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What’s true and what isn’t?
Modern Revelations in 2024
In the era of the digital age, information has become omnipresent, yet the distinction between truth and deception has never been more blurred. I am doing my very best to keep up with current events, and once in a while I get diverted into something unexpected. There is so much to be aware of. Just last November my account was hacked on Facebook, as has happened to many of you. I have had to cancel my bank card twice this year and get a new one.
We have to question everything, apparently. There’s information and increasingly, what is now called misinformation.
Propaganda abounds
Governments worldwide and corporations have harnessed the power of big data and advanced analytics to tailor messages to specific demographics, ensuring maximum impact and effectiveness. Organized religion, too, learned to do this many years ago, recognizing there are economic benefits of fostering beliefs and misleading the gullible, not just for money but for power as well. The result is a world awash in hidden agendas and undisclosed motivations, where the line between truth and deception has become perilously thin.
The hidden agendas of misinformation
In the realm of hidden truths and exposed secrets, misinformation stands out as a pervasive force that shapes our perceptions and understanding of the world. “Misinformation” is a word I never heard of before the last 6 or 7 years. Now we see it can be spread intentionally, as a means of deception or manipulation, or unintentionally, through the innocent sharing of inaccurate information. Regardless of its origins, misinformation has far-reaching consequences, eroding trust, perpetuating falsehoods, and hindering our ability to make informed decisions.
One of the most concerning aspects of misinformation is its ability to exploit our cognitive biases and emotional vulnerabilities. Confirmation bias, for instance, leads us to seek out information that confirms our existing beliefs, while ignoring evidence to the contrary. This tendency makes us susceptible to misinformation that aligns with our preconceived notions.
Emotional appeals, such as words to evoke fear or anger, can further amplify the spread of misinformation. This then may bypass our rational thinking and trigger impulsive sharing.
The digital landscape has undoubtedly exacerbated the spread of misinformation. Social media platforms, with their vast reach and echo chambers, have become breeding grounds for false narratives and conspiracy theories. But sometimes what looked like a conspiracy theory turns out to be factual.
Deepfakes and AI-generated content further blur the line between truth and fiction, making it increasingly difficult to know what is real and what isn’t. This erosion of trust in information sources has created a climate of skepticism and doubt, making it difficult to find common ground.
To combat misinformation takes cultivating critical thinking skills and becoming wise consumers of information. We also have to teach these skills to our children. They are unlikely to learn that in school. Questioning where the information came from, considering alternative perspectives, and seeking verification from reputable sources are essential these days.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com More secrets revealed?
From the depths of Area 51 to the hidden files of the CIA, governments around the world have a long history of concealing the truth from their citizens. Secret experiments, clandestine operations, and extraterrestrial encounters—these are just a few of the facts that have become known in recent years. This has exposed hidden agendas and covert activities that have shaped our world.
The scientific community has also been a hotbed of revelations, with groundbreaking discoveries challenging long-held beliefs and pushing the boundaries of human knowledge. The unraveling of the human genome, the exploration of distant galaxies, and the unlocking of the secrets of quantum mechanics—these are just a few examples of the scientific revelations that have reshaped our understanding of the universe and our place in it.
Beyond the realm of government and science, the world of pop culture and entertainment has also seen its share of unmasking. Celebrity scandals, industry secrets, and long-held myths have captivated audiences and challenged our perceptions of the people and institutions we thought we knew.
Now we have to accept that the world is often not what it seems. It means we may have to vet multiple sources of information to uncover the truth. In an age of such skilled misinformation and propaganda, it is more important than ever to be more skeptical than we perhaps have been. I certainly have been taken for more than one ride into Fantasyland!
More to learn
Why do people seek power? Why would the authorities lie to us? That then leads into philosophical exploration, which quickly gets into metaphysics. The boundaries between science and spirituality are blurring, and we are witnessing a resurgence of interest in ancient wisdom and esoteric knowledge. We seek ways to cope as human beings. There seems to me no choice but to try to understand the convergence of quantum physics and consciousness.
Quantum physics, once confined to the realm of theoretical speculation, is now yielding tangible evidence of the interconnectedness of all things. The observer effect, the wave-particle duality of matter, and the phenomenon of quantum entanglement challenge our classical notions of cause and effect and suggest a deeper, underlying reality that transcends our ordinary perception. And here is where metaphysics gets another look.
Photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels.com Ancient spiritual practices, such as meditation, yoga, and shamanic rituals, have long held the key to unlocking the hidden potential of human consciousness. These practices are rooted in traditions spanning millennia. There are practical methods for individuals to transcend the limitations of the physical world without drugs, I want to add. Now these practices are gaining renewed attention as people seek alternative pathways to personal growth and spiritual fulfillment, as well as exploring alternative healthcare.
The exploration of metaphysical concepts continues to have a profound impact on modern psychology and self-development. Transpersonal psychology, a branch of psychology that integrates spiritual and transcendent experiences into the therapeutic process, has emerged as a powerful tool for facilitating personal transformation and healing. Practices such as mindfulness, positive psychology, types of meditation and energy work such as Reiki are gaining widespread acceptance as effective means for enhancing well-being and achieving personal growth.
I have thought about questions that have intrigued philosophers and mystics for centuries:
- What is the true nature of consciousness?
- Are we merely physical beings, or do we possess a higher, spiritual essence?
- What is the purpose of our existence, and how can we find fulfillment in a world that often seems chaotic and unpredictable?
- What happens next? Are we the 6th extinction?
These questions led me to embark on an exploration, leading me to a lot of the things I want to share.
Places to discover wisdom and new ideas:
In seeking knowledge and personal growth, it is essential to explore diverse sources of wisdom and new ideas. Fortunately, we live in an era where information is more accessible than ever before. (That’s why I post so many links on my site.)
Here are other valuable resources:
- Project Gutenberg: There is a vast repository of over 60,000 free e-books, encompassing a wide range of literary genres, historical texts, and scientific treatises. Project Gutenberg offers a treasure trove of classic literature, allowing you to explore the wisdom of the ages without any financial barriers.
- Wikipedia: Tap into the collective knowledge of the world’s largest online encyclopedia. Wikipedia provides a wealth of information on virtually any topic imaginable, contributed by a global community of experts and enthusiasts. While critical evaluation is always advisable, Wikipedia serves as a starting point for further exploration and discovery.
- Wikisource: Here is a digital library of free source texts, including historical documents, manuscripts, and other primary sources. Wikisource complements Wikipedia by offering access to original texts and primary sources, enabling researchers and curious minds to delve deeper into the past and gain a firsthand understanding of historical events and cultural heritage.
- Open Minds: Immerse yourself in the realm of unexplained phenomena and alternative perspectives. Open Minds is a series on Gaia tv, dedicated to exploring topics such as UFOs, paranormal experiences, and fringe science. While approaching these subjects with a critical eye is essential, Open Minds provides a platform for considering alternative viewpoints and challenging conventional beliefs.
- Reputable Science Blogs and Journals: You can stay informed about the latest scientific discoveries and advancements by following reputable science blogs and journals. These sources offer insights into cutting-edge research, allowing you to stay abreast of the ever-evolving scientific landscape.
Look for blogs and journals that (unlike my own chit-chat) are peer-reviewed or affiliated with recognized scientific institutions to ensure the accuracy and credibility of the information presented.
By exploring these diverse resources, you can maintain a lifelong journey of learning, expanding your knowledge, and challenging your assumptions. Embrace the opportunity to discover new ideas, and always question conventional wisdom. You will enjoy having a well-rounded understanding of the world around you.
Join me for updates:
My blog entries are always varied, and I welcome critical thinkers and open-minded individuals who are willing to question everything and explore what has been unknown.
This life is a journey and I believe it is exciting to learn new things. Sometimes the “new things” were actually known by the ancient civilizations and have since been buried or forgotten.
Even at my age, sometimes I feel like a baby goose when a startling revelation crosses my path!
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Just do one simple thing
and live your best life!
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com This is where we live
I get marketing emails all day long, at all of my email inboxes. There are offers for big loans (with exorbitant interest rates), for ways to “easily” write a book or to start a dozen “simple” side hustles. I even receive promotion emails for male enhancement drugs. This is one of the consequences of the materialistic society where we live.
We are all subjected to this because most of us don’t live under a rock. And the phone calls are of a similar variety. I just took a call from someone saying she is from the National Screening Company. She told me I have qualified for a free screening for genetic factors that might pass on physical and neurological defects.
She had my home address, and asked me to confirm how my name is listed on my “red and blue card,” and next she would surely ask for my social security card, I’m sure. I told her I wasn’t interested.
I get dozens of these calls every day, and usually I don’t answer. But suppose it is one of you calling, or a family member calling from an unrecognizable number? So it’s a decision to make each time the phone rings, even though I am on a do-not-call list.
A new focus has been a gift
If you have been following me, you see my life has taken a swift turn into a new focus on who we really are and what is more important than all of these daily interruptions. This has allowed me to laugh at things that threw me into a panic a year ago. I can take a longer view of all of it.
Here’s a way to give yourself a real treat:
- Set your alarm for an hour earlier than you actually need to get up. (Don’t worry, you can still hit the snooze button a few times because of the extra hour.)
- At this point you will remain in a gamma frequency as long as you still have your eyes closed; you’re not really awake (so to speak).
- Let your mind wander through the dreams you have had during the night. Perhaps an earlier dream comes into your mind. With your eyes still closed, watch the images that appear on your inner movie screen.
- In my own case, the images flash in no particular order and often don’t seem to be relevant to anything. Don’t stress over that. Although they might appear unrelated, they are symbolic of what your subconscious (Higher Self) is telling you to process. Symbols are representing something you need to work on. It may be a positive “nudge.”
- Remember as much as you can and before you get up, write down a few ideas that come through at this time. If you repeat this in your waking state as a regular activity, the symbols will get easier and easier to interpret.
Actually, this is how this particular post came to be.
As you begin your day armed with the new information, with a sense of gratitude for your new skill and new confidence, simple steps to accomplishing your goals will fall into place for you.
The one simple thing that has changed the direction of my life as well as my experience of all of it is (wait for it) daily meditation. Sometimes I only give five minutes to the activity, although I prefer 15 to 30 minutes of mindfulness. If you do this already, you are a step ahead of me. The method of waking up that I am suggesting might just suffice as a daily ritual for starting a great day.
If you would like more information about types of meditation, here are twoFREE ebooks that are basic and describe several processes to get you started on a schedule that is right for you. The link is here in this post, where you may download one or both of these books in pdf format.
Of course I will be thrilled if you also sign up for my future communications.
I will be writing more of what I am learning through an affordable paid bimonthly subscription (available April 15) and will continue to link to new discoveries, as well as a variety of available printables that will continue to be free if you are a subscriber.
Please let me know what you think!
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What do you believe?
Many people believe what authorities tell them to believe. Is that you?
I have been exploring what we know and don’t know about life on other planets, UFOs (now called UAF) and even whether or not examples of such life are already here on our planet. There is a lot of information.
Recently I have been reading Earth, a book by Timothy Good. (Actually I am listening on Audible). It is a long listen, 17 hours, so I’m not done. But what it is, is a compilation of stories from all over the world of experiences reported relating to extraterrestrial contacts. Most seem to be benign but a few seem scary.
I tend to skip past the scary ones, for the same reason that led me to never watch that movie about exorcism. I don’t need any more scary or negative thoughts finding living space in my brain.
Photo by Markus Spiske on Pexels.com People I found
Danny Sheehan is an interesting person to pay attention to, and he has had a lot to say. If you visit his website you can pick from more than one topic, from politics to religion.
What Sheehan and others consistently express is that any messages that appear to be from non-Earthlings can be whittled down to two important points:
- This planet is extremely important because it generates life. We must get rid of nuclear weapons.
- We must stop polluting the planet, particularly if we don’t want humans to become extinct.
Ponder this:
Apparently these entities are not well-received by the authorities. Information is either kept secret or is denied. Could these two messages be the reason why? Something to ponder.
Further, I also read that the weapons industry is a huge engine of the world’s existing economy, as is of course the fossil fuel industry. Trying to affect either of those is certainly a Sisyphean task and has little chance of success.
That is to say, little chance under the present (2024) circumstances. It will take awareness on a huge scale to make any difference in humanity’s future.
After winning the 1960 Presidential election, Kennedy learned a shocking truth from President Eisenhower. The control group set up to run highly classified extraterrestrial technologies, the Majestic-12 Group, had become a rogue government agency. Eisenhower warned Kennedy that MJ-12 had to be reined in. It posed a direct threat to American liberties and democratic processes. Kennedy followed Eisenhower’s advice, and set out to realize James Forrestal’s vision. The same forces that orchestrated Forrestal’s death opposed Kennedy’s efforts at every turn. When Kennedy was on the verge of succeeding, by forcing the CIA to share classified UFO information with other government agencies on November 12, 1963, he was assassinated 10 days later.
Michael E. SalaYet another book to read
Kennedy’s Last Stand is the story of how an American President tried to realize his friend and mentor’s vision of a world where humanity openly knows about extraterrestrial life; and of the government officials responsible for denying that vision.
What do you think?
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Hello Literate World!
March 6, 2024 Yet again I find myself desperate to communicate with the sane among us, as we just watched Niki Haley suspend her campaign for the Republican nomination for President of the United States. We are going to witness many attempts to stop this train wreck and as Liz Cheney stated today, we have […]
Hello Literate World! -
Finally
Tonight I finally found a way to link all my posts to this site, so that I can simplify things at least for me.
I don’t assume that anyone wants to know what I was thinking about in 2010, but just in case, now it’s all linked.
I know I had posts on Blogger at one point and I suppose I can track those down too. If I do, I will incorporate them as well. Perhaps I can make an ebook for my grandchildren.
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Been busy
making journals
I have been creating journals like a mad woman! Both the kind with sewn signatures to insert into my recently made covers from cracker boxes and the loose leaf type, 6 holes necessary because of the notebook binder things I got from Temu.
It took me awhile to learn how to punch the proper holes to fit but I finally got the hang of it. If you have one of those heavy black contraptions that you have always used as a 3-hole punch, all you have to do is move the punch mechanism to the end — all three next to each other, and then remember that metric sized paper is 8.25″ wide instead of our commonly used 8.5″, you can match the 6 holes perfectly. (Punch one side, turn the page upside down and punch the other end. If you’re not trying to fit a 6-hole mechanism then just forget what I said.)
For some reason I felt a need to make journal after journal this past month. I should plan a mixed media art garage sale. But I love making these little books. I’ve also created some 8×10 collage pieces this past month.
I am having major surgery next week and that means I will be away from my studio for several weeks at a minimum, assuming I survive it. Since I’m 80, that’s always a consideration. So, about that garage sale…
I spent some time organizing papers I’ve saved, trashing some and vowing to use pieces I had forgotten about. I have been inspired to get out the color pencils and acrylic markers and add drawings to some of the pages.
It’s definitely a time to get lost in creating. I have been listening to my music collection instead of the 24/7 news and I can recommend that.
I think there is a reason we are inspired to create. I recommend you do it every chance you get.
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Now, the book!
You are the first to know.
The Magic of Journaling is to be released mid-May. So yes, I’ve been busy!
The Magic of Journaling The winner of the April drawing has been notified and her package will be on its way shortly.
Should we have another?
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Journals as Mixed Media Art
Unlock the Power of Self-Expression
At the heart of every great piece of art is a story waiting to be told.
Perhaps you have heard it said that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. I really don’t like using the term “junk journal” but as you may know, this is the popular name for the type of journal that contains found objects and other ephemera.
One of my folllowers on Instagram wrote that she is just getting started with journaling, indicating that she found it to be expensive to begin. I respondeed that there is much that can be done with a trip to Dollar Tree, and even without that, there are opportunities to get a head start using supplies already on hand.
Almost everybody has an old composition notebook around the house. We all get junk mail on a regular basis and one easy way to put together pages is by using discarded envelopes. I used to make greeting cards and when I began making journals, I found that I had leftover scrapbook paper and even some colored construction paper that had been purchased for my granddaughters. I made “books” from cardboard boxes that had once held cheese crackers. It was much later that I got more “fancy” with my creations.
Why we love vintage
I have thought a lot about our fascination with what we call “vintage.” Usually this refers to images from the 19th and 20th century, although the technical definition is anything that is from a period 50 years ago or earlier. It is the nostalgia, yearning for a simpler time that is driving a lot of this popularity — a time of hand-made things, when cars were slower and clocks had to be wound every day. We cannot avoid our fast-paced digital world and there is something special about reconnecting with the past.
My grandmother had several old church hymnals. I shared some pages from them in my Etsy shop. I simply scanned them to make digital files because I could not bear to tear the pages out. We have used book stores here and last week I picked up some old books printed in languages other than English. (You can find pages of foreign languages in our downloads.)
Pam, at The Paper Outpost has dozens of how-to videos on You Tube. I learned a lot from her in the beginning. (Usually I turn the sound off because I think she talks too much, but that’s just me. She has a bird or something.)
Making your own one-of-a-kind journal can be a therapeutic process. The act of cutting and pasting, arranging bits of paper, scribbling and decorating can be a form of mindfulness. We can focus on the here and now, and create something that feels authentic and meaningful.
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Another Maker and a video
This month I have discovered MollieMakes.com, another of thise awesome sites in Great Britain related to making things. Right up my alley! There is a published magazine devoted to everything from painting to sewing, and (wait for it!) journaling! So of course I subscribed immediarely. Digital subscriptions are offered but I asked for a hard copy.
There was a free downloadable issue and I was fascinated by several articles. There is an article by Kristi Prokopiak that caught my eye, just with the title alone, which is “Why I Journal.” She says, “Currently my scrapbooks are all about holding space for myself. Creating a container for my hopes and dreams as well as my pain.” Kristi is on Instagram @ritualscrapbooks.
More from the issue:
“The difference between a diary and a journal is that a diary records your reactions to the daily happenings in your life. A journal also includes the things that interest and inspire you, while also giving you space to grow creatively.”
Find a style of journal that works for you.
Quick Make
Use thiese. - I made a short video about making quick little journals for specific occasions and gifts. I made these with invitation (A6) size envelopes and I really like how easy they are to make. I hope you will find it interesting.
- I have just uploaded another pdf in the downloadable products. There are 9 pages of old book pages. There are three each in German, French and Spanish for great background pages.
- The next drawing for items to add to your stash will happen on April 7. If you are not yet a subscriber, be sure to sign up to be included in all our drawings. And tell all your friends!
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And the winner…
is in the state of New York and has been sent an email.
If for some reason there is no response with a mailing address, we will have to choose a runner-up, but the winner has the weekend to respond.
Stay tuned.