Unthinkable was once normal? (photos)

(History in Focus) These photos prove that the unthinkable was once considered normal. | Historical photos

TikToks with no answers (Vandal Thawne)

Unsettling TikToks no one has answers for 👻🧠 Pt. 232

Unsettling TikToks no one has answers for 👻🧠 Pt. 229

47 deleted TikToks starting to surface

• Vandal Thawne, YouTube, Summer, Oct. 4, 2025; Pfc. Sandoval, Seth Auberon (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Levitation by kung fu, dance, running, TM?

The TM corporation under Maharishi Mahesh Yogi -- the Beatles', Beach Boys', and other celebrities' own guru -- used to sell "levitation" during meditation, which turned out to be a kind of flipper hopping by flapping the knees, a ridiculous compromise in the way we can bend reality and language to match. Even this wouldn't be "levitation" as we understand it even with the great hang time.

(Heshers) Levitation through meditation [using same trick TV's Batman used to climb buildings]

(AS) This "yogic flying" TM style "levitation" is more embarrassing than Heshers' sill trick above.

It only took us two views to see how he's doing it, and we guarantee anyone with the right camera set up can do this tonight, with less stress on his plastic drawers from the pushing.

Buddhism's Path of Purification on levitation

95. Uplifting happiness can be powerful enough to levitate the body and make it spring up into the air. For this was what happened to the Elder Mahá Tissa, residing at Punnavallika.

He went to the shrine terrace on the evening of the full-moon day. Seeing the moonlight, he turned in the direction of the Great Shrine [at Anurádhapura], thinking:

“At this very hour the four assemblies [Note 29] are worshipping at the Great Shrine!” By means of objects formerly seen [there] he aroused uplifting happiness with the Enlightened One [the Buddha] as object, and he rose into the air like a painted ball bounced off a plastered floor and alighted on the terrace of the Great Shrine.

• [Note 29: Four assemblies (parisá) Buddhist monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen.]

96. And this was what happened to the daughter of a clan in the village of Vattakálaka near the Girikandaka Monastery when she sprang up into the air owing to strong uplifting happiness with the Enlightened One as object.

As her parents were about to go to the monastery in the evening, it seems, in order to hear the Dhamma [144], they told her:

“My dear, you are expecting a child; you cannot go out at an unsuitable time. We shall hear the Dhamma [the Buddha's Teachings] and gain merit for you.” So they went out. And though she wanted to go, too, she could not very well object to what they said. She stepped out of the house onto a balcony and stood looking at the Ákásacetiya Shrine at Girikandaka lit by the moon.

She saw the offering of lamps at the shrine and the four communities [assemblies] as they circumambulated it to the right after making their offerings of flowers and perfumes. And she heard the sound of the massed recital by the Community of Monastics. Then she thought:

“How lucky they are to be able to go to the monastery and wander round such a shrine terrace and listen to such sweet preaching of Dhamma!”

Seeing the shrine as a mound of pearls and arousing uplifting happiness, she sprang up into the air, and before her parents arrived she came down from the air into the shrine terrace, where she paid homage and stood listening to the Dhamma.

97. When her parents arrived, they asked her: “What road did you come by, my dear?” She answered, “I came through the air, not by the road.”

And when they told her, “My dear, those whose cankers are destroyed [the enlightened] come through the air, but how did you come?”

She replied, “As I was standing looking at the shrine in the moonlight a strong sense of happiness arose in me with the Enlightened One as its object. Then I knew no more whether I was standing or sitting, but only that I was springing up into the air with the [mental] sign that I had grasped [apprehended], and I came to rest on this shrine terrace.”

So uplifting happiness can be powerful enough to levitate the body and make it spring up into the air.

98. But when pervading (rapturous) happiness arises, the whole body is completely pervaded [like soap powder suffused with water], like a filled bladder, like a rock cavern invaded by a huge inundation.

99. Now this fivefold happiness, when conceived and matured, perfects the twofold tranquility, that is, bodily and mental tranquility. When tranquility is conceived and matured, it perfects the twofold bliss, that is, bodily and mental bliss. When bliss is conceived and matured, it perfects the threefold concentration, that is,

1. momentary concentration [khanika samādhi],
2. access [neighborhood] concentration, and
3. absorption concentration [full jhana].

Of these, what is intended by happiness in this context is pervading happiness, which is the root of absorption and comes by growth into association with absorption [145].

CHAPTER IV

The Earth Kasina

100. But as to the other word: pleasing (sukhana) is bliss (sukha). Or alternatively: it thoroughly... More: Path of Purification (Visuddhimagga)

• Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Pat Macpherson (eds.), The Path of Purification edit

Suppressed inventions can change world

Room temperature superconductivity(?) (QuantumLevitation.com)

Forbidden technologies and the silencing of their inventors

(Universe Inside You) Prehistoric megastructures (universeinsideyou.systeme.io...) is an almost 500-page eBook that includes images and contains over 30 of the most remarkable prehistoric sites around the globe. Megastructures defy explanation and suggest the use of advanced [space alien/heavenly] technology.

Join UIY in fueling its mission to create insightful videos backed by thorough research by supporting on Patreon or PayPal: universeinsideyou, paypal.com/donate... Support can help dive even more deeply into topics that matter, enabling UIY to produce engaging content that informs and inspires. Contributing is backing a project and empowering a wealth of knowledge to be shared.

Stand alongside UIY as it strives to bring meaningful videos to life. Every contribution counts. Discover a world of creativity at this art and merchandise shop: teespring.com/stores/universe... Instagram: universe.inside.you. Facebook: universalloving. For Spanish-narrated videos, visit our Spanish channel: universe inside you Español #universeinsideyou

• Universe Inside You, March 1, 2024; Pat Macpherson, Dhr. Seven, CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Paranormal Buddhists of Tibet (video)

The Mystery of Tibetan Monastics' Paranormal Abilities: Unparalleled Skills and Secrets of Practice

(Mr. Y Talks) May 18, 2023: This video goes deep into the extraordinary paranormal abilities of Tibetan nuns and monks and reveals the secrets of their practice. Some are "living buddhas," which is a misleading translation for bodhisattvas ("being bent on supreme enlightenment, buddhas-to-be"). Westerner Alexandra David-Neel traveled to Tibet in the 1930s and wrote about her experiences in Magic and Mystery in Tibet.

COMMENTARY

Are such things really possible, Wisdom Quarterly? Yes, they are. The basis is samadhi (stillness, superconsciousness, states of emerging from single pointed focus or concentration, which temporarily purifies the mind/heart, leading to a breakthrough in recovering our innate ability as a human species). These powers are known in Buddhism as the abhinnas or iddhis (Sanskrit siddhis). They are well known even outside Buddhism, where they are also warned against. Hinduism and the older Vedic religion is well aware of these miraculous powers and calls those who master samadhi "saints."

These are not saints in Buddhism, which reserves the term for those proficient in calm and insight, who are liberated from the mental hindrances and defilements. The Buddha possessed these powers but was very reluctant to use them, seeing great danger in them. It is hard to attain these powers and they are fickle. They may easily drop away. The Buddha spoke of 11 imperfections in their development to be mindful of if one should wish to exercise them.

But a more telling event about the Buddha's attitude towards them is found in a story in the ancient texts. One day the Buddha and his attendant monk, Ananda, were walking down the road and saw some old yogis who possessed these powers. They were renowned and respected.

The Buddha turned to Ananda and said something to the effect of, "How sad these two."

Ananda replied, "But they are well respected and possess supernormal powers."

"Yeah, but had they developed those powers in this Dharma (herein within the Buddha's Doctrine and Discipline), they would not only have those powers, but they would also be liberated (enlightened and free from suffering and rebirth).

"As it is, although they have spent many years of spiritual effort to develop these trifling 'powers,' they have not worked on the much more important skill of release, of making an end of ignorance, of uprooting the defilements of the heart/mind greed, hatred, and delusion. Now they have these powers, but they will eventually lose them. Having gained nothing else because they were so busy to develop them, if they are not destroyed by these very powers, what will they have? They will have wasted all those years and, what's worse, wasted the opportunity to strive for real liberation (moksha) and actually be free."

Who needs Buddhism? Let's do magic instead

This is a shocking thing to say because within their own tradition, they were regarded as "saints" the way a Catholic nun or monk could live cloistered, fasting, praying, purifying their morality, faith, karma, and concentration and, in doing so, may indeed gain mysterious abilities, magic powers. If anyone sees them displaying such powers, they will be hailed as "holy" and "saved" and "destined for heaven," objects of veneration, respect, and petitionary prayers and prayers to intercede on behalf of the faithful.

But they will not be "saints" in the Buddhist sense. They are not free of the defilements (which have only been suppressed by many and various spiritual practices). They will not have made an end of greed, hatred, and delusion only of obvious and overt signs of them while they are still latent in their psyches (layers of their personality bundles within the Five Aggregates clung to as self). They may even be reborn into a heaven, but as that heaven is not the end all be all it is advertised as being, they will neither be "saved," purified, free, attaining to the deathless, nor anything else of note. It will be as if all those side effects were for not nothing but not anything really worthwhile, admirable, or spiritually desirable like nirvana, awakening, the end of rebirth or, there is a remainder of defilements, rebirth in exalted worlds where they are able to complete the training in very conducive circumstances and be freed from there.

We can meditate to purify the mind then practice for insight to be free?

Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism is very esoteric, partly because it is mixed with the more ancient indigenous Himalayan shamanic practice of Bon and partly because it is a Mahayana school, which itself is very much mixed with Hindu, Vedic, yogic, and Brahmanical ideas. These are ideas and assumptions the historical Buddha rejected and went to great pains to point out for disciples to avoid.

What's so scary about Mt. Shasta? (WF)

The most paranormal place on earth: What's happening on Mount Shasta?

(The Why Files) MYSTERIES OF MOUNT SHASTA There is no other place on earth steeped in more mystery than California's Mt. Shasta. Space aliens, ghosts (pretas), underground bases (D.U.M.B.s), and interdimensional portals. Check. Lost cities, strange disappearances, Bigfoot, sky gods, and demons. Check. Atlantis, Lemuria, reptilian humanoids, and literal giants. Mt. Shasta has it all. Let's find out why. #paranormal #mystery #mountshasta

SOURCES AND LINKS

• Mount Shasta Sightings, by Brian Wallenstein
• The Lost Continent of Mu, by James Churchward
• A Dweller on Two Planets, by Frederick Spencer Oliver
• oregonlive.com/history/20...
• wikiwand.com/en/Lemuria_(...)
• Correction: 1:06 the "lava fires" were caused by lightning.

This book reveals Mt. Shasta secrets

(What Lurks Beneath) This book reveals secrets under Mt. Shasta: What lurks beneath this California mountain that the Natives have known about for centuries? The Strange, the Mysterious, the Supernatural... Get SerpentForge:  serpentforge.com

• David Paulides (Missing 411) is well aware of Mt. Shasta
• Missing Person Mysteries: Mysterious Mt. Shasta
• Modern finds? Researchers stunned at discovery of 57 archaeological sites belonging to ancient empire

Thank you Patreon members Jim H, Daniel M, Mauricio, EW, Bill H, Stella, Sal, Dalton, John G, Aaron C, Jacob S, Jason S, Christy A, Steven S, Hockey, Kalmar and Moon Raker!

🙏 SUPPORT THE WHY FILES 🙏 thewhyfiles (fun, free perks) 👽 BUY WHY FILES MERCH 👽 shop.thewhyfiles.com (Code: LIZZIDPEEPLE for 10% off first order) 💬 CHAT ON DISCORD 💬 thewhyfiles.com/discord 〰 🌐 OFFICIAL WEBSITE: thewhyfiles.com

• Hecklefish Moriarity, The Why Files, April 21, 2022; SerpentForge, March 6, 2023; Pat Macpherson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

I bought California ghost town for $1.4M

Polly Thompson (pthomspon@insider.com), Business Insider via MSN.com, Feb. 25, 2024; Pat Macpherson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Earth’s great balancing act: Nature is adapting to human influence (Earth/MSN)

• When he was 30, American Brent Underwood left Austin, Texas, and moved to an abandoned mining town.
• While restoring the ghost town he has realized that people approach finding a purpose in life the wrong way.
• Underwood spoke to Business Insider from 900 feet beneath ground level, while sheltering from a snowstorm.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Brent Underwood about his experience moving to a Californian ghost town. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

Visit at night when they're active

In 2018, my friend sent me a listing for Cerro Gordo, an abandoned mining town in California. "This might be your next project," he joked.

The idea of a remote town in the American West was very alluring to me. It reminded me of the old TV westerns my grandfather watched every day [Gunsmoke, Kung Fu, High Noon].

I was running a pretty popular bed and breakfast in Austin, but it felt like I was just searching for something to shake me up from the routine monotony of American life.

Buying this ghost town has done that. It cost $1.4 million — more than half was a loan from a hard money lender. More: I bought a California ghost town for $1.4 million. Living here gets lonely — but I've found my purpose

• Tormented ghost scientist seeks town to haunt, preferably in Japan: Paul Tibbets dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and was given no funeral or gravestone. Thanks, US military
• Life beyond Earth proven to be common in new study • Earth.com

Going to h*ll w/Avenged Sevenfold+Pussy Riot

A7X, Pussy Riot (AP); Saint Xero, 6/6/23; ACA, 1212/19; Eds., Wisdom Quarterly

This band sucks! They're a bunch of jocks who somehow made it big pretending to be Goth G'n'R.

Avenged Sevenfold is coming to LA with Pussy Riot (June 9). We have to go.to see PR.

Come to our L.A. shows. It's an art spectacle!

It wouldn't be H*LL without anti-Putin activist Nadya of Pussy Riot fame. Avenged Sevenfold came back to Los Angeles after a long hiatus. They have a new album to push, Life is But a Dream, and they were cool enough to put Pussy Riot on the bill. Nadya, the face of the band (or anarcho-feminist-collective), has been in Los Angeles recently, opening up her new product line, a fashion statement of balaclavas (those cute, knitted masks for rioting in Russia's cold weather, kind of like our pussy cat pink caps).

• VIDEO: Pussy Riot concert, Los Angeles 2023

A7X and Pussy Riot live in LA (June 9th, 2023)

Life is But a Dream...in two minutes

A7X is very popular after the band's release of Life is But a Dream. Here it is in two minutes.

Exorcist reveals his haunting experiences

Famous Father Vinny Lampert warns Catholic kids about occult sh*t

(A Current Affair) A priest (Fr. Vincent Lampert) in the U.S. is one of the world's few Vatican-trained exorcists. He speaks about some of his most haunting experiences and why he believes exorcisms are on the rise today as religion declines. Full episodes: bit.ly/2qlfdmd. #ACA #TracyGrimshaw

"Mattel" (official visualizer)

(Avenged Sevenfold) The new A7X album is LIBAD, and the best song on it might be "Mattel." It was written and recorded over the span of four years and tracks from it will be heard live on Friday (6/9/23). It was inspired by the depressing writings and Western philosophy of Albert Camus with Wes Lang art encapsulating the theme of existentialism: a7x.lnk.to/libad. #AvengedSevenfold #LifeIsButADream #Mattel

(The Punk Rock MBA) Finn McKenty explains rockstars A7X's success

Americans fear bad gov't more than ghosts

Anna P. Kambhampaty, The New York Times, Oct. 28, 2021; Eds., Wisdom Quarterly

“The Haunted Lane” (L.M. Melander and Brothers, mid to late 19th century (PhotoQuest/Getty)

.

Many Americans believe in ghosts. Do you?

Belief in paranormal phenomena may be a way of grappling with the unknown.

There are a number of different ways to quantify belief among Americans in so-called paranormal phenomena. One way is to ask a selection of people representative of the population if they believe in ghosts. In a 2019 IPSOS poll, 46 percent of respondents said they did.

Another is to ask what they fear. In 2019, according to the Chapman University Survey of American Fears, about 9 percent of 1,035 adults surveyed said they feared ghosts, and the same amount said they feared zombies; many more people said they were afraid of government corruption, the coronavirus or widespread civil unrest.

The last time Gallup surveyed people about ghosts, in 2005, 32 percent of respondents said they believed in “ghosts or that spirits of dead people can come back in certain places and situations.” When Gallup asked the same question in 1990, the result was 25 percent.

Such beliefs have pervaded American culture and media for centuries. But some researchers are now studying whether their rise may be tied, in part, to the rise over the last few decades of Americans claiming no religious preference.

“People are looking to other things or nontraditional things to answer life’s big questions that don’t necessarily include religion,” said Thomas Mowen, a sociologist at Bowling Green State University.

For a continuing study on religion and paranormal belief, for example, Mr. Mowen said he is finding that “atheists tend to report higher belief in the paranormal than religious folk.”

‘This Supernatural Interest’

They're in here. Beware.

Last year, the share of Americans who belong to religious congregations fell below 50 percent for the first time in more than 80 years, according to a Gallup poll released in March. And the percent of people claiming no religion nearly tripled from 1978 to 2018, according to the General Social Survey.

Still, even as religious frameworks for thinking about the meaning of life and death have become less popular in the United States, the big existential questions inevitably remain.

The General Social Survey found that as religious affiliation declined over four decades, belief in the afterlife remained relatively steady: In 1978, about 70 percent of those surveyed believed in the afterlife, and about 74 percent reported the same in 2018.

As Joseph Baker, the co-author of the book “American Secularism: Cultural Contours of Nonreligious Belief Systems,” put it: “People are outside of organized religions, but they still have this supernatural interest.” More

Arhat Dr. Daniel Ingram on real MAGIC

Dr. Daniel Ingram, Steve Viking Guru; Dhr. Seven, Pat Macpherson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Magick, The Occult, and Summoning Demons with [arhat] Daniel Ingram

Science says magic is real (Dr. Dean Radin)

(Guru Viking, Episode 68) Premiered Nov. 13, 2020. In this episode Guru Viking is once again joined by Dr. Daniel Ingram, MD, meditation teacher and author of Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha.

Ingram is best known for his controversial claim to arhatship (full enlightenment), one of the highest levels of enlightenment in Theravada Buddhism (just under nonteaching buddhahood and supreme teaching buddhahood).

Less well known is Ingram’s lifetime of practice in magic and the occult. In this interview he reveals his magical biography and comments on various systems including

• Goetia,
• Enochian,
• Kabbalah,
• Thelema,
• Castaneda,
• Buddhist Magic,
• and more.

Ingram shares his encounters with demons [shapeshifting creatures of Buddhist cosmology], astral entities, mythical beings, and entering into magical combat with angry magicians who had cursed him.

Ingram also critiques the modern mindfulness movement for its suppression of information about the magical aspects (iddhis, Sanskrit siddhis) of its own tradition and gives advice on ethics and the accumulation of psychic powers. … guruviking.com/ep68-daniel...

Audio version of this podcast also available on iTunes and Spotify by searching "Guru Viking Podcast."

TOPICS

• 0:00 - Intro
• 1:59 - Daniel’s view of conscious vs. unconscious magic
• 8:43 - Confessional and purification practices
• 10:38 - The role of penance in confessional practices
• 13:35 - Insight value of confession and purification practices
• 16:40 - Daniel’s magical biography
• 20:18 - Encountering Buddhist magic
• 22:42 - Introduction to Western Occultism
• 24:59 - Unlocking the powers in retreat
• 31:46 - Magic vs. Insight practice
• 38:42 - Black magic in the Dark Night of the Soul
• 42:20 - Seeing demons and ghosts
• 44:16 - What does Daniel mean by "seeing"?
• 46:30 - Encounters with "lower astral nasties"
• 50:19 - Seeing a garuda in in the bedroom
• 51:38 - Has knowledge of the powers been suppressed in Western Buddhism?
• 58:58 - "Waking up light" and the advertising strategies of modern mindfulness teachers
• 1:01:18 - Sinister skillful means
• 1:02:02 - Remarkable stories of the magic of Dipa Ma [plus time travel to see the Buddha]
• 1:04:49 - Daniel’s take on Goetia Magic and conjuring demons
• 1:07:57 - Daniel asks for Steve’s take on Goetia Magic
• 1:08:54 - Daniel on the ethics of Goetia and his own conjurings
• 1:11:32 - Steve clarifies his position on Goetia Magic
• 1:13:07 - Daniel’s take on Enochian Magic
• 1:14:14 - John Dee and the origin of Enochian Magic
• 1:19:01 - Daniel on Kabbalah
• 1:21:40 - How useable are the widely available magical texts?
• 1:26:29 - Daniel’s take on Carlos Castaneda’s system
• 1:30:20 - The key to Buddhist Magic
• 1:35:26 - The downsides of Buddhist Magic
• 1:36:26 - Dungeons and Dragons list of the powers
• 1:41:05- What are Daniel’s natural psychic gifts and siddhis?
• 1:45:56 - Daniel’s dream template
• 1:50:02 - Magical combat, curses, and Daniel under attack
• 1:54:13 - Why did people try to curse Daniel?
• 1:55:56 - What is Daniel’s library of archetypal symbols?
• 1:57:51 - Are powerful people of today magic practitioners?
• 2:03:17 - Is magic consciously used in the corridors of power?
• 2:06:42 - Power accumulation and semen retention

Check out previous interviews with Daniel Ingram: guruviking.com/ep14-daniel..., guruviking.com/ep40-daniel... To find out more about Daniel Ingram, visit: integrateddaniel.info and firekasina.org. For interviews, videos, and more, visit: guruviking.com. Music "Deva Dasi" by Steve James.

• Real Magic: Ancient Wisdom, Modern Science, and a Guide to the Secret Power of the Universe (Dean Radin PhD)
• Daniel Ingram: "Hardcore Dharma" and claims of attainment, p. 9 (Dhamma Wheel Buddhist Forum)

Skeptic: fraud, quackery, James Randi (TED)

James Randi, TED Talks, 4/20/10; Pat Macpherson, CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Homeopathy, quackery, and fraud | rabid skeptic James Randi

(TED) Legendary skeptic James Randi takes a "fatal" dose of homeopathic sleeping pills onstage, kicking off a searing 18-minute indictment of beliefs he finds "irrational." He throws out a [phony] challenge to the world's psychics: Prove what you do is real, and I'll give you a million dollars. (No takers yet). [Takers need not apply because he isn't going to give anything because no proof would ever be good enough because his whole worldview and all the meaning in his life would have to go out the window. But he's a showman as bad as the real and phony people he's criticizing, so a million dollar offer sounds serious and irresistible to people who are not looking for fame trouble.]

TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. TED stands for "Technology, Entertainment, and Design." TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development, and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on TED.com, at ted.com/translate. Watch a highlight reel of the Top 10 TEDTalks at ted.com/index.php/talks/top10. Follow us on Twitter twitter.com/tednews. Checkout Facebook page for TED exclusives facebook.com/TED.

Strange things science says (video)

ETP Archive Videos; Pat Macpherson, Dhr. Seven, Wisdom Quarterly

"Scientists Will Never Tell You This (2019)" as this scientist tells us all. But ETP Archive Videos (Jan. 1, 2019) assure us "they have been keeping a secret." Relax, the archives have more in them.

Buddha statue filmed moving (video)

Chills; Seth Auberon, Pat Macpherson, Wisdom Quarterly

16 Mysterious Objects Caught Moving on Camera

In this top 16 list we look at mysterious objects -- like this golden  Buddha statue in China -- moving. They were caught on camera. Are they real or fake? Comment. Here's one analysis of these strange videos. Narrated by speech impediment Chills and trusty narrator Slapped Ham Written by Kyler Richman (#1 is from a Top15s video written by Shel Schillings on haunted dolls). Edited by Huba Áron Csapó. Intro by Jacob Snarr. Sources: pastebin.com/xE1YCQBT. Music bt Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) jdgehlert (pond5.com). Slapped Ham's Channel: SlappedHam.... ChillsTwitter. ChillsInstagram. ChillsFacebook. ChillsReddit. ChillsYouTube.

True Story of The Philadelphia (video)

The History Channel via DocSpot 2018; Pfc. Sandoval, Seth Auberon, Wisdom Quarterly

True Story of the Philadelphia Experiment (documentary), March 3, 2018 upload 100% non-profit

Think you're special? You're normal (video)

Oliver Burkeman (Guardian, May 4, 2018); Seth Auberon, Crystal Quintero, Wisdom Quarterly
(Far East Movement) I'm "The Illest" in this boring office, proving that I'm as special as Riff Raff!

I'm on meds b'cuz I'm the illest - Kanye West

Among the creepier experiences of modern life is one that happens to me, though definitely not just me, on a regular basis: I’ll meet a friend for a [chat], he’ll recommend some book or film or product he thinks I’ll like, and then, within days -- without searching for it online -- I’ll start seeing targeted Web ads for it.

No wonder...Facebook uses the microphone in our phones to eavesdrop on our conversations. That’s almost certainly [true]: [but] apps and websites already vacuum up so much of your data, they’ve no need for such schemes; it just feels that they must be eavesdropping.

"Look At Me Now" Them rappers be the most uniquest of all peoples because they can do choreographed dance moves and sing: Busta Rhymes, Lil Wayne, Chris Brown...

Kanye thinks he is, but I AM. I'm special.

But there’s another reason Big Tech knows us so much better than we think, which is that each of us is far more "normal" [statistically average] than we realize.

 

Given a little information about me, both Facebook and my friend alight on the same recommendation because my constellation of interests is far less special, and thus more predictable, than I’d like to believe.

 

Headline anxiety? Delay reading

“You’re not so special” is a message sometimes delivered as an insult (as in “special snowflake”) and sometimes as tough love.

This happens in the viral 2012 speech by the American high-school teacher David McCullough, urging students not to make themselves miserable by struggling to prove they’re the center of the universe.

It’s also frequently an accusation flung at the youth by the old.

But all that’s really just a distraction from the brute statistical fact: on any given dimension, all else being equal, of course you’re probably normal. Shorn of any value judgment, that’s all the word “normal” means. More

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Glastonbury Symposium UK 2018 (video)

GlastonburySymposium.co.uk; Seth Auberon, Pfc. Sandoval, Wisdom Quarterly

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