There is a mind-door, greenish in hue, near the heart. This heart-mind seems to be the physical base of consciousness, not the brain in the cranium. When meditating, attention can be adverted to the area around the heart. There there is a mirror reflecting experience, consciousness, awareness. If the "mind" were in the brain or the head, it seems attention would be placed there to find it. But it is very much down closer to what in the West we refer to as the seat of our emotions. The Buddha did not specify a physical base for vijñāna (consciousness) or manas (in Early Buddhism). However, he seems to have been well aware of the practical application of locating this base for the sake of realizing the ultimate nature of mind-and-matter (nama-rupa), ultimate mind (a stream of cittas) and ultimate materiality (a stream of kalapas). But this is for advanced practitioners of Buddhist meditation rather than philosophers and speculators. For those, perhaps Zen no-mind would be better or the compelling mind-only (Yogachara) view.
(Hindustan Times) Aug. 22, 2025: For the first time, famine has been officially declared in Gaza. A UN-backed food security monitor revealed that over half a million people are already starving, with the toll set to rise further. The IPC report described “starvation, destitution, and death” spreading across Gaza, as Israel intensified its new military campaign in Gaza City. UN Chief António Guterres made an urgent plea, warning of a man-made catastrophe. But Jewish Zionist Israel swiftly dismissed the findings as biased and flawed, releasing its own counter-report [saying everything is going just as planned]. #Gaza #Famine #Israel
There is such a thing as thoughtless consciousness, bare awareness without commentary, without chatter, inner silence. It can happen. How it happens, what brings it about, that is hard to say. Begin with outer silence. Bring the mind to a single object for long enough, and it may happen. Feel the freedom. There is full knowing, better knowing than when words/thoughts are intervening. But it must be experienced to believe how wonderful the silence and stillness is. (Jhana or "meditative absorption" moves away from the noise toward the sweet silence and sanity of stillness).
The Paradox of Thoughtless Consciousness
(The Mountain) March 28, 2025: The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend.
#quantumconsciousness #paradox #selfawareness
(The Diary of a CEO) In this episode Host Steven sits down with Dr. Joe, an expert and author who explores the intersection of science and mindfulness. What must we do before 10:00 am every day?
00:00 Intro
01:52 Is our life programmed [by others]?
07:03 Can we change our behavior patterns and heal our bodies?
13:55 Sharing the science with people to transform themselves
22:40 Why can't we apply that knowledge to ourselves?
30:36 Being the creator of our lives
33:20 Why are we addicted to things?
39:20 Biological changes
42:41 How can we be better at helping our loved ones?
47:37 Is the world getting better or worse?
51:02 Stress: if your thoughts can make you sick, can they make you well?
57:37 Why are we addicted to negative emotions?
59:20 Does manifesting work?
01:05:45 What causes a relapse and how to revert it?
01:11:48 How do we put all of this into practice?
01:20:17 What's your morning routine?
01:22:05 Meditation
01:25:50 What do you struggle with?
01:33:31 The accident that changed my life
01:36:06 Your companies and research
01:39:20 If it were your last day, what message would you tell people?
01:41:08 What do you want to achieve in the next 10 years?
01:46:19 Walk For The World: bringing people together
01:50:51 What are the beliefs you're scared to share?
Register for Walk for the World and connect with other local people at https://bit.ly/3sc4cDs. You can purchase Dr. Joe's books here: amzn.to/3SCnMEo.
New book: The 33 Laws of Business & Life (pre-order link: smarturl.it/DOACbook, bit.ly/47vPoQf).
Join this channel to get access to perks:
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Homo juluensis is not just what Brian calls Stewie behind his back. It's now a real scientific designation as of a week ago. Chinese scientists think they have another (formerly contemporaneous) human ancestor on their hands. Who were the Denisovans? Are they today's Tibetans? Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons, are they just proto-Europeans?
The Origins and History of Consciousness (Erich Neumann)
Is science slowly stumbling on the fact that "consciousness" is impersonal and continues after death? We wouldn't like to think so because that does not accord with what is comfortable, and science doesn't ask big questions with easy answers.
*Sarcasm* What? It's not the pinnacle of evolution and existence, the greatest thing in the universe, the end all be all proving that souls exist and are invincible and immortal?
The shocking truth (anatta) is too much to handle for most people, who invariably misinterpret it to mean that things are eternal or things are annihilated, and there's no other possibility. Imagine if both extremes in view were wrong. They are. We neither carry on through death forever, nor are we annihilated at death. Spiritists and materialists both have it wrong.
Hidden Spring (Mark Solms)
Things are dependently originated. What arises does so dependent on conditions (so they do not really arise except as an illusion with the illusory marks of permanence, fulfillment, and personality).
In fact, we find, the three opposite Marks of Existence (ti-lakkhana) are present. Ultimately, "things" that arise dependent on causes and conditions are impermanent, disappointing, and impersonal.
Brain is not base of consciousness, which pervades all things we are conscious of. Anencephaly
.
Physics of Expanded Consciousness
But will science ever come to that conclusion? Not likely. The goal of science is not enlightenment and liberation from the round of rebirth and suffering. (How can something even be said to be "reborn" if it cannot, like a moving river, be said to persist unchanged for two consecutive moments? It can).
(Visual Venture) Premiered July 20, 2024: "Brain rot" is taking over this new generation. My name is Gerard and I make Internet culture documentaries. My mission is to spread awareness about the dark realities of Internet culture.
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(uncivilized) Jan. 16, 2024: Why do Zionist Israeli Jews dance and celebrate the extermination of human beings and the destruction of Gaza and relish illegally occupying and stealing land from indigenous "Arabs" in the West Bank?
The answer lies in the dehumanization of Palestinians that is at the core of invasive colonial Jewish Israeli society.
Explained by Tala Kaddoura. Support the work of uncivilized through Patreon: uncivilizedmedia. Follow uncivilized on social media:
IG: uncivilized.media, Tik Tok: uncivilized_media, Twitter: uncivilmedia. Follow Tala on social media:
IG: tala_kaddoura_, Twitter: talakaddoura. Chapters: Intro, textbooks, Maps, Holocaust... Transcript
Ross Andersen (The Atlantic, 9/30/23); Dhr. Seven, Pat Macpherson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
Does the EYE know-and-see, or is it the brain, the heart, the hologram, the neuron, the network? Let's ask Alex Grey, maker of sacred art that must have more DMT in his brain than others.
For years now, Dr. Hakwan Lau has suffered from an inner torment. Dr. Lau is a neuroscientist who studies the sense of awareness that all of us experience during our every waking moment.
How this awareness arises from ordinary matter is an ancient mystery. Several scientific theories purport to explain it, and Dr. Lau feels that one of them, called "integrated information theory" (IIT), has received a disproportionate amount of media attention.
He’s annoyed that its proponents tout it as the dominant theory in the press. He’s disturbed by their apparent affinity with New Age figures, such as Dr. Deepak Chopra. Worst of all, he complains, the theory doesn’t even rise to the level of “science.”
I'm aware of you, Princess. - I know, Robot. I can feel your awareness meter (Star Wars).
.
IIT was first formulated by Dr. Giulio Tononi in 2004. It’s meant to quantify the consciousness that exists in any system, based on the total information that is brought together by its constituent parts.
Other theories of consciousness tell more of a general story about how the brain generates consciousness; IIT gives it a mathematical expression.
I think; therefore, I beep. (Smoke detected!)
Controversially, IIT also suggests that there is consciousness in systems that we wouldn’t usually think of as being "aware," including [smoke detectors?] photodiodes and thermostats.
Dr. Anil Seth, a neuroscientist who is not himself opposed to IIT, nonetheless described it to me as “kind of a bonkers theory.”
Einstein Questions, Buddha Answers
Dr. Lau has expressed his many concerns to colleagues at conferences, in the hallways between sessions and afterward over drinks at the bar.
Many of them have been sympathetic, he told me, and share his fear that their whole field would be a laughingstock if a theory that deems smoke alarms conscious [Yes!] were to be taken as its public face.
Dr. Lau also worries that naive students could be deluded into thinking that the theory is stronger — or perhaps less bonkers — than it really is.
This summer, Dr. Lau set about convincing his colleagues that they should express their contempt for IIT as a group, in print. He succeeded: On Sept. 16, more than 100 of them released an open letter. [Stupid kids, children, catty teens.]
Within 24 hours, a full-blown BRAWL had broken out on social media. [Then Tau grabbed the device the group was using and announced, "Screw you guys, I'm going home," so they couldn't play anymore without him. Or was that Cartman?] More
Dark Side of Porn featuring Lana Rhoades: 3 Girls 1 Kitchen
(Lana Rhoades) On this episode (18) of 3 Girls 1 Kitchen, the [hosts] dive deep into the dark side of the porn industry, sex work, with former pornstar Lana Rhoades opening up about her traumatic experiences during her career of which she’s never spoken before. Tune in to learn about the harsh reality of how pornography impacts men and women.
How porn changes the brain: Neurology experts explain
(Fight the New Drug) Over the last decade, an overwhelming amount of science and research has come out on the topic of pornography and its harmful effects on the viewer.
Consider Before Consuming, a Podcast by Fight the New Drug As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the organizers rely on fighters to help create resources and videos that educate countless individuals around the globe about the harms of pornography.
Hundreds of studies by experts show how viewing porn develops neuropathways that can change our brains and impact individuals, including:
how it can become habit-forming,
become an escalating behavior,
change how we view other humans, and
even impact our mental health.
The good news is that we can retrain and rewire our brains to return to a healthier state. In this episode, experts Dr. Simone Kühn, Dr. Donald Hilton, and Dr. Andrew Dohm share the science behind porn’s impact on our brains.
This episode is part of the Truth About Porn series. Truth About Porn is a growing database dedicated to research on the harmful effects of pornography. Learn more at truthaboutporn.org.
ABOUT: Fight the New Drug is a non-religious and non-legislative organization that exists to provide individuals the opportunity to make an informed decision regarding pornography by raising awareness on its harmful effects using only science, facts, and personal accounts.
To learn more about how pornography impacts individuals, relationships, and society, visit ftnd.org.
Visit helixsleep.com/threegirls to get up to $200 off a Helix mattress [for better bouncing] plus two free pillows. [A mattress company has sponsored this episode? Yup, and Ryan Reynolds and industry promoters:] helixsleep.com/threegirls. Go to MintMobile.com/3G1K to get a plan for just $15 a month and shipped for free! Go to www.AdamandEve.com and use code 3G1K for free gifts, 6 free movies, and free shipping.
The Babylon Bee, 5/24/22; Real Pride, 6/26/21; CC Liu, Sheldon S. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
Signs You Might Be a Woman
(The Babylon Bee) Are YOU a woman? It's hard to tell these days. There's really no way to tell. But watch this well-researched video to find out whether you indeed might be a woman. (Send all complaints and hate mail to Bro Dude, c/o TheBabylonBee.com).
Born This Way: The Science Behind Being Gay (LGBT+ documentary)
(Real Pride - LGBT+ Documentaries) Are some men born gay? In this 2013 documentary, gay filmmaker Bryce Michael Sage explores how same-sex attraction can be compatible with evolution and how it could have survived through generations of history.
This is a winner of multiple awards across international film festivals called Survival of Fabulous seeks to find out how one stayed on the right track if born this way.
Maybe you're a lesbian man. Did you ever think of that? Just say LGBTQ+
ABOUT: Real Pride celebrates the LGBTQIA'LMNNOP+ community around the world with amazing documentaries.
Content licensed by Scorpion TV.
For more documentaries that celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, subscribe: tinyurl.com/RealPrideChannel
Is there a gay brain? The neuroscience of homosexuality
(This is your brain on science) The neuroscience of homosexuality, 2016, Allen Institute for Brain Science. Allen Human Brain Atlas. Available from: human.brain-map.org. Song: Mozart Symphony No. 29 in A minor, fourth movement, St. Cecelia Symphony Orchestra 2003.
REFERENCES
Rahman, Q., Wilson, G. D., & Abrahams, S. (2004). Biosocial factors, sexual orientation and neurocognitive functioning. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 29(7), 867-881.
Wilson, G., & Rahman, Q. (2005). Born gay: The psychobiology of sex orientation.
Bao, A. M., & Swaab, D. F. (2011). Sexual differentiation of the human brain: relation to gender identity, sexual orientation and neuropsychiatric disorders. Frontiers in neuroendocrinology, 32(2), 214-226.
Ponseti, J., Bosinski, H. A., Wolff, S., Peller, M., Jansen, O., Mehdorn, H. M., ... & Siebner, H. R. (2006). A functional endophenotype for sexual orientation in humans. Neuroimage, 33(3), 825-833.
LeVay, S. (1991). A difference in hypothalamic structure between heterosexual and homosexual men. Science, 253(5023), 1034.
Rahman, Q. (2005). The neurodevelopment of human sexual orientation. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 29(7), 1057-1066.
Paul, T., Schiffer, B., Zwarg, T., Krüger, T. H., Karama, S., Schedlowski, M., ... & Gizewski, E. R. (2008). Brain response to visual sexual stimuli in heterosexual and homosexual males. Human Brain Mapping, 29(6), 726-735.
Berglund, H., Lindström, P., & Savic, I. (2006). Brain response to putative pheromones in lesbian women. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 103(21), 8269-8274.
Savic, I., & Lindström, P. (2008). PET and MRI show differences in cerebral asymmetry and functional connectivity between homo-and heterosexual subjects. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 105(27), 9403-9408.
Hu, S., Xu, D., Peterson, B., Wang, Q., He, X., Hu, J., ... & Zhou, W. (2013). Association of cerebral networks in resting state with sexual preference of homosexual men: a study of regional homogeneity and functional connectivity. PloS one, 8(3), e59426.
Safron, A., Barch, B., Bailey, J. M., Gitelman, D. R., Parrish, T. B., & Reber, P. J. (2007). Neural correlates of sexual arousal in homosexual and heterosexual men. Behavioral neuroscience, 121(2), 237-248.
Savic, I., Berglund, H., & Lindström, P. (2005). Brain response to putative pheromones in homosexual men. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 102(20), 7356-7361.
Kranz, F., & Ishai, A. (2006). Face perception is modulated by sexual preference. Current biology, 16(1), 63-68.
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