Rites of passage: Self Initiation

I wrote the following text over a month ago, before my trip to Bulgaria but didn't publish it back then. I wanted to see how things play out. And now it's good to reflect back on the things I wrote...

This is my birthday text. I am turning 25. It means that I have now been breathing the air of this planet for 24 years. It is a completion of a cycle. The cyclical nature of reality is quite interesting when you think about it. There are 24 hours in one day, 12 months in a year, 12 years in the Chinese astronomical cycle etc. I was born on the year of the Dragon, and as the year of the Dragon is every 12 years, also my 24th year was the year of the Dragon. As one cycle closes, a new one begins. The wheel of time keeps turning.

My life has been changing in many ways quite recently, and this time seems like a certain kind of culmination point in my life. Leaving behind old patterns of behavior and creating new ones. At the moment I am in my hometown Tornio, Finland. Just returned from a hiking trip to Lapland, and leaving for Bulgaria next week to do a bit of voluntary work. I was not planning on this but it just happened to come my way and so I decided to go. There are moments when you know you are in the right place in the right time, it's like putting pieces of a puzzle together and realizing how they all fit together. It happens all the time in everyday life when people think about certain things or other people and suddenly these things are right in front of them or their phone rings or a certain song starts playing on the radio... Then they say: "The strangest thing happened today..." or they might joke about telepathy or magic and superstition etc.

Carl Jung coined the term synchronicity to describe this phenomenon and did a great deal of scientific research on the topic. I have read  a bit of his work just to check if it confirms my own experiences. This is because I have had some very profound events that made me wonder what was going on. It was like a wake up call, an awakening to a new type of reality that I had no idea about before. It was a breakthrough that made me reconsider my whole attitude towards life. At first it was quite bizarre because like I already said before, I was not sure what was going on. But I am sure that many people could describe this type of experience as a some kind of divine guidance or destiny that could easily explain why some people suddenly are converting to some religion or have "found Jesus". But a bit of research helped me to stay grounded.

Synchronicity is a nice and convenient term but to describe such a curious thing for someone who has not experienced it is very hard. Therefore approaching it from a "scientific" angle may not lead to a result where someone could find this type of consciousness. It is hard to share. I would also attribute synchronicity to what early Christians called Gnosis. It is knowing. And when you know it, you know you know it. There is no guessing. It's like having an orgasm, if you start thinking if you had it or not, then you obviously didn't.

So, a revelation like this was a wonderful experience. It was an initiation, a glimpse of the future. It showed that there is more than the mundane. Break on through to the other side.

After a while I got used to thinking a bit differently. A random incidence was not random anymore, I found my life more meaningful. And naturally I began to follow these "leads". Meeting a new person exactly at the right time was very uplifting. Perhaps some of them felt the same way but that didn't really matter. It was about walking the path. I see the same roots where Christianity, Islam, Buddhism or pretty much any major religion or smaller "cult" stem from. There is no need for a mediator between yourself and what some may call God. It means taking back the power that dogmatic institutions have taken from us.

What am I talking about here? Nature. The interconnectedness of everything. God. It is the God of everyone and no one. We all possess it but no one can claim to own it. It is not their God, and it certainly is not my God. It just is. For some reason we have this crazy idea of ownership and separation. We argue about who is "right", is it the Christians or Muslims or Jews... We wonder who are God's chosen people.We all are. We just need to become the hero of our own story.

One thing that I pay even more attention than before is my intention. Not only thoughts and words but especially when I write something, make music or anything artistic. In some ways it is about relieving the feelings I have inside. Right now when I write these words, I am not really thinking that much but trying to allow things to flow out of me as naturally as I can. I have always done that but now I can do it more consciously. It is interesting to look back at things I did a few years ago when I did my best to embed my emotions into music. It is not only therapeutic but also a way to build yourself a roadmap into the future. This means transformation, metamorphosis. We can become something better, day by day, step by step. We can strip our addictions and turn them into virtues when we have some sort of a destination in sight. Buddha mind, Christ consciousness, enlightenment, nirvana, samadhi... those are ultimate goals but a human being is like an onion. We must peel off one layer at a time to get to the core. The path is to become ourselves, the highest mind that we all possess.

There are sacraments to this process. Ways to reach further. It has become apparent to me that there are very good reasons why religions have so many teachings revolving around food. Certain things people shouldn't eat, the forbidden fruit, the Holy Communion, holy water and so on. But we need to go much deeper than what the Church teaches because they only hand out placebos. But once you understand where these religions come from, everything becomes clear. We must go way back to the Native people. All around the world there can be found shamanic traditions who have a real communion, that connection to the source. It is so sad how their traditions have been systematically persecuted and almost destroyed. In Finland, for example, we have lost this connection completely. Sacred groves were burned and drums were torn. Now it's a legend, something to sell to the tourists. But the same has happened everywhere. Temples and pyramids are places of trade. There is one mention in the Bible when Jesus loses his temper. It is because of money changers who had taken over his "Father's house". Of course we can see this story as a metaphor to the body temple as well. The true beauty in many sacred texts is that they have many levels to them.

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

I have never really considered myself as an artist. Time to change that. I have come to the conclusion that it would be quite beneficial for each and every one of us to regard ourselves as artists. I am not just talking about playing music or painting pictures etc. I mean the art of living - becoming the ceremonial master of your own reality.

What I mean by that is not so easily explained but hopefully you get the idea by the end of this text. It is something that has always been a part of my life philosophy but I have never really attempted to put it into words. So I am not only explaining this to my dear readers but to myself as well. Self-examination is a powerful tool in our everyday life, and that is what I am doing here in this text, continued from my previous entry, Turning the page to a new age.

What kind of person have I become?

How do I perceive myself and how do I portray myself to others?

How did I get to this point in life?

Where am I heading?

I have been working on these questions for quite a while, and they are very basic questions in any given self development strategy. But applying them into your own being is where the art of living comes in. There is a tremendous power in written words, in music, in paintings... art is not just about putting rhyming words together or mixing colors or figuring out which chord sounds most pleasant after the previous one. It is all about expression. What is it that you are trying to portray with your work? Behind every great piece of art there is a message that the artist has in mind. It is a manifestation of the inspiring forces, channeled through this person. A dream or a vision materialized in a certain format. Today I had an idea of writing this type of a text. That divine spark of revelation is what drives me to create. Perhaps one day I will write a book, I already have some themes on my mind that I could expand on but the plot has not revealed itself to me yet. Maybe I'm not ready for that at this stage.

Deciding the right format is very important, but that should not be a limitation for expression. Art is a journey of discovery, self discovery to be more exact. Let's say you wish to reflect the horrors of war and the general cultural degeneration of our western society. Then the medium for this type of art could be something like I had with my first death metal band back in 2007. Yep, that's me down below with the guitar, covered in cow's blood...

During the last few years I have been experimenting with different styles and forms of art. I find this quite liberating. It removes some barriers of the mind that hold people back. I see it as the masculine yang force as described in Chinese philosophy. An expansion of the mind, an exploration into the unknown. After the initial expansion comes eventually a time of contraction when all that has been learned and discovered are absorbed, embraced and synthesized in the female, yin, aspect. To put this into perspective, I could say that for the last five years I have been going around doing many kinds of things, traveling and experimenting. As a result I have turned into a chameleon. I can quite easily adapt to different situations and experience the whole spectrum of life. All it takes is putting aside narrow mindedness and being more curious. Perhaps for the next five years it is then time to synthesize the things I have learned and put them into meaningful practice. The Chinese would call it becoming one with the tao, in musical terms we can speak of harmonization.

A major thing that I have learned is that I don't really want to be a reflection of my environment. I prefer my environment to be a reflection of me. That is the essence and meaning behind my first tattoo, a text that says Non Serviam. I regard a tattoo as a medal of honor. Once I have accomplished something, a tattoo is a symbol of that achievement. I don't serve any single person or any single philosophy. Doing that only enslaves people and imprisons them into tiny boxes. Jack Nicholson made a great reference to the Non Serviam ideology in Martin Scorsese's film The Departed. Again we see a different way of communicating a message, this time in a character of a crazed gangster.

Polar Night Fandango was a more serious attempt for me to express myself. It was quite an experimental band where I wrote all the music and lyrics. All the band members were my best friends so it was just boys being boys and having fun while being creative. Playing music or playing in the sandbox, it's not that different really. All in all, it was a very educational experience and I still quite like the raw creative force that went into those songs. But I was still in a very delicate phase in terms of my personal development and that was when I decided to move to the UK for studying. This next song is what I still regard as my greatest artistic achievement so far. The lyrics reflect my state of transformation in order to find my true self; a spiritual pursuit towards the mastery of my mind. I was already living in the UK when I made the video, inspired by Zeitgeist Addendum.

After starting University I started exploring more the opportunity of using a cinematic approach as a way of expression. Again I wanted to push my limits further. I was learning how to film and edit videos and tried to capture some episodes of my journey in a meaningful way. I was not concerned what other people would think about it but it was something that was meaningful for me. I was mapping my development as you can now see in this blog entry. It was becoming a ritual. This is what I am, this is what I want to be in the future. So one of the clips I made was a trailer to my life. What would my life look like if it was a movie? You can see the result below.

People sometimes ask me why am I so quiet. I do speak with people but I'm not really into small talk. Sometimes I just prefer to listen to others. I might also get lost in my thoughts, and it's probably better to keep some ideas to myself instead of turning every coffee table conversation into a philosophical debate. There is a time and place for that, and certain mediums of expression are more effective when I do wish to bring my ideas forth. This blog, for example, is a great way to collect my thoughts and organize them. I get to do it at my own pace and no one can interrupt me while I'm doing it. And of course once it's done it can be read over and over again. I really hate to repeat myself so this way I get to communicate the same message to a larger audience. Just imagine for a moment that I would go around and tell people individually all the things that I have just written here...

Art is magical. They teach you how to spell at school but they never reveal how to make a spell. That is what I mean by becoming a true artist. Not just some attention seeking entertainer that you see on the TV all the time. Don't be a reflection of your environment, especially if you are not happy with it. Become someone that people will look up to and they will follow you. Then you can share the same wisdom with those who have chosen to listen to you. We can not change our environment but we can change ourselves. Become a radiating beacon of light and shine like the sun.

I'm not claiming that I have mastered everything and that I have all the answers to life's questions. But I have found a direction for my life, and it gives a  whole different tone to my art.

Turning the page to a new age

There is something magical in the first days of June. A slight change in the air, a scent in the wind that brings along a breath of freedom. Kids are finishing school and getting ready for summer holidays. Can you still relate with that feeling when school is out? Or have you become a modern caveman who frowns at the computer screen in some concrete house? Lack of enthusiasm is not far from depression so it's quite beneficial to do the things you really enjoy doing.

I already touched on this subject in my earlier text The Science of Silence when I talked about the rat race where people get lost in the labyrinth and eventually stop looking for the way out and just settle into some corner with a few other lost creatures. Sounds familiar? People trapped in their daily routines with jobs they don't care about or even worse, they are looking for a job and can't even get the job they would later on end up hating. Young people graduate from Universities with a nice sounding degree but all they really have is a baggage of student loans and very limited experience in the "real world" while hunting for a job in their respective marketplace. And is the employment situation going to change for the better? I doubt that.

People tend to lack an understanding of strategic planning. Going to a certain school or looking for a certain job has very little to do with strategy, it can be a tactical maneuver like a small battle in a larger war but never the end goal that one should truly be working towards. Now I may start to sound like I'm quoting The Art of War, which is a very popular book on the philosophy regarding strategic planning. Sun Tzu's doctrine has also been applied to other areas in life besides war, evidently because both short term and long term objectives need to be considered. This book did in fact come up during my studies as a part of a unit dealing with corporate strategy and leadership. Business environment is often regarded as a fierce battlefield, and certainly one can apply this mentality to everyday life as well. But do you really want to see the world as a constant battlefield? Of course you can do that, and if you do, it will also be one. Everything depends on how you look at things.

 

Quantum mechanics goes as far as proving that the object actually changes depending on how it is viewed. So if you want to change your life, you need to change your thinking. If you concentrate on your problems, you will only attract problems. This mindset has been popularized in recent years as the Law of attraction as described in the best selling book, The Secret. But of course there is nothing new under the sun, and this philosophy has been known throughout the ages.

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” - Bible.

"Concentrate on the solutions rather than the problems." - Common sense.

This may sound very "New age", and in my opinion the so called New Age movement has tapped into many important things that should not be simply disregarded as fluffy and flaky airy fairy humbug. But the problem with many of these New Age philosophies is that they often present a watered down version of the real deal suggesting that positive thinking is the key to anything. If it doesn't work then you just haven't been positive enough. Nothing wrong with positive thinking but it also makes people damn passive. Let's take psychedelics as an example. Mind altering substances have their own place as a tool, as a trigger to open some pathways in our brain. But there is a big difference between using and abusing these powerful plants which deserve some respect. Again, I'm not judging anyone who wants to smoke pot all day and watch movies or something like that. But it is very hypocritical to speak about making a difference in the world that way.

What does the New Age mean in the first place? It is quite a loose term applied to all sorts of things. Perhaps some people might think of me as a new ager simply because I appear to be a bit of a strange character. To others it may seem like an eastern style of interior decoration or some sort of calming music with exotic instruments. Anyway, the truth is that we are actually entering a new age. According to whom? Well, pretty much every single tradition existing on the planet. Recently there has been a lot of attention in the Mayan calendar that ended in 2012. But let's have a look at a more familiar calendar in the Western world, the Zodiac. The year of course consists of 12 months that correspond to the 12 star signs, the 12 apostles in the sky. But there is also a Great Year that lasts for about 25,800 years. This is again divided into 12 astrological ages in a similar way as our earthly years with the exception that we pass these signs in a reverse order. So at the moment we are at the brink of a new age, namely the Age of Aquarius. It is also worth noting that Aquarius is one of the four fixed signs. These four signs (Leo, Taurus, Scorpio and Aquarius) comprise the holy cross of fire, earth, water and air.

For the past 2000 years or so our planet has been dwelling on the Age of Pisces. This is of course symbolised in the Bible by the story of Jesus who is often depicted as a fish. There is a big mistranslation in the King James version of the Bible when Jesus says: "I am with you always, even unto the end of the world". In other translations this verse has the wording "I am with you always, to the end of the age.” So the Mayan calendar is not the only prophecy that has been turned into an apocalyptic vision. The previous age before the Piscean age was of course the Age of Aries. Aries is the ram or lamb of God that was then "sacrificed" at the end of that cycle when we entered the Piscean age. The symbol of the Arian age was Moses who is often depicted with horns and you can still see Jews blowing traditionally the ram's horn. And what was it that Moses was so upset about? The golden calf. Yes, you're right that was again the age of Taurus that preceded the Age of Aries.

So what does this mean? It means that we are faced with something new, something quite revolutionary. It has been viewed as the age of freedom. There is an expectation that the Aquarian age will usher in a period of group consciousness. In a same way as the golden calf was the old paradigm when entering the Arian age, as the ram was the old paradigm when entering the Piscean age, we must now move on from worshipping this fish cult. The Piscean age was an age of monotheism. Will there be a great upheaval? Taking into account the current zeitgeist, it is a fairly likely scenario. Some people want to hold on to their old ways but it will be increasingly harder. Perhaps a smarter thing to do is to embrace the emerging innovations, the new collective ideology and sharing of information. Things that have been sworn to secrecy will be revealed. It is only a matter of time when the perpetrators of this era will face their punishment. You can call it karma or divine justice if you like. In case you have not thought about these things before this may sound a bit intriguing. By all means I encourage you to do your own homework on this subject because all too often people just believe all sorts of bs they have been fed.

The world around us is changing quite rapidly, but the same goes for our personal lives. Like I said in the beginning of this text, I have felt this exalting sensation of freedom for the past few days and I have a good reason for that. At the moment I am turning a new page in my life in several ways. I have now finished my studies at Bournemouth University although the graduation ceremony won't be until November. So yes, I am now one of those young graduates with a nice sounding degree and a student loan. However, going to University was merely a manouver in my larger strategy with the main intention of enlargening my "territory" to the UK. Of course I also had the chance of doing a placement in Jamaica which opened up new possibilities for my future.

Around the time of my last exam I went to a local event that could be described a bit new agy. There I met a representative of Forever Living Products who was showcasing some aloe vera products. I was already well informed about the various benefits of aloe, so I started a discussion regarding the importance of nutrition with her. You see, during my hospitality studies I have found my passion in nutrition, I guess it was sparked during my jamaican adventure. Especially herbal medicine, superfoods and dietary optimisation were things that got my interest and I had began researching on my own, outside the curriculum. I had on my mind an idea that it would be great to get a job in that area but then again I did not want to get trapped in the day to day rat race. One option would have been starting my own company but also a very tedious process. So, after that initial talk and later on a business presentation I attended, it became evident that Forever could be just what I was looking for. A business that I could run the way I wanted, it was flexible and operating in 150 countries all over the world so I would not be restricted to stay in one place. This feature really fitted well with my wandering nature.

So, I signed up with Forever and not long after that I heard that I would need to move from the house I was living at the moment (and still am, this all happened very recently). So I started looking for a new place to live until a few days ago I realized that I had accomplished my "mission" in the UK for now. It was time to change the country. I am a bit of a nomadic character and I began to feel that I would be needed elsewhere. I already had a few things lined up that I wanted to do in Finland and it would be an easy option to go back "home" for a while to re-evaluate my situation and decide on future expeditions and conquests. After all, I had a degree in my pocket together with a business that I have already started developing. You can check out my web page and store at aloefever.com. I will be making some videos on YouTube in the future, explaining some nutritional stuff and of course advertising my products which are very high quality stuff. So if you decide to order something it won't be just a favor for me but a favor for yourself as well. I'm not a salesman really but more of a recommender of the things that I have found beneficial for myself.

Now I am looking forward to being able to mobilise myself even more. I have also finished recording a song for my upcoming project together with a music video in the making. There will be more information regarding this project in the near future, I'll just post a cheeky picture for now. This is another project that I want to keep mobile, so I can do recordings regardless of where I am situated. In my long term strategy I am planning for a touring band, but it needs a bit of work since that will be like an international dream team ensemble or something like that. Mostly I'm looking forward to reuniting with a certain drummer who is residing in Jamaica.

I have already booked my ticket to Finland and will be landing to the land of a thousand lakes on 26th of June. My next objectives? Get my business going and make some kick ass music. My long term goals? Mental, physical and financial liberation. What I tend to do is combine parts of well thought strategic planning with a bit of positive thinking, trying to live in the moment. It's an old zen master trick, you set yourself a goal and then sort of forget about it. And try not to take things too seriously.

Superfood vibrations

“If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.” -Nikola Tesla

Every single thing we see and touch has a vibration. It is not just sounds that have frequencies but colours have them too. Radiowaves and microwaves have a fairly slow vibration compared to X-rays and Gamma rays. In between we have the spectrum of visible light. In the illustration on the right this spectrum is divided to six colours. Computer monitors and TVs use three colours, red, green and blue (RGB), to create all other colours from them. In a painters colout palette these primary colours are red, yellow and blue.

Isaac Newton divided the colour spectrum in seven (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet) deriving from the Aristotelian notion that there is a connection between the colors, the musical notes, the visible objects in the solar system and the days of the week. This is the mystery of seven, found across different cultures in slightly different forms.

These frequencies and vibrations are understood on a much deeper level in the yogic tradition. Yoga means union, and it is not just about getting yourself into funny looking postures. It is about realizing the interconnection between body, mind and spirit.

Our bodies (and minds) are controlled to a large extent by the hormones that our endocrine system produces. This endocrine system has seven major glands, and as I mentioned in my previous text, The Living Temple, these are often associated with the seven energy centres known as chakras. Each chakra has its own colour, and these colours correspond with Newton's colour scale.

People often talk about transcesnding towards higher levels of consciousness by deep meditation, breathing exercises etc. One of the most basic techniques, however, is often completely disregarded. That is our daily diet. Western people usually consider food only as fuel and pleasure, and don't worry too much about the content of their meals apart from the amount of calories or daily recommended nutritional values. I have personally started looking at nutrition from a perspective that differs quite radically from the mainstream view of thinking. For me dietary choices are perhaps the most powerful tool for changing one's constitution of being to a higher vibration. This is how I have started researching both superfoods and fasting. It is worth noting that both Jesus and Buddha are well known for extended abstinence from food.

There is a good reason for foods to have different colours. You may have heard something about carotenoids, chlorophyll or flavonoids. These are some of the biological pigments that give the colours to every living thing, each representing a different frequency. Superfoods contain the most concentrated amounts of nutrients, and the same goes for pigments. These superfoods can often be liquified which helps absorption, and aids the digestive system to work more efficiently. In the other end of the food spectrum we have meat, dairy, eggs, grains and starchy vegetables which are all creators of sticky mucus, because they are extremely hard for the GI tract to break down. It could be said that these foods have a low vibration. The body is approximately 70% water, it is a vehicle that receives and conducts electric current, but the ability to do so varies greatly according to the base matter that we put into it.

Me with Chlorella, Pine pollen and Hibiscus flower drinks.

It is of great importance to realize that the mind controls the body and the body also controls the mind. It is a two way street. A cup of coffee or a bottle of wine are recognized for the rapid effect of getting our brain momentarily stimulated. But instead of a temporary upliftment would it not make sense to build up our nervous system steadily towards higher hights? Stimulants can be used in various ways to relieve anxiety or depression, and there are several superfoods that promote the production of dopamine, serotonin, testosterone etc. But in long term it might be wise to concentrate on getting along with less and less stimulation. This approach prepares the body to work on more subtle levels and to respond more intuitively; to be governed by inner motivation rather than outer influence. Liberation is not merely a question of emancipating the mind or devoting to the spirit. A body that is not clogged up with obstuction is the sensitive instrument that can channel divine powers of creation. Mental clarity, spiritual epiphany and creative inspiration can all be greatly enhanced by dietary choices.

"Your soul will shout for joy and triumph over all misery of life, leaving it all behind you. For the first time you will feel a vibration of vitality through your body (like a slight electric current) that shakes you delightfully." - Arnold Ehret

When we discuss enlightenment, we can begin by enlightening our bodies. You can call it cleansing of the temple or purification practice if you wish. It is a path of educating yourself in the laws of nature. I could write many things about different superfoods and how good they are for you, but simply adding these ingredients to one's diet does not create a great change per se. If we add something, we must also take something away, and this is the key element that is not a part of modern consumer mentality. Faster, harder, more, more. It is simply impossible to clean up an ocean if at the same time more poison is being poured into it. You can only detoxify by stopping the influx of toxins. This means an elimination of several harmful foodstuffs instead of the generally trumpeted message that it is ok to have pretty much anything in moderation. And of course it is ok, as long as you're interested in having moderate health. But what I am talking about here is physical liberation and eradication of disease. Of course it is not possible to expect a great change in a blink of an eye because every one of us is in a different stage of physical, mental and spiritual development. Progress comes naturally if we just allow it to happen.

My intention is not to tell what people should or should not eat. We need to claim dominion over our own being by educating ourselves. We don't need a guru or an authority to tell us what to do. People often tell me that I need this vitamin and that much protein and those supplements and so on... I just smile back at them because I've learned to listen to my own body instead. Why would I follow the advice of anyone who is clearly suffering from an inner acidosis? Would I ask an obese person what to eat? Or a suicidal person how to get rid of depression? The body has the magnificent ability to heal itself through fasting and regeneration, but this technique must be carefully studied because it does have its dangers if not performed in a rational manner. The purpose of my writings is to nudge people towards independent thinking and living. The truth is out there, so don't expect me to bring it to you on a silver platter, go and find it for yourself.

We should be able to use our intuition when choosing our food. However, today we are faced with products that are not really food but foodlike products disguised as food. These groceries (gross) are tricking our senses and making us believe that we are getting the nutrition we need. Flavor enhancers and artificial colourings are the formula for a great illusion that creates addiction, mineral deficiency and numbness of the mind.

E140, E160, E163...

The Living Temple

I'm sure you have heard about people who regard the human body as a temple. But what does this exactly mean? Is this an idea of glamorizing one's body? A person who has fallen in love with their own image in the mirror? For many people this may be true, but let me explain you another type of an approach.

Let's have a look at something that we come across sooner or later in the education system, the hierarchy of needs by Abraham Maslow. This pyramid is a sort of a road map for self development. As you know, on the bottom we all have basic needs for shelter, water, food etc... I'm not going to describe every part of the pyramid because I personally don't completely agree with this model. But what I do find interesting, is that on the top of the pyramid you will see the need for self actualization. In this stage the person in question has reached a new stage of awareness. This could be seen as a sort of enlightenment that some of the most creative and brilliant people have reached. Therefore it would seem quite natural that the goal in our lives would be to strive towards this stage. However, the established education system we have today does not promote this idea. On the contrary it only directs people to work hard towards financial security and reinforces the needs described in the lower stages.

When we look at certain spiritual traditions we can see that there are teachings that have the aim of climbing all the way to the top of the pyramid. Let's take the idea of chakras for example. We can actually compare the chakras quite directly with Maslow's pyramid. People who live their lives in the lower chakras can not reach for higher ideals. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that wealth or sex are bad, but these things should not control too much our thinking and actions, there should be a balance. The picture below depicts how the seven chakras are related to the endocrine system, which regulates our hormonal activity.

When we realize that spiritual concepts also have physical counterparts, it is easier to assimilate how this human temple truly functions. The mystery of seven is embedded virtually in every mythology and mystery school teaching on Earth. The seven planets of the ancients, the seven alchemical metals, seven days of creation, seven deadly sins, seven seals of the apocalyptic revelations and the seven heavens that are found with different names in Islam, Judaism and Hinduism. When we realize that the alchemists are not trying to turn a piece of lead into gold but transform their own constitution, then we are getting somewhere. In a similar fashion Freemasons use metaphors related to building things, and perfecting this temple. Again, it is not a temple made of bricks but a temple made of flesh. This craft has been known among shamans and druids throughout the centuries, and persecuted by the church as witchcraft. The goal is outlined plainly in Maslow's pyramid, this "stairway to heaven" is an inward journey, a metamorphosis towards our greatest potential. The brain constitutes perhaps the most important piece of this puzzle. Golgotha, Holy Grail and Philosopher's stone are all metaphors for the supercomputer that is inside our heads.

Let's have a closer look at the brain. The third eye chakra was known in Egypt as the eye of Ra or eye of Horus, and also depicted as a serpent on the headdress of pharaohs. In Vatican this is shown in a huge pine cone statue and the pine cone is also present in the pope's staff, for it represents the pineal gland. This is how Buddha's head is also portrayed.

There are many writings that go more in depth into these things, but I wish to use references from Wikipedia just to show that these things are not only told in some dusty old books that may be rare or perhaps even held in secrecy. According to Wikipedia:

"Calcium, phosphorus and fluoride deposits in the pineal gland have been linked with aging". 

We see that different chemicals calcify this gland and also cause disturbances in the other major glands in the endocrine system. Therefore there is a great importance on which substances we put inside this living temple. What we want to do is keep a sound hormonal balance in the body, which also strengthens our immune system and fights against diseases. Bodily fluids are immensely important. We all know that the human body is mostly water. However, the older we get, the dryer we also get. We literally calcify and dry up, and naturally this leads to a myriad of problems and illnesses from arthritis to alzheimer's. Christ is derived from the Greek word Christós, meaning 'anointed', and often you hear the parabel of Jesus and the oil lamp. When your "oils" are working correctly, then your body and mind have the power to function efficiently. This is why you always see a halo in the icons and paintings of enlightened beings. This does not mean that people's heads would actually start shining like light bulbs, but it is very true that we are electrical beings and there is a current that goes through the body and radiates as an aura.

“Your eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is sound, your whole body is sound, your whole body is full of light; but when it is not sound, your body is full of darkness.” (Luke 11:34);

Now you are of course waiting for a prescription. A recipe to wrap this up into a nice package like: "Stop eating meat, start practicing yoga, read these books..." But it does not work that way. We are all in different stages of development, and if one truly wants to procede towards the upper realms and infinite possibilities, they will find their own way. Perhaps you need to poison yourself and get a cancer before you realize some of the governing laws of this reality. If you wish to learn, the information is out there. People are not burnt at the stake anymore for publishing these type of writings - they just disappear under suspicious circumstances or get shot ;)

This is the esoteric science that deals with the world inside of us. Many people say that we all have the answers inside of us, but yet they worship graven images and idols that have been raised on the altar for they do not realize that this potential is hidden in every one of us. Then why is this not in general knowledge? Well, someone might say that these things are deliberately kept hidden and only revealed to the chosen elite, so that the masses would keep calm and slave on in their every day chores. But that is of course another story.

Ancient wisdom and modern confusion

Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice? On the heights along the way, where the paths meet, she takes her stand; beside the gates leading into the city, at the entrances, she cries aloud: "To you, O men, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind. You who are simple, gain prudence; you who are foolish, gain understanding."

So I decided to begin with a biblical rant. Of course a real preacher man would end this by saying: "In the present day these words are more topical than ever before". This quote crystallizes quite well how people should learn to live their lives wisely and seeking knowledge. The most topical time is always here and now. Knowledge is a foundation for building a structure where wisdom can be found on the top. Knowledge is truth. It is uniform to everyone. It is far from opinions and beliefs that are like castles in the air or houses of cards that can fall down any minute.

But hold on... if we talk about truth that is objective, isn't it quite contradictory to use a text from the Bible? Well, in my humble opinion it is time to move on from fruitless debates concerning the truthfulness of this epos. Personally, I have learned to consider it in the same manner as any other holy scripture or mythological story found on the planet. To me this is the only way to see the ancient wisdom that is hidden in these texts.

Different religions seem to be in a "war" against each other since they all claim to be "the right one" or somehow better than any other brotherhood or sect. Taking into account the crusades, witch hunts, holy wars and persecution of the pagans, we seem to be quite far from that heavenly friendship and gospel of love that the scriptures pronounce. Mankind is divided into camps, but do these camps want to fight each other per se? Do ordinary Christians, Muslims or Jews really think that heathens should be killed? Of course not. The problem lies on the top of the world's power structure where greedy and selfish psychopaths agitate the people against each other.

We westerners are usually born in some of the branches of Christianity. However, the influence of the church has diminished as times have changed, and being a Christian has become a mere custom. The church has become alien in our modern society. I don't really see this as a negative thing since as I mentioned in my earlier text, I think that we all should choose our own path instead of following a rigid dogma. The biblical Jesus ended up always quarreling with the scribes and priests. I'm pretty sure the situation would be the same if he lived in our time.

Religions are systems of belief, and beliefs are overrated. One day we believe in one thing and another day to another thing, that's how beliefs change. Some beliefs are more persistent, especially if we keep asserting them over and over again, like in a confession for example. We repeat these words like sheep not even knowing their true meaning.

Logicality and rational thinking are highly respected in the world of today. Therefore many begin to question religious teachings and finally they regard every mention of the otherworldly as unreasonable. That leads to a belief that the world is nothing but a machine of matter, and our self nothing but a glimpse of light between two scary abysses... This is also just a belief.

When we speak about the conception of deity, three schools of thought are usually mentioned. The theist believes in a God or several gods, the atheist believes there is no such thing as a God, and agnostics don't know what to believe. All these conceptions are based on believing. Agnosticism is derived from the Greek word gnosis, meaning knowledge. In a same way as theist is a believer, and an atheist a nonbeliever (or without belief), an agnostic is without knowledge. A person who is a gnostic would according to this rationale then be someone with knowledge, a person who truly knows instead of merely believing. Gnosis does not refer to knowledge found in books but rather to a divine understanding, a higher state of consciousness. In the Eastern traditions gnosis corresponds to enlightenment or nirvana. 

Most certainly Eastern religions are more trendy than Christianity and if I were a trendy person then I might have begun this blog entry with a quote from Lao Tzu or Buddha instead of the Bible. However, it does not make any difference who once said these words or did the person in question even exist. Every great story has an overtone of truth no matter if it's Jesus or Star Wars. These truths become apparent if we can relate to the characters and archetypes of these stories. If one can understand these overtones, it is possible to see them in every story ever written and compare them with each other.

Different religions have quite a few similarities. Especially certain numbers, animals and events occur over and over again. These are not historical facts but symbols and metaphors that most often reflect the human body (microcosm) and the universe (macrocosm). This same story goes on and on because it is a story of ourselves. Anyway... I am now starting to meander so let's get back to the original topic.

Has anyone ever noticed how boring it is to sit at school? Due to this reason many perceive learning new things as boring and rather spend their time in more passive activities. The opportunity to relax the brain is welcomed any time.

The most important skills, however, are not taught at school. If one can keep themselves active and succeeds in retaining the childlike willingness to learn new things, it is possible to progress in the school of life and learn to live happily. That's what we all want in the end - a happy life.

Every moment teaches us new things if we are ready to receive it. Education creates one of the many illusions in our lives. Even if we graduate from schools and advance on our careers, we will never be "ready" or perfect in any way. The famous quote from Socrates: "I know one thing: that I know nothing" refers to the idea that wisdom begins with wonder and questioning. One must admit one's own ignorance because the school of life goes on forever.

We live in an interesting time. Many have lost their belief in both political and spiritual leaders, and also media's credibility has take a downturn. Thanks to information technology we can search the internet to answer any question we may have. Of course the truthfulness of the sources must be considered but usually our own intuition and common sense help to do this. The media boasts with dodgy headlines, especially violent ones. When these news are repeated over and over again it has a direct impact on the public, creating an image of a hostile world. Propaganda spreads hatred and fear, people get upset and demand legislative changes or military actions.

Then there are people whose world can't be rocked  They ignore everything around them and try to carry on as if nothing happened. Brush your teeth, go to work, watch the news and go to sleep. News are just news and the media bombardment has made us numb. Even if something happens on the other side of the world it has nothing to do with me. Many think this way and in a sense it is quite justified. The conflicts of the Middle-East have no direct impact on our everyday life. But it is good to know what it's all about.

Traveling widens our horizons and brings the events of the world closer to ourselves. We can relate to the happenings of any country more readily if we have visited it. We are all in the same boat, the whole mankind. And the boat is this globe that sails through the space and spins around the sun. Unfortunately the order of our society is twisted, and the masses have been asleep. While the establishment uses its power to selfish and elitist agendas, it is time to raise pirate flags.

Those who are aware of the socioeconomic position we are in, may get discouraged of the depressing seeds of information they come across and dig themselves deep under the duvet. But the next day won't be sunnier by itself. Many would welcome the end of the world if they only wouldn't need to take responsibility of their own life. This is the same logic that applies to the Judeo-Christian await of the messiah as some sort of a final solution to every possible problem in life. There is no end to this wait. We must get up and stand up for our rights.

Knowledge is useless unless it can be applied. Wisdom is the application of knowledge in living life. We can read through the libraries, see the museums of the world, sit through countless lectures and watch every documentary and movie ever made. But it won't have any meaning by itself. People need to transfer towards a proactive lifestyle, and away from passive sleepwalking. Out in to the world and towards the light, one step at a time. Every story is a story of you. You are you own messiah, the one you have been waiting for, since none but ourselves can free our minds.

The Science of Silence

Is your TV set  on? Is your stereo blasting or does your computer stream digital formatted noise through the speakers? Perhaps you are one of those peculiar individuals who can turn these devices off for a moment?
You should try it, even for a few minutes. Not everyone can do this because they need an escape from the sterile atmosphere of the concrete block they live in. Silence tastes like plastic and so we must have a diversion for the brain. Of course I am not saying that music is a bad thing, on the contrary it can be meditative and even therapeutic. However, the topic of today is quietening.

Even all the apparatuses and gadgets are turned off, there is still something buzzing. Something within ourselves. The leg is fidgeting or fingers keep tapping the corner of the table. Where is the switch to turn down the circuits of the brain? Maybe I have ADD? Some sort of hyperactivity? Go to the doctor, get a recipe and a bottle of pills. That seems like the common solution of our time - no matter what the problem is.


Alcohol could do the trick. Numb the nervous system a little bit. This is the logic by which we try to relax after a long week at work/school. Been there, done that. And I must admit it does loosen you up for a while. An escape from reality, reset the cache in the computer of your head. But then comes Monday, and it's time to go back to the mundane world.

"There's nothing you can do about it. That's life".
These are the arguments that people in the rat race tell you. They get a piece of cheese every now and then and carry on living in their maze. They have become so apathetic they don't even try to look for a way out.
They just keep saying these same worn out affirmations they have heard from others of their kind.

Everyone is busy. Some people are so busy they have no idea why they are so busy.
You just need to get from place A to place B as quickly as possible. Everything in between is nothing but a distraction and disturbance - people get in the way. Not fun. In place B you have to do X and then return to place A.

Will death repay your sleep deprivation? Surely you get to rest in the grave if you don't have time to do it now...
Well, I don't think so. I think that people still repeat these mechanical reflexes they have learned during decades of conditioning. "Rest in peace" says the priest but people keep on twitching around even if they have six feet of dirt on top of them.

It is not an easy task to find inner peace, and not many people even try to look for such thing. In order to do so one needs to take a brave, conscious step towards it. The familiar pattern needs to be broken but first it has to be identifed. Recognize the restlessness. It is impossible to get rid of something if you don't even see it in the first place. It is good to observe your own thoughts and actions. Next time you stand in the line in a grocery store or in the bank for example. Why is this so terrible? Why am I making myself miserable by cursing this slow operation? Am I really in a hurry? What if everything is OK after all? When you keep asking yourself these questions for a while you get a reward. You get to smile to the anxious world around you.

It is good to step out of the concrete jungle. If you have a chance to walk or cycle to work/school, you should do it.
If you can walk through a park or a forest, even better. When you begin to find beauty and satisfaction from smaller and smaller chores, you are on the right path. The greatest mistake is to set off to the other direction; you will always need to achieve more, do everything faster and more efficiently.

If you can leave the city lights behind you entirely you have a chance to experience a real quietening. Myself, I have gone hiking to Lapland for a week or so every summer since 2008. No TV, no internet, no phone, no electricity, no tap water, no walls around. Just a big backpack with a tent, cooker, food and clothes inside. Water for drinking and washing up is found in the river or lake. Perfect ingredients for quietening, and a recipe that works.

My last piece of advice is this.
When some of the following plagues of our modern society stars to crawl into your mind:

1. I think I'll buy a new smartphone or a laptop (even though the ones I have keep me alive quite nicely)
2. I think I'll buy a car (even though I can cycle to work in ten minutes and walk to the store in five)
3. I think I'll buy a house (and live also the other half of my life in this same god-forsaken place)

...just don't do it. Rather, buy some time for yourself.