I meditate to transform my experiences. What does it mean to know transformation? I have become more familiar with the subtleties of the breath’s sensation – this is the most communicable transformation. It is easy to imagine an increase in awareness in nuances of sensation: the spectrum of a painting, the textures of a carpet, the timbre of a violin. The words point to the distinction: “green”...
Perceptions of wisdom in the Talmud with Emmanuel Levinas
Editorial notes: On this day Shai publishes his first post dedicated specifically to Judaism. This is significant as it is the beginning of the fourth phase in Shai’s intellectual journey. After having first devoted a substantial body of writing to scientific inquiry and to the study of ancient and classical Western philosophers, and having recently commenced his study of Eastern Wisdom, Shai...
Meditation anecdotes
I intend to attend to the sensation of breath at the nostrils’ rims. I begin with counts, and if the mind settles down so that the numbers are perceived as distractions then I abandon the counts. Every session is different. But some features are familiar. I am familiar with some variations in the breath. I am familiar with some variations in attendance to the breath. I may grasp and direct...
The Traveller is the Journey – Subjects
Categories Journal – relating and describing the experiences of my own day to day life Out-of-the-darkness – specifically my efforts and experiences in recovery Self-improvement – specifically my efforts and experiences in remaking and improving myself Searching – specifically my thoughts and responses to deciding and reconsidering direction Observations –...
Evolutionists vs Life looks like it evolved
Editorial notes: Over the years, Shai used various information storage options to catalogue and maintain his library of writings. It begins with his notebooks and having moved into digital media, he begins to use blogs and writers forums as the means to store and present his final writing products. The development of digital writing seems to have evolved in two main channels. Initially in...
On The Apology of Socrates
The title is a quirk of etymology, having been born in the Greek courts, spread through the early Chrisitan’s spiritual and philosophical defences, and ended up meaning something like a “regretted guilt”. Not so here. I prefer the alternative title: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised by Socrates voices by Plato On one hand, this is a document. On one hand, this is a story. On...
A methodology of perspective
Editorial notes: This post was found in ‘Draft’ mode in the original blog and may be incomplete. It is published here in its original state. It was last updated on 13/02/2015 The following paper was brought to the attention of the Royal Society of Exploratory Studies on a Tuesday. By Thursday all three committee members owning right of veto resigned, resulting in an emergency meeting...
First taste of kasina
Editorial notes: Shai starts his seventh blog, entitled “The Traveller is the Journey“. This blog represents the entry point into the third major phase in Shai’s journey. Having previously dedicated substantial research effort to reviewing and documenting the great philosophical minds of the West, he now commences his exploration of the wisdom of East, in particular the mystical aspects of the...
Thomas More – Utopia
Journal: Even before finishing this book[I] I felt underwhelmed. First, it was too easy, as if any text from the 15th century needed to be difficult. Difficult because it should be foreign. And difficult because of one pre-existing standard for the text’s mould: Plato’s Republic. Essay: Before, I had categorized this book as a combination of Plato and Swift[II]. And so after, my...
A Temp Batman Reading List
?1973: B #251 ?1976,87: DC #457,572 ?1977: B. Strange Apparitions (B. #469-79) ?1980: Untold Legends of the Batman (#1-3) ?1984: B. Special #1 1986: Batman The Dark Knight Returns 1987: Batman Year One ?1987: B. Son of the Demon ?1987,1990: B. Annual #11,14 1988: Batman The Killing Joke 1988: Batman A Death in the Family (B #426-9) ?1988: B. Ten Nights of the Beast (B. #417-20) ?1988: B. The Cult...