Free Glide

Okay, so I was one of those freshmen who brought way too much to college, but there’s something to be said for being over-prepared. My reputation for “having it all” got around the dorm quickly, and I met quite a few people thanks to my over-preparedness. After all, you’d be surprised how many people tried to open their first can of spaghetti-o’s, only to find that — uh oh — they didn’t have a can opener. And who knew the lemon juice I’d brought to highlight my hair with would so appeal to the drinking crowd?

My personal arsenal aside, what should you really take with you for your freshman year? I think I’ll start with what not to bring: For one thing, forget the shower sandals that your mother will recommend to save you from catching a variety of heinous, foot-transmitted diseases. You’ll bring them, and the only thing they’ll be useful for is killing flies. Trust me on this. You’ll never wear them. Don’t bring anything breakable. That includes your mom’s good crystal and your goldfish bowl. Dorms get rough. Nothing breakable will last more than a week, and I know you’d hate to see your beloved goldfish lying in a puddle on the floor. Most importantly, don’t bring anything of any significant value. Leave your diamonds and rubies at home. Even if you’re great about locking your door regularly, your roommate may not be. Things get stolen.

Okay, that said, there are some absolute must-brings when you go off for your first year of school…

If your school allows it, by all means bring a microwave and hot pot. In most colleges, the school food is about the worst you will ever taste –unless you like tofu burgers, that is. My freshman year at college there was a food service by the name of SAGA. My fellow students had fondly nicknamed the service “Savage Attempt to Gag Americans”. It was very aptly named. You’ll also be surprised how many creative meals you can make with these two appliances. I even baked a cake in my microwave. Along those lines, bring eating utensils — at least one complete set (fork, spoon, knife). You’d be surprised how many people cook their first in-dorm meal and have to eat it with their fingers. (Note on this: some freshmen prefer to eat with their fingers.) A refrigerator is also a must. You’re better off buying one rather than renting. Over the course of three semesters worth of refrigerator rent, you could have bought one anyway.

Bring a comfortable pillow and blankets. Your dorm bed will be uncomfortable. This is practically guaranteed — so bring whatever you can bring to make it more comfortable for you. Invest in 4 cement blocks to raise your bed up. Dorms are notoriously small and this will give you plenty of extra room. This also makes a great hiding place, especially if you have an illegal pet in your room.

Buy yourself one of those erasable message boards for your door. It will probably be one of the most useful investments you’ll make over the course of your dorm-stay. This is the standard college way of communicating with someone who is not home. If you don’t have one, you won’t get your phone messages. I can almost guarantee this. My roommate and I also used to use the markers to leave notes for each other on our mirrors. And on a fun note, the washable markers make great stained-glass window art. Just make sure to assure your Head Resident that they are, indeed, washable.

Bring lots of stamps and stationary. Bring comfortable walking shoes. Girls should make sure to have a jacket with lots of pockets — campuses aren’t conducive to constantly carrying pocketbooks. Bring a fan — sometimes the heat in the dorms gets unbearable. From what I’ve heard, this is typical of many campuses.

Most importantly, bring your sense of humor and adventure. All kidding aside, college is one of the best times in your life. Just be prepared to have fun, and to improvise. You’ll get good at this during your freshman year. And as long as you have your trusty can opener, what more could you really need?

Lisa Koosis is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/
which is a site for Creative Writers, where she keeps her online portfolio.

College is not for everyone, but that does not mean you shouldn’t pursue some sort of higher education or job training. When you think about your future, what do you envision? Are you doing something you love, or are you just working for a paycheck?
If you are one of the many who is trying to make a decision about where to spend your money and invest your future, read on. This article provides a comparison of 4 year colleges and technical schools. Which one is right for you?

How to choose between 4-year colleges and technical schools:
Ask yourself these questions and then consider the benefits and disadvantages of each type of school.

What are your goals? Do you have a specific career goal? What are your educational goals? Do you want to learn as much as you can about a variety of subjects? Do you want to learn as much as you can about one specific topic (become an expert)?

What are your strengths? Weaknesses? Would you benefit from a shorter more targeted program?

Lifestyle. How will school fit into your life? Would you benefit from non-traditional scheduling such as online, evening, or distance learning? 4-year colleges and technical colleges both offer such options, but it varies by school so check with any schools you are interested in attending.

What do you need? Realistically, what sort of degree or training do you need to pursue your dreams? Research your desired field–know what the requirements are and how they compare to the programs you are considering. The US Department of Education website offers resources for career and training research.

Be a consumer. Check equipment; is it new and up-to-date? How does it compare to the equipment you will be using on the job? Trust me, this can be tedious but it is quite important. After graduation I realized I should have taken more time to research the computer programs employers expected me to know for technical writing jobs. Had I been better informed, I could have taken extra courses dealing specifically with those programs.

Investigate the following: campus size, current and former students, faculty and staff;
Find out if the school is accredited and licensed; Do they make extraordinary claims? Will your credits be transferable?

4-year Colleges
Some people like to learn just for the sake of learning, while some are more focused and driven and use school as a steppingstone for job advancement. If you are interested in more scholarly pursuits a traditional 4-year college might be your best option.

Benefits: liberal arts training applies to many fields, diverse topics to explore, prestige, “college life”

Disadvantages: expensive, time consuming, may get degree in area you no longer wish to pursue, high admission standards and prerequisites, job market may be slower upon graduation-may require additional training

Technical Schools
If college was for everyone, technical schools would not exist. Some people may feel a stigma is attached to technical schools. In a society where attending college has become standard, we lose sight of the value of skills training. People feel abnormal and may be angry if they don’t want to go to college but feel pressured to do so anyway.

Benefits: shorter duration, focused programs, easier admission standards, flexible scheduling, certifications not necessarily offered at 4-year colleges, hands on training

Disadvantages: may be viewed as less prestigious, can be expensive, may be less room for exploration of other subjects, accreditation, for-profit institutions

Many of the fastest growing jobs do not require a bachelor’s degree but do require post-secondary education (education beyond high school) These jobs include:

• Medical Assistants

• Social and human service assistants

• Home health aides

• Medical records and health information technicians

• Physical therapist aides

• Physical therapist assistants

• Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors

• Veterinary technologists and technicians

• Hazardous materials removal workers

• Dental hygienists

• Occupational therapist aides

• Dental assistants

• Personal and home care aides

• Self-enrichment education teachers

• Occupational therapist assistants

• Environmental science and protection technicians, including health

• Preschool teachers, except special education

• Respiratory therapists

For more information on job growth statistics see the Bureau of Labor Statistics webpage.

Remember, the best way to determine what is right for you is to simply know yourself and be informed.

Kate Leas is a freelance writer living in Kansas City, Missouri. Her current fields involve education and the Internet.

For help finding a college please visit: http://www.collegesearchengine.net

There are a lot of things to be learned in the world. You could begin right now reading book after book during every minute of the rest of your life and you could still not read all of the books that have been written. The amount of knowledge that is possible to learn is literally endless. However, just because you will never learn everything there is to know does not mean that you should not make an effort to always be getting an education from life.

Be committed to increasing your knowledge and to education does not have to be hard, tiring, or boring. On the contrary, education can be as fun, exciting, and diverse as you make it. One of the first things that needs to take place before you can begin to throw yourself into learning new things as an adult is a re-defining of ‘education.’ The majority of adults cannot think of the word ‘education’ without immediately being flooded with memories of the first two decades of their life. Suddenly we remember all of the good and not so good parts about being in school and we give up any desire or attempt to continue our education now. But getting an education or deciding to be a lifelong learner does not necessarily require that you return to a classroom or even that you pick up another textbook.

Continuing your education with consistent learning is simply choosing to never be satisfied with what you already know. One of the main things necessary for education or learning to be a success is curiosity. What are the things you are curious about? Is there anything that you have always wondered about but have never taken the time to figure out? If so, these are the very things that can be the start of expanding your education. Let your curiosity about weather patterns or the Chinese perspective on marriage drive you to do an internet search or find a knowledgeable source on the subject.

Begin making a list of the things you wonder about or would like to learn. Then begin slowly, one by one, to do what it takes to learn about each item on your list. If, for example, learning to knit is at the top of your list, let yourself take a few months to add this skill. Don’t rush the process of education and learning or it will become stressful and unappealing. Don’t worry if it takes you longer to learn to ice skate or to research about Italian history than you had planned. The fact that you are learning new things and increasing your education will be the most important thing.

The ability to continue our education long beyond our days of school is truly a gift. Accept this gift and use it wisely while you can.

Julee Mitchelsin prides herself in being a lifelong learner. She believes that education is a privilege that too many people take for granted. Learn more at www.educationhub.info

Copyright 2006 Lisabeth Protherough

Mastermind groups are a great and easy way for students to boost their grades. They help both you and others at the same time. You need to find a group of like-minded students who are prepared to share their current level of knowledge and success. It is absolutely vital that you are all equally committed to making the group a success and from that you can leverage each other’s success. Then the magic can really start to happen. Together, willing and able minds can create something far, far bigger than themselves. And that’s the enormous value of a Mastermind Group.

Mastermind groups aren’t a new idea at all. Great politicians and business people from history such as Theodore Roosevelt, John D. Rockefeller, Napoleon Hill, Dr. Alexander Graham Bell, Winston Churchill, Dale Carnegie all understood and applied the great power of collective thinking, of brainstorming and sharing.

Anthony Robbins, best selling self-development author and guru, describes this as the power of ‘Team’. He says that ‘People’s lives are a direct reflection of the expectations of their peer group’ and urges people to ‘Join a group which challenges you and makes you grow’. Armed with this knowledge, make sure that you choose the people in your peer group very, very carefully.

Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich, wrote, “No two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third, invisible, intangible force, which may be likened to a third mind.”

Napoleon Hill spent his life teaching people that two minds are better than one and that 10 minds can yield electrifying results. He didn’t necessarily have students in mind when he wrote this, but it can be applied equally well in education as in the business world.

Small Mastermind groups are best, as they allow EVERYONE to participate and get value from the brainstorming sessions.

And by ONLY accepting like-minded members who are truly “equals” in success, everyone feels comfortable sharing and brainstorming… and everyone gets VALUE from the meetings and is therefore motivated to continue participating.

With the feedback mastermind group members receive from their peers… the new possibilities you’re exposed to… the tremendous insight you gain… and the intense motivation that is the inevitable result of such a collaboration, you can’t help but walk away in a better position with more knowledge!

Find a group of like-minded students who share your current level of knowledge and your aspiration to succeed… and let it help you grow to the next level.

Don’t put it off. Do it today!

Traditional Mastermind groups have always been face to face. However, the pressure of busy life today means that this is not always possible. An ideal alternative is to use customised chat forums for students. You could keep your group private or you could invite new members in as long as they satisfy the needs of all of the current group members.

Student Success Solutions has a specialised Forum, which is an ideal solution for on-line Mastermind groups. You would need to subscribe to Student Success Solutions. It costs nothing and you get a free report worth ($19) entitled “Enhance your learning beyond all recognition”. You then get a monthly Student Success Solutions newsletter and access to the student Forum.

Lisabeth Protherough is a qualified Chartered Accountant and Education Consultant from the UK, with 20 years experience training and teaching students in the university and business sectors. She heads up Student Success Solutions a global organisation offering educational advice to students around the world. She is passionate about great education and the life changing impact it can have. Lisabeth is on a mission to make education interesting and to help students unlock their potential.
www.student-success-tools.co.uk
www.hearts-and-minds-global.com

Yesterday, I had a discussion over empathy with somebody close to me who said, “Empathy is most needed in human communication, but empathy without sympathy has no humanistic value. A con man may feel empathy for you, but if he has no morals or feelings of sympathy, he can use that empathy against you.”

This made me reflect on empathy. To me, empathy is a process of understanding and feeling into another person, as well as it is an internal reaction activated by a cue from the other person.

On Empathy, Encyclopedia Britannica says:
“”The ability to imagine oneself in another’s place and understand the other’s feelings, desires, ideas, and actions. It is a term coined in the early 20th century, equivalent to the German Einfhlung and modeled on “sympathy.”

The term empathy is used with special, though not exclusive, reference to aesthetic experience. The most obvious example, perhaps, is that of the actor or singer who genuinely feels the part he is performing. With other works of art, a spectator may, by a kind of introjection, feel himself involved in what he observes or contemplates. The use of empathy is an important part of the counseling technique developed by the American psychologist Carl Rogers.

The practice of empathy, as an analytical method based on analogical thinking, may have its onset in the very early days of any human being’s existence, since babies learn empathy by imitating those who care for them. There is no way to compare, measure, observe, prove or disprove that the exact emotion is experienced identically by different people, but people may identify deeply with each other and this identification can lead to improved understanding and emotional intimacy between people.

Empathy is more important in social settings than it is psychologically. The existence of empathy is a sign of healthy personal identity, self-awareness, self-worth, and in the positive sense, self-love. When empathy is absent, an antisocial or psychopathic person can more easily exploit and abuse others.

In our time, since most of the social institutions that help develop empathy, like nuclear and extended family, clan, neighborhood, village, church, temple or belief system, have been impaired, narcissistic conduct has started to take the place of empathy. This is widely reflected in the litigiousness, lack of tolerance, and violence that replicates in our popular culture, in the media, movies, video games, in international dealings and so on.

The presence of empathy is the pathway leading to sympathy, mercy, pity, charity, and the joy of giving; therefore, making for a better and more civilized society.

Let’s look into empathy more closely.

What is the purpose of empathy?

Purposes of empathy are:

To show that you care about the other person.

To foster meaningful, helpful, close relationships.

To learn more about other people.

To direct communication towards important emotional topics.

To let the other person know he is accepted as he is, therefore encouraging him to open up.

To reduce your irritation with others because you understand them better. If you understand them, you forgive them.

To reduce prejudice and eradicate negative assumptions, with the emphasis on the word “assumptions.”

To discover, eventually, that everyone is understandable and everyone’s psyche can be penetrated into.

The practice of empathy is difficult. Each person learns empathy to a degree as a matter of growing up and living in the world, but how do we really practice empathy?

How to practice empathy:

I. Listen, listen, listen. The idea is first you really listen; then, you react. Listening is hard work and everyone can get distracted. Even when we get distracted, we need to pull ourselves together and get back on track to the best of our abilities.

During Listening, to listen effectively, especially in therapy…

1. One has to stop comparing himself to the other person. For example thinking, “I had it rougher than him.” “He is smarter than me.” “His spouse is way better than mine.”

2. One must stop remembering his own experiences on the same subject while the other person is talking.

3. One must not consider the verbal give and take as intellectual debate with the goal of putting the other person down.

4. One must not think he knows everything, so he doesn’t need to listen to the other person.

5. One must not laugh off what the other one is saying or try to change the topic before it gets too serious.

6. One must stop placating the other person by saying, “You’re right.” “I agree.” “He did that to you! Really! What a jerk!” etc.

7. One has to stop trying to read the other person’s mind. For example, “He insists he loves his wife. That may subconsciously mean he doesn’t.” “He is looking out of the window when he says he didn’t do it.” “He may think I’m stupid if I tell him that…”

8. One has to stop thinking about his next step or his answer before the other person finishes talking. For example, “How shall I react to this one when I have to answer him? If I smile or nod, he may take it that I approve of his crime.”

9. One has to stop filtering what the other person says by concentrating to hear only specific matters or significant remarks.

10. One must not judge that a statement by the other person is crazy, extreme, juvenile, boring, or aggressive.

II. Let the other person feel that he is heard. Nobody is perfect at this, but we can get better in time if we work on it.

1. One way to do this is to reflect the other person’s feeling. “This really hurts you.” “You feel left out.” “You feel unimportant.” The focus on the other person’s feelings encourages him to talk those feelings out and explore those feelings practically on his own.

2. Asking too many questions, giving judgmental responses or premature advice or reassurance before the other person finishes his words is counterproductive. It takes away from the other person’s ability to solve his problem on his own by talking it out. Telling him your own story or experience is not so bad if you don’t forget the other persons concern, pain or problem.

3. One of the most common reasons for misunderstandings is our emotional reaction to what the other person says. If the person says something that sets off an emotion (like anger, insecurity, hurt, insult to our beliefs, etc.) that is not related to the person speaking but is related to the listener, the listener may get distracted and therefore may miscalculate the other person’s problem.

4. A correct response embraces the gist of the other person’s feelings. This may sound like the listener is parroting the talker, but it is an effective way of letting the person know you’re interested and listening, for example, “You feel hurt,” “You are overwhelmed.” If we show no reaction or make no comment while the other person talks, he may take it as disinterest or disapproval or he may think we do not understand him.

5. As the other person is talking, it is possible for an empathizer to guess beforehand what the other person is feeling and provide an additional insight. At that point, at an opportune moment in the conversation, an interpretation more or less in a question form may add to the talker’s understanding of himself. For example, “Could it be that your mother is acting this way, because she can’t stand losing you?” or “I’m wondering if your wife wanted to help you when she said that to your boss.”

Empathy, in general, is an important asset; however, introspection and empathy alone cannot make for a perfect society. Better societies are made by the feelings and actions that sprout as the results of empathy. Because of that objective, empathy becomes the key that opens positive human interaction.

Joy Cagil is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Creative Writers.
Her education is in foreign languages and linguistics. She has also trained in psychology, humanities, mental health, women’s issues, and visual arts. Her portfolio can be found at http://www.Writing.Com/authors/joycag

Over thiry-five years ago, I picked up a book on numerology and
began to have a hard time believing that numbers had anything to
do with my life. Shortly thereafter, I was awakened from a deep
sleep by a loud voice that seemed to scream into my ears,
“Numbers are real!”

Since that time, I have found out that numbers really are real.

Oh, I can’t blame you for not believing that numbers are real. I
didn’t for a very long time. But if you diligently investigate
how they show what is happening, and will be happening in your
world, you will find some amazing truths.

Almost all of us have heard of the strange “coincidences” of
numbers. I was born with a 17 birthday, which adds up to an 8.
My social security adds up to an 8, I had my first date with my
wife on January 8, 1988. If you add all those numbers up you
will get an 8: January is 1+8+1+9+8+8 =35 which reduces to an 8.
She lived at an address that added up to an 8. I know. You are
going to say that could all just be a coincidence. I won’t argue
that, but if you actually study the cycles of numbers in your
life you will find some stunning information. (Of course, you
probably know that if you multiply 9 by any other number, you
will come out with a nine if you reduce those numbers to a
single digit. Don’t you fid this curious?)

For instance, everyone is in a particular phase of a 9 year
cycle. Let’s say that if your birthday is on March 14 (3 plus 5=
8), you can add that number to 2005 (totals to 7) and determine
that the number that will “rule” your year from January to
January of the next year is the number 15 which reduces to a 6.

Each one of the numbers, 1 through 9, have their own specific
meaning and show where you are in the 9 year cycle.
Traditionally, according to the great numerologist, Juno Jordan,
the number 6 for a personal year is “…your duty year for
unselfishness, truth, justice, charity. These should be your
motives in everything you do. It is not likely that you will get
satisfactory results any other way.”

Please do not fall into the trap that a number is simply an
abstraction or a mathematical convenience. All you have to do is
investigate the effect of numbers on your life and you will be
convinced beyond your wildest dreams. They numbers are just
waiting there for you to discover how “magical” they really are.

Although these 9 numbers are astounding in their own right, they
are even more powerful and revealing when their meanings are
combined with the zodiac signs and planets. An astrologer who is
proficient with numbers is someone who can help us all
understand how all our numbers work with the heavens to reveal
our destiny. Just remember, numbers are real.

To learn more about your numbers, signs and planets you can
contact skysage

Randall Curtis is a professional astrologer and numerologist
with world-wide clients, founder of Planetary Psychology©, and
The Institute of Professional Astrology. He is he author of an
outstanding text on astrology, “No One is a Mystery - How to Use
the Planets to Understand Anybody.” He can be reached at http://www.matchmakingheaven.com

Richard Price is one of our premier novelists. Since his publication of his first novel in the mid 1970’s entitled The Wanderers, he has given readers masterpieces of the urban genre, inspired by his Bronx upbringing and his commitment to the realities and the eccentricities of the American landscape, its “rages, dislocations, furies, and yearnings.” His other novels include Clockers (made into a movie), Freedomland (currently in production and starring Samuel L. Jackson as Lorenzo Council and Julianne Moore as Brenda Martin and directed by Joe Roth).

His most recent novel is Samaritan, another ethical urban masterpiece. An online review may be found at Salon.com. Again, Price does not shurk the responsibilities of an American novelist to deal with the problems, psyche and absurdities of our times.

Richard Price’s screenplays include Clockers, Sea of Love, Ransom, the Color of Money, and Shaft, among others. He is a National Book critics Award nominee and Academy Award Nominee. He has written for the New York Times and Esquire.

Any novelist seeking to write for film should read his novels.
Also “read” his films. They are both very teachable for any class in scriptwriting and/or novel writing. His interviews in which he discusses novels and films can be found online at Salon.com and at the Randomhouse website devoted to his novel Freedomland.

Turning novels into films or films into novels? Think Richard Price.

Susan Shaw is a freelance writing of web content, including the subjects of film, business, and science. Susan Shaw manages the following film-oriented website, Film Financing, http://www.filmfinancing.myeweb.com and has an online bookstore.

Ever wonder if you choose certain students more (or less) often in class than others? Or would you like to be able to completely call on students at random?

A great technique is to make and use an index card deck with your students’ names on the cards. On the first day of any of my classes, I pass out blank lined index cards (we use the 3 x 5 size) to all the students. I then have them fill these out with information we can use later on in class. Then I collect them and keep them separated by class with a rubber band. Then I can quickly access the names of all of my students. This helps for learning their names quickly too.

The random calling technique will increase your students’ attention, since any one of them could be chosen at any time without you playing favorites or ignoring anyone. Always try to choose several students each time you use the cards, and everyone will quickly understand that they may be the next person called. No student wants to be embarrassed, so they will all formulate some type of response to give in case their card is drawn next.
What information needs to be on the cards? That depends on what you want to know about your students. I ask for at least their names, parent’s names, and phone contact numbers.

In one upper corner, write in the student’s hour (I also like to circle the number) so you can sort them out easily later. Other useful information could include text book or calculator numbers, birth dates, and even students’ interests or hobbies.
How often do I use the cards? Several times each hour! We use the cards in warm ups so everyone has a random chance of being picked. The cards are used for choosing random teams or groups. They are great for class discussions, since students cannot just be quiet and disappear; every discussion question can be answered by several students in succession, who must either build on previous information given or generate a new line of thinking. I also use them to ask questions before students are dismissed. If the question is answered correctly, I let that student leave early.

The cards can be shuffled each time you use them, or you can leave the order and pick up there again later, ensuring you’ve called on every student before repeating.

Now, can you stack the deck? Of course! Because you hold the cards, only you know if you’ve chosen truly at random. This is useful when you just know a student isn’t paying attention, or if you want to check understanding by a specific student.

Should you worry about students who still seem to never be called upon? That does happen, but it will even out as the year goes by. I’ve had the opposite happen too, where a student was actually chosen three times in a row, even though I shuffled the deck each time!

Student hobbies or activities can be great for making connections to class material. As a warm up or sponge activity, for example, use your cards to randomly call on students to state how what they learned in class could be applied to or connected to their hobby.
The cards are great for choosing students to read aloud in class. And as the teacher, you can still stack the deck to match up appropriate students with a paragraph’s difficulty level. I also try to assess student’s reading ability by choosing particular passages I want them to read aloud. Then I make sure the student’s card is chosen.

————-
For this article, and more on teaching and education, be sure to check out our website:
http://www.starteaching.com

Frank Holes, Jr. is the editor of the StarTeaching website and the bi-monthly newsletter, Features for Teachers. Check out our latest issue at:
http://www.starteaching.com/Features_for_Teachers_feb1.htm

You can contact Frank at:
editor@starteaching.com

What Exactly Is It?

In traditional or let’s say mainstream religions of the world, the soul is a non-material substance which is able to assume powers and attributes not open to it while trapped within the confines of a material cage we call the body. Based on this definition can we even try to appreciate what it actually is and how it may interact with the physical world as we would ordinarily recognise it? The answer to this question must ultimately rely on what we know of the physical world.

I think that most of us agree on the definition of the generic human body. Loosely speaking it is nothing more than a collection of bones, tissue, fluids, internal organs and flesh arranged to work in such a way as to sustain our everyday existence. As such, it is quite vulnerable to disease and will eventually stop working altogether as it heads towards the day of its demise. But what about the soul? Is there such a thing? Other than just blind faith or solemn wishful thinking, do we have anything that we could turn to or point at in order to bring even a trace of credibility to this idea?

Having listened to countless people who try to give their own personal views on the subject, many are content to approach it with a fair helping of derision and contempt and take the atheistic route of denying everything not within the grasp of mainstream science. But this should not come as a surprise to anyone. If the scientific world were to give credence to the existence of the soul they’d have to study it, dissect it, understand it, measure it, explain it and various other things that scientists do. The very fact that we can’t actually see a soul as we can a tree, the very fact that we can’t interact with it as we can with animals and humans, the very fact that it is not made of any substance with which we are familiar means we can’t apply rigour. And there are countless other human beliefs and superstitions in very much the same situation. For example science cannot apply its methods to palmistry, tea-leaf-reading, astrology, numerology, witchcraft, telepathy, telekinesis, ESP and such like because these things do not easily lend themselves to the rules of scientific scrutiny.

What we have then is a mixed bag of subjects all clumped under a single heading that is often referred to as mysticism. In this bag you will also find many ideas put forward by different faiths including the idea of a soul and life after death. But where does that leave those who wish to believe in an existence beyond physical death? I think that the sheer size of the number of people with these beliefs makes it very difficult to ignore and neither will it do to simply brush it aside as mysticism.

So we can conclude I think that it is not possible to approach these things from a scientific point of view. Is there another way?

Another Way

The only other way is to use what is loosely termed as common sense coupled with a fair dose of open-minded intuition. We can exercise this by making a series of statements that are born out of two distinct considerations.

A. Those that maintain a non spiritual existence.

1. No life after death.

2. All that we do is ultimately futile and will one day be absorbed into the eons without so much as a
trace of anything that ever happened here on Earth.

3. There is no God.

4. There is no Heaven or Hell.

5. The only rules and regulations that we should obey are those created and maintained by the different cultures and societies.

6. There are no morals other than the ones engrained in human laws.

7. We are nothing more than flesh made of the same atoms and molecules as ordinary matter. We evolved out of creatures that lived millions of years ago and we shall continue to evolve for however long the planet is able to sustain life.

8. When we die, we simply stop. There is no consciousness or cognisance after death.

9. Nothing of what we do or say can alter the laws of physics. There are no miracles and nothing that cannot be explained by logical and scientific means either now or in the future.

10. Use your life to enjoy the physical aspects of existence and, as far as possible, help others to enjoy it too, before the onset of old age, disease or death.

B. Those that maintain the existence of the human spirit.

1. There is life after death through the continuation of the soul.

2. What we do here determines our fate in the next world.

3. God is the supreme Being who has no beginning and no end. He provides life after death as well as having created all life as we know it on Earth.

4. There is a Heaven and there is also Hell. Those that choose Hell are the ones who hate God and go there knowingly and willingly after physical death having absolutely no contrition or sorrow for any of their actions on Earth.

5. Many of the rules and regulations are based on the 10 commandments. However, we shall also be held accountable for sins such as those pertaining to conceit, lust and greed.

6. There are many morals outside of human laws that we must try to observe.

7. Life is a gift from God and should be preserved, nurtured and used to its full potential without the application of wanton physical, mental or immoral abuse either to upon others or oneself.

8. If there are things we do not understand or cannot explain, be contented and have faith in God’s infinite mercy to right every wrong and deal with all injustice in the fullness of time either on Earth or the place where our spirits shall live.

It is impossible to do justice to either school of thought in a short article like this but it is accurate to say that for those who have made up their minds, it is likely that they will fall into category A or B or at least some variation of either. But here’s something that you probably haven’t heard before.

In public, a person who proclaims to belong in A will not be so readily convinced in private. How do I know this? Call it intuition if you like but there is something within us that: in the absence of friends and associates around us, from whom we tend to draw strength, deliverance and of course where we also get a chance to exercise wit, sarcasm and intellectual exchange; the faade begins to fade away, leaving us naked and embarrassed in the privacy of our own thoughts. This is a kind of hypocrisy that we tend to try and hide.

On the other hand, a person that openly declares an affinity to B, either within a group of associates with the same convictions or otherwise, is likely to be as open about their beliefs in private as they are in public. In other words, there is no discernible difference between their public and private thoughts when it comes to matters of faith.

Why Is This?

It is hard to say. I suppose it is much easier to be convinced in public than it is to be in private for an unbeliever and yet the opposite seems to be true of the faithful. It is because a person who believes in a Deity is never alone and as human beings we always yearn good company, especially one who is always on our side and sympathetic to our cause. On the other hand, the unbeliever, when not surrounded by other people, is truly alone. Perhaps it is this unnatural state of being that sometimes prompts the individual into a momentary lapse of faith.

I have witnessed too often the sharp difference in behaviour and mode of speech of people when there is at least two others in the vicinity as opposed to just one other person. The third person, whilst not joining in with the conversation, immediately becomes the audience and as soon as this happens we feel compelled to perform. That is when a person falls into the habit of saying or doing things that they wouldn’t normally say or do. Just like acting. Taking the second person away has an even more profound effect. The solitary person’s true nature is revealed if not to others than at least to themselves.

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