Can faith help deal with the tragedy?
Irreligious Sikhs
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Speak Up
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Appeal
Kindly sign the petition to Catholic Archdiocese of Bombay to withdraw complaints against Sanal
Petition on change.com (10,657 signs yet)
Thursday, May 31, 2012
X-Files: The Nocebo Effect
Intense belief in a negative thing Kills!
Ten years ago, researchers stumbled onto a striking finding: Women who believed that they were prone to heart disease were nearly four times as likely to die as women with same risk who didn't hold such views.
Person is convinced that something is going to go wrong, so it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Cancer Deaths
90% of pateints who were told they will die from cancer did so, they OBLIGED on doctors orders. Patients who fight it usually live while patients who accept it that they are going to die interestingly produce nocebo effect which kills them. So trusting the doctor too much proved harmful in this case.
Nocebo Effect
The opposite of placebo effect, little is understood about this effect. The race is on to understand the precise mechanisms behind nocebo.
Self sabotage: What is happening in our brain?
Thoughts generate chemicals & being stuck on a negative thought can overdose us.
The Role of Conditioning
When people have been conditioned to the power of such a thing, it sticks in the sub-conscious mind. Such “conditioning” helps explain why as many as one in three people become nauseated or even vomit on entering a room where they have recently received chemotherapy.
The Infamous Toona
Black Magic, researchers found it only affected those who believed it did. Their mind attacks the body. In case of African voodoo - Africans die from it, never a white person. The Pain study, which was led by Italian neuroscientist Martina Amanzio, reviewed 73 clinical trials conducted between 1988 and 2007.
Ten years ago, researchers stumbled onto a striking finding: Women who believed that they were prone to heart disease were nearly four times as likely to die as women with same risk who didn't hold such views.
Person is convinced that something is going to go wrong, so it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Cancer Deaths
90% of pateints who were told they will die from cancer did so, they OBLIGED on doctors orders. Patients who fight it usually live while patients who accept it that they are going to die interestingly produce nocebo effect which kills them. So trusting the doctor too much proved harmful in this case.
Nocebo Effect
The opposite of placebo effect, little is understood about this effect. The race is on to understand the precise mechanisms behind nocebo.
Self sabotage: What is happening in our brain?
Thoughts generate chemicals & being stuck on a negative thought can overdose us.The Role of Conditioning
When people have been conditioned to the power of such a thing, it sticks in the sub-conscious mind. Such “conditioning” helps explain why as many as one in three people become nauseated or even vomit on entering a room where they have recently received chemotherapy.
The Infamous Toona
Black Magic, researchers found it only affected those who believed it did. Their mind attacks the body. In case of African voodoo - Africans die from it, never a white person. The Pain study, which was led by Italian neuroscientist Martina Amanzio, reviewed 73 clinical trials conducted between 1988 and 2007.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Bulleh Shah - The Punjabi Humanist
The first aspect of Bulleh Shah’s poetry and philosophy that strikes the reader is his bold and almost arrogant critique of the religious orthodoxy of his day; specifically the Islamic religious orthodoxy. His poetry is filled with direct attacks on anyone claiming control over religion, to the point of comparing mullahs to barking dogs and crowing roosters.
Punjabi Original:
Masjid dha de, mandir dha de, dha de jo kucch dainda
Par kisi da dil na dhain, Rab dilan vich rehnda..
Translation:
Tear down the mosque or the temple; you may break everything you can
But do not break a person’s heart, it is there that God resides
Punjabi Original:Mulla tay mashaalchi dohaan ikko chit
Loukan karday chananan, aap anhairae vich
Translation:
Mullah and the torch-bearer, both from the same flock
Guiding others; themselves in the dark
Others which signify atheism:
The Mullas and Qazis show me the light
Leading to the maze of superstition.
Wicked are the ways of the world
Like laying nets for innocent birds
With religious and social taboos
They have tied my feet tight.
~
What a spark of knowledge is kindled ~
I find that I am neither Hindu nor Turk.
I am a lover by creed;
A lover is victorious even when swindled.
~
Lumpens live in the Hindu temples
And sharks in the Sikh shrines.
Musclemen live in the Muslim mosques
And lovers live in their clime.
~
Burn the prayer mat, break the water pot,
Quit the rosary and care not for the staff.
~
The thugs with their mouths full of froth
Talk about life and death
Without making any sense.
With the fundamentalist, he is more severe :
If you wish to be a ghazi,
Take up your sword :
Before killing the Heretic
You must slaughter the swindler.
Despite this, when he was denounced as a heretic, Bulleh Shah shouted back:
A lover of God?
They'll make much fuss;
They'll call you a Heretic
You should say -yes, yes.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Friday, May 18, 2012
We are living in the most peaceful time in our species' existence
Contrary to popular belief, our ancestors were far more violent than us. Violence been in decline for a long period of time.
Polio finally defeated in India
2011 was the first year in history of India with zero polio cases. Only three countries in the world still have polio -Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan. Coincidently countries with populations among the most religious in the world.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Are we in control of our decisions?
Dan Ariely demonstates how our society picks our decisions. He illustrates that we dont make a decision for complex problems & allow the decision to be chosen for us.
Thats why most people have the same religion of their parents.
Ghalib on Heaven
Mirza Ghalib was the most well known poet of Punjab of his times. Living under orthodox Islam, he was known for his liberal views. A verse from his writings."Hum ko maloom hai jannat ke haqeeeqat, lekin...
Dil ke khush rakhnay ko,
Ghalib, yeh khayal acha ha"
Translation
‘I know the truth about heaven, but
Translation
‘I know the truth about heaven, but
As for amusement of the heart,
O Ghalib, it's a useful idea.’
Your brain is badly wired
Al Seckel, a cognitive neuroscientist, explores the perceptual illusions that fool our brains. Loads of eye tricks help him prove that not only are we easily fooled, we like being fooled.
Welcome to SatYug!
While Indian religions refer to the present age as Kaliyug (Dark Age) & while Satyug, a 'Golden Age' was in ancient times, data suggests differently. Even during the last century, average human lifespan doubled, average per capita income tripled, childhood mortality 10 times less, cost of food 10 times less, cost of electricity 20 times less & much much more.
Diane Benscoter on how cults rewire the brain
Diane was brainwashed by the Moonie religious movement.
Khushwant Singh: Prayer is Useless
As a developing nation, can we afford to waste time in satsangs, asks Khushwant Singh.
It can scarcely be disputed that we Indians - be we Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs or Parsis -spend more time in performing religious rituals than any other people in the world. The Hindi adage saat vaar aur aath tyohaar - there are only seven days in a week but there are eight religious festivals - is by no means an overstatement.
Staggering waste of time
Count the number of religious holidays, national and sectional, then add up the number of hours people spend every day saying their prayers and visiting temples, mosques, churches and gurdwaras, the days spent in pilgrimage to holy places, the hours taken up by satsangs or religious gatherings, discourses, kirtans, bhajans, jagratas (allnight singing of devotional songs), and so on. It will come to a staggering total.
Then ask yourself whether a poor developing country like ours can afford to lose so many millions of man-hours in pursuits that produce no material benefits.
Also ask yourself whether strict adherence to a routine of prayer, ritual or telling the beads of a rosary makes a person into a better human being. Is it not true that even dacoits pray for success of their nefarious missions before they embark on them? And aren't the worst tax evaders and black marketers often devoutly religious?
On rare occasions when I visited a gurdwara or a temple, I made it a point to watch people making obeisance before the Granth Sahib or their favourite god. Those who took the longest time to rub their noses on the ground were usually those who more than others craved forgiveness for having lied, stolen, fornicated and made illicit money....
I concede that it is entirely up to an individual how he decides to spend his time. If they get peace of mind through prayer and performance of ritual, they have every right to pray as long as they want to and wave candelabras of incense and tinkle bells to their hearts' content.
But what they, or anyone else, have no right to do is to impose their religiosity on other people. We as a people do this without consideration for the feelings and comfort of our fellow citizens.
An instance of this total lack of concern for others is the use of loudspeakers calling for prayers, azaan from mosques, or blasting forth kirtans, bhajans and pravachans. The craziest examples are all-night jaagrans that disturb the sleep of entire localities.
Children are unable to concentrate on their studies, the sick unable to get rest, and if there has been death in some household, the family members are unable to mourn in silence.... A modern fad, which has gained widespread acceptance amongst the educated and semi-educated who wish to appear secular, is the practice of meditation.
Why meditate?
What does meditation achieve? The usual answer is 'peace of mind'. If you further ask 'and what does peace of mind achieve?' you will get no answer because there is none.
Peace of mind is a sterile concept, which produces nothing. The exercise may be justified as a therapy for those with disturbed minds or those suffering from hypertension, but there is no evidence to prove that it enhances creativity.
On the contrary, it can be established by statistical data that all the great works of art, literature, science and music were works of highly agitated minds, at the time, on the verge of a collapse....
New religion for India
My new religion for India would be primarily based on work ethics. We have an apt motto, which needs to be put into effect: aram haram hai - so resting is forbidden. However, leisure time to recoup energy to resume work, which yields material benefits, ought to be provided. We must not waste time because time is precious.
It can scarcely be disputed that we Indians - be we Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs or Parsis -spend more time in performing religious rituals than any other people in the world. The Hindi adage saat vaar aur aath tyohaar - there are only seven days in a week but there are eight religious festivals - is by no means an overstatement.
Staggering waste of time
Count the number of religious holidays, national and sectional, then add up the number of hours people spend every day saying their prayers and visiting temples, mosques, churches and gurdwaras, the days spent in pilgrimage to holy places, the hours taken up by satsangs or religious gatherings, discourses, kirtans, bhajans, jagratas (allnight singing of devotional songs), and so on. It will come to a staggering total.
Then ask yourself whether a poor developing country like ours can afford to lose so many millions of man-hours in pursuits that produce no material benefits.Also ask yourself whether strict adherence to a routine of prayer, ritual or telling the beads of a rosary makes a person into a better human being. Is it not true that even dacoits pray for success of their nefarious missions before they embark on them? And aren't the worst tax evaders and black marketers often devoutly religious?
On rare occasions when I visited a gurdwara or a temple, I made it a point to watch people making obeisance before the Granth Sahib or their favourite god. Those who took the longest time to rub their noses on the ground were usually those who more than others craved forgiveness for having lied, stolen, fornicated and made illicit money....
I concede that it is entirely up to an individual how he decides to spend his time. If they get peace of mind through prayer and performance of ritual, they have every right to pray as long as they want to and wave candelabras of incense and tinkle bells to their hearts' content.
But what they, or anyone else, have no right to do is to impose their religiosity on other people. We as a people do this without consideration for the feelings and comfort of our fellow citizens.
An instance of this total lack of concern for others is the use of loudspeakers calling for prayers, azaan from mosques, or blasting forth kirtans, bhajans and pravachans. The craziest examples are all-night jaagrans that disturb the sleep of entire localities.
Children are unable to concentrate on their studies, the sick unable to get rest, and if there has been death in some household, the family members are unable to mourn in silence.... A modern fad, which has gained widespread acceptance amongst the educated and semi-educated who wish to appear secular, is the practice of meditation.
Why meditate?
What does meditation achieve? The usual answer is 'peace of mind'. If you further ask 'and what does peace of mind achieve?' you will get no answer because there is none.
Peace of mind is a sterile concept, which produces nothing. The exercise may be justified as a therapy for those with disturbed minds or those suffering from hypertension, but there is no evidence to prove that it enhances creativity.
On the contrary, it can be established by statistical data that all the great works of art, literature, science and music were works of highly agitated minds, at the time, on the verge of a collapse....
New religion for India
My new religion for India would be primarily based on work ethics. We have an apt motto, which needs to be put into effect: aram haram hai - so resting is forbidden. However, leisure time to recoup energy to resume work, which yields material benefits, ought to be provided. We must not waste time because time is precious.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Holding onto religion: Sunk-Cost Fallacy
The Sunk-Cost Fallacy is to continue a hopeless investment based on the irrational reasoning that they will lose everything that they have invested so far if they turn back now.
People fear that all the time & energy they investment into religion - will be lost if they stop now, so they continue spending even more time & energy into it.
People fear that all the time & energy they investment into religion - will be lost if they stop now, so they continue spending even more time & energy into it.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Taranjeet remembers his previous life
Taranjeet from Punjab's capital city claims to remember his past life & how he died.
Can kill anyone using Tantra
Holy man Pandit Surender Sharma had claimed he could murder a man using simply his mind. So after hearing his boasts of the lethal talent sceptic Sanal Edamaruku challenged him to kill him there and then. Mr Edamaruku — head of the Indian Rationalist Association — said calmly: "Go on then - kill me." The mystic was at first unwilling but finally relented and agreed to prove his powers.
Having failed, Pandit asks for special time under night sky, team of Pandits, special herbs & materials.
Failed again, pandit wanted 3rd round.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Best of Christopher Hitchens
"It infects us in our most basic integrity. It says we cannot be moral with big brother, without a totalitarian permission. We can't be good to one another. We can't think without this. We must be afraid. We must also be forced to love someone who we fear-the essence of sadomasochism, the essence of master-slave relationship....I say this is evil." Christopher Hitchens
How Dr. Deepak Chopra fooled the world
Deepak Chopra, published 65 books with 19 New York Times bestsellers translated into 35 languages and sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. He used his qualification of being a medical doctor & used scientific terminology to expound unrelated spiritual concepts.
Quantum Healing?
His theories confused people using a phrase 'Quantum healing' & lying that Quantum Mechanics is linked with it.
In guise of a doctor he advocated Hindu spirituality. Such a doctor should have his license revoked. He was an assistant to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi before starting his own career in the late 1980s started publishing self-help books on New Age spirituality and alternative medicine.
Michael Jackson's condition (who was his friend for 20 years) aptly demonstrated Deepak's book 'Ageless Body, Timeless Mind'. It appears both Michael's body & his mind stopped growth after he met Deepak.
Michael Shermer has said that Chopra is "the very definition of what we mean by pseudoscience".
Deepak Chopra Apologises
Prizes
Win Rs. 5 lakh!!
All those God men, saints, yogis, psychics, fortune tellers, telepathists and others who claim they have acquired miraculous powers through spiritual exercises, divine gifts or meditation could win award of Five Lacks Rupees (Rs.5,00,000/-) if they will able to perform any one of the following “miracles”.:
Imp. Note:-This challenge is ruled by the following conditions:
Head Office: Tarksheel Bhawan, BARNALA-148101 (Punjab) INDIA. |
Not Enough Money?
Then why not try
James Randi Educational Fundation offers a one-million-dollar prize to anyone who can show, under proper observing conditions, evidence of any paranormal, supernatural, or occult power or event.
Tarksheel (Rationalist Society) on TV
Astrology Exposed
Debate between Astrologer & Tarksheel (Rationalist Society)
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