In this week’s spotlight I’d like to discuss the idea of fairness. What does it mean to be fair? Now most people are generally pretty certain they understand the difference between fair and unfair—that is, until you dig down into the grit. What do I mean by that? Perception There is an old story of a group of blind men and an elephant. As the story goes, when they encounter the elephant for the first time, they each touch a different part of the animal and come away with a ... Read More
In this week’s spotlight, I want to discuss bullying, but not the schoolyard bullying we generally think of when the subject of bullying comes up. No, instead I want to address the idea that there is a great deal of bullying going on in our society over ideas. Heightened Arousal We live at a time when potential tragedy seems to lurk everywhere, and this fear only heightens our sense of arousal, our readiness for fight or flight. 2020 for many people has simply become a nightmare year and the nightmare ... Read More
In this week’s spotlight I wish to discuss the nature of indoctrination. Webster defines indoctrination this way: the process of teaching a person or group to accept a set of beliefs uncritically. Now when I say indoctrination, most people will think of matters religious or political, but I want to extend the conversation to all of those issues that we have culturally inherited. Think, for example, about your attitude toward animals. Our culture favors some animals over others. For example, dogs, cats, and horses typically escape a turn at the ... Read More
I was recently asked why people are so resistant to the idea that their unconscious is active in every single thing they choose or do? In other words, why is it so hard to accept the fact that every one of us has two minds, and that these two minds don’t always agree with each other? In my opinion, that’s a very good question. Defining Free Will On a recent Provocative Enlightenment radio show, I spoke with Professor Patrick Grim about the idea of freewill. He is convinced that we ... Read More
In this week’s spotlight, I’d like to address the nature of certainty. Stanislaus is credited with saying, “To believe with certainty we must begin by doubting.” “Doubt everything,” admonished Buddha. The Course In Miracles begins by imploring you to doubt even the floor upon which you stand, the walls of your home that protect you from the fury of nature—doubt even the suggestion that nature itself exists. Indeed, the exercises in the Course are designed to convince you that everything is an illusion, including the idea that you are somehow ... Read More
