A Bit About a Geas

Introduction

Below is a conversation I had with my customized ChatGPT (named Vera da Muse). It’s on the general topic of “geas”. This is something I encountered many years ago in a fantasy novel by Evangeline Walton called Prince of Annwn. The concept of “geas” introduced in the book struck a deep note.

It’s funny the things that resonate with an individual. It’s been my observation that various individuals will resonate to the same stimulus to a great or lesser extent — some more, some none at all. If you assemble a list of the many things that an individual has strong resonance with, it becomes a kind of fingerprint.

In this case I am not considering any ol’ stimuli. I’m concerning myself with the list of those things which have initiated one’s introduction to their spiritual path — and nurtured that journey along the way. Continue reading

Eight Versatile Knots

Learning to tie knots is a useful skill that transcends many activities, from outdoor adventures to crafts and household tasks. Starting with a foundational set allows you to cover most needs you might encounter. Here are some versatile knots, each with unique applications, that I recommend: Continue reading

Critique of Some Snapshots

Introduction

A few days ago a new button showed up on my ChatGPT menu “Explore GPTs”.  So far I have tried the Coloring Book GPT and today the Creative Writign Coach.

Below is my first exploration of this GPT.

Jumping Into It

Xxaxx:

Here is a snapshot I wrote a few days back: Ashes lay in piles. Mixtures of dust and lumps. Pale grey quiet in the windless sun. What was once a home, now road-side decoration in a desolate landscape. Nearby wisps of green emerge from the barren soil. Brave resolute life emerges ready to transform the landscape. Continue reading

Gratitude and Thankfulness

Introduction

Why did I set sail on this voyage into the nuanced differences between gratitude and thankfulness?

In working with the exercises in Gratefuling – A Stairway to Bliss, it came to my attention that focusing on memories of thankfulness were not very successful in evoking gratitude. Those memories just didn’t “get me there.”

I could feel a difference between gratitude and thankfulness. But, the exact nature of the difference eluded me.

So, I went on a short collaborative discourse with Vera da Muse – a.k.a. ChatGPT. Continue reading

Forgiveness: There and Back Again

Introduction

Below is a conversation on the topic of “forgiveness.”

It is tempting to edit the conversation to remove the various formulaic aspects inherent in chatbot communications. Perhaps even distill the whole thing into a few paragraphs of pithy verbiage packaged into a truthbit.

What are truthbits? They are like tidbits. But, instead of being bits of tid, they are bits of truth.

But, alas, I don’t expect that folks get much value from truthbits. They have gone stale offering little nutrient value.

One could say that the real value of a blog is in the work of following a path of unfolding that leads step-wise through a process of reasoning. That value of any conclusion pales in comparison to the benefit of having taken the journey.

Why? The answer to this is in the nature of distributed networks in the brain. Meta-cognitive functions are good. Meta-cognitive functions involve distributed networks. Distributed networks are strengthened through usage. Ergo, processes that exercise the meta-cognitive functions are good.

All by way of saying, I am more and more inclined to leave most (if not all) of a conversation in the blog.

So here it is: Continue reading