The biggest unsolved anthropological mystery of the 21st century is the question: What killed off the Neanderthals and why did Homo sapiens thrive even as Neanderthals withered to extinction?

Researchers and scientists are trying to understand was it some sort of plague specific only to Neanderthals which led to its disintegration? Was there some sort of cataclysmic event in their homelands of Eurasia that lead to their disappearance?

Ancient origins mentions a new study from a team of physical anthropologists and head and neck anatomists suggests a less dramatic but equally deadly cause. Published online by the journal, The Anatomical Record, the study, Reconstructing the Neanderthal Eustachian Tube: New Insights on Disease Susceptibility, Fitness Cost, and Extinction suggests that the real culprit in the demise of the Neanderthals was not some exotic pathogen.

Instead, the authors believe the path to extinction may well have been the most common and innocuous of childhood illnesses that is, chronic ear infections.

Co-investigator and Downstate Health Sciences University Associate Professor Samuel Mrquez, PhD, said, It may sound far-fetched, but when we, for the first time, reconstructed the Eustachian tubes of Neanderthals, we discovered that they are remarkably similar to those of human infants. Middle ear infections are nearly ubiquitous among infants because the flat angle of an infant's Eustachian tubes is prone to retain the otitis media bacteria that cause these infections - the same flat angle we found in Neanderthals.

The study also mentions that in this age of antibiotics, these infections are easy to treat and relatively benign for human babies. Additionally, around age 5, the Eustachian tubes in human children lengthen and the angle becomes more acute, allowing the ear to drain, all but eliminating these recurring infections beyond early childhood.

The structure of the Eustachian tubes in Neanderthals do not change with age - which means these ear infections and their complications, including respiratory infections, hearing loss, pneumonia, and worse, would not only become chronic, but a lifelong threat to overall health and survival.

It's not just the threat of dying of an infection, said Dr. Mrquez. "If you are constantly ill, you would not be as fit and effective in competing with your H. sapien cousins for food and other resources. In a world of survival of the fittest, it is no wonder that modern man, not Neanderthal, prevailed.

The strength of the study lies in reconstructing the cartilaginous Eustachian tube, said Richard Rosenfeld, MD, MPH, MBA, Distinguished Professor and Chairman of Otolaryngology at SUNY Downstate. This new and previously unknown understanding of middle ear function in Neanderthals is what allows us to make new inferences regarding the impact on their health and fitness.

Get the best of News18 delivered to your inbox - subscribe to News18 Daybreak. Follow News18.com on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, TikTok and on YouTube, and stay in the know with what's happening in the world around you in real time.

Read this article:
A Simple Case of Ear Infection Could Be the Reason Why Entire Species of Neanderthals Went Extinct - News18

designed around the concept of life in the east, which lies at the base of chinese culture, yan bookstore by tomoko ikegai / ikg inc provides a space in which visitors can engage in deep self-reflection and create their own unique stories. the 2,475 sqm bookstore is located on the third floor of shenzhens MIXC commercial complex, closed off by a long faade of rammed-earth walls to create a very different, zen world within.all images by nacasa & partners

over the past thirty years, the population of shenzhen has exploded from 300,000 to 14M people, explains tomoko ikegai of ikg inc.it is unique among chinese cities that sixty-five percent of these residents are in their twenties and thirties, giving it a powerful new energy. located in the citys MIXC commercial complex, in a development area facing shenzhen bay where hotels, residences, sports facilities, and office buildings are clustered, yan celebrates chinese culture and offers a space where visitors can feel the calm and dignified spirit of zen buddhism. recently, bookstores have been opening all over china which on a surface level are beautifully and strikingly designed, adds the tokyo-based studio. however, we felt that especially in this proactive city, it was important to value chinas originality and individuality, exploring mystical images of the east in the context of globalization.

the bookstore is closed off from the lavish surroundings of the complex with a long faade of rammed-earth walls, reminiscent of layers of deep strata, that incorporate soils varying in color, from amber to milky white. these shades form the base for the color scheme inside the store, which is composed entirely of natural earth tones. tile in a mock italian travertine pattern covers the floor, expressing the idea of accumulation through marbles visual representation of earth hardening over many long years.

the gold color of the bookshelves derives from the image of minerals within the earth, while the slender, delicate metal shelves express spirituality. by nearly eliminating the presence of these exceedingly thin shelves, the design conveys the concept of immersing oneself in a sea of books. five custom-made original artworks that match the concept have been installed, while each piece of art has a theme to match the pattern and concept of the space. tomoko ikegai / ikg inc has also designed an event area with a small gathering space within the bookstore for a variety of events where visitors can interact and exchange information.

project info:

name: yan ( in chinese)

architect: tomoko ikegai / ikg inc.

sales floor area: 2,475m

client: china resources land limited

design cooperation: arterior co., ltd.

lighting: sola associates

graphic design: ujidesign

location: no.2888, keyuan south road, the mixc (shenzhen bay), nanshan disctrict, shenzhen, china

sofia lekka angelopoulou I designboom

sep 17, 2019

Read more:
tomoko ikegai / ikg inc encloses yan bookstore in shenzhen using rammed-earth walls - Designboom

ISTANBUL

Borusan Contemporary has opened the new artistic season by hosting the first Istanbul exhibition of the pioneering U.S. video artist Bill Viola.

Bill Viola: Impermanence, which opened on Sept. 14, features works from different phases of the artists oeuvre, including works from the early years, to delve deeply into the world-renowned artists practice.

Viola has been investigating the mysteries of the human condition for more than 40 years, employing video technology as a medium that during those decades evolved at a rapid pace.

Each work seduces us with its hint of a grand narrative at work, a promise to reveal to us something we dont already know about birth, death, fear, desire, or reality. Certainly the works are enigmatic, but with their lush visual clarity, and with the presence of humans and human agency, with some conflict being confronted, the viewers feel compelled to search for the story.

The works are like koans with their narratives, classic Buddhist riddles that are unresolvable, inviting us to experience a glimpse of what Viola calls the invisible world where our standard intellectual configurations of existence are revealed to be artificial.

Violas work has been shown worldwide and the artist has received numerous awards for his achievements, including a U.S./Japan Creative Artist Fellowship (1980), the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (1989), XXI Catalonia International Prize (2009), and the Praemium Imperiale from the Japan Art Association (2011). His works have roots in both Eastern and Western art as well as spiritual traditions, including Zen Buddhism, Islamic Sufism, and Christian mysticism.

In this exhibition curated by Kathleen Forde, there are themes that run throughout all 10 works: Immersion, transformation, a confrontation with basic elements of air, and water.

Chott el-Djerid, a much earlier video from 1979, addresses the question of perception, and serves to underpin the connective strands of the later pieces. Subtitled A Portrait in Light and Heat, it considers the phenomenon of a desert mirage, the dry Saharan lake of the title, and features the near-whiteout of a winter prairie landscape.

The exhibition will be on view until Sept. 13.

[HH] Inspired by Turgut Uyar

Curated by Necmi Snmez, They Are Uttered and Left Unfinished All the Loves in the World II is an expanded continuation of the exhibition including a selection of works from the Borusan Contemporary Art Collection last season, inspired by the poet Turgut Uyar.

Bringing together important names of contemporary art from across the world, this exhibition aims to produce new interpretations through installations that strengthen the viewers esthetic senses, referring to todays economic and social problems while forming a special parenthesis for visual arts using the images in Uyars poetry.

Ranging from video-sculpture to photography, neon installations to interactive digital works, the exhibition foregrounds experimental approaches and the artists predictions, interpreted through digital media, visualizing what Uyar aptly described as the troubles of today.

The exhibition will be on view until March 8, 2020.

Read more from the original source:
Borusan Contemporary hosts Bill Violas first exhibition in Istanbul - Hurriyet Daily News

From transport and housing to food production and fashion, our civilisation is driving climate and ecological breakdown.

Its no coincidence that almost every single sector of industry is contributing to the planets downfall, either. A deeper issue underlies each ones part in the malaise enveloping the planets ecosystems and its origins date back to long before the industrial revolution. To truly bring ourselves into harmony with the natural world, we must return to seeing humanity as part of it.

Though a varied and complex story, the widespread separation of humans from nature in Western culture can be traced to a few key historical developments, starting with the rise of Judeo-Christian values 2000 years ago. Prior to this point, belief systems with multiple gods and earth spirits, such as paganism, dominated. They generally considered the sacred to be found throughout nature, and humanity as thoroughly enmeshed within it.

When Judaism and Christianity rose to become the dominant religious force in Western society, their sole god as well as sacredness and salvation were re-positioned outside of nature. The Old Testament taught that God made humans in his own image and gave them dominion over the Earth.

As historian Lynn White famously argued, such values laid the foundations of modern anthropocentrism, a system of beliefs that frames humans as separate from and superior to the nonhuman world. Indeed, those who hold literal beliefs in the Bible tend to express significantly more concerns over how environmental degradation affects humans than animals.

Ren Descartes considered it an absurd human failure to compare the souls of humans and those of non-human brutes.W Holl/Giorgos Kollidas/Shutterstock

In the early 17th century, French father of modern philosophy Ren Descartes framed the world as essentially split between the realm of mind and that of inert matter. As the only rational beings, Descartes saw humans as wholly separate from and superior to nature and nonhuman animals, who were considered mere mindless machines to be mastered and exploited at will. Descartes work was hugely influential in shaping modern conceptions of science and human and animal identities in Western society.

White and philosopher Val Plumwood were among the first to suggest that it is these attitudes themselves that cause the worlds environmental crises. For example, when we talk of natural resources and fish stocks, we are suggesting that the Earths fabric holds no value apart from what it provides us. That leads us to exploit it recklessly.

According to Plumwood, the opposition between reason and nature also legitimised the subjugation of social groups who came to be closely associated with nature women, the working class, the colonised, and the indigenous among them.

Scholars such as Timothy Morton and Bruno Latour remind us that viewing the natural world as separated from humans is not only ethically problematic but empirically false. Microorganisms in our gut aid digestion, while others compose part of our skin. Pollinators such as bees and wasps help produce the food we eat, while photosynthetic organisms such as trees and phytoplankton provide the oxygen that we need in order to live, in turn taking up the carbon dioxide we expel.

In the Anthropocene, we are seeing more and more how the fates of humanity and nature are intertwined. Governments and corporations have developed such control over the natural systems they exploit that they are destabilising the fundamental chemistry of the global climate system. As a result, inhospitable heat, rising seas, and increasingly frequent and extreme weather events will render millions of humans and animals refugees.

The good news is that the perceived separation from nature is not universal among the planets human inhabitants. Australian, Amerindian, and countless other indigenous belief systems often portray nonhumans as kin with intrinsic value to be respected, rather than external objects to be dominated or exploited.

In Bhutan, humans live largely in harmony with the natural world.Pulak Bhagawati/Unsplash, CC BY-SA

Eastern philosophies and religions such as Zen Buddhism also entangle humanity and nature, emphasising that there is no such thing as an independent self and that all things depend on others for their existence and well-being. For example, strongly influenced by Mahayana Buddhism, Bhutan has enshrined ecological resilience into its constitution. Mandating that at least 60% of the nation remain forested, the country is one of just two in the world to absorb more carbon than it emits. It measures progress not by GDP but against a gross national happiness index, which prioritises human and ecological well-being over boundless economic growth.

Of course, entanglement with nature exists in the Western world too. But the global socioeconomic systems birthed by this region were founded on the exploitation of the natural world for profit. Transforming these entrenched ways of working is no easy feat.

It will take time, and education is key. Higher education textbooks and courses across disciplines consistently perpetuate destructive relationships with nature. These must be redesigned to steer those about to enter the world of work towards care for the environment.

However, to bring about widespread fundamental change in worldviews, we need to start young. Practices such as nature journaling in early primary school in which children record their experiences of the natural world in written and art form can cultivate wonder at and connection to the natural world.

Schools should use every opportunity in the curriculum and playtime to tell children a new story of our place within the natural world. Economist and philosopher Charles Eisenstein calls for an overarching Living Earth narrative that views the earth not as a dead rock with resources to exploit, but as a living system whose health depends on the health of its organs and tissues its wetlands, forests, seagrass, mangroves, fish, corals, and more.

According to this story, the decision of whether to fell a forest for cattle grazing is not merely weighed against carbon accounting which allows us to offset the cost by installing solar panels but against respect for the forest and its inhabitants.

Such a world might seem unthinkable. But if we use our imagination now, in a few decades we might find our grandchildren creating the story we want them to believe in.

This article is part of The Covering Climate Now series

This is a concerted effort among news organisations to put the climate crisis at the forefront of our coverage. This article is published under a Creative Commons license and can be reproduced for free just hit the Republish this article button on the page to copy the full HTML coding. The Conversation also runs Imagine, a newsletter in which academics explore how the world can rise to the challenge of climate change. Sign up here.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Teaser photo credit: Reconnecting with nature. Steve Carter/Unsplash, CC BY-SA

Go here to read the rest:
Humanity and Nature are Not Separate We Must See them as One to Fix the Climate Crisis - Resilience

RELATED: Medic breaks silence: Princess Diana's final words revealed

Steve Jobs is a tech mogul and entrepreneur who is best known for being one of the co-founders of Apple Inc, formerly Apple Computers.

Born in San Francisco on February 24, 1955, Steve grew up in Mountain View, California. He was an electronics whiz as a child, and was friends with engineers who lived nearby. He went to Homestead High, where hed meet Steve Wozniak through a classmate. He and the other Steve worked at HP over the summer, becoming friends. He then went to Reed College for a year before dropping out and working at Atari. Then, he began a fascinating spiritual journey that practically deserves its own article.

In 1974, he travelled to India with a schoolmate from Reed to visit the Hindu guru Neem Karoli Baba, only to find that hed died the previous year. Nevertheless, Steve remained for seven months, and when he returned to the US, he was a changed man. He began experimenting with LSD and other drugs, adopted Zen Buddhism, and even became part of the All One Farm, a hippie commune.

This journey would seem to suggest a very different career path for Steve, but he would eventually return to Atari where he reunited with Wozniak. In 1976, the two founded Apple Computer, and in 1977 they introduced the Apple II, changing the world of personal computers forever.

Getty

Steve and Apple would go on to develop and release the Macintosh in 1984, which the company designed based on the legendary Xerox Palo Alto Research Centers mouse and keyboard interface. Steve himself went onstage on January 24 during Apples annual shareholders' meeting to reveal and demo the Macintosh in one of his most iconic appearances.

Steve left Apple in 1985 after being forced out of power by Apple CEO John Sculley. Between then and 1997, he went mostly under the radar, founding a company called NeXT and becoming the top financier and CEO of Pixar.

In 1997, Steve returned to Apple, now a floundering business deeply in debt and ready to go bankrupt, this time as CEO. His tenure between 1997 and 2011 transformed Apple into one of the most valuable companies in the world, with a combination of innovation and powerful marketing that led to industry-defining products like the iMac, iPod, iPhone, and Mac OS.

On October 5, 2011, Steve ended his long battle with cancer and passed away surrounded by family. He was 56 years of age. He left behind his widow, Laurene Powell Jobs, and their three children, Reed, Erin, and Eve. He also has a fourth daughter, Lisa Brennan-Jobs, whom he had with Chrisann Brennan, his high school sweetheart.

Steve died from pancreatic cancer, specifically a rare form known as neuroendocrine tumour or islet cell carcinoma, which represents about 1-2% of significant pancreatic tumours. Pancreatic cancer typically has a very low five-year survival rate and poor options for treatment, but Steves form of cancer is actually highly treatable.

With many cancers, the earlier treatment begins, the better the chances of survival. However, after Steves tumours were discovered in 2003, he delayed surgery and medical treatment for nine months while he explored alternative treatments such as acupuncture, a vegan diet, herbs, and cleansing juices. Steve later told his biographer that he regretted the decision to delay medical treatment. By the time he finally had surgery in 2004, the cancer had spread to his liver.

In 2009, Steve underwent a liver transplant and reportedly improved after the surgery. Unfortunately, the cancer relapsed, with him looking progressively paler and more gaunt leading to this last photo of him in public at WWDC 2011.

Getty

Eventually he would pass away due to complications from the relapse.

Some cancer experts believe that Steve would still be alive today had he not delayed treatment.

After Steves death, The New York Times published a eulogy delivered by Mona Simpson, Steves sister. In her eulogy, Mona described Steve Jobs last words on his deathbed as, OH WOW. OH WOW. OH WOW.

Four years later, in 2015, an essay that purported to be Steve Jobs last speech began circulating. It was billed as a warning that non-stop pursuit of wealth will only turn a person into a twisted being, just like [him].

Snopes reported that the essay has not been published by any official sources close to Jobs, and has never been verified to actually have been written by Steve. The essay itself hardly matches Steves own manner of speech or writing, and it has mutated over the years with several additions or changes as it spread.

Steve was a controversial figure. Famously difficult to work with and generally considered to be a jerk, he wasnt exactly the kind of person youd want to be friends with, and may even be an example of Never meet your heroes for Apple fans. But theres no denying the impact hes had on the tech world, and for that we honour his contributions to society, eight years after his death.

RELATED: Leaked images show Apple's new smartphone BEFORE launch!

Visit link:
Steve Jobs Death: How He Died & His Last Words - New Idea

Japanese Zen Buddhist artist and the influence of China

Lee Jay Walker

Modern Tokyo Times

The Japanese artist, Sami, is known for an array of areas linked to high culture in the land of the rising sun. Hence, he is strongly linked to Japanese aesthetics and the power of high culture that impacted greatly on the ruling elites. Therefore, throughout his life, he focused on the finer things in life and connected this strongly with Zen Buddhism.

Sami (1472-1525) belongs to the world of the Ashikaga Shogunate and the power processes that utilized Japanese aesthetics. Indeed, his rich family history in relation to Nami and Geiami meant that high culture was second nature for Sami.

Along with the importance of Zen Buddhism and Japanese aesthetics, Sami also was inspired by the art of the Southern School emanating from the Middle Kingdom (China). This meant that Sami wasnt afraid to go against the grain because this art form from China was disregarded by many Japanese artists of his day.

Sami, known for Japanese aesthetics, focused on an array of areas related to Japanese high culture. Hence, the areas of art, flower arranging, landscape gardening, poetry, the tea ceremony, and other notable areas related to high culture, were all part of his aesthetics spirit. This was naturally enhanced by the philosophy of Zen Buddhism to Sami and how he viewed the art of the Southern School emanating from the Middle Kingdom.

In the realm of Japanese landscape gardening, Sami designed the distinguished Ryoan Temple and Daisei-in gardens. Of course, the influence of Zen Buddhism and philosophy related to this faith naturally flowed during his esteemed designs.

Overall, this notable artist was inspired greatly by Mu-chI Fa-chang from the Middle Kingdom and in the realm of ideas, Zen Buddhism. Therefore, given his family background and his love of Japanese aesthetics this notable Japanese artist continues to be cherished by individuals who adore high culture.

Modern Tokyo News is part of the Modern Tokyo Times group

DONATIONS to SUPPORT MODERN TOKYO TIMES please pay PayPal and DONATE to sawakoart@gmail.com

http://moderntokyotimes.com Modern Tokyo Times International News and Japan News

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/moderntokyotimes/ Modern Tokyo Times is now on PINTEREST

http://sawakoart.com Sawako Utsumi personal website and Modern Tokyo Times artist

https://moderntokyonews.com Modern Tokyo News Tokyo News and International News

PLEASE JOIN ON TWITTER

https://twitter.com/MTT_News Modern Tokyo Times

PLEASE JOIN ON FACEBOOK

https://www.facebook.com/moderntokyotimes

Please follow and like us:

Read more from the original source:
Japanese Zen Buddhist artist and the influence of China - Modern Tokyo Times

RIPPING off local growers at a farmgate stall by more than half their profits is 'a new low' says local grower Christy Shelper.

The Big Swing Organics Farm co owner was forced to shut her road-side avocado stall at Goonengerry after her and husband DJ discovered the level of immense dishonesty at the honesty box.

"The honesty on our farmgate stall leaves a lot to be desired, about 50 per cent in fact, she said.

"The dishonesty always exists, but we've always has about an 85 percent rate of honesty which was good and manageable for us, but over the last three weeks it was consistently low we had to shut it.

While Christy said she understood the high cost of living in the area, the couple had their own bills to pay and a family to feed as well.

"It would be a different amount loss every day, she said.

"It was unpredictable, some days we'd lose $60 a day, sometimes more sometimes less, but it all adds up.

"We really want to have that stall down there - we want to make organic food available and affordable to the community, but we we can't afford to be giving away food, not at that consistency.

Left feeling "helpless in the situation, Christy said they felt conflicted because they loved providing the community with affordable organics but they were also letting so many customers down shutting the stall but

"But at the same time you cant be feeding the people who are just taking advantage, so we feel really conflicted about it, she said.

"I'm surprised we didn't received more IOU notes in our box, but I've spoken with other stall holders in this area and they point out how you know if it's tourists or locals.

"You don't know.

The couple once had a camera on the stall, but it proved to be pointless when trying to monitor avo sales.

"But we caught a little old lady taking a $9 pumpkin without paying - so it's people from all walks of life doing it, there's no way to tell unless we are doing to sit there and spy all day long - obviously no one has the time to do that.

"Three weeks ago you could buy a really small overripe organic avo for $4 at Woolies and we were selling similar sized ones between 50c and $1 - and customers were getting awesome prices and quality straight from the farmer to you.

"We'll think about starting it up again next season.

"If anyone wants to keep eating our delicious avos, send us a message we'd be happy to sell you some of these certified organic beauties that have just been picked and polished for $9kg.

"Also, keep watching our Facebook page to see when and where we might do our next cheeky pop up stall.

Read more from the original source:

Avocado growers ripped off by dishonesty at roadside stall - Northern Star

The government hopes to get Parliament nod on two long-pending Bills on pesticide management and seeds in the next session, Minister of State for Agriculture Parshottam Rupala said on Thursday.

The Pesticide Management Bill that will replace the Insecticides Act, 1968 seeks to regulate the pesticide sector by fixing prices and setting up of a regulatory authority.

Whereas the Seeds Bill, which will replace the Seeds Act 1966, seeks to regulate the production, distribution and sale of seeds. The Bill was put on hold in 2015 after it drew flak on enabling provision for genetically modified crops.

"We are working on two important Bills -- the Pesticide Management Bill and the Seeds Bill. They are pending for long. We are pursuing them very seriously. I hope they will be passed in the next session of Parliament," Rupala said at an event organised by industry body Assocham.

The government is concerned about sale of spurious seeds and pesticides. These Bills aim to address this issue as well, he added. Rupala said the domestic seeds industry has a huge export potential. On organic produce, the minister said the demand for organic food is rising fast in the world and India is the only country that has the potential to meet that demand.

"I am sure India is the only country which has the ability to meet the growing world demand for organic produce. Other countries cannot because they do not have suitable agro-climatic conditions," he added.

He said there is a need to create awareness among farmers about the rising demand of organic produce so that they produce accordingly. Normally, winter session of Parliament is held during November-December.

See the original post here:

Parliament nod on pesticide and seed bills likely next session: MoS Agriculture - Economic Times

Demi Moore went to a meditation retreat with her 'Corporate Animals' co-stars to bond before filming.

The 56-year-old actress plays an arrogant CEO in the new movie and since Demi joined the project late after another actress dropped out, she did everything she could to bond with her new castmates.

Dan Bakkedahl told Variety: "She was incredible. Really. She couldn't have been more personable and friendly. "We all had lunch together and dinner together. We went to a meditation retreat, like all sorts of just crazy team building stuff. She's a real team player. So there was team-building out like in real life. She was like, 'Hey, we're all in here together. Let's get to know each other and appreciate one another.'

"When we got back...we all went to her house for lunch one day. There was no occasion. It was just 'Come to my house and let's have lunch.' It was great."

And Demi admitted she was surprised that her co-stars were so open to her team-building ideas, including meeting Hindu spiritual leader Amma.

She said: "I think that was the most surprising experience stepping in. I didn't know everybody. Another actress was originally going to do this and got ill and then I stepped in. So, I was really behind the curve. And the fact that everyone jumped in and was game with the first event, which was actually going in and meeting Amma, the hugging saint, was awesome.

"Everybody came. I thought for sure somebody would go, 'ah no', but everybody came. It was awesome, and we really chose to spend all of our time off together. We're still on a text thread that we all connect on."

Originally posted here:

Demi Moore's meditation retreat bond with co-stars - Rheaheraldnews

Summer is reaching its end, and youre probably catching your breath after weekends of dashing to the beach, concerts and festivals. This weekend, conclude the season by taking a trip inward.

Murray Hidary is ending a nationwide tour of SilentHikes with a free meditative experience at Los Liones Trail this Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m. Hidary will guide hikers up the trail while they wear wireless headphones playing his MindTravel piano recordings. At the summit, Hidary will perform on a real piano as participants continue meditating silently.

SilentHikes provide an opportunity for people to work through their emotions and forge deep connections with others, Hidary said.

Something really wonderful happens when you look around and you see hundreds of people having this personal alone experience and sharing that together, he said. This beautiful balance of the individual and the collective comes into play.

Hidary, a former web developer who studied classical music composition at New York University, created MindTravel six years ago when he started playing improvisational compositions to groups of a few dozen people in his New York City apartment.

Since then, he has brought MindTravels meditative experiences to thousands of people in concert halls and parks, on hikes and beaches, and at landmarks and museums. One of his most regular venues is

Santa Monica State Beach, where he first brought MindTravel outdoors.Hidary, a Santa Monica resident, chose to conclude his yearlong, 21-city SilentHikes tour on his favorite hike in Los Angeles.

Los Liones has such dramatic views of the ocean and a beautifully diverse landscape, he said. It provides enough of a challenge for a physical and emotional and spiritual experience all combined.Hidary describes his contemporary classical music, which is inspired by minimalist composers like Philip Glass and Steve Reich, as the soundtrack to the human story and soul.

Its really about expressing through music the journey and the ups and downs of life, he said. I also look at the patterns in nature and reflect that in the music.

In addition to playing his music for participants, Hidary will also perform improvised spoken word and poetry inspired by the landscape through a microphone connected to their wireless headphones.After he finishes performing on the piano at the summit, he will bring the participants into a circle to share a word, phrase or sentence about what they are feeling and want to create in their lives.I do this at the end of each experience, and the usual sentiment people share is one of belonging and deep connection, he said.

Hidary said participants often share personal stories of how the experience helped them work through life transitions, such as divorce or loss of a loved one. He became a licensed grief counselor to better connect with those participants, he said.

They find some kind of solace and connection within the music, he said. Music is such a wonderful language for processing grief and pain its the language of feelings and emotions, especially profound feelings we dont have words for.

Hidary will also host a MindTravel experience at Santa Monica State Beach on Oct. 6 and perform with Santa Monica Colleges symphony orchestra at the El Rey Theatre on Nov. 2.

For more details, visit http://www.mindtravel.com/experiences.madeleine@smdp.com

View original post here:

Music for meditation - Santa Monica Daily Press