God save us from scientism

There I was writing my newspaper column about “non violent communication” when, rather ironically, I became enraged by two stop press news items that knocked me off my perch in a fit of utter incredulity.

Just as I was adding the finishing touches to an article that espouses the need to acknowledge our deepest needs and act lovingly when it comes to getting the best out of ourselves and each other, I don’t mind communicating that I was incensed by the latest outbreak of what I call “scientism”.

First I hear a “ground-breaking” British study has found that artificial colours and commonly-used preservatives, such as those often found in sweets and soft drinks (do they still warrant the tag “soft”?) might be linked to hyperactivity in children.

And then, only moments later, a further news item (I use the term “news” with some resistance) which warns that children who have binge drunk by the age of 16 are more likely to use drugs when they grow up, turn into alcoholics and possibly end up with criminal convictions.

If you heard these items, were you tempted - as I was - to put your head through your hi-fi system? So much for non violent communication.

What’s more, I later found out that the findings of those ground-breaking scientists - namely a team at Southampton University whose results were published this week in The Lancet – are being taken so seriously, that the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) will be looking into the “possible link” between certain food colours and ill behaviour.

Furthermore, I gather the no-doubt earnest scientists also suggested that parents now have a simple tool to help them tackle hyperactive behaviour. Thank you - I must add that to my list that includes not playing on motorways and refraining from juggling with knives.

In the similar what-planet-do-these-people-live-on piece of work, researchers at the Institute of Child Health in London reckoned that in a long-term study of 11,000 British children born in 1970, those who drank heavily in their mid-teens encountered a wide range of social and medical problems by the age of 30.

Well I never. Lord only knows what an over-indulgence of those iridescent blue alco-pops might do to the average teen.

Not for the first time, I am reminded of Basil Fawlty who tells wife Sybil that if she were on Mastermind her specialist subject would be 'stating the bleeding obvious'.

I understand that we all have to have jobs and pay bills, but this sort of work and these sorts of “findings” are an insult to the intelligence, instincts and intuition of the people for whom they are presumably intended.

We know at a very basic level that blue sweets and industrial chemicals might not do our kids much good. And that if they go on to overdo it on the booze, it could bring about all sorts of nasty consequences; you don’t need a degree to see that let alone a well-funded, long-term research project.

And therein lies my beef - not with science not even with scientists - and the joy I imagine they get in endeavouring to understand how and why things work, especially when geared to the betterment of humankind and society. My complaint is levelled right between the blinkered eyes of “scientism” – the narrow-minded belief in the scientific worldview to the exclusion of other equally valid terms of reference, those subtler human faculties and inner knowing.

We just know some things and don't need a prolonged and rationalised trip around the houses to prove it. Only the most dead-from-the-neck-down types of people need the validation of this sort of research. And what about those binge drinkers who don't turn into social misfits or the poor kids who never got to try a blue Smartie, just for the fun of it? Life is more complex than those boffins would have us believe.

I sincerely hope that the work of these clearly well-meaning folks has been dumbed-down, trivialised or mis-represented. There must surely be much more to it than the hype that made the headlines this week.

Simplicity Syndrome

I was at a visioning meeting for a massive organisation yesterday. We were talking about where the organisation would be in the next five years and how it would get there. The feeling around the table was that the company should stick to doing only what is simple, on expansion; because complexity at scale is an invitation for chaos.

Here's the question I left with that day. Motivation is a complicated thing, love is, mistrust is, suspicion is...for a revolutionary idea to be scaled up, must it be simple?

Is it that transfer of learning is effective when the content is simple or is it when the content is relevant. However complex, if the subject is something one can relate to, isn't it what makes the difference between effective learning and fragmented or rote learning?

If the core of lasting and comprehensive learning is that the learner be moved by the content, then it follows, that the learner must allow the his/her Self to get involved with the content. That is the stuff that makes for effective process or pedagogy!

The engagement of the Self in the business of learning is unfortunately more often than not, not a priority. Even sadder is that this is mostly because the connection is not seen. Oh there is the regular fare about Value Education and Moral Education, but it translates into tokensim because of the disconnect between the learner, his or her Self, his/her reality and the content.

Clearly, there are tools for making this connect, which can be taught, explored, re-invented, devised, adapted; but first must be prioritised as part of the teaching-learning process in school at every level.

Must be a sign: five years 'til 2012 and I'm not ready

Coincidence, serendipity, synchronicity, fate, bad luck ... call it what you will, yet stuff happens that can make you go "hmmmmm".

Take this parking ticket (pictured). It clearly says: "Expiry Time - 20:12" and note it also says "Not Transferable".

Could the Mayans have been right? Is it all going to expire (untransferrably) in 2012?

And if they were so good at picking sell-by dates, how come they didn't see the end of their own civilisation coming? (Apologies to Stuart Wilde, I think?)

Any way, watch out for the signs and be of good cheer; you never know when your expiry time is coming (unless you're in a pay and display car park).

PS Is the goldfish another sign?

Spirituality - Brand India

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Opinion/Columnists/India_as_spiritual_hotline/rssarticleshow/2144462.cms

Diana dead, but the search continues...

Ten years ago, I was sufficiently inspired (or mad enough) to create something called the International Institute of Joy – an organisation dedicated to helping people find sustainable happiness.

Joy for me then, as now, defined as "happiness without a reason"; the natural state of human beings when our basic needs are met, beneath and beyond the petty concerns that increasingly dominate our minds.

Ten years to this very day, an article about my joyful work appeared in The Daily Mail under the heading: "Who's the Guru?" As it turned out, the piece showed up - full on - in the shadow of Princess Diana's death. As the nation descended into mass mourning, my call to "train your soul to find happiness" understandably got buried.

This is what it said: "As a race, we have forgotten how to enjoy long-term happiness. Many people think they can find it in possessions such as cars, houses and clothes. Society's over-emphasis on accumulating wealth means we are out of the habit of training our souls and minds to find joy internally through our peace of mind.

We can't sustain happiness by buying it through external objects. Achieving peace of mind and happiness involves changing some of our negative thinking, which often results from stress, and the way we organise our lives.

It is difficult to feel happy when our minds are dominated by emotions such as anger, worry and fear, which are common in today's society because we never seem to stop, or we slow down too late. They inhibit joy because, for example, anger leads to conflict; worry triggers illness and fear can paralyse our ability to feel free and make unprejudiced decisions. As a result, we feel frustrated and that something is missing in our lives.

We should use tools such as yoga and meditation to access the part of our mind where there is a source of joy, contentment and calm. Just setting aside some special time to be still, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, is a good start. It's important to allow ourselves the time to consider what we want from life and to think about discarding what we simply don't need.

Retreats and workshops don't provide an instant solution, but they do allow people to step off the conveyor belt, removing them from their habitual choices in life. If you feel as though there must be more to life, then listen to yourself: there is. Be positive, don't be a victim and you can change your life.

It's about thinking 'Thank goodness it's today' rather than just 'Thank goodness it's Friday'." Ten years on, I largely stand by what I said as a younger, meaning-of-life-seeking sort of guy (even though it got slightly "journalisticated").

And as our collective mind is inevitably drawn back to the unresolved issues around Diana's death, I think it's still fair to say that our overwhelming concern as human beings is the search for happiness. A quest so publicly and painfully exemplified by the "Queen of Hearts".

Incredible list of personal development blogs

Are you looking to change your life? Awaken the giant within!? Live your hearts desire? Or just become the greatest human being that ever lived!? Well I've got good news for you.

I just came across what is probably the most comprehensive list of personal development blogs ever assembled!

http://priscillapalmer.com/priscillapalmer/2007/08/21/personal-development-list/

Just ignore the ones on Time Management because it'll take you all month to read through them all!

Four films about 2012 and the global consciousness shift

Just like buses, you wait for ages and then four come along at once! Four what? you ask. Four films about the shift in global consciousness of course!

Are they worth watching? I don't know I haven't seen them yet; however, I'm looking forward to all of them. Here's a sneak preview of four films that you can expect to see in your spiritual multiplex over the next year or so.

Time of the Sixth Sun

Teaser: "We have entered a critical time in the history of humanity...It's time to change. This film is about the shift in global awareness and the transformation of consciousness as we approach 2012." - View the trailer

From the website: "Time of the Sixth Sun is a multi-platform film project about the awakening and transformation of global consciousness, a witnessing of these times and the huge potential for change in the world …… in the way we relate to it and the way we live in it."

Speakers include: Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Credo Mutwa, Don Alverto Taxo, Maestro Tlakaelel, Lynne Franks, Dr.Maseru Emoto, HH Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Geoff Stray, Dr. Manjir Samanta-Laughton, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, Carl Johan Calleman, Tom Kenyon, Carla Rueckert and many more. More from the synopsis

Website: http://www.timeofthesixthsun.com


2012 The Odyssey

Teaser: "Did you know that the Mayan calander comes to an end in 2012? Did you know that ther are other prophesies from all over the world that predict that something amazing is going to happen in 2012?" View the trailer

Speakers: José Argüelles, Gregg Braden, John Major Jenkins, Rick Levine, Sharron Rose, Geoff Stray, Geoff Stray, Alberto Villoldo, Jay Weidner More from the synopsis

Website: http://www.2012theodyssey.com


Shift of the Ages

Teaser: "This cycle of the ancient Mayan Calendar ends in the year 2012. This is the death of the 4th period of the sun...And the birth of the new 5th sun." View the trailer

From the website: "According to an ancient Mayan Calendar we are living in the last days of a great cosmic cycle known as the "Long Count." Traditionally, this is labeled as the Death of the Fourth period of the Sun and the Birth of the new Fifth Sun. The Maya keep accurate and detailed records of cosmic cycles, Earth's transitions and extreme changes in civilizations' collective consciousness. Indigenous traditions and world religions as well as Platonic philosophy view the current phase of existence as a harbinger of radical adjustment in our perception of reality. The birth of the 5th Sun signifies a "Shift of the Ages." More from the synopsis

Website: http://www.shiftingages.com


The Shift

Teaser: "A movie made by a movement" View the trailer

From the website: "A massive worldwide phenomenon is in progress, offering seeds of great hope for the future. Millions of individuals, organizations and corporations around the world are waking up and embracing a new outlook with an emphasis on their responsibility to contribute positively to our collective future. We are in the middle of the biggest social transformation in human history, The SHIFT." More from the synopsis

Website: http://theshiftmovie.com