As you may guess from my blogs and multitude of websites, I have more than a few irons in the fire. You’ve probably heard the story: over commit, get excited about a zillion different things and start going in a million different directions.

That’s my story.

One of the exciting break-through projects during the past few months is Urthgame. On urthgame.com we use 3D gaming technology to create non-violent life-affirming interactive games. I started working with the G.O.D.D. team years and years ago partially as a result of nephew. Continue reading →

I am reading Jane McGonigal’s book “Reality is Broken, Why Games Make Us Better And How They Can Change The World.” Actually as of this moment, I have made it to the Introduction.

In the Introduction Edward Castronova has this to say:

“Anyone who sees a hurricane coming should warn others. I see a hurricane coming.

“Over the next generation or two, even larger numbers of people, hundreds of millions, will become immersed in virtual worlds and online games. While we are playing, things we used to do on the outside, in “reality,” won’t be happening anymore, or won’t be happening in the same way. You can’t pull millions of person-hours out of a society without creating an atmospheric-level event.

“If it happens in a generation, I think the twenty-first century will see a social cataclysm larger than that caused by cars, radios, and TV, combined. . . . The exodus of these people from the real world, from our normal daily life, will create a change in social climate that makes global warming look like a tempest in a teacup”

Very stimulating material.

Given the mad dash to assemble resources for the upcoming Prosperity Path game release, Prosperity Path was rumbling around the space between my ears while I read the above passages.

I have played Neverwinter Nights, Guild Wars, and World of War Craft (and many other games as well). I have experienced how these games can consume time that might otherwise be used in “real life”. Please don’t think I’m complaining or making an accusation. I am definitely not saying this is good, nor am I saying this is bad. Just an observation that these games had the specific effect of redirecting my attention into the game and things of the game. To the extent that I would find myself walking around doing “real” things such as grocery shopping while thinking about what was, is, or will be happening in the game. Again, I am not taking a stand on is this good or bad. Just observing that it happens.

With the Prosperity Path Orbs, the attention is directed back into “real life”. The time spent in the game is being used as a tool to enhance one’s experience of life. For example, if someone wishes to have more love in their life, to experience love more, then running the Love orb might be the prescription. The Love game is not used as a substitute. It is used as a tool. Which means that while one is running it, there is the ever present notion that “I am doing this to modify my life experience.” Which further means that after one finishes playing the game the attention is sharply focused on “real life” as one looks for evidence of “it worked.”

So instead of looking for substitute love in the Love orb, one uses the Love orb as a tool to stimulate the finding of love in one’s life — in all aspects of one’s life. I can imagine a situation where someone could run the Love orb in order to help them find love in WoW. <lol> That would not be a bad thing. That would simply be how it is for that person.

I guess you could say that I was happy to have the idea pop into my head that the Prosperity Path orbs were actually helping to enhance “reality” rather than take away from it.

Before closing, I should confess that to my way of thinking it is all reality (or none of it is reality). Some days I’m not sure which.

Wikipedia declares the following about “affirmation”:

“Affirmation is a declaration that something is true.”

“Affirmations (New Age), the practice of positive thinking in New Age terminology”

“Affirmative prayer, a form of prayer that focuses on a positive outcome”

This blog is not an introduction to affirmations, nor is it a defense of the positive effects of affirmations. The definitions from wikipedia are introduced to establish a common focus. For discussions about “how do affirmations work” or “do affirmations work” try google, bing, or bongie.

This blog is for those that have had experience with affirmations and have found them effective, or for those that would like to experiment a little with this affirmation stuff. Continue reading →

I’ve been following a thread on Prosperity Path Form. In the discussion the following was offered by I.W.

“Imagine you have put seeds in the soil from a plant that you know produces magnificent flowers, but you are unaware that it only flowers once every hundred years. Such plants are rare, but they do exist. So, you wait, feeling anxious and troubled… Your impatience proves only that you do not know the nature of this beautiful flowering plant. But then, there are other seeds that produce flowers after only a few weeks. Of course, this pleases
you more, but the flowers are more common.

“Every activity you engage in is like a seed you plant. If you get rapid results, you are satisfied, but ask yourself sometimes whether the seeds that develop rapidly are the best.  Often, it is rather the opposite.”

Thank you I.W. for that contribution. I’d like to start from this notion and offer a little expansion of this idea.

To my way of thinking, the grand endeavor we have chosen for ourselves is not the same as planting a single seed. We are not looking for just one plant to grow and bloom. Rather the path consists of hundreds and thousands of plant that will grow and bloom — all in their own time. Continue reading →

Years ago, back when people walked ten miles through the snow to get to school, I was in a Molecular Biophysics graduate program — my study involved quantum mechanics of biophysical mechanism.

When I accepted the offer to study biophysics, I was making a choice between Molecular Biophysics and Psycho-Pharmacology.  (Do well enough on your mcat, sat, and gre and you get offers. Which was lucky for me, since I had more brains than money.)

I did my graduate work in northern Florida. Something you might not know about northern Florida is the fact that it is rampant with cow pastures, cows, cow poop, and mushrooms growing in said cow poop.

My lab mates at the time, decided that it would be a good idea to run a few experiments involving the ingestion of mushrooms. Because of my pre-existing research and interest in psycho-pharmacology, I agreed to sit in as a kind of life-guard.

During the first experiment, M. expressed that fact the mushrooms were having no effect on him — none whatsoever. I asked M. why he was lying on the floor. He indicated that in so far as the walls were breathing and he didn’t have any ability to move the stuffed sausage doll’s body he was inhabiting, he figured the floor was a good place to be. And yes, he still persisted in his claim that nothing was happening and that the mushrooms had no effect.

Later it came to light that M. had decided long ago (prior to any actual experimentation) that the one and only symptom of “it is working” would be tiny (4 inch to 6 inch) refrigerators running around on the floor. Since on the evening in question there were no refrigerators of the 4 inch variety running, walking, or even sitting quietly in the corner, he was absolutely certain that “it wasn’t working.”

It is possible to have expectations (generated by our own imaginations, or stories from others) . It’s hard (or impossible) to avoid some expectations. Expectations are okay. However, it is important to avoid letting unfulfilled expectations blind us to what is actually happening.

Look to the details. Have an impartial attitude. Be willing for it to work, and be willing for it to not work.  Expect miracles and be okay with the fact that they may not happen over night — or, perhaps they will.

The experiences of others is a guideline of what might be possible. The less you require your experience to match a preset pre-existing set of criteria, the better off you will be in your relationship with “what is.”

Imagine going on a blind-date with a head full of guidelines — a massive checklist of conditions for the potential date to match — height, weight, hair color, background, attitude, genetics, religion, favorite author, top-pick music group, etc., etc., etc.

Actually you don’t have to imagine. This is what happens every day, zillions of times a day.

How about this, imagine what it would be like to walk into a situation with little or no expectation of what can (or will) happen.

Now stay awake and pay attention.

The new didge arrived today.

As you can tell from the video, the didge has an excellent breadth of tones. It doesn’t really show in the picture on the website (Cherry Blossomz <– website here ) but the mouth piece is pretty small. Not too small, just smaller than than behemoth my Bb didge has. The result for me is: it is much easier to implement the circular breathing.  Continue reading →

Working with the technique from Part 3 of the Didgeridoo Dojo Circular Breathing lessons. Like the break-down of the lessons. Feels like I’m starting to get somewhere with the circular breathing — but, it is adding a definite challenge to the “getting my embrasure on”. Continue reading →

Started working with Circular Breathing video 2 from the Didgeridoo Dojo guys today.  Making nice progress. But….

Later in the day, it looks like I might need to back off on the circular breathing part a bit and get more drone time in. It’s like my mouth doesn’t even remember what an embrasure is.

What happened is the circular breathing breaks up my embrasure (a little) so that after each breath I have to find the embrasure again. It’s not that far off but with the low (Bb) drone it can be a little tough — at least on this particular didge. It is definitely worth getting an “easy” didge for your first. I got this one because it was gorgeous wood and as a bass player I’m thinking the low Bb will be excellent addition to my musical adventures.

Below is a link to lesson 2 (of 5) for the circular breathing.