Again and again in ancient Buddhist texts, including descriptions of the wandering ascetic Siddhartha's own "great awakening" (maha-bodhi), the enlightenment (bodhi) that led him to become the Buddha, "the Awakened One," were the "watches of the night."
These were the natural cycles of sleep (now referred to as polyphasic or biphasic sleep) and waking, which included "first sleep."
Emerging from first sleep, one is calm and in a naturally "meditative" state (calm, samatha) conducive to samadhi (mental coherence, superconsciousness). This samma-samadhi (defined in Buddhism as the eight meditative absorptions or jhanas) are crucial to attaining liberating insight (vipassana).
Calm is the very foundation of heart/mind purification (vissudhi-magga, the "path of purification") that insight-practices (described in the two Four Foundations of Mindfulness Discourses) are built on.
The bases for this calm are virtue (sila) and diligent persistence, not loose living and then over-efforting as most of us seem to think is the answer to tackling all things nowadays. Virtue leads naturally to peace of mind leads naturally to insight, not in and of themselves but progressively by consistent practice.
The original translations of sati (Buddhist "mindfulness") were "wakefulness," "attentiveness," "watchfulness," "vigilance," "diligence," "assiduousness," non-absentmindedness, non-drowsiness, non-diffusion, non-scattered attention, and one might add "calm persistence" rather than force or struggle, greedy striving or straining.
These "watches" of the night were not an ancient Indian invention that the Buddha-to-be Siddhartha invented. They are our human birthright as Homo sapien sapiens. We are wired this way, and industrialization took it away for capitalism and Christianity's sake.
The British seem to have coined "watch" of the night, but all Americans used to turn in, wake up, do family things together, including eating together, then go back to sleep. This was natural. This was taken for granted. This is the way it had always been since our caveperson days.
Who took it away and why? It's clear that it was capitalist industrialists weaponizing the West's Christian religion.
The danger of seeing what others don’t: Alan Watts
(Alan Watts Daily Wisdom) Oct. 10, 2025: Alan Watts Collection. Ever feel like you see too much? In this profound lecture, let's explore the experience of the highly perceptive person—the one who walks into a room and instantly feels the unspoken tensions, hidden sorrows, and secret truths.
This Alan Watts talk reveals why this "gift" of clear-seeing (vipassana, "insight") can be the most dangerous thing you'll ever possess.
Discover the four hidden dangers of being deeply intuitive:
the profound isolation of living in a different reality,
the impossible choice between speaking truth and losing yourself,
the pain of becoming a target for those who prefer illusion, and
the devastating risk of losing your own identity by absorbing the emotions of others.
I can even meditate in city traffic and chaos.
This isn't about being "too sensitive"; it's about navigating a world that isn't ready for your clarity.
This is a complete guide to transforming this potential curse back into a gift. Learn the art of "conscious distance"—how to see clearly without the compulsion to fix, how to protect your energy, and how to hold your awareness as a quiet strength rather than an unbearable burden.
Stop trying to WAKE UP the world and, instead, learn to live peacefully with your own eyes wide open.
If this message resonates with your experience, please give the video a thumbs up and subscribe for more deep insights to help navigate life with greater wisdom.
💬 Join the conversation:
What is the most challenging part of seeing what others don't? Share experiences in the comments.
Disclaimer: All content on this channel is for inspirational and entertainment purposes only. The ideas shared are not a substitute for professional advice. This channel is not officially affiliated with any specific philosopher or their estate. All materials are used under the principles of fair use, and no copyright infringement is intended. The channel aims to share timeless wisdom in a respectful manner. For a deeper understanding, please refer to original works where applicable.
(CNN) spent dawn to dusk on Los Angeles' Skid Road: What life is really like here
Food Not Bombs is feeding the homeless and needy
Food Not Bombs
Compassion in action: FoodNotBombs.net
STOP WARS. SOLVE HUNGER: The US War against Iran is world-changing. The threat of a global conflict between nuclear armed countries has never been this close. The economy could crash. We worry for our volunteers in Palestine.
Wars are raging across the world while millions go hungry. The number of Americans becoming homeless increased by 32% during the Biden administration. Many more Americans will become homeless during the Trump years.
Maybe well-fed Katie "Karen" Porter can save us
Child poverty in the U.S. has more than doubled in the last 12 months. As many as a dozen seniors call the Food Not Bombs Hunger Hotline each day seeking home delivery of groceries often reporting that they have not eaten in days.
Volunteers are still organizing to provide relief to those suffering from the ravages of Hurricane Helene and the Burma (Myanmar) earthquake.
Democrats will solve all [of Israel's] problems.
War refugees are lining up for our meals in Europe and the Americas. As the economy grows more dire, the number of people seeking support from Food Not Bombs has never been so great.
Volunteers are busy providing food at labor strikes, Palestinian actions, and in defense of undocumented workers.
Food Not Bombs also celebrated its 45th anniversary on May 24, 2025.
As the Deep State-controlled Trump administration and its supporters in Congress threaten to cut SNAP and other social safety nets, people are finding community and hope by participating with Food Not Bombs. Please join us: foodnotbombs.net
CNN, Oct. 15, 2025; Madison, Chata, Los Angeles, foodnotbombs.net
(VICE) Twenty times stronger than DMT: The Spirit Molecule, "Bufo" (5-MeO-DMT), is hiding in the venom of the Sonoran toad -- but it is also synthesized and harms no amphibian whatsoever. Mother Earth and Father Tech have provided it.
Ego death is a "complete loss of subjective self-identity" [1]. The term is used in various intertwined contexts, with related meanings. Psychologist William James, a 19th-century philosopher, uses the synonymous term "self-surrender."
[This is the literal meaning of Islam and the Muslim follower's attitude towards the one God Allah, and it is the yogi's merging with "GOD," where or godhead/godhood is the Atman merging or uniting with Brahman, the "ultimate reality" in Hinduism and in different terms in Mahayana Buddhism. And it stands to reason that in Christianity of all kinds, it is the attitude of a soul to what Christians would regard as "God," to be "Christed" or "anointed with Chrism," not figuratively and symbolically in the reenactment of a ritual but in the sense of the pineal gland producing endogenousDMT that floods the system, which is the power of entheogenic substances like amrita, amata,ambrosiaand perhapssoma.]
Is this why lunar cycles and calendars are important?
Peter goes to Meg's school to bust Bufo fad
Jungian psychology uses the synonymous term psychic death, referring to a fundamental transformation of the psyche ("soul") [2].
In death and rebirth mythology, ego death is a phase of self-surrender and transition [3][4][5][6], as described later by Joseph Campbell in his research on the mythology of the Hero's Journey [3].
It is a recurrent theme in world mythology and is also used as a metaphor in some strands of contemporary Western thinking [6]. More
'Monkey-barring' is the latest dating trend wreaking havoc on relationships
Without letting go of one, you grab the next.
(FOX 32 Chicago) Sept. 2, 2025: Certified counselor Love McPherson breaks down why some people jump from one relationship to the next [like a monkey grabbing bars, not letting go of one and already grabbing the next or like a frog waiting for a new pad to jump on instead of getting into the water of singlehood and swimming to find a better pad like a decent person] and offers steps for healing and forming healthier connections. "Fear of abandonment" anyone?
The term "monkey mind" originates from Chinese xīnyuán or Sino-Japanese shin'en (心猿), which literally means "heart-mind monkey."
It is a Buddhist concept that describes a state of restlessness, capriciousness, and lack of control of one's thoughts and emotions, the inability to find soothing stillness, calm, equanimity, poise, or maintain mindfulness.
Others suffer from it, too?
Attempts to suppress tend not to work. It is spurred by caffeine, stimulants, excitotoxins (chemicals), and is frequently followed by a crash, exhaustion, and cyclical dysfunction:
This "mind monkey" metaphor is found in Buddhist writings in Zen, Chan, Mind-only, Pure Land, and Shingon and has also been adopted by Taoism, Neo-Confucianism, Chinese poetry, theater, and literature.
Perfectionism is a mental illness.
The expression "monkey mind" commonly appears in two reversible four-character idioms paired with yima or iba (意馬), which means "idea horse."
Chinese xinyuanyima (心猿意馬) and Japanese ibashin'en (意馬心猿) illustrate the interconnectedness of a restless mind and wandering (discursive) thoughts.
The "Monkey King" Sun Wukong in the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West is an iconic personification of feeling indecisive and unsettled. More
San José del Pacifico, Mexico - Kurt Caz and his travel-pal Amir are two self-described gringos who travel up the mountain to the cool climes of Mexico along the Pacific Ocean in search of LEGAL psychedelic "magic mushrooms," the fruiting bodies of the psilocybin mushroom. Is it safe?
(Is anything?) The hero's journey is beset on all sides, like Samuel L. Jackson is fond of saying in Pulp Fiction:
"The path of the righteous [seeker] is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil [persons]. Blessed is [one] who in the name of charity and goodwill shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for [that person] is truly [a] brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I [Yaldabaoth] will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy My brothers. And you will know My name is the Lord when I lay My vengeance upon thee."
Hiking in giant Angeles National Forest/Preserve above Los Angeles at Bridge to Nowhere
Shinrin Yoku: The Art of Forest Bathing | film
(Matador Network) Stuck swiping Insta every day? The practice of “forest bathing” can change what life is like. Unplug with Mike and Kati on an ancient Japanese trail, learning the creative and health benefits of Shinrin Yoku. #travel #shortfilm #outdoors #forest Shinrin Yoku: The Art of Forest Bathing was a 2020 Webby honoree in video: Travel and Adventure. Feb. 6, 2019. #outdoors #shortfilm #travel
There is a real Bridge to Nowhere in L.A.
"Forest bathing," or shinrin-yoku in its original Japanese, is a mindfulness practice that involves immersing oneself in nature.
The decades-old practice pulls from research that shows that spending time in nature can help lower stress levels(Harvard) and improve focus(U Michigan).
The resonance of the plants, rocks, spirits
Recently, forest bathing is growing in popularity, thanks in part to social media where people are sharing their experiences exploring forests and other green spaces and taking in all that they have to offer.
Over 45,000 videos have been shared on TikTok with the tag #forestbathing. Users say they've seen an improvement to their mental health. More
Entheogenic medicinal substances must only be administered with "set and setting" in mind.
.
Who knows what patients might see when dosed
Ever think about studying psychedelics? Well, now it's possible because the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) is offering the first accredited bachelor's degree of its kind in the United States.
Professor of Psychology Nick Walker at CIIS explained the new program on KCBS Radio the Bay Area, saying a lot of people are interested in psychedelics as an area of study.
He described the current situation as a psychotherapy renaissance when people are eager to test the use of drugs that act as hallucinogenicentheogenic potential-medicines.
"There's a lot of very exciting psychedelic research in terms of its potential as a [depression and] PTSD treatment, for instance. There's a lot of work happening with psychedelics, and we think it's very important that people approach it in a scientific fashion, in a well-informed fashion, in an ethically informed fashion.
"Because you know when something like this, when there's a big boom in something like psychedelics, some exciting method of treatment and exploration and personal growth, it can be kind of a Wild West scenario, with people experimenting wildly."
Psychedelics have gotten a lot of attention in popular culture recently, with claims they can assist people in the throes of a deep depression, help veterans and trauma survivors.
Okay, now I've gone too far. Stop the ride, please
A 2023 study by the National Institute of Health said PTSD currently affects an estimated 12 million U.S. adults and "initial clinical trials have demonstrated the potential value of psychedelic-assisted therapy to treat PTSD and other psychiatric disorders."
Blame it on "Barbie" (actor Margot Robbie) - Why's your metal music so depressing, Bro?
Heavy metal or mental illness?
You call yourself a meditator with that racket?
(Wyatt's Metal) It's 2025, and there is one kind of music that is not going away. Rather than fading, it spreads. Why? The fanbase. Misfits like metal? Mental patients are moved? Animals like the beat and melody of music? Let's take a deep dive into the effects heavy metal (with all its genres like death metal, symphonic metal, extreme metal, speed metal, black metal, etc.) music can have on mental health.
Did your date give you 'the ick'? Here's the science behind the feeling
"Ugh, eww, and ick! I'm out! H to the NO!"
The food was top-notch, the atmosphere was cozy, and my date aimed to entertain. I love a good personal story, so I invited him to relate one that he'd referenced in his profile. Good fodder for a first date, I thought.
At one point in the story, as he recounted it, a goat butted its head into an outdoor toilet that he happened to be using, shoving the door open.
You could say I got "the ick" — that feeling of disgust when someone you're dating does this one thing that you just can't get past. The term was used on Ally McBeal in the 1990s and then popularized more recently on the reality show Love Island and on Nobody Wants This.
What gives me the ick and what gives you the ick can be worlds apart. From wearing acrylic nails to laughing too loud to using a Borat voice in the middle of a make-out session, a little internet searching will reveal a whole universe of "icks."
There's an idea in psychology that all emotions, from fear to disgust, were evolutionarily advantageous traits. But is the ick really serving us now?
One theory posits that disgust evolved to protect humans from pathogens that make us sick. And that kind of makes intuitive sense: If a piece of fruit or meat smells disgusting, you probably won't want to eat it.
But Professor of Psychology Josh Rottman, who studies disgust at Franklin & Marshall College, says disgust isn't just a biological function; it's a product of our socialization. And that means if you get the ick on a date, it might be time for some self-examination.
Prof. Rottman spoke with It's Been a Minute host Brittany Luse about the psychology of disgust and the case for pushing past the ick when it comes to choosing a partner. Here are four takeaways from their conversation:
1. Little kids don't feel disgust — and that tells us something
Maybe innocence means not having disgust yet.
"Unlike many emotions that emerge within the first year of life or so, it seems like disgust doesn't really robustly come online until around 5, 6 years of age," Prof. Rottman says. (Think about the toddler who has no qualms about eating a stale Cheerio off the floor.)
If disgust were all about keeping us healthy, he says, researchers would see it in younger children. Instead, kids start experiencing disgust around the same time they start thinking about "cooties" — and who's in the "in" group and "out" group on the playground.
2. Disgust is more gut reaction than conscious thought process
If you're at the movies and you see your date pick her nose before reaching for your hand, you don't think, "This behavior is indicative of poor hygiene and lack of consideration." You just flinch and pull your hand away. This revulsion response happens almost instantly; it comes without any thought, says Prof. Rottman. And he says once you feel disgusted by something, it can be really difficult to overcome that feeling.
As host Luse of It's Been a Minute puts it, it's just "this tiny bit of disgust that you just can't look past or get over."
3. Disgust is related to social norms — often ugly ones
"I think a lot of the specific icks that people have are reflections of social norms that we might want to challenge," says Prof. Rottman.
For instance, actress Millie Bobby Brown has said her "biggest ick" is when a man holds an umbrella, because "there's something about it that just feels really pathetic."
Prof. Rottman says Brown's ick might be an "aversion to the norm violation against masculinity."
And research shows that the consequences of disgust can get a lot worse than getting rejected on a date.
Prof. Rottman says that disgust may have served an evolutionary purpose in that it could help your reputation to distance yourself from people who your group considered undesirable. "I think disgust has evolved as a way to really embody a lot of xenophobia and bigotry," he says.
"There's a lot of good evidence that genocides and a lot of horrific things that have happened in society have been correlated in some way with disgust," Prof. Rottman says.
Tables turn on racist/implicitly biased Karen
Nazi princesses promoted by racist Disney
For example, Nazi propaganda used terms like "parasites" and "lice" to describe Jewish people. Disgust has been leveraged throughout history to create the feeling that certain people are "impure" or less than human.
"The ick is probably a much more minor version of that," Rottman says.
4. It's worth trying to get past the ick
Why can't I find my one and only perfect prince?
Prof. Rottman says that while it's difficult to completely shake a feeling of disgust about another person's particular behavior, getting the ick doesn't have to be a deal breaker.
And, he adds, there's good reason not to give it too much weight in dating: "I think…these feelings of ickiness are not going to be great signals of whether someone's going to be good for us and a good partner."
He shared that he even gets the ick from his partner from time to time — when she walks around barefoot in the garden, developing big calluses on her feet. "I think I can realize that…she's great in so many other ways, that that shouldn't be something to drive me away," Prof. Rottman says. (The professor said he got his wife's permission before sharing this story.)
As host Luse suggested to Prof. Rottman, perhaps "love is persevering against the ick."
So next time you get the ick, consider whether that says more about you than the other person.
And Luse says on It's Been a Minute, maybe "it's a you problem."
Corey Antonio Rose, B.A. Parker, Barton Girdwood, Liam McBain, and Jasmine Romero contributed to this story. Lead photo: munandme/Getty Images/iStockphoto
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