Manage Body|Mind|Emotions|Thoughts

Monday, August 27, 2007

Monroe Techniques for Astral Projection

Every one will want to experience the 'Astral Travel' but it requires practice for some while few can do it very easily. Below is a technique suggessted by Scott Rogo, prentice Hall Press in his book 'Leaving The Body: A Complete Guide to Astral Projection'.

One of the chief barriers people learning to project face is fear. Many are afraid that they may die, or be harmed in some way as a result of their projection. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The Cantebury Institute, renowned for its occult studies, executed an experiment in projection involving over 2,000 people. None of them were hurt in any way by this, and now, three years later, none have complained of any newly arising problems.


Once you are aware that you cannot be harmed by projecting, you should begin monroe's techniques, step by step.

Step one:
Relax the body. According to Monroe, "the ability to relax is the first prerequisite, perhaps even the first step itself" to having an OBE. (out of body experience) This includes both physical and mental relaxation. Monroe does not suggest a method of attaining this relaxation, although Progressive Muscle relaxation, coupled with deep breathing exercises (inhale 1, exhale 2, inhale 3.... until 50 or 100) are known to work well.

Step two:
Enter the state bordering sleep. This is known as the hypnagogic state. Once again, Monroe doesn't recommend any method of doing this. One way is to hold your forearm up, while keeping your upper arm on the bed, or ground. As you start to fall asleep, your arm will fall, and you will awaken again. With practice, you can learn to control the Hypnagogic state without using your arm. Another method is to concentrate on an object. When other images start to enter your thoughts, you have entered the Hypnagogic state. Passively watch these images. This will also help you maintain this state of near-sleep. Monroe calls this Condition A.

Step three:
Deepen this state. Begin to clear your mind. Observe your field of vision through your closed eyes. Do nothing more for a while. Simply look through your closed eyelids at the blackness in front of you. After a while, you may notice light patterns. These are simply neural discharges. They have no specific effect. Ignore them. When they cease, one has entered what Monroe calls Condition B. From here, one must enter an even deeper state of relaxation which Monroe calls Condition C-- a state of such relaxation that you lose all awareness of the body and sensory stimulation. You are almost in a void in which your only source of stimulation will be your own thoughts. The ideal state for leaving your body is Condition D. This is Condition C when it is voluntarily induced from a rested and refreshed condition and is not the effect of normal fatigue. To achieve Condition D, Monroe suggests that you practice entering it in the morning or after a short nap.

Step Four:
Enter a state of Vibration. This is the most important part of the technique, and also the most vague. Many projectors have noted these vibrations at the onset of projection. They can be experienced as a mild tingling, or as is electricity is being shot through the body. Their cause is a mystery. It may actually be the astral body trying to leave the physical one. For entering into the vibrational state, he offers the following directions:

1.Remove all jewelry or other items that might be touching your skin.
2.Darken the room so that no light can be seen through your eyelids, but do not shut out all light.
3.Lie down with your body along a north-south axis, with your head pointed toward magnetic north.
4.Loosen all clothing, but keep covered so that you are slightly warmer than might normally be comfortable.
5.Be sure you are in a location where, and at a time when, there will be absolutely no noise to disturb you.
6.Enter a state of relaxation
7.Give yourself the mental suggestion that you will remember all that occurs during the upcoming session that will be beneficial to your weel-being. Repeat this five times.
8.Proceed to breath through your helf-open mouth.
9.As you breath, concentrate on the void in front of you.
10.Select a point a foot away from your forehead, then change your point of mental reference to six feet.
11.Turn the point 90 degrees upward by drawing an imaginary line parallel to your body axis up and above your head. Focus there and reach out for the vibrations at that point and bring them back into your body. Even if you don't know what these vibrations are, you will know when you have achieved contact with them.

Step five:
Learn to control the vibrational state. Practice controlling them by mentally pushing them into your head, down to your toes, making them surge throughout your entire body, and producing vibrational waves from head to foot. To produce this wave effect, concentrate of the vibrations and mentally push a wave out of your head and guide it down your body. Practice this until you can induce these waves on command. Once you have control of the vibrational state, you are ready to leave the body.

Step six:
Begin with a partial separation. The key here is thought control. Keep your mind firmly focused on the idea of leaving the body. Do not let it wander. Stray thought might cause you to lose control of the state. Now, having entered the vibrational state, begin exploring the OBE by releasing a hand or a foot of the "second body". Monroe suggests that you extend a limb until it comes in contact with a familiar object, such as a wall near your bed. Then push it through the object. Return the limb by placing it back into coincidence with the physical one, decrease the vibrational rate, and then terminate the experiment. Lie quietly until you have fully returned to normal. This exercise will prepare you for full seperation.

Step seven:
Dissociate yourself from the body. Monroe suggests two methods for this. One method is to lift out of the body. To do this, think about getting lighter and lighter after entering this vibrational state. Think about how nice it would be to float upward. Keep this thought in mind at all costs and let no extraneous thoughts interrupt it. An OBE will occur naturally at this point.
Another method is the "Rotation method" or "roll-out" technique.
When you have achieved the vibrational state, try to roll over as if you were turning over in bed. /do not attempt to roll over physically. Try to twist your body from the top and virtually roll over into your second body right out of your physical self. At this point, you will be out of the body but next to it. Think of floating upward, and you should find yourself floating above the body. Monroe suggests you begin with the lift-out method, but argues that both are equally efficacious.
If, you want to learn more on these techniques, I recommend purchasing 'Leaving The Body', by R. Scott Rogo. It contains another eight or so techniques. Not all techniques work for everyone, but chances are you'll find one that works for you in this book.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Astral Projection - An interview with Jerry Gross (Part II)

Jones: Are there any dangers people should be aware of?
Gross: When you do this consciously, there is no danger in it. One thing I'll say, you must develop your thinking skills, and know what you want and where you want to go. The only dangerous part of it, is if you practice it while you are taking in drugs or alcohol. Remember back in the sixties when people were taking the drug called LSD, and they had some bad trips? They ended up in the lower astral. I'm trying to teach that you can have full control of what you are doing. I would suggest if you like to drink or take drugs that you not try it.

Jones: What else can you do when you leave the body?

Gross: That is entirely up to you. You must know where you are going. You cannot just leave your body and have no destination, because you'll bounce around like a rubber ball. Remember, you are controlling yourself with your thoughts, so if you think of California, you'll be there. One of the most important things I like to teach people in my workshops is how to use their minds to astral project. The best thing I can say is to learn to control yourself, so you'll go where you wanted to go. When you first start out this might happen for awhile, but after you get full control of it, you'll realize someone else is watching you, a teacher or guide. They'll contact you then and let you know it's time for you go on, and learn.

Jones: How would the average person know if this is for real? Is there a way to prove it, and have you ever been asked to prove it?

Gross: In my workshops, I teach you to astral project by having you sit in a chair and go out and turn around and look at yourself. If you are lying in bed, you can rise up, turn around and look at yourself lying on the bed. You'll have proof enough when you are able to look at your physical body, from outside of it. I've been asked to prove this many times, in radio shows, and at the Whole Life Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center where I traveled astrally from St. Paul, Minnesota to Los Angeles and moved a box they had set up on the stage for me. Once you learn how to do this you'll have proved this to yourself, and that's why I call my little group, Search and Prove. I want you to prove this to yourself for that's the ultimate proof. Don't take my word for it, prove it to yourself.

Jones: Are certain kinds of people more inclined to develop this ability than others?

Gross: I would say some learn faster than others. I had one lady who took two years before she finally succeeded. The most important thing is to keep a positive mind and know you can do this, because as soon as doubt comes into your mind, you won't be able to do it. The negative is taking over then. So it's important to keep an open, positive mind that you can do this. It might take a little time, but it will happen. I like to think about people going on a diet. They get real enthused about it at first, when they've lost a couple of pounds. All of a sudden it gets hard to lose, and they give up. It's the same way with astral projection. If things don't happen right away, some people give up.

Jones: Does daily lifestyle make a difference in being able to project?

Gross: No. If you have a normal lifestyle, you shouldn't have any problem.

Jones: If people have the inherent ability to do this, why is it that so few can actually do it?

Gross: As I said earlier, they lost it when they were young. They must learn how to bring the ability back again, because everyone can do this. We all do it when the physical is asleep. So you must learn to do it while you are sitting in a chair, awake or lying on a bed. You must learn to allow the subconscious to take over, and not let the physical mind control you.

Jones: Some people have dreams of flying. Where they actually out of their bodies? How can you tell the difference between dreaming and actually being out of the body?

Gross: Usually when people dream of flying they are out of the body, because this is the way you get around. If you ever wake up in the middle of the night or early in the morning with a jolt, this is the astral body returning to the physical. Usually your dreams are in the beginning of your sleep cycle at night, and those dreams are nothing more than an accumulation of your thoughts during the day. If you wake up in the morning and remember your dream real well, it is usually an astral body experience; so keep track of these clear dreams, for they are lessons for you. It might not make much sense at first, but later on down the road, it will all come together for you.

Jones: If you could give one piece of advice to people who are astral projecting, what would it be?

Gross: The main thing is to start remembering your dreams and have a pencil and paper next to your bed, or a tape recorder. Another piece of advice I'll give you is, right before you go to sleep at night, say to yourself three times, I will remember, I will remember, I will remember. From that point on, within about two to three weeks, you are going to start remembering everything that happens to you while the physical is sleeping. Actually, the best piece of advice I could give, is to come to a workshop, because we really do have a lot of people who have good experiences at them. The workshop is the best way I know to teach anyone to do this, because I am able to spend a lot of time with the participants. We practice different techniques from 9:00 in the morning until sometimes 11:00 at night. By the end, they have good experiences, and I find this with all my workshops.

Jerry Gross holds workshops on astral projection in the United States and abroad. For further information on his work, visit his website at www.searchandprove.com. You may also call 612-436-8505; write Search and Prove, Box 311, St. Paul Park, MN 55071; or send e-mail to Rgross6162@aol.com.

Astral Projection - An interview with Jerry Gross (Part I)



Everyone can have an out-of-body experience, says expert Jerry Gross - in fact, you probably have. In this interview, Gross explains OBEs, what happens and how to begin your adventure.

When noted out-of-body teacher and practitioner Jerry Gross wants to travel long distances, he doesn't bother with the time and expense of catching a plane. He just uses a different kind of plane, and travels there astrally - unless, of course, he is teaching one of his many classes and workshops on astral projection, also known as OBE or out-of-body experience.

According to Gross, the ability to leave the body has been with him since childhood. Yet, rather than regarding this as a special gift, he believes that this is an inherent ability that can be developed by anyone. In the following article, Gross discusses the out-of-body experience with freelance writer and former workshop participant Sandy Jones.

Jones: What is astral projection? How would you describe it?

Gross: Astral projection is the ability to leave your body. Everyone leaves their body at night, but before they do leave, they have to put the physical mind to sleep. Most people don't remember this, but when the physical mind is asleep, the subconscious takes over, and this is usually when you do your astral projection. In other words, everybody does it, but they just don't remember doing it.

Jones: What is your earliest recollection of doing this? What was it like?

Gross: I can remember doing this clear back to when I was about four years old. I never lost the ability to astral project, and kept it throughout my whole life now. Everyone is born with this ability. If you think back, you can probably recall having dreams of being somewhere, but as you got older, you lost the ability. What I'm trying to teach is that you can do this at will.

Jones: In those days, astral projection was almost unheard of. Did you ever tell anyone about it? How did they react?

Gross: It was strange for me because at that age, I thought everybody did it. I used to talk about it, until it kind of got out of hand, and when I started getting into trouble with it, I went to my grandmother, who could do it too. She told me not everyone could do it, so it would be best not to talk about it, and to come to here if I wanted to talk about it. So throughout all my life, most of my experiences with astral projection were kept a secret, except for her.

Jones: These days, with the many publications on near-death experience and related topics, the concept is not so unusual. Is this experience the same as what is described in the near-death experiences?

Gross: It's not quite the same, because when you astral project, you don't have to go through the white light, or a tunnel. When you project, you usually go right where you would like to go, right away. Remember this, when you're out of the body, there is no time or no distance. Everything is right here, now. Astral projecting is a little different than the death experience, because in the death experience, you are getting ready to leave the body for the last time. During the death experience, a person sees the white light, and there is usually someone there that you know, waiting for you. When you astral project, you decide where you want to go.

Jones: When you leave your body, what happens to the physical body?

Gross: When your physical body sleeps and the astral body leaves, the physical body just rests. No harm can come to you through this.

Jones: What do you do when you leave the body?

Gross: I go to the astral plane and communicate with my teachers, I visit other places and other dimensions, and I visit my loved ones who have left the earth plane. There are many things you can do once you develop this skill.

Jones: It has been said that there is a silver cord attached to the body, and that this cord could be severed when you astrally project, thereby making it impossible to come back to your body. Is there a danger of this happening?

Gross: Absolutely not. The silver cord is connected to you when you enter the physical body for the first time, and it is not cut again until you leave for the last time. If this were possible, that you couldn't get back to the body, it would happen to you at night when you do leave the body. There is no danger in this; it is a gift given to us to learn how to use.

To be continued...

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Astral Projection and Astral Travel


Has anyone of you experienced astral travel? I have heard a lot of stories about them and they truely are fascinating. I wonder how only few people get to do this astral travel. But after analysing and reading a lot of articles related to this I came to a conclusion that everyone does astral travel but only few are able to relate them and understand them.

HOW TO ASTRAL TRAVEL
Astral projection is a form of out of body experience that sometimes occurs during lucid dreaming during deep meditation or at times of crisis. The soul moves into an astral body (or "etheric double"), which moves free of the physical body in a parallel world known as the astral plane. Astral Travel is spoken about in may mystical texts and has more recently been studied by scientists investigating reports of people who have has a near death experience.

ASTRAL TRAVEL CLAIMS
During an astral voyage, communication with other astral projectors is claimed to be possible. Of interest is the work of Robert Monroe who founded the Monroe Institute and published several accounts of his experiences of astral projection including "Far Journeys". Robert Monroe developed a method he calls Hemisync to induce mental states that are favourable for projection.

ASTRAL TRAVEL ATTACKS
Sometimes the astral traveller reports being attached to his/her physical body by a silver umbilical cord. Pets have been said to react in a frightened manner, and some claim seeing an astrally projecting person's spirit as a coloured beam or shot or light darting around the room.

ASTRAL TRAVEL & ASTRAL PROJECTION DREAMS
From Craig Hamilton-Parker's Book Psychic Dreaming: Out-of-body dreams, in which you "float" up and look down upon yourself or upon another location, are a form of psychic dream. Some psychics claim they visit other actual locations, often ones that they've never seen. Travelling out of the body is sometimes called Astral Projection.

Frederik van Eeden presented one of the first studies of out of body dreams to the Society of Psychical Research in 1913. Van Eeden had already presented evidence for lucid dreams in which the dreamer becomes conscious while the dream is taking place. He told the society that his own lucid dreams were often preceded for several nights by dreams of flying. Sometimes these lucid dreams included apparent clairvoyantly received information that could be verified later. In other instances he believed he left his body.

In one instance while 'flying' he dreamed that he would be robbed of a large sum of money, a predicted event that was to take place soon afterwards. Of great interest to Van Eeden was when he noted that sometimes he would dream of lying on his stomach when in reality he was lying in bed and on his back. If he allowed himself to wake slowly he would experience the sensation of slipping from his 'dream body' that was lying face down into his actual sleeping body.

Depending upon the person, the appearance of the 'dream body' ranges from a gossamer-like form to an exact replica of the physical body. Having the ability to project consciousness can open up many interesting opportunities to the dreamer. Some claim to be able to travel to remote locations. They claim to be able to walk the beaches of Hawaii, explore the ancient pyramids of Egypt or even have a free ticket to the moon.

Craig's Astral Projection Experience
I have had many of these experiences myself but have found in most instances that it is hard to maintain consciousness for long periods of time. My own experience is one of projecting my awareness rather than a dream body. Nonetheless on occasions I have looked down at my sleeping body from the ceiling and have sometimes awoken with clear memories of having visited a remote location. Many people report having these experiences during puberty.
At first the experience of being without a body is frightening if you have never heard about astral projection. It is natural to assume that you are dead and panic sets in. The result is usually a quick return to the body. A quick return is sometimes accompanied by sensations of a jolt to the physical body accompanied by a loud band and a flash of brilliant light. Once the initial fears are overcome astral travel become natural and is not accompanied by any negative sensations.
I will be posting more on astral travel.Keep watching!

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Difference between Nightmares and Night terrors

Only very recently I came to know the difference between a Nightmare and a Night terror. Though both have a common word 'Night', but they are very much different from one another. They form a very important study material when dealing with dream analysis and I thought it would be really useful and interesting to share it with you. There are many sources to find more about this topic but I am quoting here one from 'Sleep Disorders Blog'.
There is much difference between nightmares and night terrors and there is a difference in the way of handling by the parents or caretakers.

A nightmare is an unpleasant or scary dream. Many of them are unaware of nightmares and children experience more frequently than adults. Children experience them from time to time. One out of four children experience nightmares more than once in a week.

A child wakes up after a nightmare and is often distressed and you cannot comfort a child after nightmare.

Night terror is not a dream but is a partial awakening from sleep with unusual behaviors such as screaming, mumbling or kicking. The child may be sweating or breathing fast during a night terror. Night terrors occur within two hours of sleep after a child goes to sleep.

Night terrors are harmless and each event will end in deep sleep. A child will not wake up with night terror even though he or she may have their eyes open. They are not completely awake and cannot recognize or communicate with you.

Children may oppose going back to sleep after a nightmare because they are afraid. Nightmares always occur almost in the night during the light stages of REM sleep. children usually remember a nightmare.

Children will settle down quickly after a night terror. You have to stay with them until they go back to sleep. Night terrors are usually completely forgotten. The main cause of night terrors is overtiredness of your child.

The cause of nightmares may be due to the worries your child is having. Separation anxiety may be another cause of nightmares.

Helping your child during a night terror:

1.Help your child to go back to sleep and don’t try to awaken your child. Whenever your child experiences a night terror turn on the lights and soothe him so that he will not be confused.
2.Hold your child to feel better and don’t shout as your child may become more upset.
3.Protect your child from injuries as he may fall down a staircase, or break a window and gently take your child back to the bed.
4.Overtiredness is the main cause, so prevent tiredness and make sure that he goes to bed early.

Visit the doctor:

1.When the night terrors happen continuously for seven nights.
2.If the child is drooling, stiffening or jerking.
3.If the terrors are happening during second half of the night.
4.If the night terrors are happening for half an hour or more.

Helping your child during nightmare:

1.You have to reassure and comfort your child.
2.Protect your child from watching horror movies and shows in television.
3.Talk to your child at daytime about the bad dreams he had at night.
4.After the nightmare, let your child go back to sleep.
5.During bedtime, talk to your child about happiest things and funny things.
6.Leave your child’s bedroom door open to overcome the fear.

Visit the doctor:

1.When nightmares are happening more often or becoming worse.
2.If the fear interferes with day time activities.
3.If nightmares are disturbing your child’s sleep and ability to function

Brain Teasers and their answers

This post contains the brain teasers and their answers.
26Sept'07 Teaser:
You have been promoted to pet detective while Ace Ventura guides some tourists on a safari. From the following clues, you must figure out who is the owner of each pet, and where the pet got lost.
1.A rabbit and a dog are two of the lost pets.
2.The pet lost in the garden is owned by Mary.
3.Robert does not own a dog.
4.John's pet was lost in the woods.
5.The cat was not lost in the woods or in the park.
Answer:
I. Read the complete problem:
Get a general idea of the problem. Here we have 3 owners, 3 pets, and 3 locations. You are being asked to match each pet with an owner and a location. A 3×3 table, also called a logic matrix, can be used to organize this information.

II. Make a list of the members of each category:
Owners: Mary, Robert, John
Pets: rabbit, dog, cat
Places: park, garden, woods

III. Start filling the table with information from the clues.
The clues may provide direct or deduced information and can be processed in any order. We start by putting the owner names in the top row. Here, we start with clue number 2:
2. The pet lost in the garden is owned by Mary.

Owners Mary John Robert
Pets
Places garden

5. The cat was not lost in the woods or in the park.
Therefore, the cat must have been lost in the garden.

Owners Mary John Robert
Pets cat
Places garden

4. John's pet was lost in the woods.... and, therefore, Robert's pet must have been lost in the park.

Owners Mary John Robert
Pets cat
Places garden woods park
1. A rabbit and a dog are two of the lost pets.
3. Robert does not own a dog.
This means that Robert owns the rabbit, and John must own the dog.

Owners Mary John Robert
Pets cat dog rabbit
Places garden woods park

Congratulations! You now qualify as a pet detective.
20Sep'07 Teaser:
At an eBay auction, a woman's ring and a filigree jewelry box with a hand-painted ceramic top are on sale for $200.00 Dollars. The jewelry box is valued at $190.00 Dollars more than the ring. How much is the ring worth?
Answer:
If you said $10.00 Dollars, you are wrong! It is not that simple.

This is a problem that requires setting up two equations with two unknowns to find the answer.The box (B) plus the ring (R) cost $200.00 Dollars:

B + R = 200
The jewelry box is valued at $190.00 Dollars more than the ring, i.e., the price of the box (B) is equal to the price of the ring (R) plus $190.00 Dollars:

B = R + 190
Now we can substitute the right side of the second equation in the first equation and solve for R.
R + 190 + R = 200
2 R = 200 - 190
2 R = 10R = 10/2R = 5
The ring is worth $5.00 Dollars.

The price of the box is $190.00 plus $5.00, which is $195.00 Dollars, and the box plus the ring add up to $200.00. So, everything checks out.
18Sep'07 Teaser:
A chicken farmer has figured out that a hen and a half can lay an egg and a half in a day and a half. How many hens does the farmer need to produce one dozen eggs in six days?
Answer:
This is a classic problem that many people get wrong because they reason that half of a hen cannot lay an egg, and a hen cannot lay half an egg. However, we can get a satisfactory solution by treating this as a purely mathematical problem where the numbers represent averages.

To solve the problem, we first need to find the rate at which the hens lay eggs. The problem can be represented by the following equation, where RATE is the number of eggs produced per hen per day:
1-1/2 hens × 1-1/2 days × RATE = 1-1/2 eggs
We convert this to fractions thus:
3/2 hens × 3/2 days × RATE = 3/2 eggs
Multiplying both sides of the equation by 2/3, we get:
1 hen × 3/2 days × RATE = 1 egg
Multiplying both sides of the equation again by 2/3 and solving for RATE, we get:
RATE = 2/3 eggs per hen per day.
Now that we know the rate at which hens lay eggs, we can calculate how many hens (H) can produce 12 eggs in six days using the following equation:
H hens × 6 days × 2/3 eggs per hen per day = 12 eggs
Solving for H, we get:
H = 12 /(6 × 2/3) = 12/4 = 3 hens.
Therefore, the farmer needs 3 hens to produce 12 eggs in 6 days.
17Sep'07 Teaser:
A fruit vendor bought 100 pounds of berries for $2.00 per pound and expected to double his investment by selling the berries for $4.00 per pound at an open-air market. The vendor only managed to sell 50 pounds of berries the first day and he sold the remainder on the second day. The fresh berries had a content of 99% water, but because of the hot weather, the berries dehydrated and contained only 98% water on the second day. How much profit did the vendor make?
Answer:
The decrease of water content from 99% to 98% may seem insignificant, but it reduces the weight of the fruit by 50%. The 1% decrease in water content of the fruit should not be confused with a 1% decrease of the total amount of water, which would indeed be small.The cost of the berries is: 100 pounds × $2.00/pound = $200.00

The first day sale of berries with 99% water is: 50 pounds × $4.00/pound = $200.00. The vendor covers his cost on the first day, but does not make a profit.
On the second day, the berries have a water content of 98%. The weight of the dehydrated berries can be calculated as follows:

The leftover 50 pounds of berries with 99% water have 1% of non-water components which weigh 0.5 pound (50 pounds × 1/100 = 0.5 pounds).

When the berries dehydrate, the weight of the non-water component is still 0.5 pounds but it now comprises 2% of the total weight of the dehydrated fruit with the other 98% being water. The weight, W, of the dehydrated fruit can be calculated as follows:

0.5 pounds = W pounds 2% 100%W = (0.5×100)/2 = 25 pounds

What used to be 50 pounds of berries with 99% water content are now 25 pounds of berries with 98% water content.

The second day sale of berries with 98% water is: 25 pounds × $4.00/pound = $100.00. The profit is the total sales ($300.00) minus the cost ($200.00). The vendor had a $100.00 Dollar profit. The loss of water is also a loss of profits. This is why supermarkets spray water on fresh vegetables and keep produce refrigerated.
13Sept'07 Teaser:
A valuable painting was stolen from the Liar's Club, but the police are having a hard time identifying the culprit because every statement made by a member of the Liar's Club is false. Only four members visited the club on the day that the painting was stolen. This is what they told the police:

Ann: None of us took the painting. The painting was here when I left.

Bob: I arrived second. The painting was already gone.

Chuck: I was the third to arrive. The painting was here when I arrived.

Tom: Whoever stole the painting arrived before me. The painting was already gone.
Who of these four liars stole the painting?
Answer:
Since every statement is false, let us convert them into true statements, and number each statement:

Ann: 1) One of us took the painting. 2) The painting was gone when I left.

Bob: 3) I arrived first, third, or fourth. 4) The painting was still here.

Chuck: 5) I arrived first, second, or fourth. 6) The painting was gone when I arrived.

Tom: 7) Whoever stole the painting arrived after me. 8) The painting was still here.

According to statement #7, Tom is not the thief. #8: Since the painting was there when Tom arrived, he could not have been the last to arrive. Tom must have gone there first, second, or third. #6: The painting was gone when Chuck was there, so he didn't arrive first. #5: So Chuck got there second or fourth. #4 and #8: As two other members (Bob and Tom) arrived to see the painting, Chuck didn't get there second, either. So Chuck arrived fourth. #3: This means Bob arrived first or third. #2: Since the painting was gone when Ann left, she didn't arrive first. Otherwise, no member after her would have seen the painting. So Ann went there second or third and Chuck arrived fourth. But since two other members (Bob and Tom) saw the painting when they arrived, Ann didn't go there second, either. So Ann arrived third. #3: Therefore, Bob arrived first, and Tom arrived second.

In summary, Bob arrived first. Tom got there next and the painting was still there, so Bob was not the thief, and neither was Tom. When Ann arrived, the painting was still there, but it was gone when she left. So Ann was the one who stole the painting. Chuck arrived last and discovered that the painting was gone.
12Sept'07 Teaser:
At a bar, there is a bucket containing ice, some of which has melted. A bartender gets an ice cube weighing 20 grams from the ice bucket and puts it into an insulated cup containing 100 grams of water at 20 degrees Celsius. Will the ice cube melt completely? What will be the final temperature of the water in the cup?
Answer:
First of all, you have to know that the ice in the bucket has a temperature of 0 degrees Celsius. How do we know this? The Celsius temperature scale is defined to be 0°C when ice is in thermal equilibrium with water, and 100°C when water is in equilibrium with steam. An ice bucket does not provide extra cooling, it just maintains ice at its equilibrium melting point temperature.

The Specific Heat (Sh) of a substance is the amount of heat required to change the temperature of 1 gram of the substance by one degree Celsius. By definition, the Specific Heat of water is 1.0, and this amount of heat is called a calorie. A kilocalorie is 1000 calories, also called a "Calorie" with upper case. The Calories in nutrition labels are kilocalories.

Additional heat is required to change the state of a substance from solid to liquid, or from liquid to gas. This is called the "latent heat". Water is in thermal equilibrium with ice when it freezes at the same rate that the ice melts. The heat for melting or freezing water, also called the Heat of Fusion (Hf), is 80 calories per gram at 0°C, which is the equilibrium temperature. In other words, it is necessary to add 80 calories of energy to melt one gram of ice at 0°C. Conversely, it is necessary to remove 80 calories of energy to freeze one gram of water at 0°C. The heat for boiling or condensing water at 100°C, called the Heat of Vaporization, is 539 calories per gram, although this is not relevant to our problem. The following graph summarizes the effect of energy on the temperature of water in its solid, liquid, and gaseous phases.
The problem can be solved by breaking it into smaller pieces. The amount of energy needed to melt the ice is Wi×Hf, where Wi is the weight of the ice. In addition, the 20 grams of water obtained from the ice must be heated from 0°C, which is the temperature of the ice, to the final temperature Tf.

Where does the energy for melting the ice come from? Since the cup is insulated, the heat has to come from the 100 grams of water at 20°C. The amount of heat required to melt the ice and to increase the temperature of the resulting water to the final temperature is equal to the heat lost by the 100 grams of water. This can be expressed by an equation:

Wi×Hf + Wi×Sh×(Tf - 0°C) = Ww×Sh×(Twi - Tf)
WhereWi = weight of ice = 20g
Hf = Heat of fusion = 80 calories/gram
Ww = weight of water = 100gTf = final temperature,
Twi = initial water temperature = 20°C
Sh = Specific Heat for water = 1.0 calories per gram per °C
Substituting the values we get:

20×80 + 20×1×(Tf - 0°C) = 100×1×(20°C - Tf)1600 + 20Tf = 2000 - 100Tf120Tf = 400Tf = 400/120 = 3.3°C

The final temperature is 3.3°C. If we had had more ice or less water, there would not have been enough energy in the water to melt all the ice. Once the temperature of the water reaches 0°C, no more ice can melt.

How much ice could be melted by 100 g of water at 20°C? Using the equation above, where the final temperature is 0°C and the weight of the ice is unknown, we have:

Wi×80 = 100×1×20 The maximum amount of ice that could be melted is:
Wi = 2000/80 = 25 grams
If the amount of ice exceeds 25 grams, the remainder will just float in 125 grams of water at 0°C.
11Sept'07 Teaser:
A bear walks south for one kilometer, then it walks west for one kilometer, then it walks north for one kilometer and ends up at the same point from which it started. What color was the bear?
Answer:
The bear was white because it was a polar bear. The only place on earth where a bear can go south, west and north equal distances and end up where it started is the North Pole.
10Sept'07 Teaser:
There are twelve identical-looking balls, but one is either heavier or lighter than the other eleven. How can you determine which is the odd ball and find out whether this ball is heavier or lighter than the others using only three weighings with a balance?
Answer:
Label the balls from 1 to 12 to identify them.
Weigh 1, 2, 3, 4 against 5, 6, 7, 8:
I. If they balance, 9, 10, 11, 12 contain the odd ball.
Weigh 6, 7, 8 against 9, 10, 11.
a..If they balance, 12 is the odd ball. Weigh 12 against any other ball to discover whether it is heavy or light.
b..If 9, 10, 11 are heavy, they contain an odd heavy ball. Weigh 9 against 10. If they balance, 11 is the odd heavy ball, otherwise the heavier of 9 and 10 is the odd ball.
c.If 9, 10, 11 are light, we use the same procedure to reach the same conclusion for the odd light ball.

II.If 5, 6, 7, 8 are heavy, either they contain an odd heavy ball or 1, 2, 3, 4 contain an odd light ball.Weigh 1, 2, 5 against 3, 6, 10.
a.If they balance, the odd ball is 4 (light) or 7 or 8 (heavy). Weigh 7 against 8. If they balance 4 is light, otherwise the heavier of 7 and 8 is the odd heavy ball.
b.If 3, 6, 10 are heavy, the odd ball can be 6 (heavy) or 1 or 2 (light). Weigh 1 against 2. If they balance 6 is heavy, otherwise the lighter of 1 and 2 is the odd light ball.
c.If 3, 6, 10 are light, the odd ball is 3 and light or 5 and heavy. We thus weigh 3 against 10. If they balance, 5 is heavy, otherwise 3 is light.
III. If 5, 6, 7, 8 are light we use a similar procedure to that in II.
7Sept'07 Teaser:
An investor trading through a discount stock broker that charges $10.00 Dollars per transaction bought 200 shares of Vola Tile Corporation at $50.00 Dollars per share. The stock quickly increased in value by 50%, but then lost 40% of its value. The investor sold the stock. How much money did the investor gain or lose?
Answer:
The cost of 200 shares at $50.00 Dollars each is $10,000.00 Dollars.
The 50% gain on $10,000 is $5,000, making the new total $15,000.00 Dollars.
The 40% loss on $15,000 is $6,000, reducing the total amount to $9,000.00 Dollars.
This is a $1000.00 Dollar loss, plus $10 Dollars for the Buy transaction, and $10 Dollars for the Sell transaction.
The investor lost a total of $1020.00 Dollars.
It seems counterintuitive that the investor should lose money when the percentage of the loss is less than the percentage of the gain. However, the percentage of the loss is calculated on a bigger amount than the percentage of the gain.
6Sept'07 Teaser:
My sister has six red stamps and three blue ones. In her collection, seven stamps are from Mexico and six stamps are from France. One stamp is purple and it is not from Mexico or France. Two of her Mexican stamps are red and one is blue. Two of her French stamps are blue and three are red. How many stamps does she have?
Answer:
She has a minimum of 15 stamps.
Mexico: 1 blue, 2 red, 4 unknown color
France: 2 blue, 3 red, 1 unknown color
Unknown country: 1 purple, 1 red
... and for all we know, she might also have 2 green stamps from Germany.
29Aug'07 Teaser:
Three students checked into a hotel and paid the clerk $30 for a room ($10 each). When the hotel manager returned, he noticed that the clerk had incorrectly charged $30 instead of $25 for the room. The manager told the clerk to return $5 to the students. The clerk, knowing that the students would not be able to divide $5 evenly, decided to keep $2 and to give them only $3.

The students were very happy because they paid only $27 for the room ($9 each). However, if they paid $27 and the clerk kept $2, that adds up to $29. What happened to the other Dollar?

Answer:

The students have paid $27 and have kept $3 for themselves and that adds up to $30. Not a real puzzle... just a mistake in math! You cannot tally the clerks total twice, it's already included in the $27 the students have paid. The equation is incorrect...if they paid $27 and the clerk kept $2...then that does not add up to anything.

As far as the students are concerned, they paid $27 and received $3 change which adds up to $30, but the $27 Dollars obtained from subtracting $3 from $30 is just the result of a calculation and not an accounting of the real money. The confusion about the $2 Dollars kept by the clerk can be avoided by tracking down the real money.

27Aug'07 Teaser:

A scientist is experimenting with bacteria that are one micron in diameter and that reproduce by dividing every minute into two bacteria. At 12:00 PM, he puts a single organism in a container. At precisely 1:00 PM, the container is full.How big was the container?
Answer:
The number of bacteria in the container is 2n where n is the number of minutes elapsed. The full container has 260 (two to the sixtieth power), or approximately 1.153×1018 bacteria. Since one micron (one millionth of a meter) is 1×10-4 centimeters, each bacterium occupies a volume of about 1×10-12 cubic centimeters. Multiplying times the number of organisms, we conclude that the container had a capacity of 1.153×106 cc or 1,153 liters. The container was slightly bigger than one cubic meter.
260 = 1,152,921,504,606,846,976
24Aug'07 Teaser:
A scientist is experimenting with bacteria that are one micron in diameter and that reproduce by dividing every minute into two bacteria. At 12:00 PM, he puts a single organism in a container. At precisely 1:00 PM, the container is full.At what time was the container half full?
Answer:
The container was half full at 12:59 PM. When the bacteria doubled in the next minute, the container became full.
23Aug'07 Teaser:
A chicken farmer also has some cows for a total of 30 animals, and the animals have 74 legs in all. How many chickens does the farmer have?
Answer:
This is a typical algebra problem with two unknowns, and we need to have two equations to solve the problem. Let X be the number of cows, and Y the number of chickens.The number of cows plus the number of chickens equals 30:
X + Y = 30
Since cows have four legs and chickens have two legs, we can also have an equation for the number of legs.
4 X + 2 Y = 74
Rearranging the first equation we get
X = 30 - Y
Substituting X in the second equation gives us
4 × (30 - Y) + 2 Y = 74120 - 4 Y + 2 Y = 74-2 Y = 74 - 120 = -46Y = 23
The farmer has 23 chickens. (and 7 cows).
22Aug'07 Teaser:
At a party, everyone shook hands with everybody else. There were 66 handshakes. How many people were at the party?
Answer:
With two people (A and B), there is one handshake (A with B).

With three people (A, B, and C), there are three handshakes (A with B and C; B with C).

With four people (A, B, C, and D), there are six handshakes (A with B, C, and D; B with C and D; C with D).

In general, with n+1 people, the number of handshakes is the sum of the first n consecutive numbers: 1+2+3+ ... + n.

Since this sum is n(n+1)/2, we need to solve the equation n(n+1)/2 = 66.

This is the quadratic equation n2+ n -132 = 0. Solving for n, we obtain 11 as the answer and deduce that there were 12 people at the party.

Since 66 is a relatively small number, you can also solve this problem with a hand calculator. Add 1 + 2 = + 3 = +... etc. until the total is 66. The last number that you entered (11) is n.
21Aug'07 Teaser:
You have to measure exactly 4 liters of water, but you only have a 3-liter bottle and a 5-liter bottle. How do you do it?
Answer:

1.Fill the 3-liter bottle and pour it into the empty 5-liter bottle.

2.Fill the 3-liter bottle again, and pour enough to fill 5-liter bottle. This leaves exactly 1 liter in the 3-liter bottle.

3.Empty the 5-liter bottle; pour the remaining 1 liter from the 3-liter bottle into the 5-liter bottle.

4.Fill the 3-liter bottle and pour it into the 5-liter bottle. The 5-liter bottle now has exactly 4 liters.

Here is another way to do it

1.Fill the 5-liter bottle and pour water from it into the 3-liter bottle until it is full.This leaves 2 liters in the 5-liter bottle.

2.Empty the 3-liter bottle and pour the 2 liters of water from the 5-liter bottle into the 3-liter bottle.

3.Fill the 5-liter bottle again.

4.Fill the 3-liter bottle from the 5-liter bottle. Since the 3-liter bottle had 2 liters of water, only one liter is transferred leaving exactly 4 liters of water in the 5-liter jug.
20Aug'07 Teaser:
The grandson is about as many days old as the son is in weeks. The grandson is approximately as many months old as the father is in years. The ages of the grandson, the son, and the father add up to 120 years. What are their ages in years?
Answer:
Let G, S, and F represent the ages in years of the grandson, the son, and the father, respectively. Since a year has 365 days, or 52 weeks, or 12 months, the problem can be represented by three equations with three unknowns:
365 G = 52 S (The grandson is about as many days old as the son is in weeks)
12 G = F (The grandson is approximately as many months old as the father is in years)
G + S + F = 120 (The ages of the grandson, the son, and the father add up to 120 years)
Because the grandson's age is G = F/12, the son's age can be represented in terms of F by substituting:
S = (365/52)×GS = (365/52)×(F/12)
The third equation can now be represented with only the father's age as an unknown:
F/12 + (365/52)×(F/12) + F = 120
Multiplying by 12, we get:
F + (365/52)×F + 12 F = 120×12
20 F = 1440
F = 72
G = F/12 = 6
S = (365/52)×6 = 42
The father is 72, the son is 42, and the grandson is 6 years old.

Monday, August 20, 2007

10 Tips to Boost Your Positive Energy

Knowing that positive energy can do miracles in our life, its high time that we take control and generate more positive energy. I am sharing the 10 tips to increase the positive energy generation quoted by Larina Kase.
Wouldn’t it be great to pop out of bed in the morning, have flowing energy throughout your day without any caffeine or candy bars, accomplish everything you want, and feel great? For most people this would be a dream—we could all use more energy!

I’ll share with you 10 simple tips to boost your energy each day. The key is consistency. You need to do these things regularly to feel the cumulative effects.

1. Plan important activities when you have the most energy.
This is one of my favorite tips. Plan your schedule around your energy level. Choose activities and projects that are naturally energy producing at your low points in the day. If you drag in the morning, plan one of your more enjoyable activities first thing. It may take some time to transition your schedule but it will be worth it!

2. Do the work you love.
Nothing is as energy increasing as passion and enthusiasm. If you have no interest in your work, it’s unlikely that you’ll ever have optimal energy. This doesn’t mean that you must love everything you do but at least some of it must utilize your natural talents and interests.

3. Boost your energy by getting regular exercise.
This certainly does not come as a surprise to you. You know that you exercise makes you feel good and boosts your energy. You just need to do it—regularly.

4. Know your personality style.
Your personality determines what is energy draining or producing for you. If you’re naturally an introvert you typically recharge by quiet time on your own. If you’re naturally an extrovert, you typically gain energy by social time with others.

5. Eat right and watch your energy soar.

This is another one of those tips that you already know but, if you’re like most people, probably aren’t doing. A diet rich in complex carbohydrates, protein, and fiber will help you sustain energy and avoid the sugar roller coaster that you get when you eat sugary snacks.

6. Keep the big picture in mind.

It’s easy to get caught up in the moment of stressful situations and feel exhausted. If, however, you remember the big picture including why you’re motivated to achieve your goal or why the small stuff isn’t that important, you’ll feel energized.

7. Drink water.

One of the most common causes of fatigue is dehydration. We often mistakenly assume that we’re hungry but the fatigue culprit is often thirst.

8. Celebrate and reward achievements.

The more you focus on your achievements, both large and small, the more success focused you will become. This will help you achieve more and all this achievement is sure to boost energy.

9. Avoid energy-vampires.

You know these types of people. Just being in their presence seems to drain your energy in the blink of an eye. Use assertiveness skills and limit your time with them.

10. Take physical and mental breaks.

Monotony is exhausting. Periodically give yourself a break by a few moments of mindless activity and quick stretching exercises or walking.
If some of these tips stand out to you as more energizing or practical, select those and focus on implementing them consistently. You’ll get and keep your energy flowing.

Friday, August 10, 2007

Mind and Brain Relationship

There are many people who still don’t know if mind and brain are same. When we talk we refer mind as heart, something which has a feeling; where as brain is like an organ which helps you take decision without getting influenced by emotions. But then, are brain and mind different? This is a million dollar question.

People have tried to prove this scientifically and also philosophically. Still there are people who find it heard to believe that mind and brain are different. If you ask me, I would safely say 'I don’t know'. It can be same or different.

With this question in mind when I was searching for answers I came across many articles, theory which contradicted one another. There were many interesting articles that I found in the internet.

Here is one of them, really interesting theory. Have a look and let me know what you feel.

Mind and Brain Relationship


 

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  • All written content on Mind Manage © 2008 Sangeeth Raghunathan unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved |These are just views and the author takes no responsibilities for any action|If you are interested in using my texts or any information from my blog please contact me | You may not use my work for commercial purposes without my permission | You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work in any form | Please Ask First!