The Dumb Earthers

If you poke around enough you may be shocked to discover that a large number of people around the world believe that the Earth is flat. They have what they call "evidence" to prove their position (although, as in most cases of extreme cognitive dissonance gone askew, they choose to ignore the mountains of relevant evidence in favor of their custom made arguments that are designed to fit their desired model/outcome).

So how is it that people with enough brain cells to tie shoes and turn door knobs can be so easily swayed to believe something that is so profoundly untrue?

The answer: Cognitive Dissonance!

The brain defends its view of reality (understanding of the world around) by creating reality tunnels that fit the desired model. The end result is already achieved and only specific information is allowed in to support that ideal. Any other information is dismissed, modified, or explained away as a conspiracy or a delusion. When within the trap the mind truly experiences the false information and outcome as real. Then the brain must defend this reality by creating a justification as to why anything that conflicts with it is wrong.

Psychology expert Kendra Cherry describes Cognitive Dissonance this way:

"What Is Cognitive Dissonance? Psychologist Leon Festinger proposed a theory of cognitive dissonance centered on how people try to reach internal consistency. He suggested that people have an inner need to ensure that their beliefs and behaviors are consistent. Inconsistent or conflicting beliefs leads to disharmony, which people strive to avoid."

A common argument offered to the sane world by the Dumb Earthers is that their belief has evidence and the "belief" that the Earth is a globe is only based on conspiratorial lies given to us by NASA, and that the Earth being a globe is merely a "belief" based on what we have been told. Well, actually, they are stating exactly the problem with their argument, I suppose that is some subconscious projection.
They seem to think that this is a "belief vs belief" scenario and they urge us to "do the research". Well the research has been done and is exhaustive, and EVERY SINGLE POSITION they offer to support the flat Earth idea has been logically debunked. Science has taken an open position to understand reality, whereas the Dumb Earthers have taken a closed position and select their evidence to fit the closed position.
I do not believe the Earth is a globe, I UNDERSTAND that the Earth is a globe. There's a big difference.

With access to information available at the present time (2016) there should not be a single person on Earth who believes the Earth is flat, but there are many who do. That's because our psychological flaws and deficiencies will carry on far beyond our ability to control or correct them.

I will admit that while it is easy to understand that the Earth is a globe, it is not always easy for the weak-minded to understand the functions of their mind or to understand the what/why/how of beliefs.

“The church says the earth is flat; but I have seen its shadow on the moon, and I have more confidence even in a shadow than in the church.”
― Ferdinand Magellan

Don't accidently walk of the edge, my friends!

Morning Meditation

   

The morning is a great time to practice meditation, especially for people new to meditation or out of practice. The mind is closer to the state of freedom in the morning. Later in the day can be a difficult time to get the mind from frantic to calm. The bridge is shorter in the morning.
Here is an idea for morning meditation practice:

1. The first suggestion is important: Do not wake up to an alarm clock. I know this isn't possible for everybody, but perhaps it would be a good idea to redesign life, if possible, to allow the body to wake up gently. Recent research (and ancient wisdom) suggests that waking up to an alarm clock is bad for physical and mental health. Don't worry about what to do today or what's wrong with the world today. You can be a raging beast later this afternoon. For now just take things slowly.

2. The next suggestion is to practice meditation before brushing your teeth, washing your face, taking a shower, or drinking coffee. Drinking room temperature water is ok.

3. For the actual practice...

• Laying: Upon waking up, take it easy. Remain in bed and breathe. Begin your meditation right here. The mind is already calm and ready. Spend at least five minutes feeling life. You might fall asleep again here. That's ok. Start a new morning again when you wake up.
• Sitting: Next slowly get out of bed and sit at the bed corner. Continue breathing. Sit at the edge of the bed with eyes closed and a straight spine. Do this for five minutes and then slowly stand. There's no need to rush. The world isn't going anywhere.
• Standing: Finally, stand at the window or outside and absorb the scenery of the morning while taking in slow deeper natural breaths. Spend as long as you like here. The world around is coming alive and you are part of it. You may see things you normally miss and experience those things as they are rather than what they are. Move as slowly as the morning sun-god. If the gods can move so slow, then surely we mortals can too. There's actually nowhere to be but here. Don't be fooled into thinking otherwise.

Now you can begin the day with a pace set by your morning meditation. Brush teeth, drink more water, have coffee or tea, some food, take a walk, and if you must go to work, do so slowly.

“Every morning was a cheerful invitation to make my life of equal simplicity, and I may say innocence, with Nature herself.”
― Henry David Thoreau

Too Much Credit Given To The Tool

We live in a reality of action and reaction; cause and effect. This leads us to misunderstand the role of tools and actions. Far too often people credit (or blame) the tool for the action rather than the actor.
Below is a retort to common situations where the tool is blamed for the effect of the action...

Nobody was killed by guns.
No houses were built by hammers.
Nobody was saved by surgery tools.
Nobody who hanged themselves was killed by a rope.

We hear these logical fallacies often: It is the President's fault, it's your fault, it's their fault, it's because of guns, it's in God's hands, it's because of  this or that.

All the while the only thing accomplished is a passing off of personal responsibility. By "personal responsibility" I don't only mean the self (although self-accountability is a form of personal responsibility), but also the blame we assign to something arbitrary to the committer of actions. For example, a great many people blame all Muslims for the acts of Islamic extremists, they blame guns for the acts of murderers, they blame the alcohol for their buffoonery, they blame the President (scapegoat/figurehead) for the effects of a broken system.

Often the person is overlooked and we search for some factor that played a part in their actions, and there are external factors, but those external factors may have different effects on different persons. We can see this in experiments where results are not conclusive.

• Some tests show that heavy metal music kills plants. Some tests show that heavy metal music helps plants grow. Heavy metal cannot be blamed entirely for bad actions.
• Some Muslims study the Koran and (along with political influences) become violently radicalized. Some Muslims study the Koran and become vessels of peace. Islam cannot be blamed entirely for bad actions.
• Some people take LSD and go insane. Some people take LSD and become enlightened. LSD cannot be blamed entirely for bad results.
• Some people use guns to commit murder. Some people use guns for self-defense, sport, or hunting. The gun cannot be blamed for it's actions or use.
• Some people eat chocolate and experience bliss. Some are allergic and almost die. Chocolate cannot be blamed entirely for death.
• Some people use a hammer to build a house. Some people use a hammer to beat someone over the head. The hammer cannot be blamed entirely for the malicious intent.
• Some people are rich and become greedy. Some people are rich and practice philanthropy and charity. The money cannot be blamed entirely for the greed of the individual.

Truthfully, we can change the battery of a car a hundred times, but that will never fix the broken transmission.

A Predicment, a Persian, but No Morbid Angel

Here is a story about one of my many interactions with Muslim people....

I have personally never had a negative experience with a Muslim person. I have encountered many over the years through daily life, wrestling life, and my cultural explorations, and I call several my friends. Yet, these days the ignorant masses try to assure us that these people are blood-thirsty monsters ready to kill us all. It simply is not true. Here's one story:

A couple of years ago I was driving from home base Austin TX to San Antonio to see a Morbid Angel concert. Just as I arrived on the outskirts of San Antonio my tire blew. No problem, I went out and did my manly deed of changing to the spare tire and continued down the road towards the concert venue. Then the old spare blew less than a mile down the road. Now I'm in a predicament, broken down on a dangerous overpass.

It was night and my phone was dying and there were no open tire places nearby. So I decided to walk to the nearest Walmart seven miles away to buy a spare so I could limp the Jeep back to Austin. At this point I had given up on my chances to get to the concert, but as luck would have it I would see Morbid Angel (with a proper musician line up) two times in the year after.

The plan was to buy a tire and take a cab back to the Jeep. The price of spare donut tires had risen considerably since I last noticed, and I spent almost all of my $100 to buy the best one that could last the trip home. I figured I could carry it the seven miles back since I had no money left for a cab.

I left the store with the tire on my left shoulder. I stood there at the parking lot curb thinking of what I could do. From my right I heard a man's voice with a Persian accent.

He said "Brother, do you need a cab?"
I replied "No thanks. I spent all my money on this tire. I can walk back to my Jeep."
"Flat tire? How far is it?" he asked.
"It's far. Just over seven miles." I answered.
He said "Pahlavan, I see your ear. I will help you. I will give you a ride for free."
("Pahlavan" is a wrestling reference in Iran that means "champion". His reference to my ear was about my cauliflower ear, which is noticeable damaged cartilage from years of wrestling. Wrestling is a national sport in Iran.)

He gave me a ride all the way back to my Jeep and wouldn't even accept the $2.37 change I had in my pocket. His kindness helped me out, and it motivated me to get my task done.

During the ride we had some light conversation.

Driver: "Where were you going in San Antonio? To see a girl?"
Me: "No. I was going to see a concert."
Driver: "Which concert?
Me: "Morbid Angel." 
Driver: "What kind of music is it?"
Me: "Heavy metal."
Driver: "Ah! Many people in my country like heavy metal!"

He dropped me off. I thanked him and he wished me well.

I put on the spare and drove 20 miles per hour on the service roads all the way back to Austin.

It was a long night for me, I missed the concert and spent many hours trying to solve the predicament, but it was made a little shorter and easier by a Muslim who treated me like a brother.

The moral lesson here about our society's general judgment about Muslims is one I had already learned, but it is worth sharing.

Our Dumb Words

Why does our species say such incredibly dumb things?

A bit of sarcastic satire may help clarify.
Here are a few examples...

●"There's poo in beards." 

Well, there is, and it's on your toothbrush too. But fear not, we will all survive this bacterial epidemic!
●"If man evolved from monkeys then why are there still monkeys?" 

This is the dumbest utterance spoken by humans. God invented velcro shoes for people who are too dumb to tie a knot.
●"Obama's gonna invade Texas." 

First he must find it on a map. Don't tell him it's near Mexico.
●"If we let gays get married, the next thing you know people are gonna want to marry their dogs." 

Some dogs look good in a tux.
●"If you don't wanna get beat up by the cops then don't break the law." 

No shit? It's that easy?
●"God hates fags." 

It's amazing how much a non-human divine entity suffers from petty human maladies such as hate and jealousy.
●"Don't judge me." 

Oh you mean you? The one who wants laws to tell others what they can and can't do with their bodies? Ok!
●"Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there." 

Please for Christ's sake if you love your mother think of something more original and heartfelt to say.

●"It's Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve." 

This little nugget of white trash wisdom is the 'ah ha!' light bulb moment of transcendental awakening for the gene-damaged. It even rhymes!
●"If you don't vote then you don't have the right to complain." 

Well actually it's the opposite: If you DO vote then you don't have the right to complain. You're the one who gave these nutbag politicians your permission and endorsement.
●"My condolences. Your Uncle Jimmy is in a better place now. He's with your Aunt Ethel in eternal heaven."
Aunt Ethel? You mean Uncle Jimmy is stuck in eternity with Aunt Ethel? The woman who survived 20 years too long because of an oxygen tube and forced us as kids to eat jello fruit salad she accidentally dropped cigarette butts into??? She's the reason Uncle Jimmy drank too much! Nobody wants to be stuck with creepy old Aunt Ethel!
●"Don't judge me." 

Oh, you mean you? The wife beater felon with a bag of crack cocaine and a 'fuck you' tattoo on your forehead? OK!
●"If you eat pop rocks and soda at the same time you will explode. That's how Mikey from the Life cereal commercials died."

 This written-in-stone fact of American cultural lore is absolutely true.

This list is not comprehensive or exhaustive.

As Albert Einstein once said, "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."

Sombunall

The word "sombunall", which means "some but not all", could be a highly useful word. It was coined by ontological language master Robert Anton Wilson. It functions as a condition attached to the word following it. This changes the sentence from a jarring absolute into a soft semantic glide.

"Women are crazy."
"Sombunall women are crazy."

Which of these two sentences is wrong? Which offers enough leeway to be sensible and variable to context and other yet-to-be-determined conditions?

In actuality "sombunall" is an excessive use of syllables. "Sombunall" simply means "some", since "some" already implies "not all".
However, the word "some" is often easily overlooked, so for the spirit of effect I like to use "sombunall". It brings attention to the condition you are attaching to the subject.

Joe A: "Some dingos have displayed acts of aggression in some cases."
Joe B: "Hey this asshole just said all dingos are aggressive! Can you believe the nerve of this guy???"

Or alternatively...

Joe A: "Sombunall dingos have displayed acts of aggression in some cases."
Joe B: "Sombunall dingos? What the hell is a sombunall dingo???"

There are very few absolutes in this world.
2+2=4, but not all 2s equal 4. They only equal four when given the condition of +2.
You could say "Sombunall 2s equal 4." Then someone would need to figure out which 2s equal 4. Only the 2s that have the condition of +2 added to them equal 4, but not all 2s equal 4.

In societal culture we have situations that almost always have complex variable or unknown conditions. This makes "sombunall" very useful in statements about our complex relations. The more complicated the cultural situations, the more possible variables exist.

Here is an exercise.
Change these absolute statements into statements that allow for variables using "sombunall":

"Cops are dicks."
"White men can't jump."
"Snakes are poisonous."
"Frogs are green."
"Muslims are the enemy."
"Chickens lay eggs."
"Pot smokers are dumb."
"Humans are the smartest animals on Earth."
"Steppenwolf songs are awesome."
"Flags wave in the breeze."
"Republicans/Democrats/other/etc are wrong."

"Apes have gone askew."

Enjoy using SOMBUNALL. It can change the dynamics of your expressions and prevent you from getting backed into the semantic corners of absolutes.

Here are links to more resources about sombunall...

http://deoxy.org/wiki/Sombunall

https://stancarey.wordpress.com/2013/10/03/sombunall-coinages-become-cult-words/

http://vixenstrangelymakesuncommonsense.blogspot.com/2010/06/ask-your-doctor-if-time-is-right-for.html

ALSO! PLEASE JOIN OUR FACEBOOK GROUP "APES GONE ASKEW!"

Becoming Aware Of

In the book "Drive Yourself Sane: Using the Uncommon Sense of General Semantics" by Susan Presby Kodish and Bruce I. Kodish, there is a part discussing how people learn from their experiences. There are four basic steps:

1. Becoming aware of
2. Questioning
3. Testing
4. Revising their assumptions

The problem many people encounter is that they often do not get past Step 1. They simply "become aware of" and that ends the learning experience. This is also called "belief" or "faith". 

A belief may or may not be true or real (or both), and does have a place in attempting to create a model of understanding of the unknown.

As examples, a person who is raised Christian reads The Bible and thus "becomes aware of" that interpretation of reality as fact, while on the other side of the world someone reads the Koran and accepts that model of reality. For the established belief nothing more is necessary. This is why religion tends to suppress steps 2, 3, and 4, because often times questioning, testing, and revising conflict with what is taught fundamentally.

This phenomenon of awareness/acceptance/surrender/repression/belief (lack of higher consciousness) is not isolated to religion (although many people do use religion as a tool towards higher consciousness, many become stuck in the particular dogmas). We also see it in politics, classism/racism/sexism/elitism/etc, social ideology, and within human relations (and even in science).

The average stumbling primate is fully unaware that they have ended their potential for expansion. They think they "know". When this knowing is established (blindly and without question) it becomes solid and unmalable. The rigidity of the knowledge shuts down more information trying to enter the brain, or adapts the information to fit the initial belief (i.e. dinosaurs and humans living together as to not conflict with the creationist model of the age of the Earth). If one were to inquire beyond the belief one would find common denominators among beliefs and ideas, and the lines of separation would begin to blur. 

Extreme and chronic lack of inquiry leads to polarization of ideas, lack of cooperation in the world, division, and fundamentalism which keeps the world from progressing and evolving. With fluid, permeable boundaries mankind can exchange tools and ideas and function more productively and cohesively.

A way to break this pattern of "becoming aware of" is to realize the patterns and abandon beliefs when new information arises. We must allow our beliefs to bend in the wind. This is done by questioning, testing, and revising our assumptions (beliefs).

To allow the mystery is against our human conditioning, but advancement and beauty are found in the potentials of mystery.

Here's a short example in scenario form:

(BECOMING AWARE OF)
Wife: Honey, I heard a noise in the living room. I think a burglar is in the house.
(QUESTIONING)
Hubby: ok, I will check it out.
(TESTING)
Hubby: Hey!!! Who's there??? I've got a gun!
(REVISING THE ASSUMPTION)
Grandma: It's your mother! Don't shoot! I was just bring the grandchildren some cookies!
Hubby: At 11 o'clock at night? You scared the hell out of us!!!

Some people would have shot grandma first and asked questions later!

To learn more about how we perceive the world and get stuck in our own mud, please read "Drive Yourself Sane".

The Textbooks For Life And Living

THE TEXTBOOKS FOR LIFE AND LIVING

To function maximally physically one must consume high quality food and exercise the body.
To function maximally psychologically one must consume high quality information and exercise the mind.
If more people than not read the following book list we would find a world transformed and transcended beyond its own confusion.
These are the textbooks I recommend for graduating to higher levels of life and sanity.

 The Bhagavad Gita

Excellent teaching for non-religious philosophy as well as religious practices. As with all religious texts there is more gained when read metaphorically rather than literally.

Tao Te Ching

As with many old texts there are many translations. All translations are imperfect, even from English to English and person to person! Interpretations may be tricky, and you may read passages from the Tao Te Ching multiple times and gain multiple insights. Never read with the blinders of dogma and certitude.

Science and Sanity

"Science and Sanity" by Alfred Korzybski outlines the tools and practice of General Semantics. It is a very long and difficult book to read. I have read it in bits and once from cover to cover. Alternatively I would suggest reading "Drive Yourself Sane" by Susan Presby Kodish and Bruce I. Kodish.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

This ancient text contains 196 sutras of Raja Yoga that can each be used as a tool towards higher mind.

Prometheus Rising and Quantum Psychology

When most people think of Robert Anton Wilson they think of his surrealist fiction books such as "The Illuminatus Trilogy" and "Schrodinger's Cat Trilogy". I find great understanding in his non-fiction psychology books. They are great tools for understanding the mind and unconvincing yourself of that which your brain tricks itself into thinking it knows. Understanding the functions of the mind and belief can help dissolve the ego fiction that rules the mind.

Freedom From The Known

Everybody's favorite anti-guru lays out a great lecture on embracing uncertainty in this mind-expanding classic.

Walden and Civil Disobedience

Henry David Thoreau wrote "Walden", a transcendental observation of reality from his two year experiment of semi-isolation. It will offer an entirely new way of seeing your own world.
"Civil Disobedience" will transform your understanding of the importance of freedom and resistance to anything or anyone who wishes to impose upon your freedom. It greatly influenced Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr in their struggles against oppression.

The Book

Alan Watts was a great bridge between East and West thought. He was quite eloquent in his speaking and writing. Many think "The Book" is his best work. It covers topics that will take the reader out of daily petty concerns and into a bigger picture.

Critical Path

Buckminster Fuller's writing can be tough to read but well worth the endeavor. In "Critical Path" he discusses the importance of taking care of our world and the importance of taking care of each other instead of only self concerns.

The Misadventures Of The "C-Word"

Words are tools. Sometimes tools become weapons. We all know that.
But we can sometimes turn a blunt tap into a sharp thrust with our over-sensitivity to words.
For example, a four letter word strikes deep at the hearts of some. This word starts with a "c" and ends with a "t", and although it isn't "cat" it seems to be loosely related to that word.
The "c-word" is that sharp effective and sometimes necessary screeching sound made when the blade of the sword strikes the crossguard of the opponent's weapon causing sparks to fly. This term of endearment is weilded with great skill by some, and rather foolishly by others.
It's a simple word: four little symbols arranged in a particular way, uttered by one and translated by another; felt by both. But to most humans on Earth the letters "c", "u", "n", and "t" are total jibberish,  regardless of what order they are in.
Words are what we allow them to be. To be honest, the "c-word " (like all words) does have a time and context for appropriate application.  Perhaps not as a general statement such as "All women are cuntaloons", but individually one person may feel and express that another specific person is a "cuntaloon ", and that person may reasonably retort. The cycle may then continue until exhaustion or boredom sets in....
or until whole nations are at war.
It depends.