Erez Batat writes:
Whenever I read a blog about cannabis, I feel like I am watching a presidential debate with only one candidate.
The blog will either demand to legalize the plant due to its magical properties, or will list the horrific impact it will have on society.
As always, the truth is neither here nor there. I never smoked weed in my youth; in fact, I judged those who did, which made them hide it from me. I got high for the first time when I was 35, and was immediately intrigued with the effect it had on my mind. So, I documented it in my journal.
Here is a simple breakdown of what I learned from a few years of occasional use of pot. I hope it will help demystify the ambiguity around the plant, especially amidst the increasing legalization we are experiencing (it is now recreationally legal in Colorado and Washington states).
We’re accustomed to deepening our personal growth journeys during our “waking hours”…
Yet, what if your dreamtime could become a type of night school — a spiritual laboratory where you could raise your consciousness, heal from your past, and even practice learning new skills?
Lucid dreaming is being “awake” and aware that you’re dreaming when you’re asleep… a time where your conscious mind meets your unconscious mind.
Lucid dreaming also leads to lucid living. As you become more conscious during your nighttime, you begin to shift your awareness during your waking life.
Through a centuries-old Tibetan Buddhism form of lucid dreaming, you can move beyond passively participating in your dreams, into deeper states of active transformation.
This powerful, ancient practice, Dream Yoga, is the next level of lucid dreaming, according to author, Dream Yoga expert, and spiritual teacher Andrew Holecek.
Dream Yoga stretches you, turning your nighttime into a time for your most dedicated spiritual practice…
Practicing Dream Yoga opens the door to deep healing allowing you to work directly with your Soul to receive the exact knowledge you need — and in every area of your life from your health to relationships, even your work in the world.
During this rich 8-minute video, Andrew unpacks Dream Yoga and how a nocturnal spiritual practice can help you heal your body, release limiting beliefs and patterns, liberate your creativity, and more.
Better understanding of how psychopaths’ brains work could pave the way for better treatments. In particular, approaches to addressing other disorders characterized by impulsive decision-making might be worth a look.
For example, the ventral striatum is also overactive when people with substance use disorder are exposed to drug stimuli. Strategies aimed at changing their behavior could potentially be applied to psychopaths as well, Buckholtz said.
Thomas Ramey Watson is an affiliate faculty member of Regis University's College of Professional Studies. He has served as an Episcopal chaplain (lay), trained as a psychotherapist, done postdoctoral work at Cambridge University, and was named a Research Fellow at Yale University.
In addition to his scholarly writings, he is a published author of poetry and fiction.