Over the past several months I have had the opportunity to interview several neuro-scientists—all of whom are considered to be at the top of their game. I have taken one observation to them all with this question, “Where is free will?” Here is the problem. Using fMRI to watch the brain live time we discover that a technician can know what you will decide six or more seconds before you know what your choice will be. Think about that! Non-conscious Thinking Just imagine that you were the subject and you ... Read More
I have long looked at gratitude as one of the corners to what I have called the four-corner philosophy for wellbeing. This Four-Corner perspective is completely developed and fleshed out in my book, Choices and Illusions. The idea behind the Four-Corners is one of structural support for all phases in life, including those moments when seemingly everything goes wrong. Gratitude plays a critical role here, so much so, that a few years ago we made up lapel buttons that simply stated, “I have a gratitude attitude!” Gratitude impacts our lives ... Read More
The mind is a believing machine and many have argued that it needs to be just that in order for our survival. The mind makes up stories about everything and everyone, so not only is the mind a believing machine—it’s a story machine as well! It is constantly interpreting and reinterpreting stories about everyone including ourselves. The mind must believe in order to prepare for the moment and plan for tomorrow. The mind makes mistakes, however, but it never informs us of the errors. It makes mistakes in our perception, ... Read More
“Ours must be a leadership democracy, administered by the ‘intelligent minority’ who know how to regiment and guide the masses. Read More
This week I want to turn our attention to the notion of irrational skepticism. I recently received a letter from a skeptical listener who suggested that it was a waste of time to hear ‘evidence’ about the after life that could not be verified. The letter went on to point out the contradictions and copycat ideas that often come from this sort of testimony. So now, before we begin, let me say that I think there is such a thing as healthy skepticism and we should all be certain that ... Read More
