by Marcha Fox
Dream symbolism is unique and their meaning seldom obvious. Even colors have specific interpretations. Have you ever had the same dream more than once? This is called a recurring dream. What do you think it means? Why are dreams necessary?
2. Premonitions and psychic ability were once dismissed by science but are being studied today in an attempt to discover how they work and why. Scientists such as Dean Radin and several others study the human consciousness and its abilities that currently do not have any scientific explanation. While they have not identified how psychic phenomena operate they have done statistical studies that show when something goes beyond simple chance. Similar studies have been conducted regarding the practice of astrology by a scientist named Michel Gauquelin. Many scientists reject these subjects and studies because they cannot be proven mathematically or by experiments which are repeatable. History has shown, however, that many of these subjects that were at one time rejected by mainstream science eventually were accepted as the evidence for such increased or technology developed which was able to detect such phenomena. Maintaining an open mind and investigating the evidence for such subjects is the best approach rather than making assumptions that may later prove false.
3. World history is filled with individuals and political forces that wanted to use or control others. Examples include Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Benito Mussolini, Napoleon, Attila the Hun, Genghis Khan and the Holy Roman Empire to name a few. These entities initially gathered numerous supporters yet eventually failed. Consider what motivated those who wanted power and control as well as those who fought such efforts.
4. Have you ever had a strong impression to do or not to do something? Did you heed the warning? If not, what happened, if anything? If it were to happen again what would you do?
Chapter 3 (The Think Tank)
1. Information gathering takes place largely through our five senses, i.e. sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell. When any of those senses are impaired, such as someone who is blind or deaf, the other senses are sharpened to compensate as much as possible. Sight allows you to not only see the world around you but is key to skills such as reading and observing another person's expression and body language, offering another level of information beyond what they are saying. How a person smells provides information as well, whether it is expensive perfume, an athlete after performing a physical feat such as a marathon, or the smell of garlic from their native diet. A handshake likewise tells you something about a person through your sense of touch, whether it is limp, cold and sweaty or firm and confident. Taste can bring pleasure or displeasure and provide information regarding whether or not food will taste good or is spoiled. But what about other senses such as instincts or psychic phenomena? What are they? Does everyone have them with only a few accessing them? Or is it their imagination?
The collective consciousness is a term used to refer to the overall mental state of humankind, the cosmic soup of mental energy emitted by every living person on Earth at any given time. It's interesting to note that sometimes scientific discoveries occur simultaneously in two different locations involving two or more individuals. One example is the "discovery" of the mathematical technique known as calculus which was invented in England by Sir Isaac Newton (1642 - 1727) as well as a man in Germany named Gottfried Leibniz (1646 - 1716.) Social ideas and themes predominate different eras, imbuing them with a personality of their own.
In modern times a man named Roger Nelson has conducted experiments using random number generators which tend to change in character when significant events occur or are about to occur, indicating a change of energy, for example around September 11, 2001. The Web-bot is another experiment which collects keywords from the internet and can indicate what many individuals are thinking or talking about and has been used as a predictive tool for world events. These theories are controversial and not believed by everyone since they are yet to be conclusively proven. However, proving something of this nature is difficult due to the lack of a scientific theory that predicts not only the behavior but the mechanism through which it is conveyed.
The concept of the Think Tank in this story theorizes that a crystal with certain properties could possibly collect and amplify thought waves but this is pure science fiction speculation. Nonetheless, crystals have been an important element in communications since the invention of the first crystal radio.
2. Have you ever gotten to know someone who you initially thought was "weird?" It's natural to be drawn to people who are like you but they will not be able to stretch your horizons like those who are not. Fear of the unknown, including people who seem strange, is natural, but like most fear, worth the effort to overcome. In particular, consider those who are handicapped or different from you in a way such as mental or intellectual. One example is those with Down's Syndrome. There is a wide range of abilities covered by this genetic problem from those who can function almost as well as someone considered normal to those who have great difficulty with the simplest tasks. However, anyone who has ever known one of these individuals has recognized, they are nearly always happy. Their limited awareness shields them from most of the troubles of the world, much as a small child is usually unaware, allowing them to entirely embrace the present and whatever they are doing. They are curious about simple, everyday happenings and can teach you to embrace the many things you have to be grateful for in your life. Volunteer work with various organizations who help these individuals can be very rewarding, such as helping with an activity such as Special Olympics.
Another example is those with autism or a form of that condition known as Asperger's syndrome. Again, there is a huge range of this affliction from those who function within "normal" range to those who are entirely in a world of their own. Many have incredible abilities, particularly in math, and an ability to synthesize information in an amazing way. They see the world through different eyes, yet it is the same world we all live in which makes it all the more interesting to see it in a different way.
Yet another example is those who have full mental capacities yet are handicapped physically, either because of a birth defect, disease or accident. These individuals will be much like you other than their physical disabilities. How they compensate for their limitations and view life can be very enlightening for those who take such a simple thing as taking a walk for granted.
Chapter 4 - 5 (Plans & The Fault Tree)
1. What do you worry about?
It has been said that worry is a waste of perfectly good creativity. Humans can typically only think consciously of one thing at a time and if you're fretting about something that will exclude thinking about anything else. Much of worry concerns things which will never happen, which is the worst case of wasted energy. While it is always good to have common sense, take proper precautions and plan for life in general, worry in the form of fretting is generally unproductive. If nothing else, it distracts you from the positive side of things and how to achieve important goals. Optimism or thinking on the bright side of things is more productive and conducive to energy and enthusiasm that being consumed by doom and gloom. In the book, "Infinite Possibilities: The Art of Living Your Dreams," author Mike Dooley admonished his readers to not worry about "the cursed hows." He claims that focusing on your goals and what you want doesn't require lots of worrying with regard to how you'll get there. He promises that as you visualize where you want to go that ideas and guidance will come your way in the natural course of things which you simply have to follow like stepping stones. Maintaining a sense of wonder, hope, faith and a firm belief in yourself will naturally lead you to your destination.
2. Physicists today believe that there are numerous other dimensions besides the four we are aware of, in other words three dimensions of space and one of time. One dimension is represented by a single point, such as the period at the end of this sentence. Add a dimension and you have a line or flat plane of existence. With another dimension you c
an define a physical object you can hold in your hand. Time relates to where that object may be at any point in time. Yet current theories such as the one known as String Theory, suggest there may be many others which we cannot see, yet are not far away. While these theories are often mind-boggling, pondering what they could mean is a good mental exercise for your imagination. Spiritual beliefs commonly testify of another dimension of existence and have for thousands of years. The fact that science is starting to catch up with what spiritual leaders have been saying all along is certainly food for thought.
3. What do you think it would be like to live on Mira III where everything is mostly under control? What would be the advantages and disadvantages of such a culture?
Self-control is something to strive for, whatever your age happens to be. We can control our thoughts, if nothing else, but this is not always easy so it could be advantageous to have a little help. Learning to delay a response is possible but takes practice as well as discipline. Some people are naturally more patient than others. If you have a temper you may find yourself provoked to anger in a blinding flash of adrenaline that puts you immediately into fight or flight mode. This take a lot of mental energy and practice to subdue and usually takes a lot more effort than counting to ten, though that is a good start. Think about what you would like to control better and consider whether you would like someone to do that for you or whether you prefer to make all your own decisions.
4. Building a fault tree is one time when thinking about everything that can go wrong is a positive thing. As part of planning it helps assure success as you specifically consider all possibilities and define a way to prevent, work around or deal with the situation. This is a technique that was used heavily at NASA to assure they didn't miss anything. Fault trees were used to identify potential hazards and how to control them, which were then documented on hazard reports. In some cases there may not be a control in which case the risk has to be accepted yet avoided as much as possible. This was contributed to by the quality of the component which assured it was designed and manufactured to appropriate standards as well as its reliability, which was a probability measurement of how long it would last before it wore out and failed to function properly. Think of an item you're familiar with such as a bicycle, toaster, lawnmower or some other thing that has the potential to hurt you in some way then make a fault tree defining what those hazards are and what would cause them.
Chapter 6 (Prisoners)
1. Numerous people have been clinically dead then been revived by medical technology. These individuals typically describe similar experiences regarding what it was like while they were "dead" or out of their body. In fact, these are often called "out of body experiences" or OBEs. These experiences are particularly interesting within the context of various religious views regarding the spirit and life after death. Do you know anyone who has experienced an OBE? How do you feel about their story? Do you think what they experienced was real?
2. Do you have any special talents?
A talent is usually described as something one person can do much better than others. In many cases this derives from the fact that the person loves a particular activity or subject and thus spends a lot of time practicing, such as in dance or a sport, and/or learning about it. Thus, most talents are developed and result from a person's love of something. Some are born with an obvious and rare talent, such as the ability to play a musical instrument without ever having had any lessons or instruction but this is very unusual. Even those who are considered extremely talented in some area usually spend many hours practicing so just because you have a talent doesn't mean you won't have to work at it.
Chapter 7 (Release)
1. When you are afraid or nervous you experience various physical sensations. Sweating, shaking, brain fog or racing thoughts are just a few that occur when adrenaline surges through your bloodstream along with various other stress hormones. This reaction is essentially the same whether you are face to face with a rattlesnake or an algebra exam. The latter is a condition known as test anxiety and afflicts students of all intelligence levels. Ironically a bad case of test anxiety is likely to compromise your performance. The first step is to identify the cause which is usually fear of failure which will result in bad consequences. However, it's unlikely that it's a matter of life and death. Self-help books on the subject are available which can help you understand why you are so intimidated by exams with counseling an option as well. Learning to control anxiety in situations that are not life-threatening can help you eventually learn to maintain control in those that are.
2. What is one way to prepare for a critical situation?
Of course mental preparation is important but even more so is knowing what to do. Those who make a living in crisis situations such as policemen, firemen, Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), healthcare personnel and those in the military go through long periods of training to prepare them for as many potential problems as possible. With training many procedures become automatic in that they don't require conscious thought. These individuals can enter a "zone" where they respond according to their training and avoid fear or confusion with regard to what has to be done. This is the purpose behind fire drills as well. When something becomes routine and you know what to do in a given situation are less likely to panic. What are some situations you could train for? It might be helpful to interview someone such as an emergency responder and ask how they have learned to suppress their emotions and fulfill their responsibilities while under pressure.
3. Why do you think that doctors often will not treat their own family members?
No matter how well-trained or competent a medical professional is suspending judgment, retaining objectivity and controlling emotional responses is more difficult when the patient is a person you care about. This can induce nervousness and impair decision making and thus compromise the ability to take appropriate action.
Chapter 8 (Complications)
Murphy's Law states "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong." Do you think this is true? How do worrying and negative thoughts influence your actions? What's the difference between worrying about something going wrong and planning for something to go wrong? Worry usually means that you're fearful about something, which can induce anxiety symptoms discussed above. This can compromise your ability to think clearly. When you have a plan you can feel confident that you can handle any contingency, maintain mental clarity and not waste energy or adrenaline. It has been said that worry is a waste of creative energy. What does this mean? Many things people worry about never occur, thus it is often no more than a product of their imagination. It also has a negative spin that the outcome will be bad. Focusing on how to mitigate a problem restores a sense of control. Then you can develop procedures that you can train for and then respond in a logical, confident manner.
Chapter 9 (Waiting)
1. Why do you think medical technology failed to bring 'Merapa back to life? Why could Win bring him back?
2. What do you do when you need the answer to an important question? Do you "rack your brain," research the issue, or find a quiet place to ponder what the answer could be? Which do you think is most effective? Why?
Chapter 10 (Recovery)
1. If you were a doctor with two patients of the same age and general physical condition with the same disease but one was unhappy and lonely and the other was happy and surrounded with people who loved him which one do you think would be most likely to get well? How does your mental state affect the way you feel physically? What do you do to cheer yourself up or do you count on other people to do that?
2. Name some things you know are real but don't yet have scientific explanations. Do you think that science will eventually uncover the reason for everything, including life itself?
3. Throughout history both science and religion have been right sometimes over the other as well as wrong. Sometimes religion turns a deaf ear to scientific
theories which have been well-proven and science often ignores or vilifies phenomena it can't explain. What is the basis of their respective attitudes?
Chapters 11 - 12 (Politics and Alliances)
1. What does the expression "No mistakes, only detours" mean to you? How can it help you learn from experience and progress?
2. Another expression to ponder is "It's not what you know but who you know." What are the positive and negative results when this happens? How can you use that principle in a positive way? Is it wrong to advance yourself by calling in favors? Why or why not?
3. Is Governor Woeyel's philosophy of government liberal or conservative? What are the pros and cons of each?
4. Many of today's technologies originated as military applications. One example is the GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite network which originated for military surveillance activities and has now been released for civilian use. Even space exploration began with military motivations. When President Dwight Eisenhower created the National Aeronautics and Space Agency he wanted it to be a civilian agency, not one run by the military. Nonetheless, it was the Cold War back in the 1950s that motivated the United States to get to the Moon before the Russians. Why would the Moon make an important outpost?
5. If you could increase your knowledge and intelligence by simply entering a certain room what would be the first thing you would want to know?
Chapter 13 (The Miran Connection)
1. Have you ever been reunited with someone close to you from whom you'd been separated for a long time? What surprised you the most about the reunion?
2. Why is it important to maintain proper appearances and avoid situations that can be misinterpreted? Why is it risky to draw conclusions based on appearances alone?
Chapters 14 (Negative Spikes)
1. What can you tell about a person from what they read, watch on TV, or the games they play?
2. If thoughts become things what effect could good ones have on their surroundings? What about bad ones?
