Science of Maya (Grant)

But the unreal, the irrational, the surreal, is of a different order of being. It does not exist in the sense that our bodies exist, for existence (by definition) implies a 'being outside,' an extension or exteriorization of consciousness in terms of space and time, of subject objectifying itself. True being has no existence, although it never ceases to be. Being is thus capable of existing (outside) but such existence is not essential to its being. This is why non-being has usually and mistakenly been assumed to be the only reality, in that it never changes, never becomes, never manifests, never exists outside its Self. Magic is the science of Maya, of creating the illusion of existence; of objectivication.

-- from Outside the Circles of Time (Kenneth Grant)

Unconscious brain makes best decisions

Cognitive science researchers at the University of Rochester (NY) have conducted tests suggesting that the best decisions are made when the conscious part of the brain is least involved with the process. The evidence demonstrates that the way the brain gathers and correlates data is designed to enable efficient decision making with minimal expenditure of time and energy.

http://tinyurl.com/9ofp2l

Identifying images by watching the brain

In the latest development in the field of neuroimaging, researchers have watched the brain of someone watching an image, and were actually able to perform reasonable reconstructions of the image. Researchers had already demonstrated that they are able to recognize which image a person was looking at when given a limited collection of pictures. Separately, it has been determined that the visual cortex contains a rough map of the eye's retina, implying a degree of spatial organization. The authors of the new paper cite previous results where researchers have identified small images (3x3 pixels) with over 50 percent accuracy simply by following the activity of the visual cortex. The new work significantly ups the ante by moving to 10 x 10 pixel black-and-white images, which are big enough to represent alphabetic characters.

http://tinyurl.com/5pd5ye

As It Is So Be It (DeGrimston)

A man cannot change his way of life by changing his clothes nor by speaking with a different voice. To change basically, permanently and meaningfully he must reach down into himself and pluck himself out by the roots. A man cannot lose his fear by telling himself that he is not afraid and believing it. He must know his fear; see it, feel it, and accept it. Then, if he does that which he is afraid to do, says that which he is afraid to say, thinks that which he is afraid to think, sees that which he is afraid to see and knows that which he is afraid to know, he has no fear, for by making known what was unknown or only half known, he discovers his basic invulnerability.

-- Robert DeGrimston (Process Church of Final Judgement), "As It Is"

Complete text at

http://www.feastofhateandfear.com/archives/asitis.html

Voudoo science (Bertiaux)

It is not enough to say that the symbol is a sign which suggests something mystical. The symbol must be a machine or engine for the generation of magical power in its own way, not in any way which depends on the mere mind of the practitioner. Voudoo must be a science of success which works for every mind, and not because of mental attitude alone . . . Voudoo is not psychological, it is metaphysical and physical.

-- Michael Bertiaux (qtd. in Kenneth Grant's Hecate's Fountain)

Wider use of brain-enhancing drugs suggested

A group of researchers have suggested that increased use of brain-boosting stimulant chemicals may benefit people in many fields of endeavor. Research on the brain's function is accelerating and a new era of designed cognitive enhancement is upon us, the experts assert.

They cited a survey indicating that a large number of university students already utilize prescription brain-enhancing stimulants for both academic and non-academic purposes.

The scientists suggested that doctors and responsible individuals in other fields evaluate the costs and benefits of encouranging wider use of such drugs. Others warn that the negative side effects of many such drugs outweigh their benefits, however.

http://tinyurl.com/5ztca5

Internet searching stimulates brain

A study conducted by UCLA to be published shortly in the Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry suggests that internet searching can stimulate brain activity at a greater rate than ordinary reading.

Elderly volunteers were scanned with MRIs while half the study group used the Internet and the other half performed ordinary reading tasks. The MRI scan indicated that both text reading and Internet searching stimulated the regions of the brain controlling language, reading, memory and vision. But the Internet search activated more neural regions, including regions controlling complex reasoning and decision making. This increased brain activity, probably due to the many rapid choices such searches involve, suggests that subjects had a richer sensory experience and heightened attention.

http://tinyurl.com/5mvnvn