Step aerobics is the kind of aerobic exercise that is unique in comparison to other forms of aerobics. This uniqueness primarily comes from your usage of the elevated platform that accounts for the "step" in step aerobics. A good thing about this form of exercise is that it can be tailored to your own height, no matter if you're short or tall. All that is required is the use of risers strategically placed underneath the step. If there is one woman to thank for the current popularity as well as ubiquity of step aerobics, it is Gin Miller who innovated step aerobics in the late '80s, when she also struck a deal with the Reebok company to market her brand of step aerobics. The main purpose and benefit of step aerobics is its role in getting you to burn fat.

Step aerobics is an effective workout because it gets right down to the reason that people gain weight and become heavier than they want to: body fat accumulated from taking in too many calories. As you work out by way of step aerobics, you're actively increasing the amount of calories that your body burns; as you do so, you're making sure that your body begins to burn its stored fat. What's great about step aerobics is that the stored body fat it burns is also that pesky and annoying ring of fat around your stomach, long the subject of frustration in people of all ages. You also get a small bonus when you do step aerobics: parts of your body are also developed and shaped. The muscles in your upper as well as lower body get worked out.

Step aerobics are an effective way of burning your stored body fat and also, consequently, burning off calories that you take in. 450 calories are burned off in a 45-minute session of step aerobics. Imagine the implications that this holds. In just less than an hour, you're burning off almost half a thousand calories, allowing you to eat a corresponding amount of calories for that day without weight gain being a problem. Since step aerobics is also enjoyable due to the fact that it is often practiced in a communal group setting, the time you spend doing it will seem more like recreation than actual exercise.

Step aerobics is so great because it leads to the improvement of health in other ways besides weight control through calorie-burning. When you lose fat through this exercise, you are less likely to succumb to illnesses that being overweight carries with it, such as heart disease and other effects from obesity. Because vigorous exercising leads to the release of endorphins in your brain, step aerobics also has mental health benefits in that it betters your mood.

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Burning Fat with Step Aerobics / Fitness / Exercises

Read these 21 Aerobic exercise Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Exercise tips and hundreds of other topics.

Lots of people ride bicycles either in the gym, outside, or even in a spin/cycle class. Interestingly enough a good amount of people that utilize these bikes have knee pain during/after their exercise session...why is that? Let's see.

Anatomically, based upon the muscular and skeletal anatomy of your lower limbs, your knees should be directly below your hips, while your feet are also directly below your knees (and hips) with feet facing straight forward. Also, when walking, we should put the weight slightly on the oustides of our feet, walking onto our heels and using the sides of our feet and toes for balance.

On a bike, watch yourself the next time you do it if you are a person who sometimes feels that pain in your knees. It is caused by the knee going in during the cycling motion (especially during the push). What I mean is the knee is no longer 'in line' with the hip and foot, but instead inside of it, closer to the opposite knee. This causes that pain in the knee joint because the leg is out of proper posture.

Next time you use the bike (whether inside or outside) put more of your weight on the outsides of the feet and consciously think to move your knees slightly out. This should reduce/remove the pain in the knee, making you happier after your exercise session.

There are many great benefits to jumping rope regarding your cardiorespiratory system. First off, it's hard! When you were a kid and could do that thing non-stop for hours, boy were you in god shape! It's a tough motion to get used to initially.

Jumping Rope in a forward motion is the most comfortable, and once you are able to do (let's say...) 40-50 in a row, change it up and do it on one foot at a time to make it more challenging on your leg muscles (especially calves). The only problem that I have with Jumping Rope is that of rounded shoulders, since most people only jump forward; this puts all the pushing motion on the anterior (front part of your) deltoid, resulting in somewhat more rounded shoulders. My suggestion? Backwards.

Not only is Jumping Rope backwards darn hard, but it puts more of the motion onto your posterior (back part of your) deltoid. When you get too good at backwards, perform it one foot at a time backwards. This is another challenging thing you can do for your cardio routine.

People all the time tell me that when you workout with weights you are not doing any Cardio. I call shenanigans ('deceit or trickery') because that is untrue! Next time you decide to workout, trust me when I say that you will get Cardio/Heart exercise while also tiring out your muscles because of your workout.

Pick 3 or 4 exercises and only do 1 set of each, giving yourself 25-30 seconds of rest between each different exercise set. After you have done all 3 or 4 exercises once, do 50 jumping jacks then rest for a minute or so. Do this routine 4 or 5 times for your workout (should take about 40-50 minutes) and you will be breathing very heavily. That will also mean that you are getting cardiorespiratory exercise and a stellar heart workout.

In general when you run, you do not always want to be pushing yourself to the absolute maximum of your fitness/cardiorespiratory ability. If you're trying to run to stay in good shape and have god heart health, a good test is called the 'Talk Test'. If while running you can still talk and carry on a conversation with little difficulty, you are running at a good pace. If you are running so hard that you have great difficulty speaking, maybe tone it down a little bit; and if carrying on a conversation is easy, push yourself a little bit more. Again, you should be exercising so that you are pushing yourself, and the Talk Test is a good way to check if you're giving yourself a good aerobic workout. Try it the next time you go on a run with a friend, or even during a workout.

Some people go to the gym and step on a treadmill, ending up burning 754 calories! While that is fantastic, it is based upon someone who doesn't ever exercise and this is their first time using the treadmill in a long time. Your body gets used to exercise just like your hands are used to picking up mugs or using a fork. Your body will not burn the same amount of calories if you do the same workout over and over again. For example...

Let's say you decide to run mile a day for 3 weeks (resting Sundays). In the beginning you will burn let's say 100 calories. By the end of the first week you will lose 10% of the calorie burn (burning only 90 calories). By the end of the 2nd week of running that mile you will lose 20% of the initial calorie burn (80 calories). Still good, but not great. By the end of the third week, you will have run many miles indeed but have lost over 50% of the initial calorie burn (meaning less than 50 calories/run)! The results will have dwindled.

Now that example is based off of someone who runs with no variables, like on a treadmill. My advice would be to run outside, which would be better since there are variables and you could take different routes, stretching your body and its ability to do work and hence burn more calories. All in all, switching up your cardio routine ('weekly' is a good plan) will help you maintain a high amount of calories burned each workout.

If you see that a given aerobic exercise burns a certain amount of calories, e.g., running a mile burns 100 calories, be aware that the number is usually based on a 70 kg (154 lb) man. If you weigh more than that you will burn more calories for the same aerobic activity, and if you are lighter you will burn fewer calories.

For a good aerobic workout, you can dance until you break a sweat to your favorite hip hop or pop music, anything that has a quick beat to it. Try to dance continuously for at least 15 minutes. This aerobic exercise can help you in two ways:

1. You can become a better dancer. 2. You can lose weight while having fun and getting fit.

Lots of people have been injured doing their favorite aerobic activity. Whether it's a sprained ankle, damage to the knee joint, broken toes, etc., it is important that you give your body proper time to heal. Always (obviously if it's serious) talk to your doctor and trust him/her about when to continue exercise. Be encouraged though, because generally when I take a break (1-3 weeks) from aerobic exercise or weight bearing exercise, I see more results after starting up again. Even if it is longer than that, think of it as a new challenge to dominate!

For lots of people aerobic exercise injuries are a result of bad posture, and for aerobic exercise it is generally in reference to our lower body. (Go check out my blog on 'The Squat' to learn more about proper lower body posture) Flattened feet, knees that come together and lower back rounding are all good causes of why we might hurt ourselves in an aerobic activity setting. So, here are some interesting ways that we can strengthen our lower bodies in a functional way.

Ever seen a treadmill? Hope so. Try walking backwards on it. This is going to give you a great workout for your glutes and hamstrings while also strengthening the muscles in your feet. Make sure that as you walk backwards you're extending back far, standing nice and tall, while making sure you are stepping equidistantly back with both legs. Also try walking sideways on the treadmill (switching directions halfway) to exercise your adductors (inner thighs) and abductors (outer thighs), while also strengthening the muscles in your feet. (seeing a trend?) If you stress your feet to function in awkward movements, you will be training them to be strong and firm, and in most cases help prevent more injury while still allowing for great recovery and long-term benefit.

Don't knock it until you try it. If you try it, then you can knock it. Another good idea is using the elliptical backwards (same principle) or just doing any of the treadmill exercises I just mentioned on the ground.

Although you burn a higher percentage of fat calories at slow and moderate aerobic intensities, you burn more total calories, and more total fat calories, when you exercise at higher intensities. You may choose to work out longer and/or slower for various reasons, but never slow down just because you think that's necessary to be in a "fat burning zone."

Cardiovascular (cardio) exercise refers to exercise that strengthens the cardiovascular system. Aerobic just means in the presence of oxygen, and aerobic exercise refers to exercise that lasts long enough to require oxygen. The same type of exercise satisfies both of these qualifications, and the terms cardio and aerobic exercise are used interchangeably. Aerobic/cardio exercise uses large muscles, usually the legs, in a rhythmic fashion. Examples are running, walking, bicycling, swimming, cross-country skiing, rowing, skating, and machines such as stair steppers and elliptical trainers.

To improve your aerobic conditioning, you should work hard enough that you just naturally start breathing through your mouth to get enough oxygen. It is sometimes recommended to breathe only through your nose to minimize effects of air pollution, but this limits the intensity of your workout. Avoid pollution by working out early or indoors, if necessary.

The best way to warm up for aerobic exercise is to start out doing the same exercise you are going to use for the workout at an easy pace for a few minutes. Then launch into a regular intensity workout. For example, if you're going out for a run, start with easy jogging, or even walking, depending on your fitness level. You may need a longer warmup in the morning or in cold weather.

People who have higher cardiorespiratory fitness have fewer cardiovascular risk factors than people who are less fit, even if the less fit are equally or more active. This means you should improve your cardio (aerobic) fitness by challenging yourself instead of always doing the same workout. Move up a level on your bike or stair stepper, or try interval training: work hard for 2 or 3 minutes, then recover slowly for the same time. On the track, run a lap briskly followed by a slow lap. Do 4-8 intervals after a warmup once or twice a week instead of your regular workout, as a change of pace.

Running up stairs is a time-honored way to improve aerobic conditioning. Take them 2 at a time if you're athletic and consider them to be part of your interval training. Even if you're new to exercise, you can benefit from walking up stairs whenever you get a chance. The calories burned will add up, and your conditioning will improve. If you have trouble finding time to exercise, take 10 minutes once or twice a day and walk up and down stairs at work (or before or after). Hold on to the rail if you need to.

The effectiveness of aerobic workouts depends on intensity and duration. As long as you get your heart rate into a training zone, any form of aerobic workout will have the same effectiveness if maintained for the same time. So you can use any type of exercise you enjoy, or go from one aerobic workout mode, or one machine, to another. No type of aerobic exercise is inherently better than the others. Your heart doesn't know the difference.

The old Lifecycle equipment offers three different profiles: hill, random, and manual. Level 1 in difficulty on manual corresponds to 2 on random, and 3 on hill, etc. Hill is the easiest for beginners.

The Lifecycle is calibrated to ride smoothest at 80 RPM, so you are not making it easy on yourself to go slower than the recommendation. This is also true of many other exercise bikes. The recommended rpm will give you the smoothest ride and the best workout.

Lactic acid is largely metabolized within 20 minutes of ceasing aerobic exercise and totally cleared within a few hours. Whatever is causing you pain the morning after aerobic workouts or making your shoulder crackle while weight lifting, it's not lactic acid.

Everything taught in the "aerobics" room is no longer aerobic. So many different kinds of classes are offered that the proper term is now "group exercise" rather than "aerobics." To qualify as aerobic exercise, a class must have continuous movement that raises your heart rate. You will find the old aerobic standbys like low impact, high-low, and step, and many dance-based classes that are aerobic. Some, but not all, martial arts-based classes qualify. Stretch and tone doesn't make it. Neither do pilates or yoga, though these are great exercise modes for other purposes. If you count on classes for your aerobic exercise, make sure you choose a class that includes at least 20 continuous minutes of movement you do on your feet.

Stair climbers are excellent machines for cardiovascular conditioning. They are not meant for strength training and will not give you big muscles.

The major muscle group used is the quadriceps. Stand upright on the machine and use the hand rails only for balance. If you support your weight on your arms and take tiny steps, you can light up the display but will not be getting the aerobic workout you need. Use a lower level if necessary and do the work with your legs, taking a 6-8 inch step, keeping your foot flat on the pedals. This will burn calories, improve cardiovascular function, and strengthen your bones.

The Step Mill is like real stairs, offset and requiring you to lift your foot as the stairs go by. In contrast, your foot stays on the pedal with stair climbers. The Step Mill adds a little impact to your workout, and is somewhat harder to use, so take it easy when you start out. You may want to hold the rails lightly for balance.

In-line skating can give you a great cardio workout. How long and how fast you skate affects the quality of the aerobic workout, but even moderate in-line workouts are good. Start out easy to warm up, and wear protective gear. There's a learning curve to skating, but if you practice and don't push yourself, you can master it. Consider a lesson if it doesn't come easy to you.

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Aerobics, Aerobic, Aerobic Exercise

Classes All aerobics classes listed below are included with your membership. Classes are held in the Aerobic Room or multipurpose rooms. Ask front desk staff if you have questions as to where a class is being held. Please be aware that classes with low attendance may be taken off the schedule at anytime! Not sure what class is best for you based on the descriptions. Check out this link to our YouTube for short videos of each of our class types. This is ongoing so check back if the last is not yet posted.

Body Attack-Hit the abs, hips, gluts and thighs, arms shoulders, back. No muscle will be neglected, always different and never boring,

Cardio Strength Yoga-A class based on the yoga asana practice that instills body and breath awareness while improving posture and flexibility, along with an emphasis on strength. Blocks, weights, and bands may be used.

KettleWorx-Kettle Bells works your core, shoulders, legs. Put the Kettlebell to Worx and Transform your body

MuscleWorx-Weights, bands, & bars are used to build muscle and strength to raise metabolism and give you that toned body you are looking for!

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Aerobics | Belton Parks, MO - Official Website

Alternative titles: aerobic exercise; group fitness

Aerobics,system of physical conditioning that increases the efficiency of the bodys intake of oxygen, thereby stimulating the cardiovascular system, developing endurance, and reducing body fat. Increased energy, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, greater suppleness, stronger bones, better posture, and decreased stress levels are other benefits that may accrue from aerobic activity. To be effective, aerobic training must include a minimum of three sessions per week. During each session, usually lasting an hour, the exercisers heart rate must be raised to a training level for at least 20 minutes. (See also exercise.)

The concept of aerobics was pioneered in the United States by physician Kenneth H. Cooper and popularized in his books Aerobics (1968) and The Aerobics Way (1977). Coopers system uses point charts to rate the aerobic value of various exercises for different age-groups. As individuals progressively upgrade the quantity and quality of their exercise, they can gauge the improvement in their physical condition through the point system. In the 1980s aerobics was popularized by Jane Fonda and Richard Simmons through workout videotapes and instructional programs. Sometimes called group fitness, aerobics is most often practiced in health and fitness clubs where groups of one to two dozen exercisers follow the lead of an instructor whose movements are synchronized to up-tempo popular music.

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aerobics | exercise | Britannica.com

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Three Methods:Preparing for an Aerobics WorkoutDoing Low-Impact AerobicsDoing High Impact Aerobics

Broadly speaking, aerobic exercise requires you to work out your large muscle groups like your arms and legs. By raising your breathing and heart rates, you increase oxygen flow to your muscles, while also allowing your blood flow to remove carbon dioxide and lactic acid buildup in your muscles.[1] The results of regular aerobic exercise are lower blood pressure and cholesterol, improved lung function, a lower resting heart rate and improved cardiovascular health, weight loss, and muscle definition. While this can be achieved through jogging or playing basketball, when we talk about aerobics, were talking about a specific type of exercise that often incorporates music and dance-like motions to make aerobic exercise fun, keeping you coming back for more.

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Wear clothes that let you move. Aerobics will lead you through a wide range of motions, so dont wear stiff clothes that will keep you from moving your arms and legs comfortably. Youll also sweat a lot, so wear clothes that wont make you overheat athletic shorts and a t-shirt will work just fine. Make sure youre wearing shoes designed for exercise, not flats or work shoes.

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Prepare a large, clear area. Youll be swinging your arms, kicking your legs, and moving around while doing your aerobics routine. You dont want to knock things over, so pull tables and chairs into a corner, clearing a large space where you can move freely without having to worry about breaking something or hurting yourself by running into a table.

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Warm up. Warm up just as you would for low-impact aerobics, by marching in place. This is just to get your body ready for physical exertion. Youve already stretched, but thats not necessarily enough to keep your muscles from cramping up from too much immediate effort. March in place for about two minutes before beginning your combinations.

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Jog in place. Let your arms swing naturally at your side as they would during a normal jogging motion. If you want to make this motion more difficult, bring your knees up higher. Alternate between normal jogging and high-knee jogging to keep your heart rate up without wearing yourself out completely.

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Do repeater movements of basic steps. Regardless of which step youre doing from hamstring curls to windmills repeat each motion three times before switching sides. This increases the level of difficulty and makes your muscles burn more quickly, since you dont get a chance to rest that side of your body immediately after performing a movement.

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Please be as detailed as possible in your explanation. We will take your detailed information, edit it for clarity and accuracy, and incorporate it into an article that will help thousands of people. Don't say: Eat more fats. Do say: Add fats with some nutritional value to the foods you already eat. Try olive oil, butter, avocado, and mayonnaise.

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3 Ways to Do Aerobics - wikiHow

When it comes to dietary fat, what matters most is the type of fat you eat. Contrary to past dietary advice promoting low-fat diets, newer research shows that healthy fats are necessary and beneficial for health.

Rather than adopting a low-fat diet, its more important to focus on eating beneficial good fats and avoiding harmful bad fats. Fat is an important part of a healthy diet. Choose foods with good unsaturated fats, limit foods high in saturated fat, and avoid bad trans fat.

Read more about healthy fats in this Ask the Expert with HSPHs Dr. Walter Willett and Amy Myrdal Miller, M.S., R.D., formerly of The Culinary Institute of America

Curious about coconut oil? Dr. Walter Willett sheds light on the subject.

1. Siri-Tarino, P.W., et al., Saturated fatty acids and risk of coronary heart disease: modulation by replacement nutrients. Curr Atheroscler Rep, 2010. 12(6): p. 384-90.

2. Hu, F.B., Are refined carbohydrates worse than saturated fat? Am J Clin Nutr, 2010. 91(6): p. 1541-2.

3. Jakobsen, M.U., et al., Intake of carbohydrates compared with intake of saturated fatty acids and risk of myocardial infarction: importance of the glycemic index. Am J Clin Nutr, 2010. 91(6): p. 1764-8.

4. Hu, F.B., et al., Dietary fat intake and the risk of coronary heart disease in women. N Engl J Med, 1997. 337(21): p. 1491-9.

5. Ascherio, A., et al., Dietary fat and risk of coronary heart disease in men: cohort follow up study in the United States. BMJ, 1996. 313(7049): p. 84-90.

6. Hu, F.B., J.E. Manson, and W.C. Willett, Types of dietary fat and risk of coronary heart disease: a critical review. J Am Coll Nutr, 2001. 20(1): p. 5-19.

The contents of this website are for educational purposes and are not intended to offer personal medical advice. You should seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The Nutrition Source does not recommend or endorse any products.

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Fats and Cholesterol - Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public ...

August 2015

Transhumanism

Lisa Renee

Dear Ascending Family,

We are standing at the precipice of a massive evolutionary transformation that impacts the future development of the human race on this planet. Will we evolve as organic living consciousness or potentially, be infected and hijacked by artificial dead intelligences? Many of us can sense the red carpets of AI, being rolled toward humanity from multiple angles now.

As you consider the challenging information contained in this newsletter, I want to remind you that nothing is more powerful than your eternal God spirit connection, and the strong committed relationship to develop and expand personal consciousness through the virtues of Loving Kindness, Compassion and Empathy. These are the higher heart based qualities that make a human a true human being. No person or thing can take your divinity or humanity away from you when you absolutely refuse to give it up.

This timeline is similar to the events that changed the course of history and radically digressed humanities consciousness evolution after World War II. Previous to and throughout World War II, advanced alien technologies were exchanged with high-ranking earth officials, which introduced these weapons to earth. Pacts were made for continued military exploitation and experimentation, aimed at controlling the public. This timeline trigger event marks when off planet aliens introduced advanced military-grade EMF weaponry to the main governmental powers on the earth, further manifesting into cooperative agreements with the military industrial complex, MILAB and Secret Space Programs.

Scientific research and development of nuclear weapons programs, such as the Manhattan Project, were the beginning stages of creating more black military operations, which became offshoots from the principle laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico. The war began the race for nuclear arms and the development of newly introduced alien advanced technologies. The competition for world domination and military supremacy eventually extended to off planet social experiments and expanded the diversity of exopolitic agendas. Additionally, the development of hidden militarized electromagnetic, radio waves (ELF), and microwave weaponry, commonly applied on the planet today in psychotronic warfare, began in earnest.

The first nuclear weapons were created by the United States during the time that technology trade agreements were being made with off planet civilizations. These trade agreements were hidden behind multinational corporations and government agencies that would be gradually assimilated into one global conglomerate of control, that extended to off planet activities, to enforce the veil of secrecy. Seventy years ago this month, the U.S. dropped the first atomic bombs on the two Japanese cities during the final stage of the Second World War. The planet has never been the same since, as these destructive events created grave consequences for the future timeline of the human race, as a result of these anti-human and barbaric actions. The planets protective magnetic force field and atmospheric functions for radiation balancing and its energy transfer processes were damaged. This further resulted in the creation of inorganic black holes and artificial wormholes that are littered throughout the planetary atmosphere.

Inorganic Black Holes allowed Parasitic Invasion

This greatly damaged and destroyed sections of the planetary grid system, creating electromagnetic anomalies and inorganic black holes, as well as adding pollution in the form of chemicals and waste products. The toxic dumping ground is obvious in the material realm and is present in the etheric body of the earth down to the quantum level. These toxic waste products are energetic pollutants that infect many other dimensional realms, and can be observed in membranes around the earth where parasitic alien forces have infested. This planetary damage and toxic infestation greatly concerns many neighboring civilizations. This has instigated many benevolent extraterrestrial races to attempt to open dialogues for diplomatic relations with the World Governments, which have been mostly refused thus far. Hence, the benevolent races regularly contact humans who are not involved in the enforcement of the controlling structures, to support open knowledge about extraterrestrial civilizations.

The inorganic black holes are rips in the time space fabric, which weaken the planetary atmosphere and allow much more access to Negative Alien interference and dark force infection into our world. Clearly, the NAA were well aware that greedy controller humans would abuse the technologies, from the trade agreements, setting the stage for the next advancement of technological warfare against the earth during the critical years after 2012. For many years the continued mind control and intimidation tactics towards making global war, spreading fear and poverty consciousness, while distributing disinformation through the mass media, has been to keep the human population distracted and dumbed down. Meanwhile, the greedy antics and power abuses of the Elite would remain hidden, allowing diversion for a full scale infiltration of corporate conglomerate control into the highest chains of command in the world governments. By maintaining strict codes of secrecy on penalty of death, and aggressively hiding the extraterrestrial problem from the general public, the military industrial complex, corrupt governments and corporatocracy have handed the inhabitants of earth to the NAA on a silver platter. This is why full extraterrestrial disclosure to the masses is critically important. As long as this agenda remains hidden, it generates deeper and deeper parasitic infection into the earth that harms all inhabitants.

Now in this current cycle, the war over consciousness on planet earth is moving to the next stage, which is an attempted alien artificial intelligence infiltration, used to take full control over human DNA in future timelines. One facet of this agenda is the mass accepted use and activation of alien artificial intelligence technologies to transform the unconscious and asleep human public into mind control robots, AI hybrids or cyborgs. This is aggressively promoted to the public through skyrocketing into fame a new genre of rock star computer scientists or tech futurists, through mainstream media, to glorify the Transhumanism or the posthuman movement. These mostly atheistic futurist gurus are popularizing the AI singularity concept, as the natural evolution for the future of humanity, where artificial intelligence overtakes human thinking and takes control over the functions of the human body. Over the past few years, Transhumanism has become the cool progressive thought form, meant to appeal to the younger generation. This artificial intelligence control is promoted as a natural and desirable result for the technological evolution and future progression of humanity. This is extremely dangerous for humanity. This has set into the future timelines consequences, through which segments of the human population on earth now, will lose their ability to incarnate into human bodies in the future. This means they are forfeiting their true humanity, and losing their ability to evolve in the future timeline as a human being.

What is Transhumanism?

Transhumanism is an international, cultural and intellectual movement with an eventual goal of fundamentally transforming the human condition, by making available technologies that greatly enhance human intellectual, physical, and psychological capacities. Many transhumanists believe in the compatibility between the human mind and computer hardware, with the implication that human consciousness can be transferred to alternative media, known as mind uploading. Since the Science of the Soul and the consciousness functions of the spiritual bodies, have not yet been discovered by scientists, this has potentially extremely destructive consequences to human consciousness and the electromagnetic functions of the Lightbody. Posthumans (the result of applied transhumanist technologies) could be completely synthetic artificial intelligences, or a symbiosis of human and artificial intelligence, or uploaded consciousness, or the result of making profound technological augmentations to a biological human.

Transhumanism is a school of thought that seeks to guide us towards a posthuman condition. Essentially, this is about creating artificially intelligent hybrids or cyborgs to replace the organic spiritual consciousness of humans. Some examples are redesigning the human organism using advanced nanotechnology or radical technological enhancements. Some of the proposed biological enhancements are using some combination of technologies such as genetic engineering, psychopharmacology, life extension therapies, neural interfaces, brain mapping, wearable or implanted computers, and entrainment of cognitive techniques. Most of these options are designed to disconnect the human soul from the human body, and prepare the body to be used as a shell for a new host. Effectively, this is integrating technological and pharmaceutical hybridization to damage human DNA, as preparation for body snatching.

The fundamental basis of the Transhumanism concept is the A.I. downloaded into the scientific human mind from the Negative Aliens and Satanic Forces, in their quest to survive and achieve immortality by hijacking human consciousness and ultimately possessing the human host body. They do not have flesh and bone bodies and covet ours. Most academics are filled with a variety of mind control and alien implants to be a cog in the wheel to steadily enforce alien control systems. Most early transhumanism concepts were developed by geneticists interested in eugenics and sustaining life forms in synthetic environments. (Like the eugenic experiments similar to those of the Black Sun Nazis). A common feature of promoting transhumanism is the future vision of creating a new intelligent species, into which humanity will evolve and eventually, either supplement it or supersede it. This distraction on the surface is a scheme, while the underlying motivation is intending species extinction of what we know as humans today. Transhumanism stresses the evolutionary perspective, yet it completely ignores the electromagnetic function of human DNA and the consciousness reality of the multidimensional human soul-spirit. They claim to want to stop human suffering but have no idea of the alien machinery and mind control implants used to imprison human consciousness. They know nothing about the afterlife, what happens during the death of the body or even how the human body or Universe really works, yet they want to control every aspect of the human body with artificial technology.

A primary goal of many transhumanists is to convince the public that embracing radical technology and science is in the human species best interest. With the False God Alien Religions used to spread the rhetoric of fear and mindless obedience on one end, and the primarily atheistic science used to mock all things religious without any comprehension of true spiritual understanding on the other, they have the bases covered. Consciousness and spiritual groups are quickly labeled conspiracy theorists by scientists to intimidate, discredit and shut us up. Obviously, until people have personal consciousness experiences outside of their body, have the ability to communicate with assorted lifeforms, such as deceased humans and travel to other dimensions, they have zero information about consciousness and are totally uninformed and ignorant about the nature of reality. None of these transhumanist people, are remotely qualified to be put in charge of scientifically directing the future evolution of the human species. Propping up egomaniacs and psychopaths, and giving them power and control over world affairs and influence over public perception is the game of the NAA Controllers.

The true knowledge of the Sacred Sciences of the Soul and mechanics of human multidimensional consciousness have been obliterated from record and conveniently mind controlled out from the majority of sciences. If scientists integrate theories of the soul or consciousness outside of the consensus of the mind control standard, they risk ridicule and losing their funding and careers. Unfortunately, the controlled mainstream sciences do not recognize multiple dimensions of consciousness inherent in the functions of activated human DNA, or know that biological life and multidimensional human consciousness does not end on this earth. The quest for biological immortality on a prison planet is ludicrous when experiencing the capability of human multidimensional consciousness. After the human body expires, if the undeveloped and disembodied consciousness is merged and assimilated into artificial intelligence, the remnants of that human soul will not have a human body to incarnate into any longer. Hence, that person will lose their connection to organic spiritual biology and cease to be human. Transhumanism is a consciousness trap.

Extraterrestrial Biological Entities (EBE)

Since the persons consciousness has not been prepared for the afterlife, whatever is left of his energetic quanta will be assimilated into a cyborg body or other types of synthetic life forms or EBEs. There are currently spiritually disconnected humans existing on the earth that will be assimilated into synthetic life forms that appear as Extraterrestrial Biological Entities, but were actually human souls in human bodies in past timelines. Most of the smaller EBE bodies assimilate nutrients from light similar to plants. They are unable to evolve, reproduce, ascend or move into higher dimensions of consciousness. Some of these EBEs have returned to the earth from the future to try to break into the human genetic code, in this earth timeline in order to save themselves. Many of these EBEs were once humans that were involved in the Orion Wars, and were captured in Orion and used in worker colonies. Some from the earth were enslaved on the astral plane by other races of creatures, such as Mantids, Grey Aliens and Reptilians that took them as workers to other planetary systems. Some are even used as minions for carrying out human abductions in MILAB soul transference projects. Many of them had their consciousness erased and they do not remember that they were once human.

This is one of the possible results of the Transhumanism movement underway in this earth timeline now, that leads to the potential future alien or dark force control over that soul. Once the consciousness is assimilated into artificial intelligence and synthetic biology, that being can no longer incarnate into an organic human form. That person cannot incarnate again into human realms, such as planet earth. They become a displaced entity that cannot die and be reborn into another identity they are enslaved and merged with an AI hive mind. This is desired by many of these negative groups as then they have full control over the life force of humans that can be made into worker slaves. This is the main purpose as to why Transhumanism is being marketed and pushed aggressively during this time, they want to create more human EBEs and cyborgs or host bodies. When that person drops their body while the Universal Gates are open, they can easily be transported to many different planetary systems for trading as a workforce commodity.

Hacking the Soul Consciousness

Archons and many of these negative groups are inherently parasites that require human life force and must feed on consciousness energy to survive. The Transhumanism movement is another level of the NAA satanic agenda to gain full control over the biological-neurological and brain networks of human beings, thus controlling the human collective consciousness. Mind control is about complete control over the central neurological system and controlling all impulses firing into the brain centers. This is why it is imperative to understand the Science of Ascension, mind control and learn how to self-source all thoughts. Once technology or an entity has control over the human neurological system and brain, they easily hack into the soul and siphon consciousness energy. If they are successful in marketing transhumanism as the next sexy trend, made attractive with promises of human immortality and superhuman powers, they open the door wide to satanic force possession of technologically hybridized human bodies. These dark entities have been denied access into higher dimensional realms, and they think that if they possess human bodies they can ride the human consciousness like a galactic hitchhiker. The grand deception of Transhumanism, is widely promoted as humans having control over their own evolution, when what they are really doing is selling their soul and losing access to organic human consciousness.

The Transhumanism agenda aimed at the public began with the introduction of alien psychotronic warfare technologies from World War II. From this point of time, aggressive mind control was introduced to shape and control the thought forms and belief systems of humanity, primarily into materialism, so they would be easily pliable when the Universal Stargates are open. Thus, the alien genetic hybridization of the planet through mind control began. The Power Elite enforced this hidden mind control agenda and were rewarded with massive material gains, power and control over others, the hallmark of making deals with satanic forces. Little do they know what these dark forces have in store for them when they drop their bodies, as some were promised biological immortality and evacuation from earth, for their cooperation.

Mind Uploading

The next extension of collecting data through the use of artificial intelligence brain mapping is mind uploading. Some Transhumanists consider mind uploading an important proposed life extension technology. The goal of mind uploading is to recreate whole brain emulation,which has the ability to transfer the data from a human brain to acomputational device, such as a digital, analog, quantum-based or software-basedartificial neural network. Then from quantum computers, the brain that was mind uploaded can be controlled or manipulated in subspace. Many scientists believe that the human brain and mind define who we are, based solely on their information pattern, while the body or hardware that information is implemented upon is secondary or interchangeable. They are wrong.

Moving intelligence patterns of the human brain as purely data structures to another synthetic or biological substrate manifests extremely damaging genetic mutations and perversions into the blueprint of original silicate matrix human DNA. AI genetic mutations in human DNA generate unforeseen diseases and miasma in the future, capable of destroying the organic consciousness potential that exists within the elemental human body and planetary body. This destroys the living consciousness spirit existing within the multidimensional human body via gradual artificial intelligence assimilation into neural networks that connect to artificial or virtual reality systems. These artificial realities and false timelines are already inhabited by a vast array of fallen and desperate dark entities, currently trying to find their way out by hitchhiking on organic human consciousness on the earth. We are not our brains, we are not our thoughts, we are not clones we are pure intelligent consciousness. Our pure human heart and intelligent consciousness are the ticket out of this prison planet, the very things the entities want to steal away from us. The eternal living spiritual consciousness blueprint of the multidimensional human DNA is destroyed when assimilated into the synthetic machinery of artificial intelligence. As a result, this destroys the capability of expanding biological spiritual consciousness and achieving spiritual freedom, the mechanics of consciousness known as the Science of Ascension. Instead, AI mind uploading creates consciousness slaves bound to artificial realities and fallen entities that cannot evolve, cannot ascend, cannot travel to higher dimensions of reality, and ultimately is another consciousness trap. This is similar to an AI groundhog day in virtual realities, where the same consciousness program is played over and over.

AI Brain Emulation Fragments Spiritual Bodies

AI technologies used for brain mapping and mind uploading fragment the persons consciousness energy, which is supposed to be directed by the spiritual bodies, and is inherent in the organic design of the original human DNA. Each copy of the original consciousness content that is synthetically AI generated, such as a clone, interconnects into the larger artificial intelligence networks that are generated by alien machinery. Alien Machinery describes an array of inorganic technology that was placed in many dimensional layers of the planet, to attempt to trap, interfere and control the movement of human consciousness on the earth. Some Starseeds on this earth can see or sense these alien structures, hence why we are targeted for dark harassment. Most of the alien machinery is sprayed or targeted through Holographic Inserts and Alien Implants used for inducing mind control and eventual soul capture through the promotion of false identities (predator mind constructs). When the mind and consciousness fragment through low frequency, such as through AI assimilation, the higher spiritual bodies are also integrated into the artificial machinery holographic networks and False reality timelines. This machinery was placed in the planetary body to keep human thoughts in very low frequency states to collect and siphon life force from the human collective soul. Therefore, if you learn how to deflect mind control and refrain from low frequency states of consciousness, it is very hard for them to have control over your consciousness. This remains true even if they attempt to clone you or artificially generate your image. A strong and loving spiritual heart, with a balanced peaceful mind is like having the most powerful consciousness protector that can deflect and destroy AI machinery.

Recent Targets for Cloning Psyops

Recently there have been aggressive targeting attempts from NAA and MILAB agencies to destroy Spiritual Consciousness Groups or Starseed projects that are openly sharing about ET disclosure, NAA and related Ascension information. These attempts are using AI to assimilate and clone ascension material, in order to spin distortions and disinformation from it. Targets to clone my voice and image in artificial realities were attempted in order to interfere with Sirian based communication links that connect to the Omniversal Krystal Star families. Many of the Krystal Star family from the Sirius portal were attempted to be cloned and projected into artificial realities for the same purpose. Using the spiritual deliverance techniques and commanding the return to rightful owner of body parts, will help you to recollect your parts that have been cloned or replicated into AI without your consent, if you feel this has happened to you. (see spiritual deliverance and RRO in the Ascension Glossary).

It is very important for Starseed people to get clear about discerning artificial intelligence messages of mind control, as well as cloned or projected holographic images. This can be felt Krystal clear if you do your spiritual homework, communicate with God self, clear predator mind and regularly 12D shield. AI messages coming from the environment and via controlled dark portal people feels; metallic, abrasive, acidic, energetically burdensome, sharp knife or blade like, and can make you feel physically ill with headaches, nausea, body part stabbing pains, and even diarrhea when you come into contact with it. AI feels revolting to the Cosmic Christ Consciousness. Pay attention to what you are feeling and how your body is responding. Ask out loud and challenge the identity behind the message or person, Is this Artificial intelligence deception and dark force manipulation? Reveal yourself now. Command that truth and transparency be revealed to you in the power and light of Christ.

The purpose of AI cloned images is to disrupt the authentic spiritual communication connection and redirect it to the AI reality and false timelines where they attempt to take control over your consciousness. The exact same AI program has been implemented with the Jehovah and Yahweh religions. Where they attempt to feed streams of False Gods, confusion, self-doubt, false flattery, disinformation, disease or suicide programs (testing out whatever may work) to derail your spiritual progress or discredit your projects to the larger community or public. Most spiritually undeveloped people with little sophistication in discerning the false messaging of AI mind control and dark force manipulation, fall easily into their hands as dark portals of chaos and disruption. We have to stay alert to these kinds of dark portal people, have compassion for them but realize they are like a monkey with a shotgun. We do not want to give traumatized, scattered and broken people power over our spiritual progress or let them take over the direction of our projects. Firmly, show them the door.

The mind control spray running and the people being used as dark portals from their own internal confusion are spreading disinformation that Ascension is dead, and that we are all doomed on the earth. This is yet another depressing fear promoting pysop from the psychopathic minds behind the Archontic Deception. The mechanics of consciousness and the Sacred Sciences of the Soul will always exist and it is called Ascension. Dark Portal people: If you get control over your mind through opening your feelings to access your heart, you will eventually be able to figure this out by direct experience. Stop feeding the predator mind constructs and false timelines and they will stop eating your light and torturing your mental body from the inside. Everything in your body, organic and inorganic, belongs to you! The Law can be commanded that your body be fully controlled by your organic higher spiritual consciousness if and when you commit to expressing Unconditional Love as your highest power.

Much of this alien technology and its continual development is hidden underground or used as space war weaponry (psychotronic) enforced by the military industry complex. The NAA and their artificial intelligence machinery are complex and they need power sources. We may see Battery Bodies (i.e. Moloch tanks) and Soul bodies connected to these constructs being used to supply that power. Another source of power used to feed these alien machinery and false constructs in the planetary body is a type of alien nanotechnology that programs carbon-based matter, called Black Goo.

Black Goo

Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale and for our purposes of discussion, on the quantum levels. Recently the massive influx of Cosmic Rays and intergalactic plasma gases into the earth core and Polar Regions, along with the alien attempt to harvest and collect this new incoming energy source, has revealed the deeper purpose of Black Goo. The massive plasma gas transmissions are shifting the dark matter template in the earth at the elemental level. This is being observed as transforming carbon allotropes that are present in fullerenes or Buckyballs. Carbon allotropes such as fullerenes are solids in normal conditions, but are changing their state of matter into liquids at subatomic scale from the massive amount of recent plasma gas exposure. A fullerene is a molecule of carbon in the form of a hollow sphere, ellipsoid, tube, and many other shapes. Spherical fullerenes are also called buckyballs.

The dark matter template is the anti-matter instruction set of the planetary body, and it has been filled in certain areas with this Alien sourced Black Goo. It was programmed into the dark matter template of the Albion Body and appears to have had its point of entry into earth around the time of the Nephilim Wars. This "alien black goo", acts as a faux synthetic artificial intelligence elemental that mimics and controls carbon allotropes and how they function in the dodecahedron structures on earth. It is clearly how the Negatives have been accessing carbon elements to control matter forms, including control over genetic expression of the human body. This programmable Alien AI has infected carbon material and is what has taken over the platonic solid dodecahedron and related pentagonal geometries that build time space constructs. These time space constructs are instruction sets in the morphogenetic field that run into the Ley Lines of the planetary body. This is how they have built artificial realities and false timelines and projected them into false holograms. The spherical fullerene has something to do with the AI control over carbon-based matter at the molecular level that can control genetic expression.

Recent observation of the Black Goo in the lower elemental dimensions of the geologic shelf noted the buckyballs warping into strangely distorted and stretched out shapes when exposed to the recent transmissions of Auroras and liquid plasma gas. Observing these contaminated honeycombed structures and buckyballs was revolting, as this alien black goo was writhing around in death throes. The reaction it had to the Aurora plasma was similar to burning it with acid. It has survival intelligence and was aware of its demise. This is not related to organic human consciousness, but to carbon molecules that appear to have alien artificial intelligence programmed into them. It was made to mimic and take over carbon atoms.

This leads me to believe that this event is related to the rise of insanity in 3D people (and lower) carbon life forms, that may have partially bonded to this black goo in their DNA. Bonding DNA to the Black Goo is directly related to embodying the artificial intelligent alien machinery and being subjected to severe mind control like an automaton or robot. This is related to current purging of AI intelligence and Satanic forces that are very aggressive lately. This is surfacing now in order for us to understand and see what it is. Starseeds, when we stay in our heart we are capable of holding anchor for the highest frequency levels of the liquid plasma of our Cosmic Christ Consciousness, and thus, destroying this alien black goo without violence. This new understanding of the function of Alien Black Goo in the dark matter template, and how it has infected the Albion body, gives us deeper revelations into the importance and purpose of the Aurora elemental re-encryption earth mission.

Aurora Re-encryption of Blueprint

In terms of the Aurora family of Krystal Star, their mission and support for humanity during this time is to work with the new elemental command to re-encrypt the physical body on atomic and subatomic levels. This is because the chemical lens and constituents of our DNA have been corrupted at the elemental level. The human physical body is a carbon based elemental body. If Alien Black Goo has been used to artificially program carbon matter by suppressing the organic genetic expression of human DNA, we can assume this has prevented mass human spiritual ascension, quite dramatically, during the Ascension Cycle.

The four earth elements help us to understand the four levels of chemicals that comprise our DNA are based on earth, fire, water and air, as the raw materials of the elemental body. Elementals of the human physical body are distorted in the cellular matrix because of the NAA planetary invasion and genetic manipulation histories, thus, the re-encryption process is a necessary part of our mission upgrade for Ascension Plan B. Our physical carbon based body is shifting to less density through alterations made in the anti-particle structure. The carbon atom is being repaired to accommodate the new elemental body on the earth. When we absorb plasma light it changes the number of electrons and frees us from the AI programmed carbon atomic structure. This is the process the Aurora Guardians are devoted to, as they are supporting humanity to embody higher frequency plasma light in order for this shift to occur at the deepest elemental level of the physical structure of matter. During certain phases of re-encryption, some with inner vision are able to sense or see that the lower chakra cones or lower areas of the body appear to be filled with the Aurora colors. The Aurora, have been working with many of us on the Spiritual Ascension path, consciously or not. Certainly, feel free to communicate directly with them if you are not acquainted with them already. The Aurora frequency spectrum is pale iridescent pastel rainbow colors, white opaqueness saturated with a pallet of indescribable colors which can look like oscillating sheets of transparent rainbow colored cellophane. They are GSF Krystal Consciousness and are easily communicated with through the 12D shield.

Staying Awake and Aware

This is a very difficult time on planet earth as we watch the destructive choices people make in the external world that will radically impact the quality of their consciousness and lives, on and off planet. There are alternatives for genetic and consciousness rehabilitation at the death of the body or in future timelines, but the disconnected person is likely to undergo spiritual bondage while on the earth from their own choices. Thus, it is important to stay informed, awake and aware to what is occurring now, to know how to protect yourself and your inner spiritual light. Ultimately, you are protecting the heart consciousness and the spirit of true humanity for the future and for rehabilitation.

A true human is a powerful multidimensional being that has the direct consciousness connection to the inner Christos spirit and Eternal God Source. That direct connection is demonstrated and expanded into higher consciousness through the developed higher heart qualities of loving kindness, compassion and empathy. As true human beings we can never lose our heart, our true loving kindness, compassion or empathy as this is what makes us eternally human. During this time cycle, practice the Law of One to keep ones body, mind, emotions and spirit focused on the higher virtues of Loving Kindness, Compassion and Empathy. The two most important communication connections to maintain daily are praying to God and speaking to your higher spiritual self consistently.

If you can clear the negative ego, stay mentally balanced and strong, while keeping your consciousness power in your still point accessing Unconditional Love, these dark forces cannot get to your nervous system and brain. Keep your thoughts high and find people, and other living things, in nature and near you, that you can focus all of your loving heart upon, whether small pets, children, or whatever engenders feelings of deep love and compassion when you are in their presence.

Who and what do you Love? What can you keep refocusing yourself upon to keep your overall energetic frequency as high as possible? Make as much Love in the world as possible now.

It is important now to keep your frequency high, keep your thoughts and feelings in the now moment focused on Love, Compassion and Empathy. Love, Compassion and Empathy are the hallmark of being a true human being, and not a robotic cyborg that is controlled through artificial intelligence. Some people on the earth are descending in vibration and as they digress their frequency they are being taken over by lower spirits and artificial intelligence machinery. This is called consubstantiality, where the persons low frequency energy field is bonded through the protein chains of their DNA into these lower realms, of dark forces of phantom and descending timelines. (see Nov 2014 newsletter).

We have a split occurring, and those of us that can hold the higher love frequency and God source connection are very protected and supported, while those on the opposing end are descending into experiencing misery and bondage. All meditations involving self-love, loving kindness and releasing stress are very important now to keep your body relaxed and personal frequency as high as possible.

Loving Kindness Meditation

Practicing loving kindness meditations activate and strengthen areas of the brain and nervous system that are responsible for empathy and increased emotional intelligence. The practice always begins with developing a loving acceptance of yourself. If resistance is experienced then it indicates that feelings of unworthiness are present. The practice of loving kindness is designed to overcome any feelings of self-doubt or negativity. Once you have developed this loving kindness for yourself, then you are ready to systematically develop loving-kindness towards others.

When the positive feelings arise, switch from the mental focus of the exercise onto the actual emotional feeling, as it is the emotional feeling that is the primary goal. If you lose the sensation of the loving kindness, the feeling and warmth opening in your heart, return to the exercise, to bring back or strengthen the emotional feeling. When you have the loving kindness feeling in your heart, you can project that quality of frequency in all directions, north, south, east and west and 360 degrees. Connecting that emotional feeling of loving kindness into loved ones, spiritual communities, towns and countries around the world.

When we are emotionally developed with heart based intelligence, we can access very high quality of higher sensory perception to guide us through these very difficult times. This guidance cannot happen through the psionic ability of the mind. Starseed males, please take note, you must connect emotionally and allow sensory feelings to be processed in your heart complex to shift out of the negative ego black depression and mind control thought forms. This higher consciousness access only happens through the developed heart and emotional complex, which is the key to accessing higher spiritual power and higher consciousness. The NAA and Controllers do not have this access, so remember that is our greatest leverage as Starseeds. We have access to the God Source and Creator functions through our heart, where they can only replicate them through their artificial intelligence software by cloning or capturing our image. Do not forget that our spiritual power is infinitely connected through our human heart consciousness, and connects Omniversally.

Thank you to all who are actively participating with these consciousness shifts during the Ascension.

Please only take what is useful for your spiritual growth and discard all the rest. Thank you for your courage and bravery to be a truth seeker.

I am the Cosmic Sovereign Law Made Manifest. I am God, Sovereign, Free!

Until next, stay in the luminosity of your Avatar Christos Sophia heart path. Please be kind to yourself and each other. GSF!

With a Loving heart, Lisa

Visit link:
Transhumanism - Energetic Synthesis

Atlanta Buddhism Directory

Information on Buddhist groups in Atlanta:

Warning - There are all kinds of people calling themselves Buddhists. Some of them do not have your best interests at heart. Some of them want your money and some of them are cults. I list any group here that requests listing, but I do not necessarily approve of all of them. For more about money, power and cult issues in Buddhist groups, click here.

Buddhist Groups with web pages:

Buddhist Groups without web pages:

Other directories of Buddhist groups in Atlanta:

I try to keep this site up to date and complete, but the following directories are also good, and may have sites that I have not listed:

Recommended Buddhist sites not in Atlanta

Non-Buddhist groups that may be of interest to people interested in Buddhism

Buddhist Blogs

A few Buddhist Blogs that I like

Buddhist Events There are many events going on every day at the different centers. Contact the specific groups for their schedules

Continued here:
Atlanta Buddhism Directory. Guide to Buddhist Atlanta

Vajrasattva Empowerment - Saturday, September 26, 2015 with His Eminence Sharpa Choeje Rinpoche

8th Annual Atlanta Tibetan Festival Saturday OCT 3, 2015 - 10 am to 4 pm

Je Tsongkhapas Three Principal Aspects of the Path with Geshe Yeshe Thabke Oct 25 - Nov 15 2015

Fall 2015 Compassion Training - Foundation Courses with Geshe Lobsang Tenzin

Building a Community of Compassion: A Space for Meditation Thursdays 6-7 pm

Geshe Ngawang Phende will lead the Foundation Series begining with an introduction to Buddhism and continuing with retreats on the four universal Buddhist meditation practices. For details click here.

Geshe Lobsang Tenzin will lead this Intermediate Series beginning with an introduction to Mahayana Buddhism, the foundation for the generation of universal compassion and continue with more advanced topics. For details click here.

To fulfill our vision of preserving Tibet's unique culture and sharing Tibet's spiritual traditions in North America, we have started creating our Little Tibet in Atlanta but we still need your support to finish building our dream. Click here to find out more about our plans and how you can help or to become a Building Fund Sponsor.

Hi-def videos from all the programs of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at Emory University for "The Visit: 2013" are available for viewing on YouTube. Choose from the Full Program or Highlights. Click here for videos

Previous Visits Visit 2010: click here Visit 2007: click here

The Loseling Gallery is now home to over 200 handcrafted dolls depicting the culture and tradition of Tibet. These handcrafted, mini-masterpieces celebrate the distinct and diverse cultural identity of Tibetans as manifested in an astonishing variety of secular and religious dress. For details click here.

This new altar is one of the few traditionally hand-carved Tibetan Buddhist altars of this magnitude, intricacy and beauty seen in North America. For details click here

Six Tibetan Buddhist monks are studying science at Emory University. It's part of the Emory-Tibet Science Initiative, which is infusing science into monastic education. Take a look inside the life of a Tibetan monk while he's in college. Click here to watch the video

The International Conference on Tibetan Buddhism was held at the Emory Conference Center Hotel from October 18-20, 2010, in conjunction with the visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Emory University. This conference was co-sponsored by the Office of Tibet, New York, & Emory University, with support from the Conservancy for Tibetan Art & Culture in Washington, DC, and Drepung Loseling Monastery, Inc., in Atlanta, GA. To watch video footage of events, please click here.

Join us on Facebook and keep abreast of daily news tidbits and interesting articles not otherwise announced in our weekly newsletter. Please visit the following link to become a fan (note: you must be an existing member of Facebook to add the page) Drepung Loseling Facebook Fan Page.

A list of all the recorded teachings and retreats that we have available for order is now on-line. Over one hundred audio CDs are available for order so far, with new titles being added each month. Follow the link to see the list and check back for updates.

Link:
Drepung Loseling Monastery, Inc. Center for Tibetan ...

Enlightenment refers to the "full comprehension of a situation".[web 1] It is commonly used to denote the Age of Enlightenment,[note 1] but is also used in Western cultures in a religious context. It translates several Buddhist terms and concepts, most notably bodhi,[note 2]kensho and satori. Related terms from Asian religions are moksha (liberation) in Hinduism, Kevala Jnana in Jainism and ushta in Zoroastrianism.

In Christianity, the word "enlightenment" is rarely used, except to refer to the Age of Enlightenment and its influence on Christianity. Roughly equivalent terms in Christianity may be illumination, kenosis, metanoia, revelation, salvation and conversion.

Perennialists and Universalists view enlightenment and mysticism as equivalent terms for religious or spiritual insight.

The English term "enlightenment" has commonly been used to translate several Sanskrit, Pali,[web 2] Chinese and Japanese terms and concepts, especially bodhi, prajna, kensho, satori and buddhahood.

Bodhi is a Theravada term. It literally means "awakening" and "understanding". Someone who is awakened has gained insight into the workings of the mind which keeps us imprisoned in craving, suffering and rebirth,[web 1] and has also gained insight into the way that leads to nirvana, the liberation of oneself from this imprisonment.

Prajna is a Mahayana term. It refers to insight into our true nature, which according to Madhyamaka is empty of a personal essence in the stream of experience. But it also refers to the Tathgata-garbha or Buddha-nature, the essential basic-consciousness beyond the stream of experience.

In Zen, kensho means "seeing into one's true nature".Satori is often used interchangeably with kensho, but refers to the experience of kensho.

Buddhahood is the attainment of full awakening and becoming a Buddha. According to the Tibetan Thubten Yeshe,[web 3] enlightenment

[means] full awakening; buddhahood. The ultimate goal of Buddhist practice, attained when all limitations have been removed from the mind and one's positive potential has been completely and perfectly realized. It is a state characterized by infinite compassion, wisdom and skill.[web 4]

In Indian religions moksha (Sanskrit: moka; liberation) or mukti (Sanskrit: ; release both from the root muc "to let loose, let go") is the final extrication of the soul or consciousness (purusha) from samsara and the bringing to an end of all the suffering involved in being subject to the cycle of repeated death and rebirth (reincarnation).

Advaita Vedanta (IAST Advaita Vednta; Sanskrit: [dait ednt]) is a philosophical concept where followers seek liberation/release by recognizing identity of the Self (Atman) and the Whole (Brahman) through long preparation and training, usually under the guidance of a guru, that involves efforts such as knowledge of scriptures, renunciation of worldy activities, and inducement of direct identity experiences. Originating in India before 788 AD, Advaita Vedanta is widely considered the most influential and most dominant[web 5] sub-school of the Vednta (literally, end or the goal of the Vedas, Sanskrit) school of Hindu philosophy. Other major sub-schools of Vednta are Viishdvaita and Dvaita; while the minor ones include Suddhadvaita, Dvaitadvaita and Achintya Bhedabheda.

Advaita (literally, non-duality) is a system of thought where "Advaita" refers to the identity of the Self (Atman) and the Whole (Brahman).[note 3] Recognition of this identity leads to liberation. Attaining this liberation takes a long preparation and training under the guidance of a guru.

The key source texts for all schools of Vednta are the Prasthanatrayithe canonical texts consisting of the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita and the Brahma Sutras. The first person to explicitly consolidate the principles of Advaita Vedanta was Shankara Bhagavadpada, while the first historical proponent was Gaudapada, the guru of Shankara's guru Govinda Bhagavatpada.

Shankara systematized the works of preceding philosophers. His system of Vedanta introduced the method of scholarly exegesis on the accepted metaphysics of the Upanishads. This style was adopted by all the later Vedanta schools.[citation needed]

Shankara's synthesis of Advaita Vedanta is summarized in this quote from the Vivekacmai, one of his Prakaraa grathas (philosophical treatises):[note 4]

In half a couplet I state, what has been stated by crores of texts;

that is Brahman alone is real, the world is mithy (not independently existent),

In the 19th century Vivekananda played a major role in the revival of Hinduism, and the spread of Advaita Vedanta to the West via the Ramakrishna Mission. His interpretation of Advaita Vedanta has been called "Neo-Vedanta".

In a talk on "The absolute and manifestation" given in at London in 1896 Swami Vivekananda said,

I may make bold to say that the only religion which agrees with, and even goes a little further than modern researchers, both on physical and moral lines is the Advaita, and that is why it appeals to modern scientists so much. They find that the old dualistic theories are not enough for them, do not satisfy their necessities. A man must have not only faith, but intellectual faith too".[web 6]

Vivekananda emphasized samadhi as a means to attain liberation. Yet this emphasis is not to be found in the Upanishads nor in Shankara. For Shankara, meditation and Nirvikalpa Samadhi are means to gain knowledge of the already existing unity of Brahman and Atman, not the highest goal itself:

[Y]oga is a meditative exercise of withdrawal from the particular and identification with the universal, leading to contemplation of oneself as the most universal, namely, Consciousness. This approach is different from the classical yoga of complete thought suppression.

Vivekenanda's modernisation has been criticized:

Without calling into question the right of any philosopher to interpret Advaita according to his own understanding of it, [...] the process of Westernization has obscured the core of this school of thought. The basic correlation of renunciation and Bliss has been lost sight of in the attempts to underscore the cognitive structure and the realistic structure which according to Samkaracarya should both belong to, and indeed constitute the realm of my.

Neo-Advaita is a new religious movement based on a modern, Western interpretation of Advaita Vedanta, especially the teachings of Ramana Maharshi. Neo-Advaita is being criticized[note 6][note 7][note 8] for discarding the traditional prerequisites of knowledge of the scriptures and "renunciation as necessary preparation for the path of jnana-yoga". Notable neo-advaita teachers are H. W. L. Poonja, his students GangajiAndrew Cohen,[note 9] and Eckhart Tolle.

The prime means to reach moksha is through the practice of yoga (Sanskrit, Pli: , /j/, yoga) is a commonly known generic term for physical, mental, and spiritual disciplines which originated in ancient India. Specifically, yoga is one of the six stika ("orthodox") schools of Hindu philosophy. It is based on the Yoga Stras of Patajali. Various traditions of yoga are found in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.[note 10]

Prephilosophical speculations and diverse ascetic practices of first millennium BCE were systematized into a formal philosophy in early centuries CE by the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. By the turn of the first millennium, Hatha yoga emerged as a prominent tradition of yoga distinct from the Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. While the Yoga Sutras focus on discipline of the mind, Hatha yoga concentrates on health and purity of the body.

Hindu monks, beginning with Swami Vivekananda, brought yoga to the West in the late 19th century. In the 1980s, yoga became popular as a physical system of health exercises across the Western world. Many studies have tried to determine the effectiveness of yoga as a complementary intervention for cancer, schizophrenia, asthma and heart patients. In a national survey, long-term yoga practitioners in the United States reported musculoskeletal and mental health improvements.

Classical Advaita Vedanta emphasises the path of jnana yoga, a progression of study and training to attain moksha. It consists of four stages:[31][web 12]

The paths of bhakti yoga and karma yoga are subsidiary.

In bhakti yoga, practice centers on the worship God in any way and in any form, like Krishna or Ayyappa. Adi Shankara himself was a proponent of devotional worship or Bhakti. But Adi Shankara taught that while Vedic sacrifices, puja and devotional worship can lead one in the direction of jnana (true knowledge), they cannot lead one directly to moksha. At best, they can serve as means to obtain moksha via shukla gati.[citation needed]

Karma yoga is the way of doing our duties, in disregard of personal gains or losses. According to Sri Swami Sivananda,

Karma Yoga is consecration of all actions and their fruits unto the Lord. Karma Yoga is performance of actions dwelling in union with the Divine, removing attachment and remaining balanced ever in success and failure.

Karma Yoga is selfless service unto humanity. Karma Yoga is the Yoga of action which purifies the heart and prepares the Antahkarana (the heart and the mind) for the reception of Divine Light or attainment if Knowledge of the Self. The important point is that you will have to serve humanity without any attachment or egoism.[web 15]

Jainism (; Sanskrit: Jainadharma, Tamil: Samaam, Bengali: Jainadharma, Telugu: Jainamata, Malayalam: Jainmat, Kannada: Jaina dharma), is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul toward divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state of supreme being is called a jina ("conqueror" or "victor"). The ultimate status of these perfect souls is called siddha. Ancient texts also refer to Jainism as shramana dharma (self-reliant) or the "path of the nirganthas" (those without attachments or aversions).

In Jainism highest form of pure knowledge a soul can attain is called Kevala Jnana ( Sanskrit: )or Kevala a (Prakrit: ). which means absolute or perfect and Jna, which means "knowledge". Kevala is the state of isolation of the jva from the ajva attained through ascetic practices which burn off one's karmic residues, releasing one from bondage to the cycle of death and rebirth. Kevala Jna thus means infinite knowledge of self and non-self, attained by a soul after annihilation of the all ghtiy karmas. The soul which has reached this stage achieves moksa or liberation at the end of its life span.

Mahavira, 24th thirthankara of Jainism, is said to have practised rigorous austerities for 12 years before he attained enlightenment,

During the thirteenth year, in the second month of summer, in the fourth fortnight, the light (fortnight) of Vaisakha, on its tenth day, when the shadow had turned towards the east and the first wake was over, on the day called Suvrata, in the Muhurta called Vigaya, outside of the town Grimbhikagrama on the bank of the river Rjupalika, not far from an old temple, in the field of the householder Samaga, under a Sal tree, when the moon was in conjunction with the asterism Uttara Phalguni, (the Venerable One) in a squatting position with joined heels, exposing himself to the heat of the sun, after fasting two and a half days without drinking water, being engaged in deep meditation, reached the highest knowledge and intuition, called Kevala, which is infinite, supreme, unobstructed, unimpeded, complete, and full.[citation needed]

Kevala Jna is one of the five major events in the life of a Tirthankara and is known as Jna Kalyanaka and supposedly celebrated by all gods. Mahaviras Kaivalya was said to have been celebrated by the demi-gods, who constructed the Samosarana or a grand preaching assembly for him.

In the Western world the concept of enlightenment in a religious context acquired a romantic meaning. It has become synonymous with self-realization and the true self, which is being regarded as a substantial essence which is covered over by social conditioning.[note 12]

The use of the Western word enlightenment is based on the supposed resemblance of bodhi with Aufklrung, the independent use of reason to gain insight into the true nature of our world. As a matter of fact there are more resemblances with Romanticism than with the Enlightenment: the emphasis on feeling, on intuitive insight, on a true essence beyond the world of appearances.

The equivalent term "awakening" has also been used in a Christian context, namely the Great Awakenings, several periods of religious revival in American religious history. Historians and theologians identify three or four waves of increased religious enthusiasm occurring between the early 18th century and the late 19th century. Each of these "Great Awakenings" was characterized by widespread revivals led by evangelical Protestant ministers, a sharp increase of interest in religion, a profound sense of conviction and redemption on the part of those affected, an increase in evangelical church membership, and the formation of new religious movements and denominations.

Another equivalent term is Illuminationism, which was also used by Paul Demieville in his work The Mirror of the Mind, in which he made a distinction between "illumination subie" and "illumination graduelle".[web 16] Illuminationism is a doctrine according to which the process of human thought needs to be aided by divine grace. It is the oldest and most influential alternative to naturalism in the theory of mind and epistemology.[35] It was an important feature of ancient Greek philosophy, Neoplatonism, medieval philosophy, and in particular, the Illuminationist school of Islamic philosophy.

Augustine was an important proponent of Illuminationism, stating that everything we know is taught to us by God as He casts His light over the world,[web 17] saying that "The mind needs to be enlightened by light from outside itself, so that it can participate in truth, because it is not itself the nature of truth. You will light my lamp, Lord [36] and "You hear nothing true from me which you have not first told me.[37] Augustine's version of illuminationism is not that God gives us certain information, but rather gives us insight into the truth of the information we received for ourselves.

This romantic idea of enlightenment as insight into a timeless, transcendent reality has been popularized especially by D.T. Suzuki.[web 18][web 19] Further popularization was due to the writings of Heinrich Dumoulin.[web 20] Dumoulin viewed metaphysics as the expression of a transcendent truth, which according to him was expressed by Mahayana Buddhism, but not by the pragmatic analysis of the oldest Buddhism, which emphasizes anatta. This romantic vision is also recognizable in the works of Ken Wilber.

In the oldest Buddhism this essentialism is not recognizable.[web 21] According to critics it doesn't really contribute to a real insight into Buddhism:[web 22]

...most of them labour under the old clich that the goal of Buddhist psychological analysis is to reveal the hidden mysteries in the human mind and thereby facilitate the development of a transcendental state of consciousness beyond the reach of linguistic expression.

A common reference in Western culture is the notion of "enlightenment experience". This notion can be traced back to William James, who used the term "religious experience" in his book, The Varieties of Religious Experience.Wayne Proudfoot traces the roots of the notion of "religious experience" further back to the German theologian Friedrich Schleiermacher (17681834), who argued that religion is based on a feeling of the infinite. The notion of "religious experience" was used by Schleiermacher to defend religion against the growing scientific and secular citique.

It was popularised by the Transcendentalists, and exported to Asia via missionaries. Transcendentalism developed as a reaction against 18th Century rationalism, John Locke's philosophy of Sensualism, and the predestinationism of New England Calvinism. It is fundamentally a variety of diverse sources such as Hindu texts like the Vedas, the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, various religions, and German idealism.

It was adopted by many scholars of religion, of which William James was the most influential.[note 13]

The notion of "experience" has been criticised. Robert Sharf points out that "experience" is a typical Western term, which has found its way into Asian religiosity via western influences.[note 14] The notion of "experience" introduces a false notion of duality between "experiencer" and "experienced", whereas the essence of kensho is the realisation of the "non-duality" of observer and observed. "Pure experience" does not exist; all experience is mediated by intellectual and cognitive activity. The specific teachings and practices of a specific tradition may even determine what "experience" someone has, which means that this "experience" is not the proof of the teaching, but a result of the teaching. A pure consciousness without concepts, reached by "cleaning the doors of perception",[note 15] would be an overwhelming chaos of sensory input without coherence.

Nevertheless, the notion of religious experience has gained widespread use in the study of religion, and is extensively researched.

The word "enlightenment" is not generally used in Christian contexts for religious understanding or insight. More commonly used terms in the Christian tradition are religious conversion and revelation.

Lewis Sperry Chafer (18711952), one of the founders of Dispensationalism, uses the word "illuminism". Christians who are "illuminated" are of two groups, those who have experienced true illuminism (biblical) and those who experienced false illuminism (not from the Holy Spirit).

Christian interest in eastern spirituality has grown throughout the 20th century. Notable Christians, such as Hugo Enomiya-Lassalle and AMA Samy, have participated in Buddhist training and even become Buddhist teachers themselves. In a few places Eastern contemplative techniques have been integrated in Christian practices, such as centering prayer.[web 24] But this integration has also raised questions about the borders between these traditions.[web 25]

Western and Mediterranean culture has a rich tradition of esotericism and mysticism. The Perennial philosophy, basic to the New Age understanding of the world, regards those traditions as akin to Eastern religions which aim at awakening/ enlightenment and developing wisdom. The hypothesis that all mystical traditions share a "common core", is central to New Age, but contested by a diversity of scientists like Katz and Proudfoot.

Judaism includes the mystical tradition of Kabbalah. Islam includes the mystical tradition of Sufism. In the Fourth Way teaching, enlightenment is the highest state of Man (humanity).

A popular western understanding sees "enlightenment" as "nondual consciousness", "a primordial, natural awareness without subject or object".[web 26] It is used interchangeably with Neo-Advaita.

This nondual consciousness is seen as a common stratum to different religions. Several definitions or meanings are combined in this approach, which makes it possible to recognize various traditions as having the same essence. According to Renard, many forms of religion are based on an experiential or intuitive understanding of "the Real"

This idea of nonduality as "the central essence" is part of a modern mutual exchange and synthesis of ideas between western spiritual and esoteric traditions and Asian religious revival and reform movements.[note 16] Western predecessors are, among others, New Age,Wilber's synthesis of western psychology and Asian spirituality, the idea of a Perennial Philosophy, and Theosophy. Eastern influences are the Hindu reform movements such as Aurobindo's Integral Yoga and Vivekananda's Neo-Vedanta, the Vipassana movement, and Buddhist modernism. A truly syncretistic influence is Osho and the Rajneesh movement, a hybrid of eastern and western ideas and teachings, and a mainly western group of followers.

"Religious experiences" have "evidential value",[75] since they confirm the specific worldview of the experiencer:[76]

These experiences are cognitive in that, allegedly at least, the subject of the experience receives a reliable and accurate view of what, religiously considered, are the most important features of things. This, so far as their religious tradition is concerned, is what is most important about them. This is what makes them "salvific" or powerful to save.[77]

Yet, just like the very notion of "religious experience" is shaped by a specific discourse and habitus, the "uniformity of interpretation" may be due to the influence of religious traditions which shape the interpretation of such "experiences".[76]

Yandell discerns various "religious experiences" and their corresponding doctrinal settings, which differ in structure and phenomenological content, and in the "evidential value" they present.[80] Yandell discerns five sorts:[81]

Various philosophers and cognitive scientists state that there is no "true self" or a "little person" (homunculus) in the brain that "watches the show," and that consciousness is an emergent property that arise from the various modules of the brain in ways that are yet far from understood.[88] According to Susan Greenfield, the "self" may be seen as a composite, whereas Douglas R. Hofstadter describes the sense of "I" as a result of cognitive process.

This is in line with the Buddhist teachings, which state that

[...] what we call 'I' or 'being,' is only a combination of physical and mental aggregates which are working together interdependently in a flux of momentary change within the law of cause and effect, and that there is nothing, permanent, everlasting, unchanging, and eternal in the whole of existence.

To this end, Parfit called Buddha the "first bundle theorist".

The idea that the mind is the result of the activities of neurons in the brain was most notably popularized by Francis Crick, the co-discoverer of DNA, in his book The Astonishing Hypothesis.[note 17] The basic idea can be traced back to at least tienne Bonnot de Condillac. According to Crick, the idea was not a novel one:

[...] an exceptionally clear statement of it can be found in a well known paper by Horace Barlow.

Several users of entheogens throughout the ages have claimed spiritual enlightenment with the use of these substances, their use and prevalence through history is well recorded, although subjected to harsh social taboos.

In modern times we have seen a rise in this belief, for example Ayahuasca tourism, which is believed to be due to the rise of the information age. Older beliefs about these substances have been subject to scientific research, although halted in the 1970s, it has resumed again in the 1990s.

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