Immortality, Transhumanism, and Ray Kurzweils Singularity
Posted: August 4, 2015 at 1:44 am
Within thirty years, we will have the technological means to create superhuman intelligence. Shortly after, the human era will be ended. Vernor Vinge, Technological Singularity, 1983
Futurist and Inventor Ray Kurzweil has a plan: He wants to never die.
In order to achieve this goal, he currently takes over 150 supplements per day, eats a calorie restricted diet (a proven technique to prolong lifespan), drinks ionized water (a type of alkalinized water that supposedly protects against free radicals in the body), and exercises daily, all to promote the healthy functioning of his body; and at 60 years old, he reportedly has the physiology of a man 20 years younger.
But the human body, no matter how well you take care of it, is susceptible to illness, disease, and senescence the process of cellular change in the body that results in that little thing we all do called aging. (This cellular process is why humans are physiologically unable to live past the age of around 125 years old.) Kurzweil is well aware of this, but has a solution: he is just trying to live long enough in his human body until technology reaches the point where man can meld with machine, and he can survive as a cyborg with robotically enhanced features; survive, that is, until the day when he can eventually upload his consciousness onto a harddrive, enabling him to live forever as bits of information stored indefinitely; immortal, in a sense, as long as he has a copy of himself in case the computer fails.
What happens if these technological abilities dont come soon enough? Kurzweil has a back-up plan. If, for some reason, this mind-machine blend doesnt occur in his biological lifetime, Kurzweil is signed up at Alcor Life Extension Foundation to be cryonically frozen and kept in Scottsdale, Arizona, amongst approximately 900 other stored bodies (including famous baseball player Ted Williams) who are currently stored. There at Alcor, he will wait until the day when scientists discover the ability to reanimate life back into him and not too long, as Kurzweil believes this day will be in about 50 years.
Watch a video on Alcor and Cryonics here:
Ray Kurzweil is a fascinating and controversial figure, both famous and infamous for his technological predictions. He is a respected scientist and inventor, known for his accurate predictions of a number of technological events, and recently started The Singularity University here in Silicon Valley, an interdisciplinary program (funded in part by Google) aimed to assemble, educate and inspire a cadre of leaders around issues of accelerating technologies.
Ray Kurzweil
Kurzweils most well-known predictions are encapsulated in this event he forecasts called The Singularity, a period of time he predicts in the next few decades when artificial intelligence will exceed human intelligence, and technologies like genetic engineering, nanotechnology, and computer technology will radically transform human life, enabling mind, body and machine to become one.
He is also a pioneer of a movement called transhumanism, which is defined by this belief that technology will ultimately replace biology, and rid human beings of all the things that, well, make us human, like disease, aging, and you guessed itdeath. Why be human when you can be something better? When Artificial intelligence and nanotechnology comes around in the singularity, Kurzweil thinks, being biologically human will become obsolete. With cyborg features and enhanced cognitive capacities, we will have fewer deficiencies, and more capabilities; we will possess the ability to become more like machines, and well be better for it.
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Immortality, Transhumanism, and Ray Kurzweils Singularity
Osho Wikipdia
Posted: at 1:42 am
Un article de Wikipdia, l'encyclopdie libre.
18 32 15 N 73 53 13 E/18.5375, 73.8869
Rajneesh Chandra Mohan Jain ( ) (11 dcembre 1931 au Madhya Pradesh 19 janvier 1990 Pune, Maharashtra), plus connu dans les annes 1960 sous le nom d'Acharya Rajneesh, puis dans les annes 1970 et 1980 sous celui de Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh puis prenant enfin le nom d'Osho, a t qualifi de guru indien iconoclaste et trs controvers. Il vcut d'abord en Inde puis dans d'autres pays dont, principalement, les tats-Unis o il avait fond un centre spirituel en Oregon. Il a inspir le mouvement qui a pris son nom: Osho. Il est le crateur de ce qu'il a appel la mditation dynamique[1]. Il fut galement une des influences majeures du courant New Age[2]. Son attitude juge particulirement permissive l'gard de la sexualit et les conseils qu'il donnait ses adeptes cet gard lui ont valu aux tats-Unis le surnom de sex guru[3]. Plusieurs affaires ont contribu au dclin de ses communauts jusqu' leur disparition. Il reste cependant aujourd'hui un auteur (note: il n'a presque jamais crit de livres, ses discours spontans devant ses audiences ont t transcrits ensuite) trs populaire[4].
N en 1931 Jabalpur en Inde, ain de onze enfants dans une famille jana[5], Rajneesh Chandra Mohan fait des tudes universitaires (Il obtient l'agrgation de philosophie en 1953) et devient en 1957 professeur dans deux universits[6].
Il commence donner des confrences en 1966. Mais c'est partir de 1974, aprs avoir quitt Bombay o il avait dvelopp de l'asthme, du diabte et de nombreuses allergies[7], qu'il commena recevoir un nombre grandissant d'occidentaux dans son ashram de Pune en Inde (qui est encore aujourd'hui le lieu du vaste Osho International Meditation Resort).
Aprs deux ans et demi durant lesquels il observe un vu de silence, il arrive aux tats-Unis en 1981, en partie pour recevoir des soins mdicaux. Ses disciples achtent ( Ma Anand Sheela, son assistante l'poque) un ranch dans l'Oregon, le Big Muddy Ranch qui sera transform pour devenir Rajneeshpuram[8].
Au milieu des annes 1980, il reoit environ 30000 visiteurs par an[9] et met au point une varit de mditations dynamiques, vise cathartiques afin, selon lui, de librer le corps et l'esprit. Ses mthodes sont inspires de traditions tantriques et seront enseignes dans les centres ou universits Osho dans le monde.
Des psychologues et psychothrapeutes, principalement issus du mouvement du potentiel humain, ainsi que des mdecins sont venus s'initier ses pratiques[10].
La communaut de Rajneeshpuram s'effondre aprs de longues luttes hostiles avec les voisins de la proprit[11],[12] et les habitants de la rgion.
Il est dcd en Inde en 1990 aprs avoir rsid quelques annes dans son shram des tats-Unis et tre retourn vivre en Inde en 1987.
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Osho Wikipdia
Health – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Posted: at 1:41 am
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living organism. In humans it is the ability of individuals or communities to adapt and self-manage when facing physical, mental or social challenges.[1] The World Health Organization (WHO) defined health in its broader sense in its 1948 constitution as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."[2][3] This definition has been subject to controversy, in particular as lacking operational value and because of the problem created by use of the word "complete" [4][5] Other definitions have been proposed, among which a recent definition that correlates health and personal satisfaction.[6][7] Classification systems such as the WHO Family of International Classifications, including the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), are commonly used to define and measure the components of health.
Systematic activities to prevent or cure health problems and promote good health in humans are undertaken by health care providers. Applications with regard to animal health are covered by the veterinary sciences. The term "healthy" is also widely used in the context of many types of non-living organizations and their impacts for the benefit of humans, such as in the sense of healthy communities, healthy cities or healthy environments. In addition to health care interventions and a person's surroundings, a number of other factors are known to influence the health status of individuals, including their background, lifestyle, and economic, social conditions, and spirituality; these are referred to as "determinants of health." Studies have shown that high levels of stress can affect human health.[8]
Generally, the context in which an individual lives is of great importance for both his health status and quality of their life. It is increasingly recognized that health is maintained and improved not only through the advancement and application of health science, but also through the efforts and intelligent lifestyle choices of the individual and society. According to the World Health Organization, the main determinants of health include the social and economic environment, the physical environment, and the person's individual characteristics and behaviors.[9]
More specifically, key factors that have been found to influence whether people are healthy or unhealthy include the following:[9][10][11]
An increasing number of studies and reports from different organizations and contexts examine the linkages between health and different factors, including lifestyles, environments, health care organization, and health policy such as the 1974 Lalonde report from Canada;[11] the Alameda County Study in California;[12] and the series of World Health Reports of the World Health Organization, which focuses on global health issues including access to health care and improving public health outcomes, especially in developing countries.[13]
The concept of the "health field," as distinct from medical care, emerged from the Lalonde report from Canada. The report identified three interdependent fields as key determinants of an individual's health. These are:[11]
The maintenance and promotion of health is achieved through different combination of physical, mental, and social well-being, together sometimes referred to as the "health triangle."[14][15] The WHO's 1986 Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion further stated that health is not just a state, but also "a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living. Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities."[16]
Focusing more on lifestyle issues and their relationships with functional health, data from the Alameda County Study suggested that people can improve their health via exercise, enough sleep, maintaining a healthy body weight, limiting alcohol use, and avoiding smoking.[17] Health and illness can co-exist, as even people with multiple chronic diseases or terminal illnesses can consider themselves healthy.[18]
The environment is often cited as an important factor influencing the health status of individuals. This includes characteristics of the natural environment, the built environment, and the social environment. Factors such as clean water and air, adequate housing, and safe communities and roads all have been found to contribute to good health, especially to the health of infants and children.[9][19] Some studies have shown that a lack of neighborhood recreational spaces including natural environment leads to lower levels of personal satisfaction and higher levels of obesity, linked to lower overall health and well being.[20] This suggests that the positive health benefits of natural space in urban neighborhoods should be taken into account in public policy and land use.
Genetics, or inherited traits from parents, also play a role in determining the health status of individuals and populations. This can encompass both the predisposition to certain diseases and health conditions, as well as the habits and behaviors individuals develop through the lifestyle of their families. For example, genetics may play a role in the manner in which people cope with stress, either mental, emotional or physical. For example, obesity is a very large problem in the United States[citation needed] that contributes to bad mental health and causes stress in a lot of people's lives. (One difficulty is the issue raised by the debate over the relative strengths of genetics and other factors; interactions between genetics and environment may be of particular importance.)
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Health - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Napoleon Hill Foundation | Dedicated to improving the world.
Posted: at 1:41 am
Wisdom from the World Learning Center
The Three Questions, written and illustrated by Jon J. Muth, is based on a story by Leo Tolstoy. In this childrens version, Nikolai is seeking the answers to three questions from Leo, the wise old turtle. Nikolais thoughtful questions are: a. When is the best time to do things? b. Who is the most important one? c. What is the right thing to do?
As Nikolai sets out on his quest to find answers to his questions, he encounters someone needing help and someone in trouble. By acting on what needs to be done in the moment, he is led to the answers he seeks while on his own journey.
Click to keep reading
Be your very best always,
Judy Williamson
Think and Grow Rich has been condensed into an easy-to-use app containing only the core principles for a quick, focused and enjoyable listening and learning experience. This Hero Notes Program accelerates your learning of Napoleon Hills wisdom through repetition of the chapter principles, narrated by Alan Blackwell and delivered in a first person perspective. This custom program offers you a new and creative way to learn and apply the lessons of Think and Grow Rich into your daily life. Download and start your journey to financial and personal success today! Download for Android Download for iOS
The Science of Success is a collection of writings by and about Napoleon Hill, author of the most widely read book on personal prosperity philosophy ever published, Think and Grow Rich. These essays and writings contain teachings on the nature of prosperity and how to attain it, and are published here in book form for the very first time. This work is a must-have item for Hills millions of fans worldwide!
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(Note to long-time readers: This is a newly-released edition of Napoleon Hill in the News, published by Tarcher/Penguin.)
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Napoleon Hill Foundation | Dedicated to improving the world.
Spiritual Evolution – Hermes Press
Posted: August 3, 2015 at 8:42 am
We begin our spiritual evolution by training our mental being to rise above itself--to refine and raise itself--to a metaphysical realm. Agreeing with Plato that physical objects are continually changing, we contemplate their forms as the constant, eternal elements. All things are made up of metaphysical, nonphysical, nonspatial, nontemporal, universal, eternal Forms (ideai, eide) manifesting in the physical universe as individual objects.
While the world of physical objects in space and time is known through sense perception and ordinary thought, the metaphysical world of Forms is known only through philosophic reflection, dialectical interchange, and contemplation--beyond ordinary experience and requiring special capabilities of apprehension.
After attaining the discernment of the metaphysical world of Forms, the ascent of the mind from ordinary consciousness, we strive to expand our consciousness into our spiritual body, with its own dynamic and sovereign mastery free from the mind's limitations.
We begin the development of a higher center of awareness in the spiritual realm. This involves "dying" to our old terrestrial consciousness and being born into a new spiritual body with its own faculties of awareness. We awaken--as an infant in a new realm--to the powers of discernment of this new body.
We learn to focus our consciousness on subtle, almost indiscernible elements, apprehended through impressions which are completely different from those of the physical, sensory world. We develop a new spiritual awareness with a new focus of consciousness within the soul, apart from our ordinary bodily awareness. As we harmonize the various powers of this new awareness center, we realize that there has occurred a transmutational descent of the Supramental Consciousness into our new being. We begin to understand Rilke's passage in his poem: "God wants to know Himself in you." and Mansur Al-Hallaj's statement: "I have seen my Lord with the eye of my heart, and I said: 'Who are You?' He said: 'You.'"
Notes:
1 See the author's recently published book The Perennial Tradition
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Spiritual Evolution - Hermes Press
Life Coaching for Personal and Professional Empowerment
Posted: August 2, 2015 at 12:42 pm
So here you are, searching the web to find a life coach. You might be anyone...
You might be an executive or the owner of a successful small business looking to find balance between the demands of work and the needs of your family. You might be an empty-nester looking to make a difference in the lives of others but not sure which direction to choose. Maybe it's simply that you want your already great relationship to be spectacular.
Perhaps you are a musician, a writer, or an artist looking for a creative breakthrough, or a doctoral candidate looking for the perfect thesis. You might even be a twenty-something techno whiz entrepreneur with a brilliant idea for a product or service that will change the world forever. Maybe you just want to figure out how to have more fun.
Whatever your circumstances, goals or dreams might be, the bottom line is that your life is in transition. And you are determined to make your life be what you want it to be! That's where a Professional Life Coach comes in: We will help you turn your dreams into reality.
- About Us -
LifeCoaching.com is a cooperative effort between Carmine Leo and Kellie deRuyter. We've been friends for over 40 years, through all the ups and downs that life has had to offer. Not surprisingly, our strongest connection has always been our relentless commitment to personal growth and the space of possibility, for ourselves, for each other, and for everyone whose path through life touches ours.
For more individualized information, please view our bio pages using either of the links below.
Click Here to meet CarmineClick Here to meet Kellie
We provide Professional Life Coach Training as well as coaching, training, certification, and assessments for Emotional Intelligence ( EI ).
- Our Coaching Philosophy -
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Life Coaching for Personal and Professional Empowerment
Personal Performance
Posted: at 12:42 pm
Personal Performance is founded on the principal of providing clients education and training on whole body wellness through alternative methods of nutrition, fitness training and injury rehabilitation. Established in 1994, we have been providing superior training and rehabilitation techniques that produce consistent, progressive results. Our commitment is to provide progressive personalized service and instruction that treats each client as a whole person to help each person achieve optimal wellness.
We address each clients personal goals. Whether your performance goals are as basic as being able to walk the dog comfortably into your 90s, or as extreme as achieving Olympic medals, our highly trained staff can help you achieve them.
At Personal Performance we Build Athletes Naturally! We have been practicing a holistic approach to health and fitness for nearly 20 years. Our foundation is built on best practices in core training, peripheral progression, soft tissue, nutrition, kinesiology and naturopathy. We have built a record with some of the areas top athletes, with many of those reaching the college or professional level.
Our background with professional sports teams and the educational system provide a natural fit for young athletes that want to excel, and their loved ones can rest assured that their performance achievements are completely natural and dont conflict with long-term health and lifestyle goals.
For the weekend athlete and/or those that really care about health we provide a laid-back, full service facility where you receive the personal attention needed to reach your fitness goals. Our staff of specialized trainers work with you to build a custom program to meet your needs, again utilizing our proprietary holistic fitness approach (see Philosophy).
We invite you to visit us at Personal Performance and see how we Build Athletes Naturally! Hours
7am to 6pm Monday through Friday
8am to 12pm Saturday
Location
1804 N. Lincoln (see map below) Urbana, IL 61801 217-337-4313
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Personal Performance
Personal Performance – Trainers – Urbana, IL – Photos – Yelp
Posted: at 12:42 pm
Specialties
Personal Performance Training & Rehabilitation specializes in adapting exercise, physical therapy, and massage therapy services to each individual client to help each person achieve optimal health and fitness. We offer individual exercise programs, small group exercise programs, personal training, physical therapy, and both therapeutic and relaxation massage therapy. Additionaly, our Founder, Doug Kleber, offers naturopathic medicine services.
Established in 1994.
Personal Performance is founded on the principal of providing clients education and training on whole body wellness through alternative methods of nutrition, fitness training and injury rehabilitation. Established in 1994 we have been providing superior training and rehabilitation techniques that produce consistent, progressive results. Our commitment is to provide progressive personalized service and instruction that treats the whole person and achieves optimal wellness.
Doug Kleber received his B.S. in Kinesiology from the University of Illinois. He is a Registered Kinesiotherapist and Certified Massage Therapist. Doug is a former All-American football player, collegiate baseball player and Pro NFL player. Doug's focus in working with athletes is on more than building strength; his treatments and training plans ensure that injured players are not only ready to get back into the game, but that they do so with sufficient strength and recovery to prevent future injury.
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Personal Performance - Trainers - Urbana, IL - Photos - Yelp
Personal Performance Solutions – PPS Home
Posted: at 12:42 pm
Services Teens
The teen aged years are an important transition for everyone that sets the tone for the rest of a person's life. Parenting a teen can be difficult, because there is so much change happening at once. Dr. Todd specializes in helping teens succeed in this period of their life.
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Cognitive and Behavioral interventions are very powerful ways of changing the way a person views and interacts with the world. With these methods, the person is able to accomplish more with less stress. Dr. Todd chooses the best techniques to accomplish your goals as quickly as possible.
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Psychological testing can be useful to determine the source of academic or professional performance problems.
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Neurofeedback trains the brain to function more effectively through operant conditioning, or by providing simple rewards to encourage proper functioning over several training sessions. This helps your brain to work with less distraction, more capacity, and more clarity.
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Sports Psychology is the application of sound psychological principles to improving human performance.
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Personal Performance Solutions - PPS Home
Anytime Fitness Gyms Goldsboro, North Carolina Fitness …
Posted: August 1, 2015 at 3:46 am
Anytime Fitness is the worlds largest 24 hour gym and co-ed fitness center chain
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At the Anytime Fitness center in Goldsboro, NC, you will find amazing amenitiesincluding the best fitness equipment available!. Plus, our health club has a friendly and supportive atmosphere. To help you get started, each new member receives a FREE personal fitness orientation!
At the Anytime Fitness center in Goldsboro, NC, were proud to offer the benefit of Anywhere Club Access. With this benefit, you can visit thousands of our fitness centers for the price of a standard monthly gym membership. With Anywhere Club Access, you can exercise wheneverand whereverit suits you best.
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Anytime Fitness Gyms Goldsboro, North Carolina Fitness ...