Meditations
Monday 16th May at 12.10-12.55 - Meditation: Mercury in conjunction with Venus.
17.00-17.45 Meditation: Mercury in sextil with Neptune.
17.35-18.20 Meditation: Venus in sextil with Neptune.
17.35-18.20 Meditation: Venus in sextil with Neptune.
Tuesday 17th of May Full moon
The bad period begins Monday 16th of May at 20.08 and ends on Wednesday 18th of May at 08.08. The maximum of the bad mojo is on Tuesday at 14.08.
What does this mean? It means that after the great moment of Tripura Sundari last week when many tantric (aka sexual) rituals are recommended in MISA this is the bad period that immediately follows. This means that they can't have sex, during this full moon period because it's bad karma and attracts bad energies and is generally a big no no for most activities. This is basically the maximum of paranoid period (repeated every month) for the spiritual yogis of MISA. Because they believe that most bad things happen at this period. you know the old superstition of there are more car accidents when there's a full moon and such.
The bad period begins Monday 16th of May at 20.08 and ends on Wednesday 18th of May at 08.08. The maximum of the bad mojo is on Tuesday at 14.08.
What does this mean? It means that after the great moment of Tripura Sundari last week when many tantric (aka sexual) rituals are recommended in MISA this is the bad period that immediately follows. This means that they can't have sex, during this full moon period because it's bad karma and attracts bad energies and is generally a big no no for most activities. This is basically the maximum of paranoid period (repeated every month) for the spiritual yogis of MISA. Because they believe that most bad things happen at this period. you know the old superstition of there are more car accidents when there's a full moon and such.
Saturday 21st of May at 00.40-01.25 - Meditation: Mercury in trigon with Pluto.
04.05-04.50 - Meditation: Mercury in conjunction with Mars.
14.57-16.33 - Big event, that I haven't seen for a long time in the MISA meditation program: Yang spiral for the communion with the soul of the Romanian nation and the soul of the Hungarian nation. It is also done in Hungary. In Bucharest the event will take place in the famous Pipera hall 1 in the MISA ashram.
This is the guaranteed and divine protected method copyrighted (not really, but wait a week) invented by MISA to solve the long long conflict between the two neighboring nations. Sure, stand around and think happy thoughts while keeping in mind that only the Romanian people are the chosen ones and that every other nation is inferior. See the "prophecies of Sundar Singh" about the glorious future of Romania. In this world view where's the place for a good relationship with your neighboring countries?
Also from 21.15 there will be a meditation to invoke the divine grace. This will take place in the other hall at the Pipera ashram.
There will also be a special event on the 22nd in order to help out Japan during "their difficult period". Wow that's an understatement. And in case you were thinking wild things like encouraging volunteers, encouraging donations for the people in the area or something remotely like that, you know that would actually help, get this: a collective prayer. Ok, you might think, a special meditation that is supported paranormally all the way from Sweden by the greatest spiritual master living today Gregorian "Magnus Aurolsson" Bivolaru with a triple force like those meditations in the camps at the women's and men's conferences then you'd still be wrong. It's just another meditation that you can do or not, not a big deal.
It still has a grandiose title: Collective prayer to God the Father in order to help the Japanese people.
Instead the urgent "No apocalypse" (no argument from me here, there's no apocalypse coming that's for sure) gets front page attention and a frame to bring attention to it on the official webpage of MISA.
This is the guaranteed and divine protected method copyrighted (not really, but wait a week) invented by MISA to solve the long long conflict between the two neighboring nations. Sure, stand around and think happy thoughts while keeping in mind that only the Romanian people are the chosen ones and that every other nation is inferior. See the "prophecies of Sundar Singh" about the glorious future of Romania. In this world view where's the place for a good relationship with your neighboring countries?
There's one more special astrologic event on Saturday at 20.45-21.30 and there is a meditation to be done with the topic of Venus in trigon with Pluto.
Also from 21.15 there will be a meditation to invoke the divine grace. This will take place in the other hall at the Pipera ashram.
There will also be a special event on the 22nd in order to help out Japan during "their difficult period". Wow that's an understatement. And in case you were thinking wild things like encouraging volunteers, encouraging donations for the people in the area or something remotely like that, you know that would actually help, get this: a collective prayer. Ok, you might think, a special meditation that is supported paranormally all the way from Sweden by the greatest spiritual master living today Gregorian "Magnus Aurolsson" Bivolaru with a triple force like those meditations in the camps at the women's and men's conferences then you'd still be wrong. It's just another meditation that you can do or not, not a big deal.
It still has a grandiose title: Collective prayer to God the Father in order to help the Japanese people.
Instead the urgent "No apocalypse" (no argument from me here, there's no apocalypse coming that's for sure) gets front page attention and a frame to bring attention to it on the official webpage of MISA.
Conferences from Herculane
The conference about stupidity is available online, only in Romanian.
Here here here here (part 4 not available sorry) and here.
Upcoming events
The misans at north are organizing an event to awaken the Indian soul on the 5th of June.
So they are going to India and teaching what is tantra and yoga to Indians. LOL.
See poster:
And the spiral is not only a big one this time, it's cosmic.
Wonder if those beneficial aliens I was promised in 2008 will show up. Oh wait they didn't show up then or since then, but success was widely claimed ever since.
Update: The annual (first I've heard of it, and it doesn't say the 2nd or the 20th annual camp. Is it a shame to say first annual? Does the event need the image of already accepted annual event? Tisk tisk, how about that not lying principle of yoga?) "Tantra - The path of love camp" has already run into problems regarding the location and other similar problems.
According to their site:
Doesn't this have a divine significance dear MISA yogis? Think about it.
And a very special course (I wonder why it's not mandatory participation for all MISA yogis):
a course entitled "Mission of Your Life". It's held by MISA theater company director and founding member: Csibi István or known in MISA circles as the spiritual author Aimen Klimmeron. That's his spiritual name. (For some additional information see the comments section of this post)
He authored a novel (mind you not a scientific paper or book!) about some spiritual realm and city he imagined titled Kama Pura (*corrected again: City of Delights, man that was hard to get right for some reason *nudge, nudge, wink, wink*) and a book titled "What's my purpose? Discover and fulfill your life's meaning".
He also claims to be a coach in creativity. That's squat.
There I'm a creativity coach. So what? How does that qualify him? Such "coach" titles are given out in Romania to anyone who participated (= pays $$$) in an equally short certification process by similar scam artists. This is not a certified title like for instance engineer or doctor, this is something anyone can call him/herself.
So yeah it's another one of those high quality (and highly unofficial) MISA courses.
It might be all BS but it sure ain't cheap. It's 390 RON per person. That's about half of the average monthly pay someone gets in Romania.
Have a nice, superstition and cult-free week.
The conference about stupidity is available online, only in Romanian.
Here here here here (part 4 not available sorry) and here.
Upcoming events
The misans at north are organizing an event to awaken the Indian soul on the 5th of June.
So they are going to India and teaching what is tantra and yoga to Indians. LOL.
See poster:
Wonder if those beneficial aliens I was promised in 2008 will show up. Oh wait they didn't show up then or since then, but success was widely claimed ever since.
Update: The annual (first I've heard of it, and it doesn't say the 2nd or the 20th annual camp. Is it a shame to say first annual? Does the event need the image of already accepted annual event? Tisk tisk, how about that not lying principle of yoga?) "Tantra - The path of love camp" has already run into problems regarding the location and other similar problems.
According to their site:
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:
We inform all our students and participants to our annual summer camp “Tantra the Path of Love” that due to technical reasons and practicalities we have reached to a common agreement with the Pavilion of Tibetan Culture and the Working Committee of Auroville to change the location.
The new venue will soon be announced.
We apologize for any inconvenience.
Doesn't this have a divine significance dear MISA yogis? Think about it.
And a very special course (I wonder why it's not mandatory participation for all MISA yogis):
a course entitled "Mission of Your Life". It's held by MISA theater company director and founding member: Csibi István or known in MISA circles as the spiritual author Aimen Klimmeron. That's his spiritual name. (For some additional information see the comments section of this post)
He authored a novel (mind you not a scientific paper or book!) about some spiritual realm and city he imagined titled Kama Pura (*corrected again: City of Delights, man that was hard to get right for some reason *nudge, nudge, wink, wink*) and a book titled "What's my purpose? Discover and fulfill your life's meaning".
He also claims to be a coach in creativity. That's squat.
There I'm a creativity coach. So what? How does that qualify him? Such "coach" titles are given out in Romania to anyone who participated (= pays $$$) in an equally short certification process by similar scam artists. This is not a certified title like for instance engineer or doctor, this is something anyone can call him/herself.
So yeah it's another one of those high quality (and highly unofficial) MISA courses.
It might be all BS but it sure ain't cheap. It's 390 RON per person. That's about half of the average monthly pay someone gets in Romania.
Have a nice, superstition and cult-free week.
Hey!
ReplyDeleteTwo things I wanted to say:
1. I have no idea how they'll get "10,000 meditators" at the spiral in India. Do they just hope people will pop up all of a sudden to participate in this just because India is a huge country?
2. Csibi István. I want to throw some light on him.
The man is, as far as I know, an individualist - he started the Mandala theater without Grieg's support (or, I think, permission). He was an instructor for a short while way back, then was 'fired' soon after Mandala was founded, I think. When he started the Arte Diem camps back in 2004, again without Grieg's support, he insisted upon being entirely open to outsiders (some workshop coordinators were non-MISA).
A few years ago he went off to Spain with a scholarship, for a Master's degree in cultural management and international co-operation.
To me he's a borderline case. Not a fanatic believer, not a non-believer. I never heard him talk about Grieg in that reverential manner a great number of yogis have (or at all, actually). In his creativity workshop I've heard from somebody who went there that he talked, among other things, about the Six Thinking Hats technique. I'm not sure if what he's doing is actually helpful, or properly researched, or what it's based on, but it's not MISA-centric. He's off in his own direction.
"Kama Pura" is translated as "City of Delights" ("Pura" is 'city' and Kama... think of Kama Sutra). It's actually a good read, with failures here and there.
It's the story of two characters, who talk in first person singular in alternating chapters of the book, detailing their lives from childhood on. One of them is Balder, a guy from Sweden, the other is a French woman whose name I can't recall right now for the life of me. He wants to be a musician, gets thrown in with the wrong crowd, becomes a Satanist, escapes that life, gets a healthier one, then finds his spiritual path, which of course happens to be MISA.
She's a dancer/actress, has an interesting life, runs around the world, goes to India to a yoga school, goes to learn dancing with the gypsies, becomes a prostitute, eventually finds her own path with MISA.
The MISA thing is nicely handled. The name of it is never mentioned, some of the problems (but not too many) are also put in. Grieg is a passing figure, a seldom seen character, never named. Oltea Mutulescu, who wrote the stuff on the back cover, was telling me awhile back how he should have put Grieg in more. I'm happy he didn't.
What struck me most about the book when I first read it almost immediately after it was published was its humor. He also had this honesty that he permeated his characters with. The writing was pretty natural, especially in the first parts. The characters were well fleshed out. The language was normal, no MISA-speech, the plot was intricate.
Where I felt he failed was in presenting the spiritual experiences. They felt forced, as if he were trying too hard.
Yes, it's full of MISA beliefs, but the man has talent. I can tell he wasn't writing it just to get across the MISA points, but also because he had a need to be creative. He went at it like an artist, not like a MISA-yogi, even if the beliefs presented in the book were MISA. A lot of other MISA artists tend to be naive. He was trying to make it real.
It's why I'd say he's a borderline case. As far as creativity goes, the man knows what he's doing. As far as ideology goes, I'm not sure exactly where he stands. As far as knowledge goes, he seems to be taking an interest in what's going on in the world. I'm not dismissing him out of hand, as I would others, even if I'm not trusting him completely. I'll check out his other book at Bookfest, if the MIX publishing house is there.
Sorry to have written such a long comment :)
Thanks for the comment, length isn't a problem :) and the additional information in it is very welcome.
ReplyDeleteAnd to make it clear regarding nr. 2. I'm not dismissing the person or his beliefs, I was just pointing out that he lacks (in my opinion) the qualifications (and by that I mean skills not necessarily a piece of paper which like I said can be purchased in Romania way to easy) to hold such a workshop. At least I could not find any.
The cultural management master's isn't the one necessary in my opinion. The topics he (&the others at Arte Diem) discusses in these camps and seminars are in need of serious psychology studies and knowledge which won't come by divine inspiration via the master or at management masters classes. Some basic psychology maybe taught there too but not the kind necessary for a personal development course like this one.
Let me put it this way:
Would you get on a plane that you knew was designed by an economist? And only an economist with no knowledge about engineering? I wouldn't. That's my point.
And the fact that he is a writer, even a talented one, isn't a substitute either.
Ok, then he can hold conferences and camps about literature and creative writing. No problem there.
But let's not pretend that at the same time he can give away the secrets to one's existence to a total stranger. Or for that matter a friend. Let's not give away such power to anyone but ourselves, thank you very much.
And another thing. I'm still trying to figure out how to write these. At first I was planing just a factual listing of upcoming events, but then I couldn't keep from explaining and commenting. :P
Suggestions are welcome.
> At first I was planing just a factual listing > of upcoming events, but then I couldn't keep > from explaining and commenting. :P
ReplyDeleteThat's so true :))
@Nicolae Ghimbovschi Yeah, I do tend to ramble don't I? *hides in the bushes*
ReplyDelete@Mahashakti
ReplyDeleteNo, I wouldn't get on a plane designed by an economist - I wouldn't get on anything designed by an economist, because I actually know some of them and tend to back away slowly when I find out I'm close to one :))
Quoting your blog: "(*corrected: City of Lights)" - it's City of Delights, not Lights. (Orasul Incantarilor) :P
I was also commenting more on the 'creativity coach' thing than on the 'meaning of life' thing. I know more about what he did with the first than the latter... Eh. When I get to Bookfest I'll see if his book is there, if it has a bibliography and what sort of a bibliography it has if it has one. I might not be good with psychology, but I can check sources :)
Thanks for the corrections guys.
ReplyDelete@Sarshi Checking those sources would be great. :D Write it if you can/want and I'll link it to this one.
And I was commenting on the fact that a "creativity coach" or anyone who calls themselves a "coach" is giving themselves such enormous credit to think that they can tell people the meaning of their lives. Sorry but no. Especially in Romania where such titles are given out very easily.
The coach training system does not give the coaches the skills necessary to advise people about the way they are supposed to live their lives. Precisely because it's a dumbed down pop-psychology that does not help people and if someone bases his/her life around coaching principles then he/she will not be helped. Of course the well prepared coach (it's a sort of brain washing) will say (because that's what he/she learned in her training) that he/she is able to do that, but considering what they do to "help" people the actually prevent people from resolving their problems.
Platitudes and deepeties will not help people. That's what I'm objecting to. Substituting therapy that might help with coaching or a spiritual path is what's wrong.
And regarding the creativity coaching I also have some doubts. I didn't comment on that precisely because I'm not familiar with his methods, I was(and am) just commenting on the idea that a coach or a new and revolutionary spiritual path can solve all your problems and give you all the answers.
I would be curious (but sorry not curious enough to pay him 300+ RON to participate) what his method contains and it's sources. If it's not based on facts and derives only from inspiration and intuition then it's a problem. And mr. Csibi not having scientific training I have some suspicions that he is not following this method.
But hey, he might be knowledgeable enough to know all these things and I am talking in wain.
Again I have no problem with the man personally, or how he makes a living and what he's doing as a writer, my only problem is if he is (willingly or not) misleading people. And knowing people (especially Romanians) they will not demand the bibliography before they believe him. That's my problem.
@Mahashakti
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on the pop-psychology thing.
Regarding the creativity thing, there's a bit of a problem with that as far as the science of it goes. I don't think anything regarding creativity training in general is very scientific at the moment. If it is, I've not heard of it. Working with people/arts is generally a strange, vague domain (you should see the teaching module you have to do to become a teacher; or my class in leadership for my Master's). There's stuff that works for some and doesn't for others, stuff like that "Six Thinking Hats" thing, lateral thinking, whatever - they're being tried out, not certified as working out. None are actually scientifically proved, as far as I know. I'm all for science and proof, but in some directions all we have is beliefs and general opinions.
So it's somebody's inspiration that led to whatever he's saying in either case.
"I don't think anything regarding creativity training in general is very scientific at the moment."
ReplyDeleteThere is research about creativity in psychology sure, but then there's be basic problem of psychology: somehow psychologists can't (and some of them apparently are not willing) to demand that it's topics be treated like science and demand to use the scientific method to investigate them. Now, sadly the case is that everyone just thinks that what psychology? I know psychology too, cuz' I'm a person. Well sorry but no. No matter how creative you are or how much of a nice person you are, you still are not qualified only based on this to teach others how to be creative or a nice person. Just because it works for you it doesn't mean that it will work for everyone. And if you don't even use any systematic and measurable approach to find these things that help instead you go on "what you feel is right", then the problem is even worse. And what's really scary (at least for me) is that the actual f**** people that should give a fuck about these things, namely psychologists, just let every TomDick'nHarry come along and declare psychological absolutes based on their intuition or divine inspiration and it is considered = to psychology research.
Again back to the example of the economist that designs a plane. You don't see that happen because there are requirements in place in order that your plane design is taken seriously. In psychology these do not exist. And they should, otherwise you have infallible popes and cult leaders. And if you dare to question them you are evil and closed minded. I'm just thankful that we don't live in the middle ages anymore.
I don't say that they shouldn't treat this seriously, but things haven't stabilized yet, as far as I know. We don't really know what some things really are (such as creativity), so how to enhance creativity scientifically is trying to skip a necessary step. I have no idea if they're trying to figure it out, but I can't blame them for not getting anywhere fast.
ReplyDeleteCreativity seems to me more difficult than figuring out what emotions are and how they work, for example. If I look at the theory of emotions, since that's a domain in which I have a semester of studies, you've got emotions regarded from the perspective of cognitive psychology, from the perspective of anthropology, some people saying that you can't really put a clear line between emotions and cognition and so on and so forth. Nothing clear, just findings of a partial nature that don't fit together nicely yet and which I feel are somewhat imperfect. The theory hasn't stopped being developed.
I have no idea how creativity studies look like, but if I'm right and creativity is more difficult to pinpoint than emotions, there's a lot of work to be done about it.
Anyway, you shouldn't judge the artistic scene by the standards of MISA. Here you take what you like and drop the rest. I've worked with a few editors and noticed their different approaches, I copied other writers, looked at how people I admired did whatever they did and learned the ropes. Now others sometimes come to me and ask 'how do you get your inspiration?' 'how do you write?' And I tell them what I do and how I see things. I tell them what I've learned and observed. It's not the absolute knowledge of perfect creativity and skill in writing, but it is knowledge. If I had to hold a class on it, I'd hold it pretty well, I think. And the good part is that I won't lead a cult - I'll lead a classroom. There will be people saying that what I am telling them is BS or vague or not helpful in just the same way in which I tell others that for me brainstorming fails. (I can't brainstorm. So sue me.)
You don't have an economist making a plane, in other words. You have a hand-to-hand combat fighter teaching his style and maybe what he's learned from others. At least, from my POV.
enhance creativity scientifically"
ReplyDeleteWhat would that mean? Are you saying that isn't possible? This would only mean that you can use the scientific method to do tell the difference between a creativity enhancing method that work and those that don't. That's all. Otherwise you are left with one of the most fallible things in the world: your subjective experience. :)
"The theory hasn't stopped being developed."
Only theories that have been dis-proven have been stopped being investigated and are no longer under development. :)
Pursuing knowledge, and more and more correct knowledge is what's awesome about the scientific method and people that apply it.
I didn't say that creativity should not be pursued, or talked about, quite the contrary. All I was objecting to is doing it based only on what you feel. For effective teaching to take place just knowing the subject isn't enough. And if you ever took pedagogy classes at university you know what I'm talking about.
" If I had to hold a class on it, I'd hold it pretty well, I think"
I'm pretty sure you would, reading your writings ;)
Sure, but if you just go and talk for 1 hour about what you feel about writing and have no structure to it, not considering that the people you are talking to are maybe not as experienced in the topic as you are and in the end are not privy to your inner thoughts. :)
If you only explain things in the language of your subjective and internal world you will surely fail.
Language is a hard thing. It's easy to feel and harder to tell something to others. MISA uses this very much. Just feel, just meditate etc. Sorry but some things need to be explained and can't be just felt because they are a part of a dimension (not necessarily the best word for it) that is not open to our feelings.
"a hand-to-hand combat fighter teaching his style and maybe what he's learned from others"
Exactly. :) The difference (at least in my opinion) between such a person and a cult leader is if he/she knows that he/she is fallible and that what he/she knows is not all there is to know and (this is even more important!) if he/she tells his students this.
A cult leader will not tell you this. Or let you think this and not correct it.
A good teacher will tell you this and encourage that you search forward.
"I can't brainstorm."
I can't either and have met many people who can't, don't worry, you are not alone. :)
"you shouldn't judge the artistic scene by the standards of MISA."
I'm not. I like art, and as you yourself pointed out: MISA (at least it's leaders and those who's opinions matter) doesn't.
Things are subject to my opinions and my own perspective and MISA is in no way an exception. I will not censor myself just because something is connected to MISA or with someone from MISA.
This blog is mostly about that topic and hence the comments on MISA projects, but don't worry I have equally strong (but open) opinions about everything. Including art. And I'm not judging it by MISA standards, I never assimilated their view of what is beautiful and what is true art.
If I was I would be only objecting that today's art doesn't have enough naked women in it. ;)
"This would only mean that you can use the scientific method to do tell the difference between a creativity enhancing method that work and those that don't."
ReplyDeleteBut what is creativity? How do you measure it? I'm not saying it's not possible, I'm saying I don't think it's possible at the moment. There's questions like those two to be answered first.
"Only theories that have been dis-proven have been stopped being investigated and are no longer under development. :)"
I agree with this, but you need a good basis to start from. As of this moment, I know of none. I've studied literature for a long time in university and we debated a lot of things academically, but enjoyability and talent weren't among them. Actually, there's the unfortunate tendency today to start judging the value of literature by political standards (minorities, cultural issues, blah blah). It's not generalized by any means, but it's a tendency.
"If you only explain things in the language of your subjective and internal world you will surely fail."
Yes, I entirely agree. But, 1, you can explain some things very clearly and well even if they're crap. 2, you can have some good ideas behind what you're teaching, even if your teaching is crap. I have no idea *how* Csibi's actually teaching. I've heard a bit of the what, but not of the actual methodology. I've only been assured that it was 'great and helpful', which wasn't a very great or helpful review. The person who told me that, however, said that some of the others who held the creativity class weren't as stellar, so I assume he's at least decent, if you can go down from there.
On the MISA compared with art note, what I meant was that in art you're much less likely to become anything akin to a cult leader. You can become an idol with screaming fans wanting to do various things with you (and possibly writing disturbing stories about your private life), but that's another story.
As a teacher of artsy stuff, you can shout all you want that your style alone is good and only what you say goes, but people are less likely to listen than if this were something spiritual. You can deceive yourself about being close to God, but it's harder to deceive yourself about being able to dance, or paint, or take photos (alas, when it comes to writing, it would appear some people find it quite easy to believe themselves awesome).
True, Grieg is currently trying to take over art, too, but he's doing it via God and belief that you can have an impact in the world, not via creativity. He's trying to make people feel like little kings of the castle, like influential people, like people who can change the world - not like creative people. He'd be seen as a scam much faster if he tried that.