What is an Agent?
An agent is an entity that takes decisions and acts upon them. That is where the clarity ends. Are you an agent? The answer depends on the perspective you decide to take. Since the answer also depends on who is seen as the taker of this decision, the proper perspective becomes less obvious from the Read the full article…
Moral Injury
Moral injury overlaps pretty much with PTSD. The difference lies mainly in ‘moral.’ The injury sprouts from an existential loss of ethical trust. Can people (in general or any individual) still be seen as ‘good?’ Moral injury comes with moral sensitivity. This comes with cognitive and emotional complexity, making human beings more prone to moral Read the full article…
The Case of Cancer of the Prostate
The influence of the mind on cancer needs to be treated cautiously. In both directions, one should avoid wrong impressions stemming from personal/cultural biases rather than science. Also, one should respect the present-day state of scientific knowledge. Will the yet unknown be filled by the ‘bodyless mind’ or the ‘mindless body’? See also: Psychological impact Read the full article…
Are Coronary Stents Placebos?
Only one experimental study has been done to answer this question ― pretty positively in many cases. Meanwhile, much evidence (without placebo groups) shows that coronary stents are of little use in cases of stable angina pectoris. Contrary to this, mind-factors’ influence on angina pectoris is considerable and robustly investigated. Altogether, this calls for more Read the full article…
Responsibility of Humanism in Modern Times
This responsibility has always been huge ― perhaps even more so in modern times with many essential changes happening, and probably even more (and more essential) to come in the near future. Humanism: the striving to put the total human being at the first place of importance, therefore not a god or religion, nor some Read the full article…
The Cause of War
Worldly factors are causes only inasmuch as they are related to human motivations. No money, oil, or invisible borders wage war ― only humans presently do, and only humans can stop the waging. No pacifism Pacifism would mean choosing a greater evil just for the sake of not-fighting. I prefer the lesser evil. Meanwhile, when Read the full article…
From Negative to Positive Mindset
There is no silver bullet, but two golden moves: toward and from an underlying condition that lies close(r) to the human core of deep motivation. For instance, from chronic anger to positive action See: from aggression to efficiency. The following drawing shows the two moves as hollow arrows: Energy? With this is meant here what Read the full article…
(Re)appraisals on Health
Health-related expectations can profoundly affect one’s health in the short and long term. Therefore, (re)appraisals can have profound effects on health or disease ― or not? Two kinds of belief + a continuum Two kinds, and how to change them: For a surface-level belief, one can look for conceptually valid arguments ― for example, a Read the full article…
Aurelian Expectations
Well-oriented expectations can be powerful self-fulfilling prophecies. This is ancient wisdom and scientific fact. In profundity, they should be handled carefully and, most importantly, with good aim. (In this text, with ‘expectations’ is meant the kind that involves one also in-depth.) Expectation + (self-)deception = placebo Deception should never be used if anyhow avoidable. If Read the full article…
AURELIS during Pregnancy
AURELIS can support pregnancy in several aspects. I hope this may be realized and have a positive impact on many people’s lives, providing a good start for the baby and a joyful experience for the mother. See also the meditative sessions about pregnancy in AurelisOnLine. About babies The new life inside the belly becomes a Read the full article…
Are Religions Ready for Openness?
In the long term, religions seem to evolve toward Openness, be it with ups and downs. Possibly, we are standing before an era in which the gates will be thrown Open. Much readiness is needed to make this happen in a gentle way. Fundamentalism is the reaction towards closedness. We see fundamentalism growing stronger within Read the full article…
Workings of a Muse
Whether in poetry, visual art, architecture, or a new scientific theory, something happens in the creation process that transcends mere conceptual thinking. Many creators denote this as the workings of a Muse. My case When writing, almost always, I am more or less surprised by what spontaneously comes out, as if it’s not altogether me Read the full article…
The Ego-Oriented Aim of Meditation
This is to find a rightful place for ego, in which it can function most meaningfully and efficiently. See the first poem of ‘Poems from a Parallel World’ You find this poem also at the bottom of this text. It’s about the final goal of meditation, which is not easily attainable. Therefore, one should better Read the full article…
Open Leadership: from Material to Mental Growth
The present-day world seeks economic growth, which is, broadly seen, ‘material’ ― either in the sense of being touchable or, at least, transposable, thereby tradeable. Mental growth is different and needs Open Leadership. Growth is a natural urge. Everything in nature continually grows intra- and intergenerationally. AURELIS itself is based on a natural growth philosophy. Read the full article…
Planetarianism
Own people first. My people = everybody. The aim of planetarianism is to unite without diminishing diversity ― thus to strive for one human culture with due respect for regional cultures. For this, we seek growing embeddedness in a philanthropic ecosystem of giving and taking. For a PowerPoint about the growing project of Planetarianism, click Read the full article…
One Sacredness for All
People from any religion can feel that sacredness transpires through their religion. Can they also feel sacredness transpire through other religions? Can you? Sacredness versus reductionism For the reductionist, the only ontologically real entities are particles in motion, to which any other complexity in the universe can be reduced and explained. Sacredness is the faith Read the full article…
Why Open Leadership is the Future
The future: soon enough, and from then, forever. Open Leadership is about getting real, which is increasingly necessary to thrive as an individual, an organization, and a species. Increasingly necessary It’s 2023. The past few years have seen global turmoil as never before in my lifetime. We see crisis on top of crisis: a viral Read the full article…