Soul’s Code

Ancient Aryans’ “Amor fati” is the grandparent for Hinduism’s “karma”, Mormonism’s emotive dark-side, and evolving blogs on ever-trendy atheism.

 FriskoDude has this great picture of a Muslim man selling icons of Hindu gods. A toast to the Indian Muslims blog for pointing it out.

Jason Pitzl-Waters, a practicing vegan,  describes a Hindu leading the prayer of the Nevada Senate: “…while it may seem innocuous to some, there is something inherently radical about a public prayer that welcomes such a broad variety of belief and worship.“

A self-proclaimed evolutionist writes about worldwide atheism trends, synopsizing work by Phil Zuckerman. Sweden, Vietnam and Denmark have the greatest number of atheists, the blogger writes.

Sailing to Byzantium writes about his personal journey out of Mormonism. The author started questioning his faith after working with his brother through a crisis, he writes.

How do we grow? Let me count the ways…

Morten Lund writes about his daughter’s growth epiphany (see picture). I’ve had the same realization several times myself. I’ve outgrown several philosophies, ideas and even lovers. This is one of the hardest things about growth, you have to give things up and leave them behind. Whether it’s a favorite pair of pants that no longer fits, or your best friend, who seems to be stuck at a level you’ve left. But you can’t blame your pants or resent your old friend. Growth is part of your personal journey and if you’re not growing, it’s time refocus.

DaVette writes about growth in relationships:

A Hindu guru’s genital oiling scandal; Seduction Labs; Lauren Taylor is the daughter Sarah Palin wishes she had; What is ‘acousticophilia’?

Do Hindu religious leaders approve of genital oiling? I never thought to ask, but it’s on the mind of the folks at BarryPittard. The author is calling for an investigation into Sathya Sai Baba, a guru who has faced alligations of sexual impropriety.

Another question that I’ve at least considered before is “why do women tease?” The writers at Seduction Labs have this answer:

“Women don’t actually set out to tease men. It just happens that attracting many men without mating with them is a sexual strategy that women have evolved to help them make the best of their biology. This behaviour evolved because it is successful. The fact that it makes the unsuccessful suitors uncomfortable is biologically irrelevant.“

That’s Seduction Lab’s picture to the left. What makes sense: A fair amount of a man’s perception of teasing has to do with projections.

Lauren Taylor has a different perspective. She’s decided to remain a virgin until she’s married. She writes: “Therefor, until I say I do, my sexual satisfaction comes from little flirtations without words: The up and down glances from men. I only occasionally play the part.“

Flirtation is an important part of her burgeoning sex life. She describes it as a way for her to enjoy the mental aspects of physical attraction.

The Candles outlines a list of abnormal sexual practices including Sadism, Zoophilia, Acoustophilia and Frottage. Sex, the author says, is a sacred gift from God to be shared between a married man and woman.

The author writes: “This is very natural and normal when the married couples use this gift. But when it is used outside a marriage and in a strange manner it becomes unnatural and abnormal.“

He helpfully adds that Acousticophilia is a language fetish. Think of Jamie Lee Curtis’ love of Russian in the movie, A Fish Called Wanda.

Figleaf writes that sex is nothing more than a “…friction-induced nervous discharge can easily be self-administered.“

Everything else, he argues, is the product of “culture driven perceptions.” That piles a lot into the bucket-list.

This week, Newsweek hit up a depression sufferer for her description of how to live with the mental anguish of the condition. The passage that really stands out in Leah Iannone’s story:

Most people would be shocked to learn I have suffered and still suffer from depression. I am friendly, kind, and generally happy, sort of a black-and-white thinker with a cheery disposition.

That is part of the disease.

You learn to act happy for the benefit of others because you feel guilty. My family and friends were always extremely supportive even when they didn’t understand. I couldn’t look at my parents because their faces showed their devastation, and although I wanted desperately to be with them, my pain was constant and often unbearable. I wished I could get better for my family, but it felt out of my control. My 20s were not what they should have been, and I missed a lot. I was a late bloomer in many of ways.

A behavioral take-away: the best way to deal with a depressed person in your family or in your life is to simply show up with patience and acceptance, without taking things personally.

Forbes.com recommends yoga in the conference room as one of its 10 ways to reduce stress at work. (picture from Forbes.com)

Newsweek reviews “Away From Her” a movie about losing a loved one to Alzheimer’s.

The Phoenix Center blog offers five tips for “Getting your act together.” My favorite is Number 5: “Go out of your mind, and come to your senses.” The idea is from Fritz Perls, one of the founders of Gestalt Therapy.

A meditation on the meaning of the island in, Lost: Heaven, purgatory, a board game or karmic wheel?

BY SOUL’S CODE — The last two episodes of ABC’s hit series, Lost, Season 3 have laid the groundwork for the idea that the “survivors” that have been stranded on the island for the last two seasons may in fact be dead.

It’s easy to imagine heaven as an experience akin to being deserted on a tropical island with Evangeline Lilly (Kate); but Locke’s father suggests the island is something darker.