Salience & addiction

Salient

Once a behaviour is manifested in the mind, it may become the basis for an addiction.

There are many models to explain the pathway of an addiction. There are biological, genetic, social, psychological reasons and of course the various combinations. Given the low success rates treating addictions, I am not so convinced that any of these modes hold a final answer and they may be missing an important point. Anyway, fom a medical standpoint, an addiction is primarily a chronic neuro-biological disorder, with genetic, environmental and psychological-social components, and compared to what we said before, this seems to be conclusive.

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On a train

Life just playing

Sitting on a train
the landscape flying by
Life is there
whispers in my ear
and fills me with truth and
beauty.

Mountains capped with snow
yellow tops between the firs
a bubbly stream flowing round the rocks
A bulbous spire becking from afar.

I am life.

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Damaging for your health

In blue stillness

What is it that drives us to deliberately damage our health is the question at hand.

There are 3 kinds of diseases. The first type is karmic and the suffering is an experience we have agreed to before we were born. Examples are all sorts of genetic defects, hereditary diseases and the like. The second type is caused by external factors, like the food we eat, heat or cold, radiation, poison, parasites, bacteria but also accidents, trauma and so on. The third kind is caused by chronic stress due to inner conflicts. Obviously all kinds of mixed forms exist, and most factors play together in the development of a disease.

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Arrrghhhh

Emptiness

This is a very funny account of my friend Dora’s first 2 weeks at a new job, after returning to work from a sabbatical.

So far I like my new boss and team a great deal and   I’m less enthusiastic about the company’s bureacracy which I felt more acutely since my admin assistant is on vacation most of November. The first challenge which took a while was getting a company badge & parking permit; though to be fair, I wasn’t keen on getting a badge since my boss told me not to stay past 6pm since I couldn’t easily leave the building without a badge. The security girl told me that it’s critical for employees to have a nice photo on my badge since the company’s newsletter references this photo. Some people even come in to retake their photos!

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Sadness

 

Grapevine in November

There is a beautiful sadness to autumn.
A time to part, something tugs, something ebbs.
There is such clarity, sharpness and coolness in the air.
Witnessing the turning to nothing.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
“Traurigkeit” (Sadnesss)
Entführung aus dem Serail

Traurigkeit


 

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Love by Rumi

November roses

I’ve come to take you
with me
even if I must drag you along
but first must steal your heart
then settle you in my soul

I’ve come as a spring
to lay beside your blossoms
to feel the glory of happiness
and spread your flowers around

I’ve come to show you off
as the adornment of my house
and elevated you to the heavens
as the prayers of those in love

I’ve come to take back
the kiss you once stole
either return it with grace
or I must take it by force

you’re my life
you’re my soul
please be my last prayer
my heart must hold you forever

from the lowly earth
to the high human soul
there are a lot more
than a thousand stages

since I’ve taken you along
from town to town
no way will I abandon
you halfway down this road

though you’re in my hands
though I can throw you around
like a child and a ball
I’ll always need to chase after you

 

From: Rumi ” Fountain of Fire”
Translated by Nader Khalili
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Topographic map on a leaf

 

Isn’t nature the most gorgeous painter of all ? It is unbelievable !

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St. Martins day II

A fine Christian tradition …

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Screaming painbody

The mother of all painbodies needs a colorature soprano…

“The vengeance of Hell boils in my heart” from the Magic Flute.

Patricia Petibon as the Queen of the night (who is said to be inspired by Mozart’s mother in law) is giving as a delightful performance of the formidable energy of hot anger.

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Symptoms & beliefs

Close up

Locating the true cause of a disease may be the origin for something new.

I live surrounded by physicians. My sisters, my friends, my friend’s friends, we all grew up together, went to the same schools and are all but a few years apart from each other. Between us lies a whole range of specialisations and about everyone has now some 20 odd years of practical experience under their belt. A lot of routine, no-one is really excited anymore, most are disillusioned, many are bored, a few right out hate what they are doing, it but cannot get out.

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