Saturday, April 30, 2022

Do you think it's worth changing the world for the better?

 Imagine such a picture. 😉 There is a man meditating in the bosom of nature. Wine, meditation, music, summer, sun, blue sky, what more does he need to be happy?

And here, out of nowhere, he sees a pedophile tugging a child by the hand and dragging it into a car at the edge of the forest. The kid shouts that he wants to see his mother, says "I don't know you," and he tells him to shut up. Then this meditating person has two choices:

Get up and pound the pedophile, call the emergency number, and save the baby.

Don't save the baby. To say that the child himself attracted this situation, that he apparently had bad karma in this or previous life. Or that that was the plan of this child's soul for this incarnation. Another thing: is that it is God's will, that nothing in the world can and should not be changed for the better because reality is always on the best possible path.

In the case of exit 1, it will be a pedophile's nightmare, and in the case of exit 2, it will also be a lifelong nightmare for a child. Interestingly, this solution number two is surprisingly often promoted in new age spirituality, that is, in "folk" esotericism, for the masses.

In my opinion, this is not only an extreme form of victim mentality, which is devoid of strength and therefore does not want to change the world for the better. It is the degenerate logic of a psychopath - in this case, a spiritual, meditating, talking psychopath's pure, unconditional love.

The above story about saving a child is a good basis for considering whether we are going to make a difference in the world or not. Followers of many spiritual currents, including Hinduism, believe that nothing needs to be changed, because everything goes its own way. And those who suffer from evil are to blame for themselves. And such are the laws of the world that they attracted such a situation.

The trouble is, if everyone thought so, no positive change would be possible. Each update of the system with new, more humane values ​​and standards was made through rebellion and opposition to evil. If everyone thought so, we would not have left the caves until today. Because they also wanted to change the world for the better by establishing the first settlements. The paradox, then, is that without rebellion it would be impossible to develop.

Another important point is the fact that it is worth distinguishing between what you can actually change and what you cannot control. It is very important. These two spheres are often either confused with each other or completely incomprehensible.

What you have influence over mainly depends on who you are, what skills, talents, abilities, connections you have, and so on. It also depends on hundreds of other factors, such as random events. For example, is the person in a toxic relationship ready to accept your help, or are you armed in a given situation, and how many attackers are there.

What is beyond your control is all the rest, which not only takes away your precious creative energy and resources. But if you engage in such Sisyphean work, it may be the cause of your frustration and mistaken belief that people are only bad and the world cannot be changed.

Lucifer, of course, is not some devil to hate or worship, nor is he some astral entity. Or anything like that. Lucifer is the archetype of the human psyche. It means rebellion not only against what is bad but also against the whole world.

Lucifer wanted to radically change and transform this world. He wanted to give light to mankind. As a result, lucifer an angel of light became a fallen angel. The Luciferian archetype is visible in those who were to take care of the world and stand above politicians, as the hidden hand of power. During the nineteenth and especially the twentieth centuries, they fell morally, selling themselves to their ideals. They wanted to make changes very quickly - too quickly. People were not ready for many of these changes. The other changes turned out to be a caricature of themselves because they had all gone too far.

I mean the old ideals of tolerance, humanism, empathy, pacifism, and brotherhood. And so on. Everything that is associated with liberalism. What's left of it today? Little or nothing. Corporations that finance liberal politicians, destroy nature, exploit workers, do not pay taxes, contribute to censorship of speech. The EU commissioners, like the Bolshevik ones, uphold only the right propaganda line. Any opinion that goes against them is called hatred or fascism. Instead of something like "love, friendship, music", we have a world falling apart. Hence, our collective consciousness has activated centrifugal mechanisms to synchronize the system and fix its errors. Hence the turn to the right.

From those who wanted to save, they turned into tormentors of mankind - they fell like lucifer.

I think it is true that we come to this difficult world so it tests us, tests us, and then we go further. Where? Nobody knows that.

It is a global intelligence test and a survival test at the same time. This applies not only to the "stronger law", known by nature, which is reflected, for example, in capitalism, in social relations, and so on.

This, horror of horrors also applies to the metaphysical (spiritual) world. From the tangle of family programs, past traumas, entanglement into mystical doctrines, and various versions of the truth, the process of individualization and becoming fully spiritual, only a few emerge victoriously.

You can fall into the countless pitfalls of the spiritual path, as long as you step on it at all and only a few do. More than once, you may have become so entangled that it is practically impossible for you to disentangle yourself. You could also spend many years wandering in the meanders of various theories and versions of the truth, in tunnels of various mystical methods and techniques, or stuck in some order - open or secret. You've been learning about it for years anyway. Have you finally found this solution?

Have the masks of all "truths" fallen, according to the adage: "You must unlearn what you have learned," or are you still trying to catch something in this thicket of truths? Clearing your mind of truths and doctrines is the first sign that something is starting to happen - it is moving back to where you first came out but in a different sense. After all, you are not returning to the level of a fool, but you make all earthly truths disappear. It is only then that something else begins to emerge. You yourself, you real.

The law of the jungle also exists in spirituality, and here too it has the task of taking you into its merciless fetters and clamps and then testing you. Either you come out alive or you don't. You will either let it go and relax at the right moment, or you will go crazy, for example, blocking your way out of Samsara for a given incarnation. As far as reincarnation is true - and of course, we do not know. 😉

The truth is that they manipulate us in all possible ways. In an advertisement, at a party rally, at school, university, church, in the legal system ... Every day you deal with manipulation dozens or even hundreds of times.

But I will ask you a question .. Do you do something about it? Do you learn about psychology, social engineering, NLP, and cybernetics? Do you work out your fears, complexes, and traumas? Are you doing anything other than complaining that the media and politicians are lying and the system is wrong?

 Psychomanipulation techniques are truly shocking and unethical. However, all this happens under the so-called law.

Well, there are many bulky volumes that can be written about sales techniques, i.e. manipulation. They cannot cheat - because there are paragraphs, for confirming untruths, but not to say something, for example - according to the adage: speech is silver, silence - gold. Many methods, I will briefly mention only examples. For starters, remember that the truth is simple. As simple as it gets. If you see or hear sophisticated, difficult phrases, gibberish language, and the first thought that comes to your mind.

We later have multi-page contracts for this, written in gibberish, legal language, and small font - just to disgust you from reading it at the start, to increase your chances that you will not read something and accept it, sign it without reading it. Similarly with the products and the composition on them - if the composition is in a small, unreadable font, ask yourself in your mind the question: "what did you want to hide from me, if you do not want me to read this". If the manufacturer is not ashamed of his product, the composition is clear, sometimes the advantages of the products are exposed, for example, that the chips do not contain palm oil, that they are fried in sunflower seeds, or that toothpaste is fluoride-free.

What techniques of manipulation do they use, the example of a supermarket or a shopping mall:

- music: have you ever come across fast electronics in such a facility, let's say drum'n'bass above 160 bpm? Or rock music? No, the music is gentle, soothing, some kind of chillout - so that you can slow down and stay in the facility for as long as possible, covering a specific route including various displays and shops. They will not do this escalator in one place, but to get to the higher level you have to "wiggle" a bit - because if you will catch your eye some "SALE" and you will come to the store when lured.

- lighting, e.g. a meat counter, thanks to which meat, cold meats have a beautiful, blood-red or pink color;

- prices ending at 9, eg 99.99 instead of 100 zlotys The mind will register a 9 in front, psychologically it is better than a "round number", the product seems cheaper;

- the most attractive product (the highest margin) - right at your fingertips, at eye level; who would like to bend down or crouch there, and certainly not the elderly, sick, visually impaired people;

- air-filled packaging with concave bottoms. The packaging keeps track of where the product can be seen on the sides, and not from the top because the label is hidden? We take the lid off and what do we see? Well, the onion is right in the middle.

This, of course, is not all. It would be best to give up the purchase of goods and services altogether - because then they will not deceive you. Neither Seba nor recently: Sierioża will not spill on the production, no one will give us a pizza with his hands, which he has not washed after leaving the toilet, etc. But this is an abstraction, so on this "planet of monkeys," you have to work out so that you can be there every time more assertive. The ability to "step into someone else's shoes" comes in handy. You imagine that you are now a predator who has everyone else for suckers and walking bags of money and your goal is maximum profit.

Try to think like a scum, because their favorite slogans in life are, for example: "the sucker/ram is there to be cut." And, of course, the victim is to blame for himself - “I wouldn't have robbed her if she had run faster and escaped from me. If she had better, stronger locks on the door that I would not force, or if she was alive, if she was driving at least in a TIR, a tank, and not some punt - then she would have survived my overtaking to the top. "

These are psychopaths, people without emotions, without a sense of guilt - and this is what they can (until they squeal terribly when making settlements) - act and act like that.

So: imagine that you are such a scum and what you will do to prevent the victim from figuring out how to manipulate her, ask what illusion to use, how to distract her - what would you do? Know the enemy's language - in short. Not to hurt others, but to defend ourselves. The knowledge itself is not bad. With the knowledge of anatomy, you save human lives or effectively kill. Similarly, with all tools: with a drill, you build a bird feeder, or you drill other knees while extorting ransom money. e.t.c.

Thursday, April 28, 2022

The woman is afraid to leave the house after a close encounter with a UFO. The first crop circle appeared in Great Britain in 2022

 After a close meeting in 1997, Sasha Christie was afraid to leave the house, fearing that she would be abducted by aliens.

For some people, an encounter with a UFO can be a positive, life-changing experience, but for others, such as Sasha Christie, 51, it can cause anxiety and fear that linger for decades.

Christie, originally from Liverpool, England, had a close encounter 25 years ago.

"I, my ex-partner Steve, my son Louis and two of Steve's three family members went on a short vacation to a little cottage in a remote area," he recalls, "At one point, Steve pointed to fluorescent lights in the sky that seemed all the bigger, the closer they got to us. Since the clouds were very low, the shadows and shape of the UFO made it look like a bright jellyfish in the sky. "

However, the impressions were not limited to observation.

"Louis told me something had touched his leg and I believed him, but I wanted to look more at the light to understand what was going on," she said, "I was standing there for a minute more when suddenly I heard something running behind me, hitting the mud with my feet. It suddenly collided with me as it drove by, and everything in my chest burst open. I didn't even have time to realize it had happened, in panic, in total hysteria, I ran back home. "

She was so touched by this meeting that she has been left with PTSD and is now afraid to leave the house, fearing something like that would happen again.

"I used to feel safe, but seeing a UFO so close, I lost the peace of mind I used to live in," she says.

Sacha Christie | Bentwaters & Alien Abduction, UFO Paranormal Radio Network, June 27, 2012

The first crop circle appears to have been discovered in the 2022 season beginning. He was found on April 24 this year at Endmill Barn, Hampshire.

To be more precise, its existence was not discovered until April 24, which means that it appeared about a few days earlier. It is a classic circle with four circles inscribed in it and one slightly larger one placed in the very center. It cannot be denied that this is not a fancy formation, but it signals the beginning of a new crop circle season for Britain and Europe.

Sun-observing satellites saw giant ball-sucking energy from our star. The incident allegedly occurred on April 19. Ufologists point out that this particular spherical UFO was seen many years ago and has made a comeback again.

According to advocates of the UFO theory, the object returned to the Sun to replenish its energy. The UFO itself is arguably smaller than the spherical bubble, which is dark anyway so that it is almost invisible, but the sun-lit plasma shines around it, revealing its location.

According to numerous ufologóe, this is one hundred percent proof that aliens use our sun for their own purposes. This can be a threat to us because such a huge UFO could easily cause a solar explosion that would destroy our civilization. The return of this truly gigantic space object, which can literally fill up with solar plasma in close proximity to the star, once again shows what really highly developed civilizations are capable of.

For NASA, such observations are not a cause for concern, as they are at most image artifacts and random plasma structures formed around the solar atmosphere due to the action of strong magnetic fields driving the plasma.

The Time Scientists Thought They Saw The Real Death Star | NASA's Unexplained Files

Huge Sphere UFO Sucking Energy From Our Sun! 4-19-2022, UFO Sighting News.

The first crop circle for the 2022 season appeared in a beautiful setting near Sixpenny Handley in Dorset, England.


It is certainly a bit clunky and very different from the inadequate complex pictograms. Some called the circle the turtle, others called it the teddy bear. There were also completely unnecessary and probably completely erroneous speculations about the origin of the circle. Solutions have been suggested for a spectrum of possibilities, from forgery to paranormal. The farmer who owns the field has demanded that visitors not enter the field due to the damage. 

Crop Circle - Sixpenny Handley - 19/04/2022

Tuesday, April 26, 2022

The Chernobyl disaster and its health effects.

 According to the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR), the Chornobyl disaster caused as many as 6,000 cases of thyroid cancer among the inhabitants of the Russian Federation, Belarus, and Ukraine. They concerned children and adolescents exposed to radiation after the explosion. Administering Lugol's fluid and a large-scale iodine policy in Poland could suggest that Poles can also expect a real threat.

On April 26, 1986, there was a fatal accident and the greatest catastrophe in the history of nuclear energy.

The explosion led to the ignition of graphite, and significant amounts of radionuclides, i.e. radioactive materials, entered the environment. Power plant workers, people involved in rescue operations, and the entire population of Ukraine were exposed to three main types: iodine-131, cesium-134, and cesium-137.

On the day of the disaster, out of 600 power plant workers, 134 fell ill with acute radiation sickness, of which 31 (according to the Chornobyl Forum report) died within the first three months. In the rest of the group, the incidence of leukemia and cataracts increased. What about people who have not been exposed to direct contact with dangerous radiation?

Iodine-131 is taken up by the thyroid gland and children are particularly vulnerable to its high doses. According to the 1994 UNSCEAR report, the tissue of the infant thyroid gland, along with the bone marrow, lungs, and premenopausal female mammary glands, is one of the tissues most sensitive to ionizing radiation in the human body.

From the very beginning, when the news of the catastrophe spread around the world, scientists were afraid of the long-term consequences of the catastrophe in the form of an increase in the incidence of, among others, cancer (including solid tumors and leukemia), infertility and genetic defects in children. At the beginning of the 21st century, this hypothesis was negated by the results of WHO, UN, and UNICEF studies. However, it was thyroid cancer that was a real threat.

The 2018 study "Chornobyl Thyroid Cancer: 30 Tears of follow-up" indicates that a significant increase in the incidence of thyroid cancer has occurred throughout Belarus and Ukraine, and in the four most affected regions of the Russian Federation, approaching 20,000 cases.

While about five or six thousand cancers can be linked to milk containing radioactive iodine from cows grazing in contaminated areas, the remaining 15,000. is related to other factors. Including an aging society, better diagnostics, etc., at least that is the opinion of the authors of the research.

Here, however, an unsolved question returns - to what extent is it the effect of radiation, and to what extent is it socioeconomic or an excess of iodine? The UNSCEAR 2000 report indicates that only thyroid cancer in the indicated population can be linked to the effects of the Chornobyl accident.

However, there are reports of a possible negative impact of Lugol's fluid, which was also served to Poles after the disaster. It is supposed to be associated with the increase in the number of anti-thyroid antibodies responsible for Hashimoto's disease.

According to the available data, the radiation dose to which Polish children, as well as adolescents and adults, were exposed was relatively low, i.e. a maximum of less than 180 mSv, and such measures as iodine prophylaxis lowered these values ​​by approx. 30%.

A Polish inhabitant annually absorbs even 3-4 mSv (millisieverts, a unit related to the effect of ionizing radiation on organisms) from natural sources, but in some parts of the globe, these indicators are much higher. For example, in Ramsar, Iran, radiation doses can be as much as 10 to 50 times higher than elsewhere due to the presence of radium-containing hot springs. It is similar in Guarapari, Brazil, where radioactive sand, rich in uranium, or thorium is present. Nevertheless, there is no higher incidence of cancer there.

At the same time, the expert reassures that the remembrance of Chornobyl is not hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism.


WHY ARE WE UNHAPPY!?

 Are you still asking that question? Roughly it looks like this:

1️⃣ You get married, then a 35-year housing loan, a car loan, and then another.

2️⃣ You give birth to children, you raise them in typical Poland, in the stiffest way, in the form of the archetype of a strict aunt Grażyna with short-cut hair.

3️⃣ You work not where you like. Like 80% or more of people, you do work that would be considered necessary evil as coercion. You don't like her, and after 20 years you even hate her. But you prioritize it, you are doubly diligent. You take overtime to earn more. You get up early, come home late.

4️⃣ You don't have much free time for yourself. You would rather be in Zakopane, for example, but it is Wednesday and until Friday you are a slave to a job or your own business. And after the children are born, you don't have any time for yourself, because you already work 3 jobs, 8 hours each.

You had dreams, hobbies, passions, and ideals. And what is left of them is a lack of fulfillment, frustration, and a burdensome treadmill of everyday and everyday life.

5️⃣ After some years of such tyranny, treadmill, death of dreams and ideals, the man reaches a certain stage not only of degeneration and decay of the essence of humanity but even a certain degree of debilitation or idiocy. The alarm clock, annoying traffic jam (each in his car, 3 cars for the family), because to go three times faster by tram these 4 stops is colostrum in front of colleagues, irritating work which he hates. Rushing millennials, who prefer to live a little apart from work, then again cork, pork chops with potatoes, a family quarrel, talking about children and junk (ladies), or about football, cars, and women (gentlemen). Goofy soap opera (ladies), or a league match at the level of the Republic of Kurganistan and 8 beers (gentlemen). Then shower and sleep (no s*x for years, in separate beds).

A happy person (serotonin, GABA) has a lower need for dopamine spikes. It was dopamine, testosterone and the constant emotional deficiencies they build that gave rise to civilization. And a happy person goes to the green grass and meditates, then leaves this world childless. A genuinely fulfilled man is not very productive for the system. It is the lack of fulfillment, the frustration, and the ardent desire for a dopamine boost that are the driving force of civilization.

It is so simple and yet difficult to understand. Because in the words of the Architect from the movie Truman Show - “We take what we find in the world at face value. It's so simple."

Meanwhile, it is not a coin, and it is not good, but it is a Joker card with the mean smiling face of a financier, banker, or politician.

When you discover it, you also notice that there is not much of anyone to share it with. It is too logical and obvious for most people to figure out. So their misfortune is building the system. Also roads, bridges, factories, businesses that you also use. Therefore, when you talk about it, you encounter hostility and mockery. Because on the one hand, they are overburdening and you are not. They work, work, work, and you work, but also live, live. And it hurts.

Wednesday, April 20, 2022

Scientists have discovered the cause of the change in people's perception of time

 People have always wondered why time seems to run faster with age. Scientists may have found the reason for these changes in subjective perceptions of the passage of time.

I guess everyone at some stage in their life thought that in the past time was not going so fast. It is very possible that this is the result of a subjective perception of the passage of time, which - as it turned out - changes with age. This is because the so-called marginal gyrus neurons in the parietal lobe, which are responsible for assessing the length of the time intervals, "tire" and distort perception.

The marginal gyrus is part of the parietal lobe of the cerebral cortex that actively participates in the perception of oral and written speech, and is also associated with memory, learning, and sensory perception. Moreover, the marginal gyrus contains neurons responsible for assessing the length of the time intervals. Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley found that repeated exposure to a stimulus of a fixed duration causes these neurons to "fatigue", and this distorts our subjective perception of time.

The researchers asked the participants in the experiment to complete the task of comparing the length of the time slots, and during this time they measured their brain activity using functional MRI. The experiment involved healthy adults who were asked to view the gray circle eye adapter for a specified period of time 30 times in a row. After the adaptation period, they were shown a test stimulus and asked to estimate its duration.

If the duration of the adapter demonstration was long, the participants underestimated the duration of the test stimulus, and if the adapter appeared for a short time interval, the duration of the test stimulus was overestimated. The activity of the marginal gyrus neurons decreased when the adapter and test stimulus were of the same duration, indicating neuronal fatigue. The degree of distortion of time perception directly depended on how much the activity of the marginal gyrus neurons decreased.

A work describing this mechanism was published in a scientific journal Journal of Neuroscience.

Monday, April 18, 2022

Atlantis - a lost land engulfed by the sea or a legend?

 Shrouded in legends, Atlantis, a continent the size of Asia Minor and Libya combined, was destroyed around 9600 B.C. At least that is what the ancient philosopher Plato describes in his work. To this day, however, it is not certain whether it really existed. If so, where was it? And why has she disappeared? Mentions of an advanced civilization from thousands of years ago appeared for the first time in Plato's Dialogues. But the tragic fate of this amazing island and its inhabitants still ignites the imagination. Some consider the story plausible, others consider it a legend or a parable. Are 11-12 thousand years ago could there really have been a developed civilization? Or maybe some references to it should not be taken literally?

Information about Atlantis was included in two dialogues written by Plato - "Timajos" and "Kritias". In the first, the Greek philosopher describes a kingdom on an island larger than Libya, which was behind the Pillars of Heracles. The second dialogue provides more detailed information about the architecture and society of this civilization. Plato refers to a tradition held in the family of Solon, who in turn received information from Egyptian priests.

The story of Atlantis was approached in various ways since antiquity. Aristotle was skeptical of the stories, but many philosophers believed Plato. In the era of the Great Discoveries, it began to be identified with the Americas. A real interest in the Atlantean legend was revived in the 19th century. It was a time of fascination with antiquity.

While Plato made it clear that civilization existed on the Atlantic island and that it was sunk, more and more amazing theories about its location were emerging.

Many features similar to Atlantis were displayed in particular by the island, or rather the Santorini archipelago (Thera) in the Aegean Sea. The large island was destroyed and partially submerged around 1600 BC. by a strong volcanic eruption. More or less its shape was correct (even in one of the names: "Strongili" - round). It agreed that there was a civilization here that disappeared after the catastrophe and was replaced by the Greek one. The connection with the Egyptian Sais, where the legend is supposed to come from, also fits. Age and location were the least. The same is true of the hypothesis ascribing the "Atlantean" past to Crete and Malta.

In addition, they searched for Atlantis in the Caribbean, South America, and even Antarctica and the North Sea. It was not possible - and how! - from its location in the Bermuda Triangle.

During the search, professional archaeologists and amateurs found many remains of various civilizations that were partially or completely destroyed by the cataclysm. Older cities and megalithic structures were also discovered. Thanks to this research, we learned more about the history of mankind in general. It turns out that different features of Atlantis can be more or less attributed to different lost civilizations.

In Timajos and Kritias, Plato puts this into the mouth of his relative, the sophist Kritias, who tells the story of their common ancestor Solon.

On his way to Egypt, Solon found himself in Sais, where the goddess Neith, identified with Athena, was worshiped. That is why he was warmly received by the local priests and they eagerly told him the story of the ancestors of the Athenians and their opponents, the Atlanteans.

Ten thousand years earlier (from around 500 B.C.E.), a civilization had arisen that shook the entire Mediterranean region and beyond. “She was walking from the outside, from the Atlantic Sea. Back then, this sea was accessible to ships there. Because it had an island in front of what you call the Pillars of Heracles. The island was larger than Libya and Asia combined. Those who traveled then had a transition from it to other islands. And from the islands, there was a road to all the opposite land that was bounded by that true sea. " Civilization ruled as far as the borders of Egypt and Tyrrhenium (the land of the Etruscans, i.e. today's Italy and Sicily). The ancestors of the Athenians of the day were the only ones who opposed this power. “Then came terrible earthquakes and floods, and one terrible day and one night came - then your entire army sank into the ground, and the island of Atlantis likewise submerged under the sea and disappeared. Therefore, even now that sea is inaccessible and unsearchable to ships; very thick silt is an obstacle - it was provided by the island sinking to the bottom."

In "Kritias" we learn more about the history of Atlantis. We learn, among other things: that the gods chose different parts of the world. Poseidon had Atlantis and there he placed his descendants with the mortal Kleitoo. God created concentric islands in the form of concentric circles separated by circles of water. When his children were born, he divided the island into ten parts. The middle one went to the eldest - Atlas, and the others to his brothers. Each of the ten sons had a twin brother. They all had power over some part of the vast kingdom, but they had to obey the laws written on the brass plaque in the temple.

The island ruled by the royal house was very fertile, rich in plants, animals, and ores. Inhabitants connected the mainland districts with bridges to gain access to the royal castle. They deepened and strengthened the canals and built ports. In the middle of the island was the temple of Poseidon and Kleitoo, surrounded by a golden wall and lined with silver and gold, and inside also other precious materials. The island used natural hot and cold water sources, and there was also a sewage system. The second concentric island was occupied by a hippodrome and barracks.

The description of Atlantis in "Kritias" is very extensive. It is impossible to list everything in one article. If you are interested, I encourage you to read the text.

As the cause of the fall of Atlantis, Plato mentions the loss of the divine element and the collapse of the customs of the population, which prompted the gods to impose punishment. We do not know any further details because "Kritias" is an unfinished dialogue.

In the 19th century, the historical narrative followed two paths. Serious rational historians kept away from all mythological stories and treated them as inventions of ancient peoples or parables of philosophers. On the other hand, there were many historians, archaeologists, and amateur travelers. These, in turn, sought confirmation or explanation of the myths with which they were fascinated in their childhood. A good example of such a man was the German businessman Heinrich Schliemann. His obsession with "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" led him to discover Troy and begin work on the Mycenaean culture in 1870. Before Schliemann, it was believed in scientific circles that the story of Troy was made up. Today we know that relying on ancient messages can lead to discoveries of quite real places and events. Even if they do not necessarily confirm all the old stories.

The fate of those who studied the remnants of the biblical Flood was similar. Although it is difficult to say whether the biblical version of this story is the most credible, there is no doubt as to the existence of the phenomenon itself, and even (as Plato mentions) multiple floods. Today, some scientists associate them with the rapid melting of glaciers, breaking ice dams, and raising the water level between 11 and 7 thousand. years ago. We know that the Sahara was green during this period.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, it was believed that the earth was fairly stable and that geological formations and life forms developed through a slow evolution. This is also how the history of civilization was treated. Today, you can hear and read about the imminent fall of humanity almost everywhere. However, 100-200 years ago, suggestions such as pseudoscience were most often treated. Therefore, the catastrophe, which appeared to be based on ancient myths, was vigorously fought. Even the work of field scientists such as Alfred Wegener, who was the first to suggest the theory of continental migration, has been discredited.

The American politician, lawyer, and amateur researcher Ignatius L. Donnelly is an interesting figure in himself. However, I will focus on his contribution to building the contemporary image of Atlantis. In 1882 he published Atlantis: the Antediluvian World. It is possible that he was inspired by Jules Verne's book "20,000 miles of undersea shipping" (published in 1870), in which the heroes of, among others, they find the lost Atlantis. At the same time, Schliemann's discoveries encouraged all admirers of ancient legends to search.

Donnelly assumed that the description of Platonic Atlantis was historical, that it existed as a highly advanced civilization before the Flood, and that all modern civilizations derive from it. The concepts presented in Donnelly's book were popularized, inter alia, by the pioneers of the twentieth-century esoteric movements, including Helena Bławacka and Rudolf Steiner. Many of his interpretations of Plato have entered popular culture. In movies, novels, or games referring to Atlantis, we find the concepts of Ignatius Donnelly rather than Plato.

From the point of view of modern science, his book has no cognitive value. Although it popularized the history of Atlantis itself, it labeled amateurs with the label of pseudoscientists. Is it right? It depends.

A long time has passed since the theory of tectonic movements was ridiculed and the flooding of the island by geological activity was considered impossible. Thanks to archaeological and anthropological research, we learned amazing things about our ancestors. 11 thousand years ago, structures such as Gobekli Toepe and Tell Qaramel already existed. One of the oldest cities in the world - Jericho - was actually surrounded by a thick wall (although no archaeological confirmation of the biblical history of the demolition of the walls has been found) already 9,000. years ago. Our dating of the history of mankind and civilization is shifting further into the past, and prehistoric people turn out to be more "civilized" than we imagined a few decades ago. That being said, who knows how much truth is in the stories of Atlantis? If we do not insist on interpreting literally everything that Plato and then Donnelly and many other popularizers have written, then we can say that Atlantis is likely. We don't just have material evidence for it. But after all, the greatest archaeological searches began with legends and myths.

So why did this advanced civilization disappear? According to Plato, the Atlanteans at first lived exemplarily and in accordance with the law of the gods. Later, however, they craved wealth and power. For example, they were at war with the Mediterranean, especially Egypt and the ancestors of the Athenians. Though they captured Egypt and much of the Mediterranean, the ancestors of the Athenians defeated them. Moreover, as a result of these actions, the Atlanteans lost the trust of the gods. Zeus, according to Greek mythology, the greatest of gods, decided to send a natural catastrophe to Atlantis to destroy it. Most often it is said that it was an earthquake, or possibly a volcanic eruption followed by a tsunami wave. The entire continent was inundated by sea waters. But where?

This is what all those who believe that Atlantis really existed are arguing about. Plato mentions in his works that she was located in the ocean around the Pillars of Heracles. Despite the fact that most researchers assume that these poles were meant to represent the Strait of Gibraltar, they most certainly are not. Several theories about the possible location of Atlantis were then born, which more or less correspond to what Plato preached about Atlantis. What places were about 9600 B.C.E. there was a developed civilization, the disappearance of which was caused by a natural disaster, are therefore taken into account?

Some scientists speculate that Solon made a mistake in his translation of the Egyptian manuscripts and changed the number from 1000 to 100. Atlantis would then disappear around 1500 BC. and would be ten times smaller in size. Based on these assumptions, researchers James Mayor and James Baikie announced the theory that the disappearance of Atlantis matches the disappearance of the advanced Minoan civilization in Crete. A number of sculptures and murals depicting bulls were found on the site, and this cult was also practiced in Atlantis. The disappearance of this civilization was caused by a volcanic eruption on the island of Thira (today's Santorini). However, the theory has a drawback. Well, Christians survived the outbreak and their culture continued to develop over the next 200 years. In addition, Crete is not in the Atlantic Ocean.

A clear similarity to the fate of Atlantis can be seen in the case of another island in the Mediterranean Sea. I am talking about Santorini or Thira. Approx. An underground volcano erupted here 3,600 years ago, as a result of which part of the island collapsed into the sea. Beneath a lava crust, a prosperous city has survived, thankfully without human remains, meaning all residents managed to evacuate before the explosion. Moreover, the area was inhabited since the late Neolithic. Was it Atlantis? There is no convincing evidence for this.

Other Mediterranean islands are also speculated as Atlantis, for example, Malta, Sicily, Cyprus, or the island of Faros (where one of the wonders of the world was located - the lighthouse). This is certainly not the case. If the Pillars of Heracles were a designation for the Strait of Sicily, as Italian journalist Sergio Frau suspects, then this mythical island could be Sardinia, which also suffered a natural disaster. Some of the people who escaped founded the Etruscan civilization, while the others joined the rest of the sea nations in the attack on Egypt.

By contrast, other researchers, such as Eberhard Zangger, regard Troy as a mythical Atlantis. They claim that the story of Atlantis is exactly the Egyptian version of the epic Ilias by the Greek poet Homer (he lived around the 8th century BC). They consider the Strait of Dardanelles to be the Pillars of Heracles. However, from the Egyptian point of view, Troy does not lie behind these pillars, but in front of them. In addition, it did not disappear because of the earthquake, nor was it flooded. There is too much confusion here.

Another theory is that in the 6th century B.C.E. the Pillars of Heracles were the mountains in the Laconian Gulf in the south of the Peloponnesian Peninsula. This would lead to completely different conclusions about the location of Atlantis. In this case, these poles opened towards the south towards Crete, and behind it towards Egypt. The area would undoubtedly be hit by a volcanic eruption in Santorini, and such stories could be passed on orally from generation to generation for thousands of years. So Atlantis was in the Mediterranean Sea?

There is no clear evidence for this. There is another hypothesis that Atlantis existed around 5500 BC. on the northwestern coast of the Black Sea, which at that time was still a freshwater lake. The Bosphorus Strait was designated as the Pillars of Heracles. The destruction of this civilization resulted in the breaking of the natural dam of the "lake" under today's Istanbul, which resulted in the flood, and then the connection of the Black Sea with the Mediterranean.

There will also be those who believe that Atlantis must have been in the Atlantic. There has been speculation about the Canary Islands and Madeira, but research into their substrate has disproved these theories. Another possible place is the Azores islands, as pointed out in his book by the American Congressman Ignatius L. Donnelly. He himself recognizes the Azores as the peaks of the sunken Atlantis. Interestingly, the undersea mountain near the islands has recently received the name Atlantis Seamount (submarine Atlantis mountain), and another Plato Seamount (Plato's submarine mountain). A group of French scientists says Atlantis was Cape Spartel in the Gulf of Cádiz in southern Spain, which was flooded by several earthquakes and tsunamis.

There are, in short, many theories about the location of Atlantis, including those that locate it near Cuba, Sweden, or Antarctica. There is, however, no convincing evidence that any of these places featured a mythical land. Therefore, most scientists assume that it was actually only a figment of Plato's imagination. Regardless of whether Atlantis existed or not, it allowed for the emergence of a beautiful myth about the land in the middle of the rings of waters, whose inhabitants could be demigods, and so they could even survive the sinking of their contents into the depths of the sea. Who knows?

Radford believes that since Atlantis has not been found so far despite advances in oceanography in mapping the seabed, it is indisputable evidence that it never existed in the real world.

The utopian city-state with its wise and rich community that created a developed civilization and that captivated many people in the world is just a fictional place invented by the Greek philosopher for his moralizing stories.

"There are many mysteries at the bottom of the oceans, but it is unimaginable that oceanographers, divers, and underwater probe operators overlooked a mass of land 'greater than Libya and Asia combined." (...) Atlantis never disappeared. It is where it has always been: in the writings of Plato, ”she concludes.

Bibliography:

Jagiellonian University - date of foundation, history, faculties, famous alumni

 The Jagiellonian University is the oldest university in Poland, founded by Casimir the Great in the 14th century. Among her students, there were such important people for the old Polish history as Jan III Sobieski, Jan Długosz or Hugo Kołłątaj. Its graduates are well-known to us: writers, scientists, clergy and politicians. The oldest Polish university survived the difficult years of the partitions, and the university was able to resume its activity after the Second World War. Let's get to know its history.

The University of Kraków, or the Jagiellonian University, is the first university in Poland. It was founded and founded on May 12, 1364 by King Casimir the Great. At that time, the university was called the general study. When establishing the universities, they were modeled on the ones in Bologna and Padua at that time. It was also the second university in Central Europe after the one founded in Prague. One could acquire knowledge at three faculties: law (there were 8 departments), medicine (2 departments) and liberal arts (1 department). Unfortunately, when Kazimierz Wielki died, the university stopped working.

The first attempts to return to its functioning were made in the 1490s. However, its full reopening took place on July 26, 1400. This time it was founded by King Władysław Jagiełło. The genesis of this was simple: it was connected with the entry made in her will by Queen Jadwiga, who donated her jewels to the reactivation of the university. The structure of the university began to develop. On July 24, 1400, the first students were enrolled. New faculties and colleges were established: the theological faculty and the Royal Colleges, later the Great Colleges, that is Maius, and the Legal Colleges, Collegium Iuridicum and Philosophy, called Collegium Minus.

In the 15th century, the University was booming. Every year there were 200 new students from many European countries who particularly appreciated the possibility of learning mathematics, astronomy and law. The number of foreign students ceased in the 16th century, due to the Reformation and the development of universities in Europe. Moreover, with the introduction of privileges for the nobility and the reservation of certain functions for them in the state, studies ceased to be necessary for the exercise of higher offices. At that time, it was mostly of a bourgeois character, as townspeople constituted 60% of students. The rest were the nobility (30%) and peasants (10%). Back then, there were dormitories for students. At the end of the 16th century, the University operated under the name of the Krakow Academy.

In the 17th century, the Academy experienced a certain crisis related to the outflow of foreign students due to the Reformation and the conflict with the Jesuits. The eighteenth century, however, also meant numerous changes in the functioning of the university. It was related to the establishment of the National Education Commission in 1773 and the plans to reform the education system in Poland. The reform carried out by Hugo Kołłątaj, who was the university chancellor at the time, made a special mark in the history of the university.

First of all, the structure of the University was modified. Faculties were liquidated, and two colleges were established: Moral, conducting studies in law, literature and theology, and Physical, with specializations in medicine, physics and mathematics. Later, the Physical College was also established. An important change was that Polish became the language of instruction only, with the exception of theology. The university was then called the Main School of the Crown.

Then came the difficult years of partitions for the university. Originally, the later Jagiellonian University found itself in the Austrian partition as the Main School of Kraków. It was then that he fell victim to general Germanization. A time of relief in this regard was the period of the functioning of the Duchy of Warsaw and the incorporation of Kraków into it in 1809. On the other hand, under the provisions of the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Krakow became a Free City, and two years later the school received its current name: the Jagiellonian University. Unfortunately, in 1846 Krakow was re-incorporated into Austria, which again meant that German became the language of instruction. It is worth mentioning that the uprisings in which the students of the Jagiellonian University actively participated were both the Spring of Nations and the January Uprising. The Polish language returned to the University after Galicia was granted autonomy. At the end of the century, in 1887, Collegium Novum was founded.

The development of the Jagiellonian University after Poland regained independence in 1918 gained even greater pace, the number of students was constantly growing. This trend was brutally interrupted by the Second World War. The university has closed. 183 lecturers were deceitfully arrested at Collegium Novum by the Germans, a dozen were killed, some were taken to concentration camps, where about 30 died. Later, a dozen lecturers, taken prisoners, were murdered by the Russians in Katyn.

The activity of the University was resumed in 1945, however, during Stalinism, some faculties: theology, medicine and agriculture were closed, and many researchers were prevented from continuing their work. They were able to return to it only during the temporary thaw in 1956. In the following years of the People's Republic of Poland, demonstrations against the regime of the then power took place at the Jagiellonian University twice (in 1968 and 1981).

Currently, students of the Jagiellonian University (about 50,000 per year) study at 16 faculties. These students come from both the European Union and Eastern Europe (Ukraine and Belarus), but also from Asia and even Africa. 

The following departments of the Jagiellonian University are currently operating:

  1. Law and Administration;

  • Medical;
  • Pharmaceutical;
  • Health Sciences;
  • Philosophical;
  • Historical;
  • Philological;
  • Polish Studies;
  • Physics, Astronomy and Applied Computer Science;
  • Mathematics and Informatics;
  • Chemistry;
  • Biology;
  • Management and Social Communication;
  • International and Political Studies;
  • Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology;
  • Geography and Geology.

Famous graduates and students or students of the Jagiellonian University (not all graduated):

  1. Scientists:

  • Nicolaus Copernicus,
  • Ignacy Łukasiewicz,
  • Bronisław Malinowski,
  • Karol Olszewski

  1. Writers and artists:

  • Iwo Andrić,
  • Tadeusz Boy-Żeleński,
  • Jan Długosz,
  • Andrzej Frycz-Modrzewski,
  • Jan Kochanowski,
  • Stanisław Lem,
  • Wislawa Szymborska,
  • Stanisław Wyspiański

  1. Clergy:

  • Hugo Kołłątaj,
  • Franciszek Macharski,
  • Pope John Paul II,
  • Tadeusz Pieronek

  1. Politicians:

  • Zbigniew Ćwiąkalski,
  • Andrzej Duda,
  • Jarosław Gowin,
  • Krzysztof Janik,
  • Jerzy Jaskiernia,
  • Bogdan Klich,
  • Jan Rokita,
  • Adam Daniel Rotfeld,
  • Jan III Sobieski,
  • Beata Szydło

Bibliography:

  • History, https://www.uj.edu.pl/uni Uniwersytet-z-collegium-medicum/historia, and the official website of the Jagiellonian University, accessed on: 21/12/2020.
  • S. Kostanecki, Jagiellonian University - Płock Mazowsze (1364-1964), "Notes Płockie" 9/1964.
  • K. Lepszy, The history of the Jagiellonian University in the years 1364-1764, Volume I, Publishing House of the Jagiellonian University, Krakow 1964.
  • K. Ożóg, Polish university historiography in the rhythm of jubilees. Comments on the research on the Old Polish history of the University of Krakow, "Historka. Methodological Studies ", Vol. 49/2019.
  • K. Stopka, A. K. Banach, J. Dybiec, History of the Jagiellonian University, Jagiellonian University Press, Krakow 2000.
  • Portal https://nauka-polska.pl, access: 21/12/2020.
  • Portal orka.sejm.gov.pl, access: 21/12/2020.
  • Jagiellonian University, https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/uni Uniwersytet-jagiellonski, accessed on: 21/12/2020.

Thursday, April 14, 2022

Reviews of Dan Brown books

The author of the book "The Da Vinci Code" is Dan Brown. Brown was born in the United States in 1964. He is currently one of the richest contemporary writers. The greatest fame brought him "The Da Vinci Code", which became a world bestseller.

The book opens with the assassination of the Louvre curator Jacques Saunier. The body of the deceased is arranged similarly to the painting "Vitruvian Man" by Leonardo da Vinci. This layout and anagram are meant to make it clear where to look for the next clue - also in da Vinci's works, for example, "Monie Lisa".

Robert Langdon, a scientist skilled in symbolism, is called upon to solve a murder mystery. At the scene of the crime, he discovers a series of camouflaged signs left by Saunière before his death, which lead not only to the murderer but also to a mystery dating back to the beginnings of Christianity. Langdon is helped to unravel the mystery of Sophie Neveu, the deceased's granddaughter and a police agent specializing in cryptology.

The attitude of both characters makes a good impression. Despite the fact that they were in great danger, they strove to know and reveal the truth. The teacher behind the plot is a very mysterious figure here. His person does not appear until the end of the book. However, although we do not know who he is, it is known that you are trying to work against Robert and Sophie. He is helped by many negative heroes, such as Silas or Bishop Aringarosa. The controversial plot concerns Christian matters and the truth about Jesus Christ. Presumptions are presented here such as that Mary Magdalene was the spouse of Jesus and is herself the Holy Grail, which is considered a holy chalice.

The author refers to the "Last Supper", on which, according to him, Mary Magdalene is seated next to Christ, which is to be expressed by her delicate, feminine facial features and the same colors of her clothes as Jesus. However, others believe that he is a young apostle. When we ask a Catholic question how many chalices there are in the image of "The Last Supper", he will say that one - Jesus, as the Scriptures say: "Then he took a chalice and gave thanks, saying: my blood of the covenant, which will be poured out for many for the remission of sins ... »”. But in fact, after looking at it, we will see that there is no chalice there ... The only image of the chalice is the phenomenal deviation of Mary Magdalene from Christ, which resembles that chalice.

The search for Sauniere's murderer leads to the Order of Zion, to which the deceased belonged (as well as Leonardo da Vinci, Victor Hugo, Isaac Newton), and to the secret kept by this organization. Its mission is to protect the Holy Grail, which is not, as is commonly believed, a chalice, but a dynasty born of Mary Magdalene and Christ.

The language used by Brown is understandable and goes to the reader. Nevertheless, before reading this book, I was terrified of its volume. The beginning was not very interesting, but when I got through the first chapters, it hooked me terribly and within a few days or noticed that the book was about to end and the mystery of the Holy Grail was solved.

I evaluate the whole piece positively. The logical division of events, presenting many interesting, historical facts, introducing the reader to the riddles of the Holy Grail, up to the end of the work of the famous painter of the Renaissance era, Leonardo da Vinci, are the main reasons that I highly recommend this reading. This book, despite many critics, both for me and many people, is a first-rate work. You could say that everything the author describes is correct. The motifs in the paintings of Leonard or the Order of Zion that really existed.

The Church condemned it - and this is probably also why the readers fell in love with the novel and gave it the status of a cult work. It was similar with the film that was made on the basis of it. If there was an inquisition today, Dan Brown and the film crew would probably burn at the stake - and without a trial. The thing is that what is forbidden seems even more attractive and interesting today. Therefore, the popularity of the Da Vinci Code has not diminished despite the passage of time.

I think that every reader has to make their own judgment and take their place in the battle: is Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" sensational, religious, iconoclastic, historical, or just skilful manipulation?

The popularity of the book does not decrease also because it is simply a very good, carefully prepared novel, suspenseful and surprising. Written in simple language in a very interesting way, the reader is literally taken into the whirlwind of action from the very first page. The plot of the book is actually trivial. There is a corpse, there is a puzzle to be solved, and there is a suitable person who has the skills, time and willingness to take on the challenge. The author had to put a lot of effort and work into preparing the publication of the publication, he must have spent months collecting all the information on cryptology, works of art and historical monuments in many places in Europe. He had to get acquainted with the oldest beliefs, mythologies, with the life of Leonardo da Vinci, and then weave between the non-fictional plot so that the whole would seem credible.

One must remember: Dan Brown's novel is a literary fiction. With this assumption, it is possible with pleasure to plunge into reading, following the dramatic events and fate of the characters, reading about their adventures. The Leonardo da Vinci Code is simply entertainment at its purest. Many consider the novel to be a lame mush of literary scribble, an expression of a desire for profit and an attempt to create a sensational atmosphere to increase sales. Maybe it's true. But if all the books were such a sensationally tailored "literary mush", we would not have to admire and talk about only one novel for so many years.

Angels and Demons. Dan Brown

The book (how brilliant) tells the story of a symbolism researcher and lecturer at Harvard University - Robert Langdon - who is urgently called to the Swiss research center (CERN) to analyze a mysterious mark burned on the body of a murdered physicist-priest. He meets his "daughter" - Vittoria Vetra, who decides to find her father's murderer. He discovers that it is a symbol of a secret anti-religious brotherhood - the Illuminati. He also soon learns that a powerful explosive substance - antimatter - has been placed in the center of the Vatican and will explode in 24 hours. Additionally, all the preferiti suddenly disappear, literally just before the conclave. Now Langdon and Vittoria have only less than a day to save the papal salt, they follow an assassin, thanks to which they discover a terrible secret. Because before their eyes, a terrible, age-old struggle between religion and science is taking place. But who will win this time?

I reached for the book mainly due to the fact that I really liked the "Da Vinci Code" by the same author. However, I initially treated this novel with a slight distance. Fighting the Illuminati? Vatican? And what could be interesting and realistic about it? And now I know how wrong I was, because as it turned out, Dan Brown is a master at creating intricate, intricate, but at the same time extremely engaging stories. As for the characters: I had the pleasure of meeting Langdon himself in "Kod ..." and I must admit that he did not lose any of his charm and general wisdom. Until the reader feels stupid with him. But it's nice to know that everyone, even he is wrong. Recently, I often come across books in which the heroes are infallible, immortal and omniscient. It's nice to know that this one is not like that;) I was also charmed by Vittoria, who (fortunately!) Is not empty and thoughtless, deprived of her own will, like most of the current protagonists. The author very accurately portrayed all her emotions that swirled in her after her father's death. Together, they make a great couple. The background characters are also fully formed, not artificial and unreal. Especially the duplicity of Camerlengo, which, however, only comes to light at the very end. And the plot itself is perfectly formed. After reading "Osaczona" I expect everything from books, but I would never have come up with such an unexpected and shocking ending. The story unfolds rapidly, there are no unnecessary additions, but it is also not just a cluster of consecutive, unrelated shots jumping around one another. I admire Mr. Brown's knowledge and language, because it was necessary to read a lot about antimatter, accelerators (etc.) and about the Vatican itself, its history and customs that govern it to create such a realistic world. Simply a brilliant novel, tailored to the last button. Even though the book also contains a lot of fiction, I recommend it to anyone. After reading such a well-written and engaging story, I'll probably be more picky about other books. ;) I myself will come back to it for a long time.

"Inferno" by Dan Brown

After getting my hands on "Angels and Demons" and "The Leonardo Da Vinci Code", I could not pass by another novel by the amazing Dan Brown. I assumed in advance that "Inferno" would occupy a special place in my bookcase, as it came from the hand of a master of intrigue and a character creator, whom I have great love and admiration for.

The structure of the novel, its multithreading, numerous descriptions of cities, interiors, buildings, characters and the emotions accompanying them came to me as a 100% recipient. Brown prepared a remarkable, fast-paced action for us, from which it is difficult to break away. Following in the footsteps of Robert Langdon, an extraordinarily intelligent, mysterious and perceptive man who even amnesia cannot overcome, was for me a kind of journey that never bored me for a minute.

In addition, the plot that the lecturer is to work out has been so carefully and cunningly worked out that discovering each new part of the puzzle has become a puzzle that we can't wait to finish, but not to get over it, but to see the full effect. work.

"Inferno" left me with many questions about the world we live in, as it refers to problems that we face every day, whether we like it or not, but we push them out of our consciousness, because it is easier for us sometimes. For me, as a person who loves traveling, it was also an opportunity to break away from everyday life and move to distant places, which the author meticulously describes, in order to best reflect the reality of the characters.

"Origin" Dan Brown

Since the release of The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown's popularity has continued to grow. Each subsequent book sold either better or at least as well as the previous one. At some point, the author and his series became interested in Hollywood and films with Tom Hanks as Professor Langdon began to be made.

The opening volumes of the series were typical conspiracy thrillers. It was like that to the Lost Symbol. More science fiction than historical elements appeared in Inferno - although the plot of Dante and his mask was still strongly present here. It is only the Beginning that almost completely abandons historical motives - here we have a modern technothriller taking place against the backdrop of palace intrigues.

Because everything else is unfortunately the same. Here we have a mysterious ecclesiastical dignitary, a beautiful woman and a scientist who put everything on the line. There are some news related to the latest technologies and scientific discoveries, but they serve as ornaments and an excuse to move the plot forward. Unfortunately, not everything is the same. Many elements of the novel are worse than in the volumes that preceded it - one gets the impression that the author has sometimes forgotten how to write. Or maybe he used the services of a better editor before?

Inferno's theme was transhumanism. The topics of the Beginning are ... the origins of existence, artificial intelligence and the issue of life in simulation.

Dan Brown also kept his style, which can be felt strongly by every reader after a few hundred pages. A characteristic feature of this style are encyclopedic inserts explaining almost every issue. Unfortunately, they give the impression that they were copied from Wikipedia. They sound very artificial and we have the impression of intentionally increasing the volume of the text. It looks like:

Wikipedia is a multilingual online encyclopedia, operating on the basis of the principle of open content. Its slogan is "A Free Encyclopedia That Anyone Can Edit."

Another trick characteristic of Brown is to artificially delay the action by describing the situation. These descriptions usually tell the reader nothing meaningful. Oh, something like: “It completely changes the shape of things! Langdon thought. That I hadn't figured that out either! ”. Of course, this sentence is immediately followed by a new chapter featuring Langdon's antagonist, and once the narrative returns to the professor, we still don't learn anything new. It is a narrative awkwardness that theoretically would have to be removed from the novel in the redaction process - but let's face it - then there would be little left of the novel.

The word narrative comes from the Latin word narratio, meaning storytelling. It's so obvious now, thought the editor of Taler. If only I had come up with it sooner! It would spare me reading an entire Brown book.

So we get more of the same, this time with Wikipedia knowledge about artificial intelligence and quantum computers. Once I came across an interesting and original idea about the conflict between scientific knowledge and faith, it quickly turned out that Brown was quoting some scientist in it.

I would not like you to misunderstand me: I love entertainment and "genre" literature. I read entire thriller series (eg I love Steven James's "chess" series). And I liked Dan Brown's series on Langdon until the book Lost Symbol. Recently, however, the author includes mishaps: the dialogues and descriptions seem even more forced, and the blatological explanation of each issue gets on the nerves. And the solution to the whole puzzle, I have to admit, I figured out so early that the following pages only confirmed my assumptions. Disappointing. If we add to this completely unbelievable psychological behavior and the plot of the Prince's bride, a native of Brazilian soap operas, we will get a mixture that is completely indigestible.

Were it not for the review obligation, I would throw it into a corner and not read it to the end. And you (although you probably won't listen to me anyway) I advise you to do the same. There are many much better entertainment books on the market. Maybe it's better to take the time to read something else?

Toxic relationships, toxic families, toxic emotions

 The toxic mother is rarely aware of her "toxicity". When I ask her about it, she opens her eyes in amazement, she doesn't know what she's talking about. He gets nervous or starts to explain himself. Most often, he claims that he does everything to make it right, sometimes he emphasizes how much he devotes himself, how much he gives, and nothing comes of it. She complains that she is facing ingratitude instead of gratitude ... The toxic mother has good intentions, and beautiful visions, and is guided by ideal assumptions. I want it to be okay. However, her definition of "the good of the family" is not always equal to the vision of the children and even of the husband, and she does not want to or is unable to accept this fact.

The toxic mother usually doesn't cope. With yourself…

Why do we not get along so often in our immediate family? It would seem that it should be quite the opposite. After all, we usually love each other, we have good intentions, and we care about proper relations. Sure, there are conflicts, but nothing prevents them from being clarified on an ongoing basis. Honestly and honestly so that you can enjoy the full mother-daughter relationship. How is life? Unfortunately, it turns out that even good intentions and kinship are not enough for a warm relationship. For various reasons, one of them is behaviors that are known under the meaningful term "toxic mother"... This term explains a lot and calls into question the possibility of healthy functioning in the family.

A 2014 study published by the American Psychological Association concluded that emotional neglect is as painful for children as physical harm is surprising to many. Researchers found that children who were mentally abused by their parents experienced the same fears, feelings of fear, and low self-esteem as children who experienced physical and sexual abuse. Emotionally neglected mothers have long-term effects. In Psychology Today, Peg Streep points out that the consequences are: a sense of pointlessness, of being unworthy of attention, a simultaneous great longing for love and often looking for it too greedily and with poor results.

Where does toxicity come from? Most often because of not coping with one's own emotions and expectations. A toxic mother does not become one because she wants it, but usually, because she is panicky about a child, she is overly afraid of what people will say, she is jealous of her child, she is very afraid of abandonment, she believes that she is able to protect the child from failure, is afraid of transiency, does not notice that the child grows and becomes independent, she was brought up by toxic parents herself.

Toxicity is born out of fear, a sense of danger. Emotional baggage and a whole lot of expectations towards the child do not make the task easier. The problem arises not only when the child is small, but especially when the mother, who is very concerned and fully devoted to raising the child, feels that she is losing control over the choices of an adult child. As a mother realizes her role is diminishing, toxic behaviors often reveal themselves. Due to greater identification with the woman growing up under the wings of a toxic mother, negative emotions are most often directed towards the daughters, of whom more is required. A toxic mother is often unable to accept the different choices of an adult woman who wants to live differently. The more a daughter is different from her mother, the greater the risk of difficult relationships developing. 

10 signals that it is a toxic mother who does not respect your choices, does not notice that you are an adult - she treats you like a child, thinks that it is necessary because someone has to look after you, does not give you the right to privacy or your own decisions, she thinks, that she herself knows what is best for you. Psychologists talk about such people and relationships as "entangled" and look for reasons for not respecting boundaries in the fear of abandonment. she wants you to feel responsible for her happiness - no child, not even an adult one, can be responsible for a parent's happiness, cannot be drawn into a game aimed at fulfilling the role imposed by the unhappy mother. 

Everyone is responsible for themselves and shows that they are abusive. The parent has no right to demand that the child give up his life, things that make him happy for him. Don't let anyone tell you that you are selfish because you want to be happy. it is overly critical - criticizing, while not very nice, is sometimes necessary. The scale of this type of behavior is important. A toxic parent is overly critical, a hard to please, perpetually dissatisfied type. Even more depressing is that the critical mother is like that in… good faith. She is sure that her "advice" will help the child avoid unpleasant mistakes. she demands undue attention and often uses manipulation and emotional blackmail - to be as planned, she hates opposition, and when she sees that you do not want to meet her demands, she does everything to change it. believes that she was/has it worse than you and you are exaggerating - it does not give you the truth to complain, worse emotions because it downplays your problems. Believes she had it worse. And in this field, it competes with you and tries to prove that you are "exaggerating". it causes a feeling of guilt to control your behavior - a toxic parent will try to get his own way, reaching for the argument "I have done so much for you", "because of all this I did not make my life ...", etc. tries to force certain behaviors with expensive gifts - he gives money, expensive gifts to force certain decisions, behaviors he cares about, he wants to control you. he uses nasty jokes to convey difficult information. 

This is a game from the category: "I will not tell you directly, I will dress the message in the form of a joke, which only I will laugh at". In this way, he will convey the message that you are stupid, ugly, not good enough, and will derive cruel satisfaction from it. This type of behavior is very common in toxic parents, she puts her feelings above yours - she does not allow you to express her feelings, and she especially refuses to show negative feelings because they hurt her. In this way, it shows that her well-being is the most important, she reaches for forms of passive aggression - that is, she shoots the so-called "groans", and punishes you by cutting off all conversations, and silence.

A toxic family is one with harmful behavior. They may include, for example, those that do not respect the individuality of all its members. A toxic family is also one in which children become the target of psychological attacks or physical violence that prevent their proper development.

One way or another, the toxic family presents or a series of abnormal behaviors that allow it to be easily classified as such. For many, identifying a problem can prove extremely difficult due to emotional dependence. Therefore, in the following section, we present 4 characteristics that distinguish a toxic family.

For example, a toxic family is characterized by having little room for individuality. For this reason, what should be a choice becomes a compulsion. Family members achieve unity under duress, not out of goodwill. A person growing up in such a family ends up as a victim who will be extremely eager for acceptance throughout his life.

In such a family, unhealthy activities are undertaken that leave a permanent mark on the personalities of its members. It can be extreme overprotection or aggression that prevents the proper social development of a child.

Also, in this case, we are talking about completely extreme behavior. As we well know, however, extremes are not good for anyone. We understand that overcontrol is the opposite of freedom. For this reason, it is addictive and extremely harmful behavior.

Overcontrollers relish the effects of this behavior. They can control literally every aspect of their addicts' lives. This gives them room for maneuver when it comes to manipulation.

On the other hand, there is extreme neglect, i.e. a situation in which the parent shows no slightest interest in the child's situation and emotional state. This situation is practically rejection, the bane of childhood that will take its toll in adulthood.

Pretending there is no problem and avoiding difficulties at all costs is another characteristic of a toxic family. The problem is incorrect communication, although, in fact, no communication does mean no messages. After all, silence also gives us some information.

Not discussing the conflicts that have arisen allows for the development of real emotional bombs. These bombs grow and grow until they explode under the influence of accumulated emotions that have no outlet. It damages a person's welfare.

The inflexibility in every aspect strikes against the lack of clear and healthy limits. When one family member starts to change anything, the others will immediately start alerting them.

The four characteristics described are helpful in determining whether a family is pathological or dysfunctional to some degree. Realizing our origins can be the key to regaining our lost individuality.

Being in the company of a toxic person causes a deterioration in our well-being, a drop in energy, reluctance, sadness, and doubts about our own strength and possibilities. Self-esteem also drops. When the situation involves a stranger, it seems like a very simple task to deal with a toxic acquaintance. We avoid this person. However, when a toxic relationship connects us with someone close - father or mother, the matter becomes much more complicated.

The problem of toxic parents was one of the first described by Susan Forward in her book Toxic Parents. Toxic was defined as parents whose negative behavior patterns have a permanent and dominant influence on the child's life. These are the parents who cause harm, instill in their child an eternal trauma, a sense of insult, humiliation, and they keep doing it, even when the children are already adults. As a result, the children of toxic parents bear the burden of guilt and inadequacy, which makes it extremely difficult for them to build a positive self-image. As a result, a lack of self-confidence and self-esteem can affect every aspect of their lives.

The problem of toxicity does not only concern families with commonly understood pathology in the form of excess alcohol and overt physical violence. It also appears where the behavior of adults is characterized by overprotection, and over-control, in a word, when the child's personal boundaries are exceeded.

The relationship between the child and the mother is considered to be the closest and most significant in the development and functioning of the child. So let's take a look at the characteristics of a toxic mother, and what are the consequences for the baby?

How does the toxic mom behave?

  1. Toxic mom most often:
  2.  is overly controlling,
  3. she is overprotective,
  4. constantly interferes with the child's affairs, does not allow him to make decisions on his own,
  5. does not allow the child to become independent,
  6. does not accept the child's refusal,
  7. puts excessive demands on the child,
  8. makes the child feel guilty,
  9. does not react to the harm to the child,
  10. uses emotional blackmail,
  11. does not allow you to disconnect from it - does not allow an adult child to start their own family,
  12. takes offense,
  13. manipulates,
  14. creates symbiotic relationships (coalitions with the child),
  15. uses physical, mental, and sexual violence,
  16. abuses alcohol,
  17. suffers from mental illnesses, emotional disorders, and personality disorders.

Upbringing up in these conditions has a significant impact on the child's development. It makes it impossible to independently explore reality and influence the environment. It makes it impossible to define your own needs and expectations, set boundaries, and protect your own space. As a consequence, it disturbs self-esteem, agency, and resourcefulness. Takes away the sense of understanding oneself and the world. In a word, it significantly affects the feeling of harmony, satisfaction, and contentment with one's own life.

How to deal with a toxic mother?

  1. First, it is important to realize that our mother undertakes activities that are toxic to us. Only when we know we are being manipulated can we take action to protect ourselves.
  2. Learning to put limits is a difficult and tedious job. We will be exposed to emotional blackmail and manipulation by the mother. You will feel guilt towards your mother.
  3. Understand the mechanism of the toxic mother's action - it will be easier to cope with the emotions that will accompany us.
  4. Control your emotions. Don't scream or overreact emotionally - you won't get peace and contentment that way. If you angrily shout to your mother that you have a right to your own life, you will feel guilty. Try to be calm and rational - give yourself time to think. You don't have to react right away. You can say that you will come back to the conversation, e.g. the next day.
  5. It happens that close contact with the toxic mother makes it impossible to deal with your own life. Perhaps the only way is to physically distance yourself from your mother if only to distance yourself from the surrounding reality.
  6. Get your own psychotherapy. Contact a psychotherapist who specializes in working with family relationship problems. Take care of yourself. Recognize your own needs. You have the right to it. Remember that you don't hurt your mother this way.

Test - check if your parents are toxic?

I. Your adult life:

  1. Are you currently in a destructive or inappropriate relationship for you?
  2. Do you believe that if you are too close to someone you can get hurt and/or abandoned?
  3. Do you expect the worst from people? And from life in general?
  4. Do you have a hard time realizing who you are, what you feel, and what you want?
  5. Are you afraid that if people knew your true self, they wouldn't like you?
  6. When you are successful, do you feel anxious or terrified that someone will discover that you are an impostor?
  7. Are you angry or sad for no apparent reason?
  8. Are you a perfectionist?
  9. Is it difficult for you to relax or have fun?
  10. Do you find yourself acting like your parents despite your best intentions?

II. Your relationship with your parents as an adult:

  1. Do your parents still treat you like a child?
  2. Do many life decisions depend on parental acceptance?
  3. Do you experience intense emotional or physical reactions after or before a scheduled meeting with your parents?
  4. Are you afraid to go against your parents?
  5. Are your parents manipulating you through threats or guilt?
  6. Are your parents manipulating you with money?
  7. Do you feel responsible for your parents' feelings? When they are unhappy, do you feel it's your fault? Is it up to you to feel them for the better?
  8. Do you think whatever you do will never be good enough for your parents anyway?
  9. Do you hope that one day, somehow, your parents will change for the better?

Determining whether the parents were or are toxic is not a simple task. Many of us have difficult relationships with a parent or parents. The above questions are to help in determining whether the relationship is/was emotionally burdensome, otherwise destructive, or toxic. For the sake of simplicity, the questions concern both parents, and the answers may be confirmed by one of them.

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