In the summer of 1990, I was running a pretty weird nightclub in the Roppongi neighborhood of Tokyo. I was deeply immersed in the global cyberpunk scene and working to bring the Tokyo node of this fast-expanding, posthuman, science-fiction-and-psychedelic-drug-fueled movement online. The Japanese scene was more centered around videogames and multimedia than around acid and other psychedelics, and Timothy Leary, a dean of 60s counterculture and proponent of psychedelia who was always fascinated with anything mind-expanding, was interested in learning more about it. Tim anointed the Japanese youth, including the 24-year-old me, The New Breed. He adopted me as a godson, and we started writing a book about The New Breed together, starting with tune in, turn on, take over, as a riff off Tims original and very famous turn on, tune in, drop out. We never finished the book, but we did end up spending a lot of time together. (I should dig out my old notes and finish the book.)

Tim introduced me to his friends in Los Angeles and San Francisco. They were a living menagerie of the counterculture in the United States since the 60s. There were the traditional New Age types: hippies, cyberpunks, and transhumanists, too. In my early twenties, I was an eager and budding techno-utopian, dreaming of the day when I would become immortal and ascend to the stars into cryogenic slumber to awake on a distant planet. Or perhaps I would have my brain uploaded into a computer network, to become part of some intergalactic superbrain.

Good times. Those were the days and, for some, still are.

Weve been yearning for immortality at least since the Epic of Gilgamesh. In Greek mythology, Zeus grants Eoss mortal lover Tithonus immortalitybut the goddess forgets to ask for eternal youth as well. Tithonus grows old and decrepit, begging for death. When I hear about life extension today, I am often perplexed, even frustrated. Are we are talking about eternal youth, eternal old age, or having our cryogenically frozen brains thawed out 2,000 years from now to perform tricks in a future alien zoo?

The latest enthusiasm for eternal life largely stems not from any acid-soaked, tie-dyed counterculture but from the belief that technology will enhance humans and make them immortal. Todays transhumanist movement, sometimes called H+, encompasses a broad range of issues and diversity of belief, but the notion of immortalityor, more correctly, amortalityis the central tenet. Transhumanists believe that technology will inevitably eliminate aging or disease as causes of death and instead turn death into the result of an accidental or voluntary physical intervention.

As science marches forward, and age reversal and the elimination of diseases becomes a real possibility, what once seemed like a science fiction dream is becoming more real, transforming the transhumanist movement and its role in society from a crazy subculture to a Silicon Valley money- and technology-fueled shot on goal and more of a practical hedge than the sci-fi dream of its progenitors.

Transhumanism can be traced back to futurists in the 60s, most notably FM-2030. As the development of new, computer-based technologies began to turn into a revolution to rival the Industrial Revolution, Max More defined transhumanism as the effort to become posthuman through scientific advances like mind uploading. He developed his own variant of Transhumanism and named it Extropy, and together with Tom Morrow, founded the Extropy Institute, whose email list created a community of Extopians in the internets cyberpunk era. Its members discussed AI, cryonics, nanotech and crypotoanarchy, among other things, and some reverted to transhumanism, creating an organization now known as Humanity+. As the Tech Revolution continued, Extropians and transhumanists began actively experimenting with technologys ability to deliver amortality.

In fact, Timothy Leary planned to have his head frozen by Alcor, preserving his brain and, presumably, his sense of humor and unique intelligence. But as he approached his deathI happened to visit him the night before he died in 1996the vibe of the Alcor team moving weird cryo-gear into his house creeped Tim out, and he ended up opting for the shoot my ashes into space path, which seemed more appropriate to me as well. All of his friends got a bit of his ashes, too, and having Timothy Leary ashes became a thing for a while. It left me wondering, every time I spoke to groups of transhumanists shaking their fists in the air and rattling their Alcor freeze me when I die bracelets: How many would actually go through with the freezing?

That was 20 years ago. The transhumanist and Extropian movements (and even the Media Lab) have gotten more sober since those techno-utopian days, when even I was giddy with optimism. Nonetheless, as science fiction gives way to real science, many of the ZOMG if only conversations are becoming arguments about when and how, and the shift from Haight-Ashbury to Silicon Valley has stripped the movement of its tie-dye and beads and replaced them with Pied Piper shirts. Just as the road to hell is paved with good intentions, the road that brought us Cambridge Analytica and the Pizzagate conspiracy was paved with optimism and oaths to not be evil.

Renowned Harvard geneticist George Church once told me that breakthroughs in biological engineering are coming so fast we cant predict how they will develop going forward. Crispr, a low-cost gene editing technology that is transforming our ability to design and edit the genome, was completely unanticipated; experts thought it was impossible ... until it wasnt. Next-generation gene sequencing is decreasing in price, far faster than Moores Law for processors. In many ways, bioengineering is moving faster than computing. Church believes that amortality and age reversal will seem difficult and fraught with issues ... until they arent. He is currently experimenting with age reversal in dogs using gene therapy that has been successful in mice, a technique he believes is the most promising of nine broad approaches to mortality and aginggenome stability, telomere extension, epigenetics, proteostasis, caloric restriction, mitochondrial research, cell senescence, stem cell exhaustion, and intercellular communication.

Churchs research is but one of the key discoveries giving us hope that we may someday understand aging and possibly reverse it. My bet is that we will significantly lengthen, if not eliminate, the notion of natural lifespan, although its impossible to predict exactly when.

But what does this mean? Making things technically possible doesnt always make them societally possible or even desirable, and just because we can do something doesnt mean we should (as were increasingly realizing, watching the technologies we have developed transform into dark zombies instead of the wonderful utopian tools their designers imagined).

Human beings are tremendously adaptable and resilient, and we seem to quickly adjust to almost any technological change. Unfortunately, not all of our problems are technical and we are really bad at fixing social problems. Even the ones that we like to think weve fixed, like racism, keep morphing and getting stronger, like drug-resistant pathogens.

Dont get me wrongI think its important to be optimistic and passionate and push the boundaries of understanding to improve the human condition. But there is a religious tone in some of the arguments, and even a Way of the Future Church, which believes that the creation of super intelligence is inevitable. As Yuval Harari writes in Homo Deus, new technologies kill old gods and give birth to new gods. When he was still just Sir Martin Rees, now Lord Martin Rees once told a group of us a story (which has been retold in various forms in various places) about how he was interviewed by what he called the society for the abolition of involuntary death in California. The members offered to put him in cryonic storage when he died, and when he politely told them hed rather be dead than in a deep freeze, they called him a deathist.

Transhumanists correctly argue that every time you take a baby aspirin (or have open heart surgery), youre intervening to make your life better and longer. They contend that there is no categorical difference between many modern medical procedures and the quest to beat death; its just a matter of degree. I tend to agree.

Yet we can clearly imagine the perils of amortality. Would dictators hold onto power endlessly? How would universities work if faculty never retired? Would the population explode? Would endless life be only for the wealthy, or would the poor be forced to toil forever? Clearly many of our social and philosophical systems would break. Back in 2003, Francis Fukuyama, in Our Posthuman Future: Consequences of the Biotechnology Revolution, warned us of the perils of life extension and explained how biotech was taking us into a posthuman future with catastrophic consequences to civilization even with the best intentions.

I think its unlikely that well be uploading our minds to computers any time soon, but I do believe changes that challenge what it means to be human" are coming. Philosopher Nikola Danaylov in his Transhumanist Manifesto says, We must all respect autonomy and individual rights of all sentience throughout the universe, including humans, non-human animals, and any future AI, modified life forms, or other intelligences. That sounds progressive and good.

Still, in his manifesto Nikola also writes, Transhumanists of the world unitewe have immortality to gain and only biology to lose. That sounds a little scary to me. I poked Nikola about this, and he pointed out that he wrote this manifesto a while ago and his position has become more subtle. But many of his peers are as radical as ever. I think transhumanism, especially its strong, passionate base in exuberant Silicon Valley, could use an overhaul that makes it more attentive to and integrated with our complex societal systems. At the same time, we need to help the left-behind parts of society catch up and participate in, rather than just become subjected to, the technological transformations that are looming. Now that the dog has caught the car, tranhumanism has to transform our fantasy into a responsible reality.

I, for one, still dream of flourishing in the future through advances in science and technology, but hopefully one that addresses societal inequities, retains the richness and diversity of our natural systems and indigenous cultures, rather than the somewhat simple and sterile futures depicted by many science fiction writers and futurists. Timothy Leary liked to remind us to remember our hippie roots, with their celebration of diversity and nature, and I hear him calling us again.

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The Responsibility of Immortality: Welcome to the New ...

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When the mind is somber, broad daylight gives birth to demons and evil spirits. When the mind is clear, a dark room has its blue sky. That which is self-concious and ulterior is far from the Truth. That which is Mindless, is near. Taoist poem.

Theres a common saying in Zen that says after Satori (Enlightenment, there sits the ordinary old man.

Something extraordinary happens through Enlightenment, but nothing at all. Vedanta the philosophy Buddhism originates from translates to the end of knowledge.

If Enlightenment is the end of knowledge, the end of struggles and the end of suffering, what is left in life? What is there left to do after the struggle is gone? After all, isnt part of the beauty of life the struggle, the tears, the heartache and finding healing and peace through it all?

If theres nothing left to do, if theres nothing left to strive for, whats the point of living? Whats the point of living when life itself has no point? Whats the point if the game of life isnt worth playing?

There is a point though; the creation of your story. The only difference is after Enlightenment and the realization of One Taste, we no longer identify with the drama.

But detachment does not mean not participating. Its not an escape from life; its simply creating your story with the awareness that you are not the story. It doesnt bother you when your life takes a wrong turn or when something goes awry. In the same way you can celebrate when something wonderful in your life happens, but you dont get attached because you realize that your story is not you.

Everything in life is a story. The evolution of the Universe, from unconscious matter to becoming conscious, is a story. The Eros of human consciousness, how we evolve from duality and separateness to Enlightenment and union, is a story.

The search for meaning and beauty outside ourselves, and realizing that happiness can only come from within, is yet another story. We turn even the most mundane things (like washing the dishes) into a story. We have all sorts of feelings about everything and we use those feelings and associations to mold our story. Life is a series of stories.

In The Voice of Knowledge, Don Miguel Ruiz makes the point that we are all artists. We are all constantly dreaming, constantly creating and molding our stories. Based on the investment of our beliefs, we shape our story. Since were always perceiving new things and events, we filter some out and accept other information and ideas based on how it aligns with the story we want to create.

Like Ruiz, I think its a much more powerful paradigm to see ourselves as artists and not just people. Even if you dont think youre the creative type, you are creating all the time. You cant not create. Every time you breathe, move, or open your mouth, you are creating.

Have you ever taken a step back and just observed life, while thinking How the hell am I here? Its in that stupefying moment you realize that youre the architect of life, but theres no blueprint. We have this mysterious internal compass, but beyond that were on our own. We have to fend for ourselves and make things up as we go along.

We have to take control and steer through life the best we can. Whats most is that we take the wheel and dont live on accident. What matters is that we dont give up our power and relinquish the ownership of our minds.

We have to realize the power of:

There is a lot of credit (and merit) given to creating a beautiful space. We spend inordinate amounts of time decorating our homes, buying new clothes and products in the effort to make our lives more desirable.

But not much credit is given to the beautification of our minds.

We adorn our homes and spaces with expensive things. We often associate the value of our lives with the value of our possessions. Once we buy or obtain the object of our desire, within a few days or hours were thinking about our next purchase. The illness of materialism has a stranglehold on us; we are always in need of our next fix.

The reality is that this search for the beautification of our bodies and our spaces will never satisfy us. We have more luxury and more convenience than a lot of Royalty had a few hundred years ago. In fact, royal servants now have more luxury than the same Kings they served a few hundred years ago. Obviously something is seriously wrong. Our value system is distorted. If internal wealth is the greatest asset you can have, why is it so overlooked? Because you cant see a luxurious mind. You cant brag to your friends about it. You cant say Hey Jim, look at the shiny mind Ive got. Your internal space looks like a pile of shit.

So if we can Feng Shui our external space, can we Feng Shui our minds?

I think so. Its something Ive been personally vying for.

As I said earlier, the problem with creating a luxurious inner space is that you cant exactly see a beautiful mind. You cant measure it, you cant compare it. Paradoxically, I think this misconceived flaw is its most attractive quality. Our obsession with measurement quantification seems unhealthy at best, anyway.

Creating a beautiful mind is about placing permanent fixtures of beautiful ideas in the corners of your mind. Its about cleaning the cobwebs of self-limiting beliefs. Its about creating the auto-response to be impeccable with your word, and to not ever use your mind against yourself. Its about coming to terms with your practical mind, and creating a relationship between your head and your heart. Its about taking ownership of your mind, and realizing that that is the most powerful and precious gift that you have.

If youre at all like me, its easy to see yourself as an artist for a little while. You might last a few hours or a few days. But then the routine and monotony of life sinks back in. Everything seems to be a repeat of the day before. Every day seems exactly the same.

Ive found that the best way to combat slipping into the black-hole of monotony is by realizing each moment is brand new. Past and present are illusions. Even if you feel like youve been doing the same thing, you really havent. This moment is all there is and each time you do something, its for the first time. Actually, it isnt even the first; that would imply that theres a second and a third. Rather this is the only time youve done whatever youre doing now, and it always will be.

Each moment, each day, we write another page in our story. Its hard not to get caught up in the routine of life. Each day seems the same and we take for granted our artistic power. We put off the beautification of our minds. Another day, we think. Maybe tomorrow. Tomorrow never comes.

The truth is, if we dont keep ourselves present and realize that with each day we are creating, we will never get to it. Well wake up 10 years later and wonder what the hell happened.

We can choose to make our stories a masterpiece, or mediocre. But the point is that we choose now. If we put off our choice, we give up our power. I dont know about you, but I cant afford to put it off anymore. I cant betray myself any longer.

I admit I dont have all the answers, and I havent quite figured out how to completely resist reverting into a routine. What can we do to make our lives more like a work of art, and less like a colorless repeat of yesterday? I would personally love to hear your thoughts on how you remember the artistry of your life and how you resist living uniformly.

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Whats the Point of Life After Total Enlightenment? - Paid ...

The pair sped through DeVoes consciousness to find his good side, only to find him dead in his classroom. Instead, the pair realized that if Ralph gained control of his body again, DeVoe would disappear. DeVoe sent multitudes of copies of himself after the two, but they both managed to come out on top and Ralph gained control of his body again just in time to save Cecile from being choked to death by the Clifford.

The pair sped through DeVoes consciousness to find his good side, only to find him dead in his classroom. Instead, the pair realized that if Ralph gained control of his body again, DeVoe would disappear. DeVoe sent multitudes of copies of himself after the two, but they both managed to come out on top and Ralph gained control of his body again just in time to save Cecile from being choked to death by the Clifford.

However, just before losing control of the body, DeVoe had put his consciousness into his hoverchair, which then activated a hologram of himself and caused the satellites to fall from the sky. However, Marlize deactivates the chair, while Barry, Cisco, Ralph, and [[Nora Allen II|Nora Allen]] managed to stop all of the satellites from killing any civilians, leaving the Enlightenment a complete failure.

However, just before losing control of the body, DeVoe had put his consciousness into his hoverchair, which then activated a hologram of himself and caused the satellites to fall from the sky. However, Marlize deactivates the chair, while Barry, Cisco, Ralph, and [[Nora|a mysterious speedster]] managed to stop all of the satellites from killing any civilians, leaving the Enlightenment a complete failure.{{Ep|We Are The Flash}}

*The Enlightenment is very similar to [[Genesis (event)|Genesis]] which was created by [[Damien Darhk]]. Both were the end game of the Big Bad of Season Four of a show, both events intended to reshape the world on a global scale, and both events are biblical references. Also, when both plans are foiled, both villains decide to submit destroy the world instead.

*The Enlightenment is very similar to [[Genesis (event)|Genesis]] which was created by [[Damien Darhk]]. Both were the end game of the Big Bad of Season Four of a show, both events intended to reshape the world on a global scale, and both events are biblical references. Also, when both plans are foiled, both villains decide to submit destroy the world instead.

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Enlightenment - tvsignals.com

Apple of Enlightenment (, Apple of Wisdom) is a machine[1] that makes prophecies that is mentioned in EarthBound.

Giygas was in possession of the Apple of Enlightenment before the events of Earthbound, where it foretold Giygas's defeat at the hands of a child named Ness. To disprove this prophecy, he initiates his invasion of Earth 20 years before it was prophesied, only to be defeated by Ninten the first time.

The prophecy was still being told at least 10 years into Ness's future where he succeeded in plunging all into darkness, which prompts Buzz Buzz to travel back to Ness's time to warn him. Although it predicted that Ness and his friends would defeat Giygas, Pokey claimed that it never predicted his own involvement with Giygas' plans.

In Earthbound, it's never clearly stated what or who the Apple really is, so there is a theory that it's a manuscript that Apple Kid wrote. This explains why Pokeywas never mentioned in the prophecy, since the two never heard of each other.The Japanese original that is clear that the Apple is a "prophecy-telling machine in Gyiygs possession [that] has foretold that Gyiygs machinations will end in failure" disproves this theory.[1]

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Apple of Enlightenment - EarthBound Wiki

FITZ SPORTS PERFORMANCE TRAINING

*FOR SUMMER SPORTS PERFORMANCE TRAINING SESSION OPTIONS SEE BELOW. STARTS MAY 28th. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE*

Our sports performance training program is a comprehensive athlete development training system created by 20-year strength and conditioning veteran, Brian Fitzmaurice, CSCS. With a proven track record of success since our inception in 2000, we have established a reputation for developing some of St. Louis and the nations top athletes. We have extensive experience developing athletes that have excelled at the high school, college and professional ranks that started training with us at the youth level. Our sports performance training program is geared towards serious athletes that are committed to year-round training for long-term athlete development.

The 3 primary goals of our program are:

1. Injury Prevention

2. Athlete Performance

3. Athlete Development

What is Athlete Development?

Athlete development is the process by which an athlete progressively improves their skill and overall athletic abilities (physical and mental) to prepare for the increasing demands of sports competition. The process of athlete development is a year-round approach that requires serious athletes to commit to skill training, sports performance training (strength and conditioning), healthy nutrition habits, and mindset development. An athletes level of commitment will determine both the rate of their progress and long-term achievement on the field and court. We believe success leaves tracks. The athletes that we have trained over the years that emerged as leaders in their sport were committed to year-round skill practice and our strength and conditioning program.

The Sport Season determines the Strength and Conditioning Phase

With year-round strength and conditioning, the season that an athlete is in will determine the type, frequency, volume, intensity and duration of training. For the multi sport athlete there are several other considerations. The primary seasons/phases of training for athletes are: off-season, pre-season, and in-season.

Off-Season Strength and Conditioning

During the off-season phase an athlete should focus on achieving the greatest progress in a strength and conditioning program and prepare to make an impact during the season. During this phase we focus on all aspects of athlete development and sports performance such as muscle hypertrophy, fat metabolism, pre-hab (injury prevention), strength and stability, conditioning, mobility and flexibility, balance and coordination, speed/agility/quickness, power, core stability and power, mindset, attitude, belief, goals, commitment, discipline, toughness, effort and grit. During the off-season the training frequency, intensity and duration should be at the highest of the year since the demands of sports practice and competition are reduced. Training Session Length: 1.5-2 hours each Recommended Training Frequency: 2-4 sessions per week

Pre-Season Strength and Conditioning

During the pre-season phase an athlete should focus on progressing towards peak mental and physical condition ready for the increased demands of practice, scrimmages and the season ahead. During this phase, like the off-season phase, we continue to work on all aspects of athlete development and sports performance. The main difference is we will modify the training type, volume and intensity according to the athletes increased volume of practice and play. Training Session Length: 1.5 hours each Recommended Training Frequency: 2-3 sessions per week

In-Season Strength and Conditioning

During the in-season phase an athlete should focus on maintaining the progress built in the off-season, and using pro-active methods to promote faster recovery and prevent injury during competition. Research has shown that the progress an athlete achieves during the off-season will begin to decline as soon as 2-4 weeks without a pro-active in-season program. For this reason, athletes that commit to an in-season program perform at higher levels with less injury during the season. Also, adherence to an in-season program is imperative for long-term athlete development. During this phase we focus on recovery stretching, corrective exercise, self-myofascial release: rolling (foam rolls, Muscletrac, balls), and maintenance strength training. Training Session Length: 1 hour Recommended Training Frequency: 1-2 sessions per week

PROGRAM OPTIONS:

OPTION 1: PRIVATE 1-ON-1 TRAINING-60 MIN.For athletes that prefer private instruction and coaching or have specialized requirements such as post-rehab training, specific injury limitations or etc. (scheduled by appointment)

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OPTION 3: INDIVIDUALIZED GROUP TRAINING -60 or 90 MIN. (8-12 athletes per coach) Each 60 or 90 minutegroup training session is individualized according to an athlete's age, level, sport and goals. See program description and schedule below. *3 Month Minimal Commitment

YOUTH & MIDDLE SCHOOL FOUNDATION PERFORMANCE

NEW! (FOR AGES 8-12) Foundation performance is our new introductory program that teaches and trains young athletes on the fundamental aspects of sports performance training. During each fun and challenging 60-minute training session athletes will learn how to run faster, jump higher, move quicker and get stronger using our performance training methods.

Summer Available Training Times: 8-9am Mon-Fri

MIDDLE SCHOOL & HIGH SCHOOL COMPLETE PERFORMANCE

(FOR AGES 12+) Complete performance is our signature 90-minute performance training session, which has been used to develop many of St. Louis top athletes since 2000. Each comprehensive training session includes components to improve speed, agility, quickness, functional strength, power and mobility while decreasing the risk of injury from sports competition.

Summer Available Training Times: 9-10:30 am & 3-4:30 pm Mon-Fri, Sat 9-10:30 am

HIGH SCHOOL & COLLEGEADVANCED PERFORMANCE

(FOR AGES 17+) Advanced performance is our most intensive program geared for high school athletes preparing for college sports and current college athletes. Each advanced training session is customized to each athletes sport, goals and fitness levels. Advanced performance integrates training methods that have proven to prepare athletes for the highest level of sports competition at the college and pro level.

Summer Available Training Times: 10-12 pm Mon-Sat

READY TO JOIN TEAM FITZ?Call or text us at 636.391.6565 or e-mail info@fitzmauriceperformance.com to get your son or daughter registered.

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Sports Performance Training for High-Performance Athletes

Veganism is a type of vegetarian diet that excludes meat, eggs, dairy products and all other animal-derived ingredients. Many vegans also do not eat foods that are processed using animal products, such as refined white sugar and some wines.

Vegan refers to either a person who follows this way of eatingor to the diet itself. That is, the word vegan can be an adjective used to describe a food item, as in, "This curry is vegan", or, it can be used as a noun, as in, "Vegans like cookies, too."

Although there is some debate as to whether certain foods, such as honey, fit into a vegan diet, if you are cooking for other vegans, it is best to err on the side of caution and avoid these foods.Most vegans extend the definition of veganism to go beyond just food and will also avoid the use of all personal and household products tested on animals, and avoid purchasing and using all animal-derived, non-food products, such as leather,fur, and wool. There is some debate as to whether second-hand animal products, such as a leather jacket from a thrift store, can be included in a cruelty-free vegan lifestyle or not.

This is perhaps the most common question about veganism. A vegan diet includes all grains, beans, legumes, vegetables and fruits, and the nearly infinite number of foods made by combining them.

In addition, many vegan versions of familiar foods are available, so you can eat vegan hot dogs,ice cream,cheese,non-dairy yogurt andvegan mayonnaisealong with the more familiar veggie burgersand other meat substitute products.

Many foods are associated with veganism, such as soy milk, non-dairy milk substitutes, and tofu, but many non-vegans also enjoy tofu.You certainly don't have to like tofu in order to eat vegan.

Vegans also eat many of the same common and familiar everyday foods that everyone else does, such as a green salad, spaghetti, peanut butter sandwiches, and chips and salsa.

For example, foods such as a vegetarian burrito without cheese or sour cream would be vegan. A vegetarian Thai curry made from coconut milk is vegan. Pasta with tomato sauce or another non-meat and non-dairy sauce is vegan. Most bread is vegan as well.

Some people easily go from eating meat to vegan right away, while others struggle with their new commitment, or choose to go vegetarian first and then slowly omit eggs and dairy. There's no right or wrong way to do it, but you may want to learn about what's worked for other people. However you do it, keep your goals in mind and remember why you are choosing to adopt a vegan diet.

Originally posted here:

What Is a Vegan? What Do Vegans Eat?

Alan Wilson Watts, n le 6 janvier 1915 Chislehurst dans le Kent (Grande-Bretagne) et mort le 16 novembre 1973 Mont Tamalpais en Californie (tats-Unis), est un crivain et confrencier anglo-amricain autodidacte, auteur de vingt-cinq livres et de nombreux articles sur la spiritualit, les religions et philosophies d'Orient et d'Occident (bouddhisme Zen, taosme, christianisme, hindouisme).

Chroniqueur de radio et de tlvision rput en Californie, intress par les nouvelles tendances apparaissant en Occident son poque, il se fit l'aptre d'un certain changement des mentalits quant la socit, la nature, les styles de vie et l'esthtique, et est considr comme l'un des pres de la contre-culture aux tats-Unis. Il est un des personnages des Clochards clestes de Jack Kerouac.

La suppression de la collection Denol/Gonthier avait interrompu la traduction de son uvre en franais, qui reprend chez divers autres diteurs.

Alan Watts, prtre piscopalien, philosophe, crivain et confrencier, migre aux tats-Unis en 1938. Il est initi au bouddhisme zen rinzai en ctoyant Roshi Sokei-an Sasaki pendant trois ans, tudie la thologie et est ordonn prtre en 1945, mais quitte la prtrise en 1950 et rejoint la Californie, o il entre l'Acadmie Amricaine des tudes Asiatiques dont il sera brivement le plus jeune doyen.

Il acquiert d'abord une trs importante notorit et fidlit dans la rgion de San Francisco, grce ses prestations gracieuses la Radio de Berkeley, ses missions de tlvision et ses sminaires en comparatisme religieux. Par ses livres, il acquiert ensuite une renomme internationale dans les milieux philosophiques et du chan/zen comme de la psychologie et de la critique sociale[1]. Il partagera ensuite son temps entre une vieille pniche roue, ancre Sausalito et une grande cabane dans les Monts Tamalpais.

sa naissance et durant sa prime enfance, Chislehurst tait encore une petite communaut essentiellement rurale. Le train tait arriv en 1865, mais le village ne devint une banlieue de Londres qu'aprs la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Le sjour de Napolon III en exil, en assura la notorit mondaine. Bombard en 1915, par erreur de reprage d'un zeppelin en route vers la capitale, le village est surtout connu pour les londoniens qui s'y rfugirent pendant les bombardements, dans les carrires de craies elles servirent aussi de dpts divers d'armes et de munitions.

considrer que les Monts Tamalpais, prs de San Francisco, o meurt Alan Watts, fut galement regard par les Amrindiens comme un lieu mystique, on pourrait dire qu'il est n et mort dans le sacr, ce sens du sacr, dont Mircea Eliade lui reconnaissait comme un pouvoir de divination[2]. Un sens du sacr que les religions cachent plus qu'elles ne rvlent. Sur cette base, le jeune Alan reut ensuite une robuste ducation chrtienne teinte contradictoirement de puritanisme et d'un "savoir" de la Vie Bonne trs picurien. Il put se soustraire rapidement la premire influence pour dvelopper une vision trs dionysiaque de la religion. Trs tt, cette vision joyeuse de la religion fut indissociable chez lui d'un besoin d'imaginaire et de merveilleux directement li une sensibilit cologique directe transmise, par son pre qui lui apprenait le nom des fleurs sauvages comme des papillons, et une esthtique picturale transmise par sa mre. Celle-ci, issue d'une famille missionnaire en Chine, avait hrit d'une petite collection de broderies, lithographies et peintures sur papiers orientales.

Diverses confrences et relations humaines directes le convainquirent de la valeur du bouddhisme, principalement zen; il y fut comme jet lorsqu'il dcouvrit les insuffisances de la vision aristocratique d'un Spengler comme l'chec total des actions pacifistes pourtant clairvoyantes de Dimitri Mitrienovic. Ce dernier fut le seul matre qu'il eut vraiment, auquel il voua un vritable esprit d'enthousiasme et d'obissance. Mais l'chec de celui-ci le fit sortir de tout sens de l'histoire et de tout intrt pour la sphre politique, ses dvoiements, compromissions et lchets.

Ces deux ples de paix, celui de la paix intrieure individuelle, qu'il dcouvrit par ses premires expriences du bouddhisme et taosme de la contemplation Chan/Zen (pour laquelle mditation et compassion sont dj par nature insparables); et celui de la paix entre les peuples, les cultures et les nations ne trouveront leur synthse qu' la lecture de Ren Gunon (1949).

On redcouvre aujourd'hui peu peu son message de philosophe spirituel et libertaire, jeteur de ponts entre Orient et Occident comme de reprsentant minent de la Philosophie prenne, appel aussi cole traditionnelle (trop souvent confondue en Europe avec les intgristes, fondamentalistes et prtendus Chrtiens traditionalistes). La particularit du message est de rendre explicite ce qui est trop souvent en Europe une prtention litisteet occulte. La tradition authentique est simplement un refus de soumission aux standards, normalits et adaptabilits d'intgration du modernisme et d'une mentalit faonne par la raison conomique et l'idologie boursire. La tradition est refus de toute primaut de progrs, par l de toute ide de sens de l'Histoire. Elle s'est illustre dans la jeunesse amricaine de la seconde moiti du XXesicle par divers mots d'ordre parfois provocateurs. Mais, Ren Gunon en tte, des personnalits europennes tels Alain Danielou, Ivan Illich et Jacques Ellul peuvent tre considrs comme des traditionnels et par dfinition un traditionnel est un novateur et un crateur aussi bien qu'un Aldous Huxley, Korzybski, Krishnamurti et Abraham Maslow d'ailleurs amricains de premire gnration pour la plupart, au mme titre qu'Alan Watts lui-mme ou des auteurs d'origine asiatique tels que les japonais Shunryu Suzuki et Nanao, ou les chinois Al Chung-liang Huang et Gia-Fu Feng.

Alan Watts n'apporte strictement aucune ide nouvelle, mais des clefs d'interprtation de textes sacrs comme d'ouvrages anciens ou modernes concernant la philosophie et la religion compare. S'y ajoute un moment une comparaison avec les sciences humaines rcentes.

Entr en 1928 la King's School de Canterbury, il y reoit une ducation cense faire de lui un parfait gentleman britannique. Aux sermons, il prfre les leons pratiques en art du bien vivre du pre d'un de ses camarades de classe, lors d'un voyage sur le continent. Voyage initiatique. Watts gardera jusqu' sa mort un got prononc pour la bonne chre, les vins et alcools fins, les cigares, plaisirs sensuels qui, pour lui, n'entrent pas en conflit avec la qute mystique.

son retour en Angleterre, le jeune Alan lit Lafcadio Hearn qui lui permet de relier la sensibilit de la nature, que son pre avait aid dvelopper en lui, l'esthtique des jardins chinois et japonais, lesquels par la distribution spatiale des pleins et des vides, l'agencement symbolique des Cinq lments (wu xing) sont des leons de mtaphysique (tout comme les glises et cathdrales mdivales sont des leons de thologie). En ce dbut des annes 1930, s'intresser au bouddhisme est inhabituel et incongru. Peu d'ouvrages sont accessibles. Il existe nanmoins Londres une Socit bouddhiste, laquelle l'adolescent s'empresse d'adhrer et qui lui permettra de dcouvrir les textes fondateurs du Chan/Zen fusionnant le taosme et le bouddhisme mahayana, aucune des deux doctrines ne l'emportant sur l'autre[3].

En 1936, il fait la dcouverte capitale des livres de D.T. Suzuki, qu'il rencontre mme lors du Congrs mondial des religions. Il rencontre diverses personnalits telle que Krishnamurti ou la future Ruth Fuller Sasaki[4], de retour du Japon, o elle a visit plusieurs monastres zen en compagnie de sa fille Eleonore Everett. En admiration devant la mre, le jeune Alan (engonc dans son ducation anti-sexuelle[5]) pouse la fille. Ils se marient (chrtiennement) en 1938. Ils s'tablissent New York avec le soutien financier de la belle-mre, alors pouse d'un riche avocat. Ils se rangent sous la houlette de Sokei-an Sasaki, premier matre du Zen Rinzai s'tre install aux tats-Unis de faon permanente et dfinitive.

En 1940, Watts entre dans lglise piscopale, qui admet au sacerdoce des personnes dj maries. Il sera ordonn en 1945. Lglise piscopale est la seule organisation amricaine d'importance avoir conserv une dimension sotrique. Il lui reproche d'ailleurs son manque de mysticisme. Mais ses yeux, les organisations religieuses rivales non seulement ne donnent pas accs l'exprience de Dieu; mais elles l'ignorent, lui prfrant le copain christique (pour reprendre l'expression que les thologiens de l'Institut Catholique de Paris utilisaient dans les annes 1960 et 1970 pour fustiger la censure de toute divine transcendante).

Aumnier de l'Universit Northwestern prs de Chicago, il fascine nombre d'tudiants par son ministre peu conventionnel, mais s'attire la suspicion de panthisme par son insistance sur la naturalit joyeuse de la liturgie comme des bonnes relations humaines, y compris sexuelles. Ses encouragements apports certains de ses tudiants de consommer le mariage avant d'en demander le sacrement officiel scandalise. Beaucoup plus libre que sa consur anglicane (et bien sr romaine) sur divers plan, lglise piscopale demeure fortement imprgne du puritanisme ambiant (ce qui fera dire Watts, que dans ce contexte amricain gnral des annes 1960, une revue comme Playboy fait uvre de salubrit publique).

En 1949, il reconnat sa dette envers la tradition et l'sotrisme en crivant L'Identit Suprme, dont la bibliographie comporte six ouvrages d'Ananda Coomaraswamy et huit de Ren Gunon. Ensuite, son orientation s'unifie et s'affine au contact approfondi de la pense chinoise comme des recherches contemporaines en Sciences Humaines. Alan Watts lui-mme le soulignera dans presque toutes ses prfaces d'ouvrage postrieures 1950, la diffrence Orient-Occident n'est plus gographique mais de culture et civilisation.

En 1950, il quitte lglise, devient un philosophe en libert (free-lance). Il crit La Sagesse de l'Inscurit, en compagnie d'Antonietta, qui deviendra sa seconde femme. Le message essentiel est la rcusation de toute prtention capter et figer Dieu en un concept. L'ensemble de ses exposs dans cet ouvrage est, de l'avis gnral, fortement empreint de l'influence de Krishnamurti. Il est la thologie classique ce que sont les premires confrences de Krishnamurti furent la thosophie. Dieu n'a nulle besoin de soldats pour la dfendre ou en faire la propagande: la foi mme ne requiert aucun objet sinon la confiance de se laisser couler et immerger en Elle. Alors, Elle vous porte!

En 1957, alors g de 42 ans, il publie son livre le plus connu et le plus cit Le Bouddhisme Zen (The Way of Zen), n'hsitant pas introduire des ides provenant de la Smantique Gnrale d'Alfred Korzybski.

En 1958, il publie Amour et Connaissance (Nature, Man and Woman), qui divers gards reprend l'esprit gnral de Bouddhisme Zen l'intention d'un grand public qui ne possderait aucun lment de culture chinoise. En 1958 galement, fait un voyage en Europe accompagn de son pre, rencontre C.J Jung et Karlfried Graf Drckheim psychothrapeute et zniste accompli.

De retour aux tats-Unis, il enregistre deux saisons (1959-1960) pour la tlvision sur la Sagesse Orientale et la Vie Moderne (Eastern Wisdom and Modern Life).

l'invitation de plusieurs psychologues et psychiatres, il exprimente diverses drogues dont il rendra compte dans Joyeuse Cosmologie (1962). Il ne dsavouera jamais cette exprimentation, en tant qu'exprimentation. Les opposants l'usage de drogues psychdliques citent volontiers son tardif Si vous avez reu le message, raccrochez le tlphone, mais d'un autre ct oublient d'ajouter qu'il dit quasiment la mme chose de toute institution religieuse ou philosophique plus accro la lettre qu' l'esprit qu'elle est suppose dlivrer. Le point de vue auquel il s'arrtera est identique celui qu'il adopta pour l'alcool: le problme est avant tout social, toute question de mfaits ou bienfaits individuels mis part. Il cessera de traiter le sujet, sintressant davantage aux nouvelles thories sur la matire dveloppes par les physiciens du XXesicle. En diverses occasions, il met en garde contre un sotrisme qui serait une nouvelle croyance, un espoir de progrs rebours; il indique qu'il est prudent (nous invoquerions aujourd'hui le principe de prcaution) de l'aborder au travers de notre rationalisme occidental.

Son dernier livre, inachev, porte sur le taosme comme introduction la pense chinoise tout entire, avec une post-face de Al Chung-liang Huang (dont il venait de prfacer l'ouvrage sur la danse du tai-chi-chuan).

En 1968, Jacques Mousseau rapporte que les proccupations socio-spirituelles 40 ans auparavant n'ont pas tellement chang: jeter un pont entre pense occidentale et pense orientale, une philosophie occidentale spculative, un chafaudage de thories concernant la nature de l'tre et la nature de la connaissance, uniquement bases sur des mots et une philosophie orientale plus empirique, qui est avant tout une exprience. Son but fondamental est de modifier la conscience de telle sorte que l'individu puisse connatre une exprience de lui-mme diffrente de celle qu'on appelle normale. Une exprience de nous-mme qui ne soit plus dtermine par la culture dans laquelle nous vivons, mais directement par l'exprience vcue de l'existence de nous-mme. Une philosophie nouvelle partir de sentiments nouveaux, de rgles nouvelles, de concepts nouveaux pour dfinir ce que signifie tre en vie, ce que signifie tre un homme. En d'autres termes, nous avons besoin de cesser de nous considrer, ici, comme des trangers dans un monde tranger. Techniquement, on peut dire que lcole Traditionnelle n'est pas un humanisme, particulirement un humanisme la franaise qui rejette d'gale mesure l'animalit (thologie) de l'tre humain et son potentiel de dification (qui s'obtient par grce, selon lglise catholique; par nature, selon les penses orientales). Il existe cinq faons de communiquer avec le monde: cultiver la terre, cuisiner, travailler pour se vtir, avoir un toit o s'abriter et faire l'amour. Autant dire que dans notre univers technologique, nous sommes loin de ces moyens de communication avec le monde matriel[6]

un moment, Alan Watts rsuma sa conception de l'homme d'une manire lapidaire mais trompeuse: organisme-environnement; elle peut s'entendre au sens du tout premier Ministre franais de l'environnement. Les Sciences Humaines dualistes ont en effet la fois fait l'impasse sur la question de l'Inn et de l'Acquis, la similitude de la majorit des comportements animaliers et humains comme de l'existence de Dieu[7] (auquel nous serions organiquement li et qui nous environne de son omniprsence). D'un malade mental, on dit qu'il perd la raison, mais jamais qu'il hallucine en confondant gains en vitesse et gains de temps, qu'il a perdu le sens du Temps, tout comme il a perdu l'usage de ses instincts, de ses cinq sens, de sa capacit de survie, tout aussi bien qu'il a perdu le sens du Bien, du Beau, de l'Empathie, la capacit d'aimer et de servir son prochain.

la mort d'Alan Watts, Pierre Hadot publiait essentiellement ses travaux sur Plotin et n'avait pas encore dcid de rappeler fortement que toute la philosophie antique, avant toute formulation spculative et doctrinale, est un ncessaire changement volontaire de style de vie. Roger-Pol Droit[8] n'avait pas encore dclar que Philosophiquement la dmarche du bouddhisme consiste en une sorte de mouvement de d liaison, de dsobstruction, ce quune expression anglaise comme to clear the way rend assez bien. Il y a l lide de librer le passage, dter les obstacles, plutt que de construire des vrits. Jean-Franois Revel et Matthieu Ricard n'avaient pas fait dialoguer science moderne et religion, Jean Franois Billeter et Franois Jullien n'avaient pas encore eu leur Dispute, etc.

Bien d'autres vnements ouvrant le XXIesicle seraient mentionner, qui entrent en rsonance avec les cls simples, vulgaires, populaires qu'Alan Watts proposait pour que chacun trouve joie et paix, sa voie et sa place au monde sans que celles-ci ne lui soit imposes et formates par l'Organisation Mondiale du Commerce[1],[3].

See more here:
Alan Watts Wikipdia

Here at Vantage Point, we do what we can to focus on whats most important here: your treatment. But despite the hard work we put into teaching our patients how to thrive in their circumstances and make the best of their diagnosis, the big lesson we repeat over again is that, ultimately, its on you to improve its on you to get better.

Thats why personal empowerment is a significant part of our treatment philosophy here at Vantage Point. Were big proponents of utilizing empowerment to fight back against the symptoms of mental disease.

Studies on empowerment as a treatment option for mental health cases call it an emerging technology in the late 80s, and since then its become well-understood that the relationship between self-esteem and issues like anxiety and depression some of the most common mental health diagnoses here in the United States is a very powerful and closely-knit relationship.

As we stated earlier, the erosion of self and the erosion of a mental health condition are related and empowerment can be the tool necessary to stave off the negativity that can, in certain cases, turn a case of bad mood into an actual clinical depression.

Not everyone needs empowerment to prevent a mental illness, but in cases where individuals are more susceptible to symptoms and diagnoses, like acute clinical depression or panic attacks, seeking out methods of empowerment to reduce the impact of negative events on your psyche is a valid option.

Empowerment isnt just about making you feel more comfortable and secure in who you are. Its about opening your eyes to the breadth of choice you have in life and the fact that you have the power, the capacity and the means to choose and act how you please to choose and act in your own best self-interest, despite the consequences of your mental illness. Empowerment is getting to that point where you can actively say no to the debilitation that a condition like schizophrenia or depression or trauma places on you, and continue to say no. Its not just a moment in time or a goal, but rather, an important step in a continuous journey towards living with, and overcoming the effects of your own diagnosis.

Personal empowerment can come from many places, and we dont put too much of an effort on trying to define those places. Thats not on us. We arent here to come into your life and tell you what will make you feel better. You must find that out on your own: you must extend yourself, stretch outwards and discover both in the realms of what youre comfortable with and outside your comfort zone what makes you feel happy and empowered.Thats not an easy place to get to in the first place, and we understand that. That is why we at Vantage Point start things off slow, giving you the tools and support you need to begin that exploration into how to get better and empower yourself to eventually ignore your condition.

Here are a couple ways personal empowerment can be developed: through a hobby or activity, through social interaction, through physical exercise, through a rewarding job, through a place of importance and significance in a family, and through the love, commitment and support of those around you, affirming the fact that you are worth loving, and worth cherishing.

Through community, through support, through our therapy options, treatment plans, and aftercare resources, there is a myriad of ways we can help you individually get to that point where your condition and future lie in your very own hands in a way that doesnt make you feel scared or overwhelmed, but confident.

Mental illnesses are broad and cover a large variety of effects and symptoms. But by and large, being mentally ill is an erosion of who you identify as. Your personality is compromised, either by a behavioral disorder, or by a mood disorder, by depression or anxiety, or a life-controlling phobia.

Who you are becomes trapped, chained and held hostage by a mental condition that tries to redefine you with fear and uncertainty. At a certain point, you begin to doubt that youll ever get better. You doubt that theres a way out, that you can even find a way without the disease. You doubt that you deserve that way if there was one.There are many ways in which mental diseases are treated, not the least of which is through extensive therapy. But at the end of the day, that therapy is meant to help you realize in your own way, with your own words and logic that there is a way out, and you can take that way right then and there.

Through positive psychology, we at Vantage Point try to undo some of the uncertainty and damage that living with a serious mental condition can impose upon you. There are many sides to the pain of being mentally ill, not the least of which has to do with the stigma associated with most mental illnesses. But being empowered and secure in your ability to make your own choices, overpower the limitations of your disease, and ultimately live life in a way you want to live it, means being able to flat out oppose your disorder and weaken the very foundations on which it stands to affect your life.

Positive psychology is the study of enabling people to feel confident and secure in their role in life. That could mean giving people a sense of purpose, or self-fulfillment through their habits and behavior in a community. Mental illnesses are diseases of the mind, and just like how they erode your sense of self, you can erode the disease itself with time, commitment and help. Positivity is a huge part of that.

We should note that life doesnt automatically get better because you simply choose to be happy all the time. Being happy all the time isnt an ideal state or even a true state. Its a lie. And were not about lying or forced positivity. We here at Vantage Point want you to be honest with yourself but we also want to extend that honesty onto your perception of yourself and the world around you. In many cases, being mentally ill can automatically take us into negative places in our mind even in cases of mania. Negativity doesnt just become an aspect of life like it is for most it becomes life.

Through positive psychology, we try and help remind you that you have a place in life, and reason for living. Life has its ups and downs, but we ride the ups and weather the downs, and we do it all for ourselves and, more importantly, the people we love. By embracing all of life all of the ugly and the beautiful, and not just the darkness we can help you once again enjoy living, working, playing, and being who you are, whoever that might be.

Read more:
Personal Empowerment | Vantage Point Recovery

June Schedule

Monday

10-11 Flow&Yin-Tami

Tuesday

10-11 Gentle Yoga-Betsy

6-7 Yoga For Stress-Tami

Wednesday

10-11 Yoga For Stress-Tami

Thursday

10-11 Flow

6-7 Yoga For The Core-Tami

For more info on class series hitabove class worshop tab.

*Some yoga experience suggested.

Cancellation Policy-Sorry we have limited space so there is no refund or transfer for classes, passes or workshops once they have been paid. Unless specified otherwise.

A small fee is included in all on-line transactions.

See the article here:
The Yoga Space | Classes & Workshops | West Melbourne, FL