How to Boost Your Writing Power

     Writing is not as simple as sitting down at a notebook or a keyboard and making words come out of your brain. Aside from the obvious need to be able to construct a sentence with good grammar so that it can be understood by those who read your words, there are other factors to consider when you set down to write about a subject.

     Most importantly, unless you are in the habit of writing a lot, you may find that once you sit down at a keyboard or notebook, the ideas do not flow easily. You may find yourself lost as to where to begin, and give up soon after you start.

     This article will quickly go over two techniques that, if you use them, will give you plenty of ideas to write about in no time.

Take Notes

     To help keep that from happening, it is a good idea to keep a notebook and pen with you. Much of our ideas for writing come to us when we are busy with other things. Some of my ideas about what to write are either off the cuff, when I feel a moment of inspiration and have a keyboard handy, but a great many more come to me through interaction with the world in my daily life. I will have a conversation or witness an event that causes me to think deeply about some subject or another. That's when I like to whip out my notebook and jot down a quick sentence or two; something I can look at later and pick up that thread of thought and start writing.

     Without my notebook, hundreds of ideas would pass undeveloped. You never know what you could have created from all the lost ideas. Simply telling yourself to remember to write about something does not mean you will remember, and even if you do, you might not pick up the same thing that inspired you.  Whenever you see something that moves you, or you hear someone say something profound, poetic, or insane, your writing will improve tremendously if you can get the first few words down while the idea is fresh.

     If you can't (or don't want to) carry a notebook, you can substitue it for a portable voice recorder, which are easily obtained. You can then just speak your ideas into a microphone and play them back to yourself later. In this case, it's a good idea to transcribe your recorded notes into text when you start writing, in case your sound files are lost or erased. This is also a good way to get started flowing with your writing

Annotate

     There's an old saying: "To learn, teach." When it comes to writing, I say: "To write, read." The more you read, the more experience you will have with the way language is structured and how ideas are commonly presented.

     In addition to that familiarity with language, which will only come with time, practice, and as much reading as possible, there is another method of using the writings that you read to give yourself ideas for your own writing. I speak, of course, of annotation.

     Annotation is taking notes on what you read. I don't mean in the third grade book report sense, where you are essentially telling your teacher what the book or article was about; that's reporting- not annotating.

     Annotation is writing down the reactions and thoughts that arise when you read something. Perhaps it is a sense of how poetic and well worded a particular sentence, paragraph, or passage is. Maybe it's about your agreement or disagreement with a particular idea. Sometimes it's rewording something in your own language to make sure you have an idea firmly understood, and at other times it is questioning the meaning of something.

     There are often times when one writer will quickly pass over an idea and move on, when it is something you would personally like to explore more deeply. Rather than simply tell yourself, "I wish I knew more about such-and-such," or "so and so is brilliant/ stupid/ insane," and move on, you can annotate that thought and come back to it later.

     Here, simply put, are the basic rules of annotation:

1.    First, read through the work to become familiar with the basic feel of what you are reading.

2.    Reread it, more slowly. Taking your time in the second read gives your mind time to have reactions you might not have in the first read through.

3.    As your ideas and reactions come up, use either a separate sheet of paper or the margins of your book or article to write those reactions down.

4.    If any part of what you annotate confuses you or raises questions in your mind, you should also write those down. Rewrite the parts that seem confounding in simpler terms. Look up the definition of words. You will be surprised at how many words there are where the meaning is not clear in your own mind.

Get Writing!

     Keeping a notebook of ideas and annotating may seem like simple steps. They are. But no two writing tools you can have will help you more in communicating and developing your ideas than these.

     Read, keep notes, and annotate. In a short time, you will find that you have traded not knowing how to begin for deciding which one of a hundred ideas you will work on first.

Masonic Infuence on Brain Transformation

Masonic Influence on Brain Transformation


Not many Masons know that the training of Entered Apprentices and Fellow Crafts is designed to transform their brains. Yeah, I know this might sound “pretty scary” but it’s true. What’s even scarier though is that I was a Masons who didn’t know this up until this year. What changed my understanding of this was asking a simple question. As a result on my asking this question, seeking an answer and knocking on whatever door I could find, a flood of information was opened up to me that bordered upon overwhelm.

Admittedly, it was an innocent enough question; one of many that seem to pop into my head from time to time when I’m involved in Masonic adventures. The focus of my adventure this time was the Fellow Craft degree. More specifically, the last Seven Steps of the Winding Staircase talked about in the Fellow Craft Lecture.

My question was simple: What does studying these seven topics do to the brains of people studying them? I had no idea where this question would lead me, but there was one thing for sure, I was ready, willing and able to go to any length to know the answer.

The Quest
Soon after I asked it, the question led me toward some information regarding brain function(1). It seems that some time over the last century, brain neuroscientists had mapped the function of the brain, specifically, the cerebral cortex. They discovered some very interesting aspects that fit very nicely into affirming what Masons have focused upon for some time. It appears that the functions associated with the lobes of the cerebral cortex are affected by studying the Seven Liberal Arts and Sciences. Let me explain.

Our brains(2) are created with natural affinities. Being natural, these affinities are already wired into our being. This means that our brains naturally will do what they have affinities toward. The problem though with those natural affinities is that what may come natural does not always get nurtured to maximize its potentials.

This is where specific study comes into play. By studying targeted subjects such as those comprising the Trivium and Quadrivium, precise areas of the brain are exposed to patterns that enhance the brain’s natural abilities in that region. Simply put, exposure to Light Orders the Chaos of that area.

Trivial Brain Function
Let me share an example of this. The back of the brain known as the Occipital Lobe is wired for sight. In that wiring are tendencies to recognize objects such as “horizontals, verticals and diagonals.” When this region is exposed to specific patterns, it “learns” to recognize these patterns and even associates them with what they mean.

When those who are instructed properly are exposed to visual numbers and letters, this region of their brain eventually imprints upon the shapes of those visual patterns and associates these patterns with numbers and letters. Of course, this recognition also works in conjunction with the sound of such letters and numbers, along with the words that they spell out and language memory.

The latter part of the brain is associated with the left Temporal lobe and this associated region stretches from the area from just in front of the ear, all the way back past the interface of that lobe and through to the left area of the Occipital lobe and the lower portion of the left side of the Parietal lobe. This whole region is associated with Grammar. When exposed to Grammatical training, the natural affinity of this brain region Orders itself to recognize Lexicon and the Rules that govern that Lexicon – Grammar!

Additionally, if we examine how exposure to Logic affects brain Ordering, we would find that the upper part of the Frontal lobe is affected. Logic training exposes this region to the Logical patterns which Order it toward recognizing when proper Logic occurs and when what is presented is obviously faulty or flawed.

Finally, training that exposes the brain to Rhetoric shows that this specific training accesses, integrates and further Orders these just mentioned regions, most all of which are left Brain activities. Furthermore, this activity includes the lower parts of the Frontal lobes along with the front parts of the Temporal lobes; some of which are right brain activities.

You might now ask yourself what these just mentioned regions have to do with Rhetoric and you’d be right in doing so. It is not enough to say that it accesses, integrates and further Orders these regions. One should know the basis of such claims. Let’s connect the dots.

Integrating the Entered Apprentice Work
The lower parts of the Frontal lobes are associated with we call “morality.” Their function controls whether we say and do or not say or do. This is but one of two areas that Rhetoric study access and helps integrate. The other areas are the two front parts of the Temporal lobes. These are the emotional memory areas of the brain. These, together with the lower portion of the Frontal lobes, control our morality.

Of course, study of the Seven Liberal Arts and Sciences only reinforces the functions of these just mentioned moral influence areas. These areas should have already been Ordered through the Work of the Entered Apprentice prior to being Passed.

You may quickly ask: What Entered Apprentice Work Orders the morality areas? And the answer may surprise you: All of it! Let’s review it quickly.

The recognition and divesting of Vices and Superfluities frees the Entered Apprentice from unnecessary and harmful Burdens. In conjunction with this divestiture, Strengthening takes place in the form of establishment of Virtue within the daily activities and choices of the Entered Apprentice. This takes discipline and such activities are continually recognized and affirmed by Fellow Crafts and above before Entered Apprentices are Passed. Should such Work not be completed, the Ordering of these area will not be completed either and the Brain of the Mason shall be Burdened and weaker than it should be while progressing through higher degrees. Such a condition is best exemplified by the Hebrew word “sibolet”, which means “burden.(3)”

Quadrivium Work
The follow up Fellow Craft studies that Order mostly the right side of their brains are Arithmetic, Geometry, Music and Astronomy. Arithmetic Orders the Right side of the Occipital lobe in conjunction with the back part of the Parietal lobes. It structures our understanding and recognition of numeric lexicon and the proper use of operators in dealing with them. Geometry Orders the back part of the Parietal lobe and Right Temporal lobes. It structures our understanding and recognition of numbers as they relate to space. Music Orders the right Temporal lobe. It structures our understanding and recognition of numbers as they relate to time.

Something that intrigued me was how the study of Astronomy acts like a capstone to all this study. The answer that was revealed was amazing. Astronomy integrates the left and right brain functions dealing with time and space and the manner to which we use language to convey our understanding of time and space discoveries. In doing this, Astronomy further Orders, accesses and integrates all lobes mentioned throughout this writing.

Integration
Aside from all the interesting and wonderful things that occur to the brain to transform it so that its natural affinities are honed to a sharp edge, there is an underlying reason such abilities are desired by Masons. If you examine history, you will find that the study of the Seven Liberal Arts and Sciences was required as preparation for higher learning targeted at Scholasticism – reconciling Theology and Philosophy. A person would not dare enter into such serious study without having a firm foundation in these Liberal Arts and Sciences. Such lacking would inevitably lead to problematic evaluation, translation, interpretation and conclusions. That understanding continues today. The primary reason for such specific Liberal Arts and Sciences study remains the same – to prepare for further, more serious study of Theology and Philosophy(4). Masons should keep this in mind should they attempt to dismiss the relevance of such studies.

Let me provide an example of how this works.

Example
The Jewish observance of Passover occurs upon the first full moon after the Spring Equinox. Sacred Lore is interpreted by some to reveal that the name “Passover” comes from the belief that the Lord “passed over” houses whose doorposts and lintels were sprinkled with the blood of a specific type of lamb. Study of the events and the timing of the celebration reveal many interesting aspects of the celebration that are not so obvious to those who do not have Liberal Arts and Sciences training.

The first fact of interest lay in the timing of the event. The Passover celebration always starts when the first full moon after the spring equinox. This is the 14th day of Nisan which begins on the night of a full moon after the vernal equinox.

In ancient times though, the start of spring was not always astronomically guided. There were more practical signs that needed to be considered. The tradition in ancient Israel held that the first day of Nisan would not start until the barley is ripe, being the test for the onset of spring.(5) Since at least the 12th century, knowledge of Astronomy and mathematics reveal that the spring equinox is the point in which the sun position above the rotating earth provides an equal amount of light during the day with the darkness in the night. Any day soon after this moment could be considered a day that showed the sun had “passed over” this equality point of day and night length. Knowing this, the question still remains as to why this observance comes during the first full moon and not immediately after that tipping point.

Upon further examination of the cultural records of the time it become clear that the reference to the lamb is also quite revealing. At the time this celebration was immortalized in the practice of the Jewish people, many tended flocks of animals as a matter of daily activity. Part of that activity was to make sure that these flocks were both fed and kept secure. When the season changed from winter to spring, the passing over of the sun was a sign to those tending their flocks that the feeding grounds to the North were about to be producing food. This meant that their flocks would have to be moved toward these pasture lands so they could feed on the new growth.

These moves were problematic if they were not planned for and executed properly. Two conditions that had to be considered deserve some reflection. The first condition was that all newborn animals would slow the flock’s progress to an unacceptable pace; this placed an unnecessary sibolet upon the entire flock. The second condition was that darkness created additional dangers involving terrain and predators. To move flocks during the darkened hours of night would place them in danger, especially if that movement were done under star light alone.

To minimize the possibility of newborns within the flock slowing them down, sacrifices would occur. This meant “spilling” blood. Such sacrifices were seen as necessary and were accepted without question to assure the safety of these flocks. Not doing so jeopardized the flock’s very survival.

To minimize nighttime threats, flocks were moved during those times when the moon’s brightest light lit the skies. This occurred on a regular bases and all that was required was a bit of Astronomical know-how to get the timing correct. Since the first full moon after the spring equinox proved the perfect time to move the flocks to the North, this became the day in which that activity occurred year after year.

As you can imagine, most people within the Jewish faith do not tend flocks any longer. There is no need to make journeys from one pasture to another and not minimize travel time by sacrificing those creatures who would slow that transit. It is clear though that the memory of such activities have been dutifully and faithfully carried forth year after year as sacred lore in honor of their ancestor’s diligent activities.

Masonry’s Beacon
To participate in serious Theological and Philosophical studies, one must have the capacity to decode the records of the past. Specific study provides a firm foundation for cultivating this capacity. Without such firm foundation, assumption about these records might lead one to conclude falsely what these records and events reveal.

It’s truly a marvel how specific studies transform the brain and bring Order to chaos. Masons might want to assure that those Masons who come up through the degrees do the Work that Ritual points to, otherwise men are Raised into positions that they are not properly prepared for.

Creative Visualization I

     The Aikido student visualizes that his arm is a firehose spewing high pressure water, and suddenly that arm becomes twice as strong as normal. A monk in Tibet visualizes a burning core suspended in a sphere of dark, empty space, and his body produces so much heat that his pillow made of ice not only melts, but steams throughout the night, where sleeps exposed to the elements. The monk is able to get up in the morning and dry soaking wet towels by holding them against the heat of his body.      The professional athlete drills visualization of winning scenarios and his stats improve correspondingly. The hypnotist or neuro-linguistic programmer learns to word things in certain ways that are more effective at reaching into the deepest parts of the mind.

     These are positive examples. Many people visualize the things they fear or worry about. When we give the mind a scenario, it plays it out in a kind of simulation. This wouldn't be so bad if we were clearer in ourselves about how well we know others and ourselves. Many people think they do not visualize, which is a highly doubtable thing.

     Mental images can be fleeting and vague, and some people don't understand that they are using the mind's eye in those cases. Visualizations developed out of long habit can flit by in a microsecond, or be so ingrained in us that we don't even notice them. These things can crop up like memories, and probably are at least related to memories. We wouldn’t fear things in the future without some kind of memory containing a warning to cause us the anxiety. Even then, creative imagination isn't confined to the visual realm; we can just as easily imagine a touch, or a voice, or a situation- all are coming from the same source.

     It is not common to intentionally visualize things, though the practice has been around for a long time and is steadily growing. There are any number of books on the subject now in the public domain, free for the picking from online archives.

     Some marginal success can probably be had from these old techniques, but I am interested in a "beefed-up" version. What would be the difference of result if we took a weight lifter and had him visualize lifting his target weight, and also took another lifter and had him visualize lifting wrecking balls, or planets, or neutron stars?

     What happens when we greatly exaggerate elements of our visualization? What happens if we visualize, not the specfic thing we want, but the catalyst for our mind to reach a certain conclusion? One common mark of genius is the use of creative imagination. Large equations have been rendered into stories about the travels of some character, each part of the story a symbolic representation of part of the equation. One can sit in meditation and visualize stretching down and touching their toes and find themselves able to bend deeper than they could only a moment before this visualization takes place.

     This kind of visualization helps set information in the mind, both by helping to associate it with different things we know, as well as directing our full attention at the new information. This ought to make it more likely to transfer from information to actual knowledge we can use.

     I am interested in what can be done, even more than what once was. What can we do in our time to make the world and life a better experience for everyone? It seems that this is the common ideal set out as motivation for any book that discusses things that could change the social order. The claim, however, is often followed by content that restricts freedom, or promotes elite organizations and views, or is racist, or generally has some kind of major flaw. Plato's republic inspired this great dream of Utopia, inspiring dozens of snuffy academics and philosophers to crown themselves the best fit to rule the earth.

     Visualization isn't much different than dreaming. We can learn in dreams (just the other night I had singing lessons, and I can make a note much better!). There is no reason not to suppose that we can learn from imagining just as easily as dreaming or observing others. Tesla claimed to invent his devices completely in the mind first, before building a single thing!

     When you visualize, try blowing it out of proportion. Make it a little bit impossible, a little harder than you expect, or exaggerated in some proportions. Draw upon modern imagery, especially if you were or are a fan of cartoons, comic books, and anime. The tibetan monk can imagine a tiny sun in a black sphere; that's fine for him. With our imagery, we can imagine ourselves to be completely made of flame, or create that same heat-building sphere between our hands. An ancient martial artist might imagine the wind behind him, where we can concieve of a jet engine. A caster of chi can imagine that it flows out and touches his target, but why can't we imagine a vast blade of chi-force arcing out like a scimitar, travelling for a thousand yards?

     The variations are as infinite as the imagination itself. We can stay in the realm of reality, and go a little overboard here and there. Imagine the weights as heavier, the running faster, the sight better, and the breath deeper.

     Add as much emotion as you can to a visualization. Make it into a true spell with every part of you, and you will get the best possible results. Make a sigil, concoct a ritual, chart a day and an hour, and visualize the outcome.

     In all texts, it is important to do things now. There is no future, and the past is only background setting. "If it isn't good enough today, then it wasn't good enough yesterday and won't be any good tomorrow." If we want it today, then we need to make it possible yesterday and receive it today. Tense is a major factor in magic or manifesting or speaking the word. Our words have far reaching effects that would boggle the unprepared mind.

     A man named John C. Lilly wrote a book titled "Programming and Meta-programming," that frames human development under terms of an interactive bio-computer.Here, visualization is taken to a whole new level, more in line with what I am thinking myself.

     The idea is that the subconscious and imagination already know how to perform any change we might desire or concieve, but to be effective the concept for change has to fit certain requirements. First of all, the conceptual vehicle for change must be adequate to meet the goal in mind. Second, the conceptual vehicle must engage the mind and the emotions: that is, it must be important enough to inspire change in every instance. Third, the concept must speak the proper language for the recipient of the messages we wish to send; it must speak the language of symbol, metaphor, myth, and legend.

Therefore, we have these three realms in which to divide and organize a methodology. Each individual is uniquely coded in their structure, sees things a little differently, so it makes little sense to look for a universal method of spiritual unfoldment. Were such a thing possible for man, he would have only ever had one religion, and no one would be able to shake his faith in such a foundation. A perfect religion is the equivalent of a direct doorway to Divinity, and while such a religion is sure to exist, it does not appear to exist as a defined structure in any single tradition. It seems more like each faith is a general roadmap by which a few, here and there, manage to find their way out of the darkness.

      There are those in today's so-called spiritual/truth movement that advocate not participating in the world or its systems.
      The second they start telling you you shouldn't work, shouldn't use money, shouldn't educate yourself with secular knowledge, you might want to pause and ask yourself where they got the knowledge to communitcate in spoken and written language, where and how they live, how they travel, procure food and clothing, and pay for their internet activities.
      If the answer isn't something like "I mine my own gold," as they stand on a podium wearing homespun fabric or woven grass underwear after arriving on foot, there's obviously a huge pile of bullshit somewhere.
      If they aren't actually working at making a living, then they are making a living off of everyone who buys into what they're sayng who ARE paying the money they worked for to hear them talk.
This is the world we live in. I know it's convenient to lay the blame for our problems on politicians and corporations and the education systems, but who makes up those groups if they are not humans? Secret aliens? if that's the case we all might as well give up now, because who can compete with that? It's like ants expecting to protest and make someone tear down the house over their anthill.
      Assuming it isn't the Annunaki and the greys pulling strings, humans do have the power to tear everything down. We can destroy all civilization in ten days or less, and yes, we can all 'opt-out' of the systems. We can all stop going to school, stop going to work, stop driving cars, and stop each other from doing all these things. We can tear down the power plants and start living off the land.
      Billions of people will die, but we won't have anyone "controlling us". Then those groups that do want to control you will win, because we handed them their depopulation agenda without much effort.
      We can continue as we are, and the global capitalists will win, because we handed them their goal without much effort as well.
      So...how do you win? By adhering to a code of ethical conduct based on reasoned morality. What good is a corporation as a tool of control if all of it's employees (that's more than 99% of us) refuse to act contrary to morality and good sense? What good is someone who seeks to cloud your judgement and control you if you are well educated, have a mind trained to reason, and a heart full of compassion?
      What good is a religion telling you what is right or wrong, if we have a world full of people who already know right from wrong?
      No...I'm afraid that it's not as easy as opting out. This war is going on around you, between these two factions of control, but we, as individuals and as groups, are the pawns in that war.
Have you seen someone doing messed up things, and how those around them say "to hell with it, I'm going to do it to"?
      People learn by example, and people change their behavior by example. We are individuals, but we change our behaviors to match the group. The sooner we care more about good judgement, rather than what is expedient in the moment, the sooner we all set better examples for each other.
That is the only way to win this war, which doesn't include us yet for which we are the pawns of action.
      The second we begin to realize that we are able to refuse to do what is wrong and refuse to be controlled will be the second we begin to usurp control from the usurpurs of our sovriegnty.