Leaving the Herd to Express Your Creativity – Jason Silva (Video)

Leaving the Herd to Express Your Creativity - Jason Silva (Video) | Third Monk

Little boxes, all the same. All the people in the houses all go to the university. And they all get put in boxes, little boxes all the same.

Pete Seeger sang those words about the development of suburbia and conformity in 1963. How can we fully express our creativity and avoid becoming zombies? In another inspiring hit of stoner philosophy, Jason Silva wonders what pushes people away from the herd.

And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.

-Nietzsche

Works mentioned in this video:

The agony of breaking through personal limitations is the agony of spiritual growth.

Art, literature, myth and cult, philosophy, and ascetic disciplines are instruments to help the individual past his limiting horizons into spheres of ever-expanding realization.

– The Hero with A Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell

Robert Anton Wilson – Reality Tunnels

Robert Anton Wilson described his writing as an “attempt to break down conditioned associations—to look at the world in a new way, with many models recognized as models or maps and no one model elevated to the Truth.”

“My goal is to try to get people into a state of generalized agnosticism, not agnosticism about God alone, but agnosticism about everything.”

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The Zen Float Tent – First Affordable Isolation Tank For Home Use

The Zen Float Tent - First Affordable Isolation Tank For Home Use | Third Monk image 3

The benefits of sensory deprivation tanks are no secret: relaxation, deep meditation, soothing chronic muscle pain, increased athletic performance, and an overall sense of well being, but until now these benefits came at a hefty financial cost.

Zen Float has created an isolation tank that can be self assembled and is cheaper than its competition. Ideally it is paving the way for higher accessibility and lowered costs in the industry.

Much lighter than traditional models, the Zen Float Tent will weigh a little more than a water bed once you add the epsom salt and water.

Zen Float is running a Kickstarter to fund their idea, check it out for more details on the product. Whether you can afford to pre-order your own tank or not, it’s awesome to support a company that is hopefully going to make a huge difference for the collective conciousness.

Uncovered Zen Float Tent

Zen Float Tent - uncovered

Zen Float Tent in the Wild

Zen Float Tent - Wilderness

> Zen Float | Visual News

Kubrick’s Answer – The Beauty of a Meaningless Life (Comic Strip)

Kubrick's Answer - The Beauty of a Meaningless Life (Comic Strip) | Third Monk image 2

Life is a beautiful thing, if you want it to be.

Taking an active role in the way we define our experiences allows more opportunities for growth; to be in an unusual situation, to overcome a new challenge or to create a work of art that sparks your imagination.

Kubrick’s answer is flawlessly expressed in Gavin Aung Than’s story panels. Each image underscoring his powerful message.

Stanley Kubrick Zenpencils

Kubrick is often described as an eccentric thanks to the stories about his obsessive attention to detail, treatment of actors, personality quirks and reclusiveness.

But these anecdotes are overshadowed by his ground-breaking movies, technical expertise and the opinions of those close to him, who described him as a warm, loving and gregarious genius of a man.

The quote used in the comic is taken from a 1968 Playboy interview Kubrick did soon after the release of 2001: A Space Odyssey. – Zen Pencils

Transcendental Meditation Helps Reduce Violent Crimes (Study)

Transcendental Meditation Helps Reduce Violent Crimes (Study) | Third Monk image 5

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The Maharishi Effect is a phase transition to a more orderly and harmonious state of life in society as measured by decreased crime, violence, accidents, and illness, and improvements in economic conditions and other sociological indicators. Named in honor of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who predicted it thirty years ago.

Maharishi had predicted that when a critical sub-population of individuals – 1% – experienced and stimulated the field of pure consciousness through the Transcendental Meditation Program, a type of macroscopic field effect of coherence would occur in the society and the quality of life would improve. This would manifest in more orderly and harmonious individual behaviour and a measurable improvement in the various social indices which characterise the quality of life in society.

Scientific Research on the Maharishi Effect

During the past 25 years over 500 scientific studies have been conducted on Transcendental Meditation and Yogic Flying showing the wide-ranging benefits for all aspects of life. 42 of these studies have shown that when 1% of the population of any town or country practises Transcendental Meditation, or when the square root of 1% practise TM-Sidhi Yogic Flying in a group, there are dramatic positive improvements in the entire society.

One such study was held in June-July 1993 in Washington D.C.

This National Demonstration Project to Reduce Violent Crime and Improve Governmental Effectiveness brought approximately 4,000 participants in the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs to the United States national capital from June 7 to July 30, 1993. A 27-member independent Project Review Board consisting of sociologists and criminologists from leading universities, representatives from the police department and government of the District of Columbia, and civic leaders approved in advance the research protocol for the project and monitored its progress.

The dependent variable in the research was weekly violent crime, as measured by the Uniform Crime Report program of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; violent crimes include homicide, rape, aggravated assault, and robbery. This data was obtained from the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department for 1993 as well as for the preceding five years (1988-1992). Additional data used for control purposes included weather variables (temperature, precipitation, humidity), daylight hours, changes in police and community anti-crime activities, prior crime trends in the District of Columbia, and concurrent crime trends in neighboring cities. Average weekly temperature was significantly correlated with homicides, rapes and assaults (HRA crimes), as has also been found in previous research; therefore temperature was used as a control variable in the main analysis of HRA crimes. Using time series analysis, violent crimes were analyzed separately in terms of HRA crimes (crimes against the person) and robbery (monetary crimes), as well as together.

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Analysis of 1993 data, controlling for temperature, revealed that there was a highly significant decrease in HRA crimes associated with increases in the size of the group during the Demonstration Project. The maximum decrease was 23.3% when the size of the group was largest during the final week of the project. The statistical probability that this result could reflect chance variation in crime levels was less than 2 in 1 billion (p < .000000002). When a longer baseline is used (1988-1993 data), the maximum decrease was 24.6% during this period (p < .00003). When analyzed as a separate variable, robberies did not decrease significantly, but a joint analysis of both HRA crimes and robberies indicated that violent crimes as a whole decreased significantly to a maximum amount of 15.6% during the final week of the project (p = .0008).

Analysis of 1993 data, controlling for temperature, revealed that there was a highly significant decrease in HRA crimes associated with increases in the size of the group during the Demonstration Project.

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Based on the results of the study, the steady state gain (long-term effect) associated with a permanent group of 4,000 participants in the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs was calculated as a 48% reduction in HRA crimes in the District of Columbia.

Given the strength of these results, their consistency with the positive results of previous research, the grave human and financial costs of violent crime, and the lack of other effective and scientific methods to reduce crime, policy makers are urged to apply this approach on a large scale for the benefit of society.

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Scientific proof of meditations far-reaching beneficial effects are wonderful to read about, I have no doubt we will reach that 1% threshold soon.

thirdmonk certainly wants to help, if you’re interested in joining a weekly meditation with us, please email us or leave a comment below and we’ll send you the details. 

> Maharishi Effect | Dubrovnik Peace Project

> Crime Prevention | ISTPP.org

Amazing Athletic Feats, Gif Collection (Gallery)

Amazing Athletic Feats, Gif Collection (Gallery) | Third Monk image 15

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These amazing athletic feats of team work and athletic prowess are raising the bar for all human kind.

Amazing Athletic Feats – Gif Collection

Basketball and Soccer Skills

Amazing-athletic-feat - Back heel alley oop

 

That’s How You Make an Exit!

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Dead Eye!

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Smooth!

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Double Shooting Star Press

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Now That’s Style

Front flip hat trick- Athletic-feat

 

Misty Flip

Misty flip[

 

Flash Kicks

One legged flips

 

Skills!

Snowboard truck flip

 

Up Up and Up Some More

Superman leap

 

Team Work

Team work

 

Three Step Wall Run To Backflip

Wall ack flip

 

Water Slide Alley-Oop Shot

Water Slide shot

Inspirational Quotes to Refocus Your Mind

Inspirational Quotes to Refocus Your Mind | Third Monk image 12

Inspirational quotes are perfect for refocusing the mind and reawakening the excitement that fills life with passion.

Happiness is Here. Not There

Inspirational Quotes“The trick is to enjoy life. Don’t wish away your days, waiting for better ones ahead” – Marjorie Pay Hinkley

Do Not Be Your Own Worst Enemy

Inspirational Quotes“You are confined only be the walls you build yourself.”

Life is Not About Winning or Losing

Insightful and Inspiring Quote 2“Take risks: if you win. You will be happy; if you lose, you will be wise” – Author Unkown

Moving Forward is About Moving Now

Insightful and Inspiring Quote 9“Success will never be a big step in the future; success is a small step taken just now.”

Love Yourself, It Will Show

Insightful and Inspiring Quote 11“Love yourself first & everything else falls into line.”  -Lucille Ball

Laugh, Smile and Be Happy; It Does Not Need to Be Complicated

Insightful and Inspiring Quote 6“Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine.” -Lord Byron

Do What Drives You and You Will Go Farther Than Your Imagination

Insightful and Inspiring Quote 4“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”

Focus, Experience and Enjoy. Everything Is Happening Right NOW

Insightful and Inspiring Quote 7“No matter how hard the past.  You can always begin again.” – Buddha

Relax, Be Yourself and Leave Your Mark

Insightful and Inspiring Quote 5“Work for a cause, not for applause. Live to express, not to impress. Don’t strive to make your presence noticed, just make your absence felt.” -Unkown

Let’s Fly Together Now

Insightful and Inspiring Quote 8“Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings.” – Salvador Dali

Let Go Of Duality and Embrace The Delicate Balance of Life’s Infinite Nature

Insightful and Inspiring Quote 3“Stars can’t shine without darkness.”

In The Fall – Animation on Ditching a Soul Sucking Job For Your Passion (Video)

In The Fall - Animation on Ditching a Soul Sucking Job For Your Passion (Video) | Third Monk

Steve Cutts presents a short hand-drawn animation on how a lame job can consume your life.

In a bearable but uninspiring job, the days slip by so freely that suddenly you wake up to find a decade has gotten behind you and you’re nowhere closer to anything you love.

With the exception of what simple pleasures you can cram in on weekends and evenings, it isn’t life, it’s a slow death.

There is too much up for grabs for the intelligent and passionate individual to pass the years that way. – David Cain, What Passion Will Buy You

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David Choe – Take a Risk By Saying “Fuck It” (Video)

David Choe - Take a Risk By Saying "Fuck It" (Video) | Third Monk

In this clip from Dirty Hands: The Art and Crimes of David Choe, Ice T describes the inspiration that pushes people out of their comfort zone. David Choe is mostly known for his awesome street art, but he’s also respected for saying “Fuck It” and living a lifestyle full of risks, failures, and rewards.

Well, to take risks you got to go, “Fuck It.” You know, most men who met their wives, it was a “Fuck It” before they walked up to her, it was that moment where she won’t talk to me, but “Fuck It,” I got to just take the risk, put myself past what I normally would do.

And there are certain people in life, like you say Hunter Thompson, that live in that – that realm of the edge, and everything else is boring, other people are like, how do you do it? You know you see mountain climbers, those mountain climbers are saying “Fuck It.” – Ice T

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