements. In one example, test subjects are shown a series of randomly selected images. Some of the images are calming scene, while others are of a more stimulatory nature, either erotic or violent. In between each image is a set of time called a cool-down period where the reaction from the previous images can come back to equilibrium. There is a definite an obvious spike in skin conductance from the erotic and violent images, which is entirely what one would expect. What is surprising is that a pre-stimulus response is found before the image is actually shown! It appears as though the test subject is unconsciously responding to a shocking stimulus before actual sensory perception. One particular test involving 47 participants contributing to a total of 1400 trials and odds against chance of 2500 to 1.<br />
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A certain flavor of Quantum Mechanics called Time Symmetric Quantum Mechanics is a bit suggestive of precognition, in that it seems to allow a type of retro-causal influence to travel backwards in time (without violating causality, mind you!) You can be read more about this in the following <a href="http://discovermagazine.com/2010/apr/01-back-from-the-future" target="_blank">Discovery article</a>.<br />
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Dean covers several other types of precognition experiments and also mentions a meta-analysis of 26 studies showing odds against chance ranging from 17 million to 1 to 370 billion to 1. The 17 million figure corresponds to a conservative estimate, which assumes the presentiment effect varied randomly from one experiment to the other (probably more realistic), while the 370 billion did not.<br />
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Overall, this all shows robust evidence in favor of the Siddhi mentioned in <i><b>Sutra 16, in Book III, of the Yoga Sutras, </b></i>to be a <b>real </b>effect.<i><b><br /></b></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Telepathy</u></span><br />
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Telepathy is a mind-to-mind connection, or communication, without the assistance of the 5 senses, and potentially over great distances. This is a another Siddhi mentioned in <i><b>Sutras 19-20, in </b></i><i><b>Book III, of the Yoga Sutras, </b></i>which says through another practice of Samyana one can gain knowledge of other's minds.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EBzA5O-yFV8/UhE2WRoypuI/AAAAAAAAA_g/aMTSh6VLKzo/s1600/woman_undergoing_ganzfeld_telepathy_experiment_h920008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EBzA5O-yFV8/UhE2WRoypuI/AAAAAAAAA_g/aMTSh6VLKzo/s320/woman_undergoing_ganzfeld_telepathy_experiment_h920008.jpg" width="305" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Test Subject in a Ganzfeld Experiment</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Perhaps, my favorite example of this is the Ganzfeld set of experiments. Dean talks about this at some length and I have also talked about it on a previous <a href="http://exploreabitmore.blogspot.com/2013/03/book-review-and-parapsychology-primer.html" target="_blank">blog post</a>, which I will quote here for convenience:<br />
<br />
"<i>Probably the most popular and perhaps the most conclusive experiment, or
set of experiments, showing this effect is called the Ganzfeld.
Essentially, two people are separated in two different chambers that are
electromagnetically shielded. One is the receiver, one is the sender.
The receiver is in a dark reddish-light, with eyes covered and wearing
headphones that apply white noise (i.e. they are sensory "starved").
The sender is given an image, which is part of a set of 4 visually
disparate images, all randomly selected via computer from a large
database of images. This is done in a double-blind fashion so nobody
knows what the image will be beforehand, even the experimenters. The
sender mentally sends the image and the receiver is instructed to tell
what impressions he/she is receiving. Later, an image is chosen from
the four visually disparate images that fits the impressions recorded.
If there was no effect and this was due to random chance, one would
expect a hit rate of 25%. The value being converged upon after
performing a meta analysis of many replications across different labs is
32%, indicating more correct choices than random chance would predict.
That doesn't sound like much, but it turns out to be a highly
statistically significant result ...</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>..... the meta-analysis for the Ganzfeld indicates roughly a 6-sigma
significance. To be a bit more precise, the Storm (2010) meta-analysis
indicates approximately
46,948,356 to 1 with outliers removed and 8,695,652,173 to 1 without
outliers, that the 32% hit rate is due to random chance, which implies
rather strongly something real is happening. This is an order of
magnitude stronger than the data for the Higgs, at the time of their
original announcement </i>"<br />
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</div>
<br />
Dean goes on to talk about other telepathy experiments that once again provide evidence for the Siddhi mentioned <i><b>in </b></i><i><b><i><b>Sutras 19-20</b></i>, in Book III, of the Yoga Sutras, </b></i>to be a <b>real </b>effect.<i><b><br /></b></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Psychokinesis</u></span><br />
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Psychokinesis is basically an interaction of mind over matter, whereby mind can effect matter, on either a micro-scale or a macro-scale. Psychokinesis is mentioned across several Siddhis. I'll talk mainly about the experiments that correspond closest to <i><b>Sutras 44-45, in </b></i><i><b>Book III, of the Yoga Sutras, </b></i>which involves mastery over the elements. Dean talks about the others in his book.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QWOeeA8-Adw/UhFRB9JYuXI/AAAAAAAAA_0/5HThe1tyfQQ/s1600/moses-parts-the-red-sea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="246" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QWOeeA8-Adw/UhFRB9JYuXI/AAAAAAAAA_0/5HThe1tyfQQ/s320/moses-parts-the-red-sea.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A rather extreme, albeit mythical, example of PK: Moses parting the Red Sea!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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An experiment of Dean's that always intrigued me was setup to determine if the results of the famous double slit experiment could be effected via mental influence. This is, or at least has the potential to be, related to the quantum measurement problem. Quantum entities, like a sub-atomic particles, do not seem to posses definite properties before the act of measurement. Rather, they seem to exist in a superposition of potentialities, which is represented mathematically by the wave function. For example, an electron may exist in a superposition of spin up and spin down, and it is only upon the act of measurement that forces the electron to choose one, thereby collapsing the wave function to that specific value. Quantum Mechanics says all we can know is the probabilities of obtaining each possible result, which is encoded within the wave function and can be experimentally confirmed by measuring an ensemble of identically prepared systems. This has been done to very high degrees of precision.<br />
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In the interest of brevity, I won't get into the details, but Quantum Mechanics presents a mystery when it comes to the relationship between this collapse of the wave function and the observer. It was once a semi-popular idea that consciousness itself may cause the collapse. This seems to be too simple of a picture these days, but the observer still plays a profound and deep role in the reality presented by QM, which we still don't understand today.<br />
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The double-slit experiment is a simple example of the quantum weirdness involved with measurement. Basically, what we think of a single particle. like an electron, appears to go through both slits at the same time, as if it were a wave, as long as "nobody is watching". This is where the famous concept of wave-particle duality comes from. However, if one obtains <i>any </i>which-path information, which is another way of saying attempting to gain knowledge on which slit the particle goes through, the particle collapses and goes through a specific slit. An example would be putting a detector at one slit to "spy" on the electron. It would seem like any attempt made by an experimenter (a conscious being) to obtain which-path information always effects the way the a quantum system behaves.<br />
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Dean's experimenter put a twist on this. He aimed to see if mental influence over a distance could effect the results of the quantum double slit experiment. He had trained meditators try to mentally push more photons through one slit than the other. A group of non-meditators was used as a type of control group for comparison. A series of experiments were performed and each time the meditators achieved results with odds above chance to a significant degree, while the non-meditators were typically close to chance results. Now, this could imply consciousness causes collapse of the wave function (for the photons used in the experiment), or it could just mean that this is a simple PK effect, whereby photons are somehow manipulated. Either way, it does seem to indicate that mind can effect matter at the quantum scale, which is truly astonishing!<br />
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<br />
Another experiment Dean talks about is the Global Consciousness Project, which I have already talked about in another <a href="http://exploreabitmore.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-middle-way-part-ii-interdependent.html" target="_blank">blog post</a>, which I will quote for convenience here:<br />
<br />
"<i>The Global Consciousness Project is a global-wide experiment which
demonstrates the interconnected nature of consciousness and the physical
world. A series of around 80 continuously monitored electronic random
number generators have been placed throughout the world. The
experimenters seek to find whether these random number generators are
effected (i.e. go non-random) during time periods where many minds are
focused on a common cause, or event. In other words, can consciousness
"reach out" and effect the physical world? To a highly statistically
significant degree it would appear this is very much the case.</i>" In fact, the overall results of the Global Consciousness Project show odds against chance of 284 billion to 1! <br />
<br />
Dean talks about several more PK studies that again seem to provide robust evidence that several of the <i><b>Siddhis (38, 39, 42, 44-45) mentioned in book III of the Yoga Sutra</b></i>s are indeed referencing a <b>real </b>effect.<br />
<br />
Probably some of the most remarkable phenomenon in this category are the Siddhis and modern-day experiments that deal with mental influence over another person's mood, behavior and even physical body, such as energy healing. Dean talks more about these in his book.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-muby950TBNk/UhFQ0MDT9wI/AAAAAAAAA_s/fRlO0JD5hZo/s1600/jesus-healing-the-blind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-muby950TBNk/UhFQ0MDT9wI/AAAAAAAAA_s/fRlO0JD5hZo/s320/jesus-healing-the-blind.jpg" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jesus is reported to have performed many miraculous healings, a form of PK</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Well, I don't want to spoil too much of the book, but if you liked some of the material presented here, there is much more to be found in Dean's book! As promised, here is a link to Dean Radin's web page that contains a compilation of some of the published evidence for psi:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.deanradin.com/evidence/evidence.htm" target="_blank">Selected Peer-Reviewed Journal Publications on Psi Research</a><br />
<br />
Also, here are several recent podcasts with Dean talking about his new book:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.skeptiko.com/2165-dr-dean-radin-supernormal/" target="_blank">Skeptiko - Dean Radin </a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://redstarfilmtv.com/radio/the-other-side-of-truth-podcast/volume-2/episode-2-8-dean-radin/" target="_blank">The Other Side of Truth - Dean Radin</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2013/08/episode-10-05-mysterious-universe/" target="_blank">Mysterious Universe - Dean Radin</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEdRRDHc-k0">Lilou - Dean Radin </a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u> References</u></span><br />
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* Radin, Dean, Supernormal, Crown Publshing, 2013<br />
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** Sri Swami Satchidananda, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Integral Yoga Publications, 1990Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02260017465845457855noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813185686774883400.post-52989385514804312422013-08-01T20:21:00.003-07:002013-08-01T20:23:32.280-07:00Vegan Tacos, Chia-Seed Gaucamole, Salsa, and Vegan Margaritas, Huh?!Well, I'm currently down and out with the ankle again, so Rebecca and I took a weekend off from the Sierra. We realized how long it's been since we had fun cooking a meal together, so it started to sound pretty good the more we thought about it. We decided on these Vegan tacos we had a little ways back. What makes them Vegan, you ask? Instead of beef, they have a "meat" made of lentils and walnuts. Those Vegans are sneaky, I tell you. We also made some Chia seed guacamole and a fresh, homemade salsa. Now, I don't know if Jose Cuervo is technically considered Vegan, but the rest of the ingredients in some yummy whole-citrus-fruit Margaritas we made would classify. <br />
<br />
The salsa was pretty easy. We had several types of fresh tomatoes: orange, yellow, and red heirlooms. The only other ingredients were cilantro, red onions, black pepper and a bit of lime juice. We just kind of put them together in whatever proportions looked tasty. <br />
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There really wasn't much different about the guacamole than your standard kind, other than the Chia seeds, which add a little superfood kick. Chia seeds are a great fiber/protein source and high in Omega 3s. They're also real easy to digest and are detoxifying, which is good since Jose Cuervo was hang'n with us that night.<br />
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The recipe comes from <a href="http://navitasnaturals.com/recipes/9759/Light-Guacamole.html" target="_blank">Julie Morris on Navitas Naturals</a>.<br />
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First, put these in a small glass container and let the Chia seeds soak up the juice for 10-15 mins. Julie says to put it all in a food processor, but we found just chopping up the tomato worked better for us. Just make sure to get the tomato juice in the container too.<br />
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<ul>
<li>2 Tbsp Chia Seeds</li>
<li>1 Very Large Tomato</li>
<li>2 Tbsp fresh lime juice</li>
</ul>
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While you're waiting for that, go ahead and get the rest of the ingredients out:<br />
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<ul>
<li>1 Large Avocado</li>
<li>1 tsp Garlic Powder</li>
<li>¼ tsp Onion Powder</li>
<li>¼ cup Red Onion (Julie calls for White, but we like the Red)</li>
<li>2 Tbsp Cilantro</li>
<li>Pinch of Salt</li>
</ul>
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Mash the avocado up with a fork in a bowl of the proper serving size and mix in the remaining ingredients. Once the 10-15 minutes is up, add in as much of the tomato/chia mix as you want. We always end up with some extra.<br />
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These tacos are a lot easier to make than I might have expected. It's really all about the "meat", but that only has a few ingredients. Rebecca got the recipe from <a href="http://ohsheglows.com/2011/04/15/a-mexican-fiesta-vegan-dinner-party/" target="_blank">Oh She Glows</a>.<br />
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<ul>
<li>1 cup dry lentils</li>
<li>3 cups veggie broth</li>
<li>1 ⅓ cup walnut halves, toasted</li>
<li>1 cup bean medley (we used black beans and pinto beans)</li>
<li>Taco Seasoning</li>
</ul>
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You just have to cook the lentils in the veggie broth for 30-40 minutes. A little less broth than the recipe calls for might be good. We just "toasted" the walnuts in a pan. Once the lentils are done, combine everything in a food processor and lightly process with small pulses adding a teaspoon of taco seasoning at a time, until it tastes right. Don't over process, because a little texture makes it seem "meatier".<br />
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Here's what we used for the taco seasoning.<br />
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<ul>
<li>4 parts chili powder</li>
<li>2 parts cumin</li>
<li>1 part paprika</li>
<li>1 part oregano</li>
<li>1 part onion powder</li>
<li>1 part garlic powder</li>
<li>1 part salt</li>
<li>½ part black pepper</li>
</ul>
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Then, it's just a matter of some fresh lettuce, tomato, onions, avocado and some vegan, or as I like to call it, stinky cheese.<br />
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We experimented around and had a couple different kinds of Margaritas, but the one that turned out best went something like this.<br />
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<ul>
<li>1 Whole Lemon</li>
<li>1 Whole Cara Cara Orange</li>
<li>1 Whole Lime</li>
<li>2 oz Triple Sec</li>
<li>4 oz Jose Cuervo Silver Tequila</li>
<li>Maybe 2 cups of Ice </li>
</ul>
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Just put the whole fruits (peeled, of course) in a blender with the triple sec, tequila and ice - blend till smooth and enjoy!<br />
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With these, I had fun trying out the color-accent feature on the Canon G15 (our new camera). You basically pick a color in the scene and then tell the camera how much it should bleed out other colors. Makes some neat looking photos.<br />
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