Virtues and Near Death Experiences

Compassion, Serenity and a sense of Peace

I was reading some article that mentioned Near Death Experiences or N.D.E. It indicated that many people who experienced a near death event were profoundly changed by it. Many of the changes reported were the same things I was learning from Warriorschool and Jeff Prather. I got that sense, that the WS'ers had that compassion, serenity and peace that only a select few in history were aware of or even dreamed to achieve. That is what attracted me to them and held me there. Who would have thought, that these feelings and conditions can be replicated in a lab and do not require any sort of spiritual beliefs. Anyway, I still feel that these sort of virtues are some of the most valuable things people can obtain and I wish everyone could become aware of them and acquire them, but that is probably not possible. For now, just be aware that these experiences are merely brain processes, kicked in by extreme stress or by brain problems. Don't surrender your free will over to WS or Jeff Prather, just because they talk about awesome things and help you experience awesome things. They have no 'spiritual power' they are merely facilitating absolutely primal experiences. They do not have access to a deeper or higher reality. Read up, educate yourself. Free yourself from exploitation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near-death_experience

Here are some excerpts

A near-death experience (NDE) refers to a broad range of personal experiences associated with impending death, encompassing multiple possible sensations ranging from detachment from the body, feelings of levitation, extreme fear, total serenity, security, or warmth, the experience of absolute dissolution, and the presence of a light, which some people interpret as a deity[1] Some see NDEs as a paranormal and spiritual glimpse into the afterlife.

Such cases are usually reported after an individual has been pronounced clinically dead, or otherwise very close to death, hence the entitlement near-death experience. Many NDE reports, however, originate from events that are not life threatening. With recent developments in cardiac resuscitation techniques, the number of NDEs reported has increased. Most of the scientific community regards such experiences as hallucinatory,[2][3][4] while paranormal specialists and some mainstream scientists claim them to be evidence of an afterlife.[5][6][7]



Characteristics

In some cases, a NDE any particular person experiences varies depending on the beliefs that the person held[citation needed]. Children, who typically do not have enough time to develop strongly towards one faith, had very limited NDEs. Examples of this include a boy simply having talked to his brother in his NDE and a daughter having a conversation with her mother.[12][13] The phenomenology of an NDE usually includes physiological, psychological and alleged transcendental aspects.[14] Typically, the experience follows a distinct progression:[15][16][17]

1. A very unpleasant sound/noise is the first sensory impression to be noticed (R. Moody: Life after Life);
2. A sense of being dead;
3. Pleasant emotions; calmness and serenity;
4. An out-of-body experience; a sensation of floating above one's own body and seeing the surrounding area;
5. Floating up a blue tunnel with a strong, bright light or garden at the end;
6. Meeting deceased relatives or spiritual figures;
7. Encountering a being of light, or a light (often interpreted as being the deity or deities they personally believe in);
8. Being given a life review (the "life-flashing-before-your-eyes" phenomenon);
9. Reaching a border or boundary;
10. A feeling of being returned to the body, often accompanied by a reluctance.
11. Feeling of warmth even though naked.

Some people have also experienced extremely distressing NDEs, which can manifest in forewarning of emptiness or a sense of dread towards the cessation of their life.

According to the Rasch model-validated NDE scale, a "core" near-death experience encompasses peace, joy, and harmony, followed by insight and mystical or religious experiences.[18] The most intense NDEs are reported to have an awareness of things occurring in a different place or time, and some of these observations are said to have been evidential.

Clinical circumstances that are thought to lead to an NDE include conditions such as: cardiac arrest, shock in postpartum loss of blood or in perioperative complications, septic or anaphylactic shock, electrocution, coma, intracerebral haemorrhage or cerebral infarction, attempted suicide, near-drowning or asphyxia, apnoea, and serious depression.[17] Many NDEs occur after a crucial experience (e.g. when a patient can hear that he or she is declared to be dead by a doctor or nurse), or when a person has the subjective impression to be in a fatal situation (e.g. during a close call automobile accident). In contrast to common belief, attempted suicides do not lead more often to unpleasant NDEs than unintended near-death situations.[19]



Effects

Near-death experiences can have tremendous effects on the people who have them, their families, and medical workers. Changes in values and beliefs often occur in the experiencer after a near-death experience, including changes in personality and outlook on life, such as a greater appreciation for life, higher self-esteem, greater compassion for others, a heightened sense of purpose and self-understanding, and a desire to learn. The changes may also include an increased physical sensitivity to and diminished tolerance of light, alcohol and drugs.

Matthew Dovel, author of "My Last Breath", having had two near-death experiences, discusses the side effects associated with having had a NDE (Empathic, telepathy, clairaudience, clairvoyance, precognition, remote viewing, animals, children, and timepieces). [33]





http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near-death_experience

Steven Pinker on Science vs Folk Wisdom

I thought I had posted this other mp3 that I found a long time ago, but I could not find it on the blog.

http://libsyn.com/media/pointofinquiry/POI_2007_10_26_Steven_Pinker.mp3

A world renowned Linguist is being interviewed about his thoughts on science. I remember him talking about the purpose of University and peoples natural tendencies to believe inaccurate information. The entire show is fascinating to listen to.

If I remember correctly he says something along the lines of:

"The purpose of the first few years of University is to un-teach students all the things they think they know, which are based often on faulty folk wisdom".

I am sure he had some other great nuggets in there, but I still need to look for my notes. It was a fascinating interview, because he explained so clearly, how easily we deceive ourselves. We need science and data to give us an accurate view of the world. He is a convincing speaker. Check it out.

Astrology Skeptics and View of Exploitation

Watch how Michael Shermer, the skeptic tries to debunk astrology. Ex-astrologers admit that they were merely practicing psychology without a license.

1 minute into it, you will see how a man reads for a business woman. He brings up things like "plucking your eyebrows, or else they become bushy" in order to make the woman feel self conscious and embarrassed. It obviously worked, because you can totally see her reaction. Once the astrologer placed himself into an authority position and realized he was making a connection he kept pressing in. It's amazing to see how easy it is to throw out things, make contact, give the impression of a mystical sort of skill, watch the reaction and then capitalize on it. For most of us cult victims this is an amazing thing to watch. We were always on the receiving end. Now you can see it from the eyes of the cult masters and the predators. It is creepy.

The sad thing with this video, is that Michael Shermer actually fails to debunk the astrologer. He had a compelling victory in what seemed to be a well crafted scientifically designed test. Make of it what you want. Watch it and learn from it. I found the video very compelling.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N1dIUTbZTo

Why do we see faces in things like clouds on 9/11?

Do you remember how the bracelet showed the face of satan in the 9/11 WTC smoke clouds? Do you remember how you were supposed to see faces in the rocks and in other places? Well there is a scientifically based explanation for that. Don't let your basic human nature fool you. Find out what science and scientists have to say about this phenomenon.


http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=patternicity-finding-meaningful-patterns



November, 2008 in Mind & Brain
Patternicity: Finding Meaningful Patterns in Meaningless Noise
Why the brain believes something is real when it is not

By Michael Shermer



Why do people see faces in nature, interpret window stains as human figures, hear voices in random sounds generated by electronic devices or find conspiracies in the daily news? A proximate cause is the priming effect, in which our brain and senses are prepared to interpret stimuli according to an expected model. UFOlogists see a face on Mars. Religionists see the Virgin Mary on the side of a building. Paranormalists hear dead people speaking to them through a radio receiver. Conspiracy theorists think 9/11 was an inside job by the Bush administration. Is there a deeper ultimate cause for why people believe such weird things? There is. I call it “patternicity,” or the tendency to find meaningful patterns in meaningless noise.

Traditionally, scientists have treated patternicity as an error in cognition. A type I error, or a false positive, is believing something is real when it is not (finding a nonexistent pattern). A type II error, or a false negative, is not believing something is real when it is (not recognizing a real pattern—call it “apat­ternicity”). In my 2000 book How We Believe (Times Books), I argue that our brains are belief engines: evolved pattern-recognition machines that connect the dots and create meaning out of the patterns that we think we see in nature. Sometimes A really is connected to B; sometimes it is not. When it is, we have learned something valuable about the environment from which we can make predictions that aid in survival and reproduction. We are the ancestors of those most successful at finding patterns. This process is called association learning, and it is fundamental to all animal behavior, from the humble worm C. elegans to H. sapiens.

Unfortunately, we did not evolve a Baloney Detection Network in the brain to distinguish between true and false patterns. We have no error-detection governor to modulate the pattern-recognition engine. (Thus the need for science with its self-correcting mechanisms of replication and peer review.) But such erroneous cognition is not likely to remove us from the gene pool and would therefore not have been selected against by evolution.
Also in this issue of Scientific American

* Letters to the Editors Readers Respond on "Facing the Freshwater Crisis"
* News Scan Digging Ancient Iraq: How Mesopotamia Has Weathered the War
* News Scan The Science of Finding a Face in the Crowd

In a September paper in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, “The Evolution of Superstitious and Superstition-like Behaviour,” Harvard University biologist Kevin R. Foster and University of Helsinki biologist Hanna Kokko test my theory through evolutionary modeling and demonstrate that whenever the cost of believing a false pattern is real is less than the cost of not believing a real pattern, natural selection will favor patternicity. They begin with the formula pb > c, where a belief may be held when the cost (c) of doing so is less than the probability (p) of the benefit (b). For example, believing that the rustle in the grass is a dangerous predator when it is only the wind does not cost much, but believing that a dangerous predator is the wind may cost an animal its life.

The problem is that we are very poor at estimating such probabilities, so the cost of believing that the rustle in the grass is a dangerous predator when it is just the wind is relatively low compared with the opposite. Thus, there would have been a beneficial selection for believing that most patterns are real.

Through a series of complex formulas that include additional stimuli (wind in the trees) and prior events (past experience with predators and wind), the authors conclude that “the inability of individuals—human or otherwise—to assign causal probabilities to all sets of events that occur around them will often force them to lump causal associations with non-causal ones. From here, the evolutionary rationale for superstition is clear: natural selection will favour strategies that make many incorrect causal associations in order to establish those that are essential for survival and reproduction.”


In support of a genetic selection model, Foster and Kokko note that “predators only avoid nonpoisonous snakes that mimic a poisonous species in areas where the poisonous species is common” and that even such simple organisms as “Escherichia coli cells will swim towards physiologically inert methylated aspartate presumably owing to an adaptation to favour true aspartate.”

Such patternicities, then, mean that people believe weird things because of our evolved need to believe nonweird things.

Note: This article was originally published with the title, "Patternicity".

Temporal Lobe Seizures linked to Religious Experiences

Wow, I found a great video tonight. Watch how a brain scientist Ramachandran displays how Temporal Lobe Seizures can lead to the most profound Religious Experiences. This should make you question any major spiritual experiences you may have had in Warriorschool. It is both an insightful, courageous and hilarious story.

Action Skeptics: My Brush With a Cult: Archive

Action Skeptics: My Brush With a Cult: Archive

Comedic Relief "The God Warrior"

Check out this lady from the Wife Swap television program. She is very much into the spiritual life. Watch how she flips out when she finds out that her new family are into dark spiritual practices. This is the kind of thing that can happen to your head if you get involved with groups like Warriorcult. Beware Warriorshippers, this could be you in a few years. The only difference is that you have guns!

Budoseek.net and Prather Warriorschool Cult

Yet another web site talking about Prather and his cult


http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=24739


Here is a quick quote from one of the 3 pages

Well, after reading all of that, I wasn't sure I was going to reply-where to begin.

First off, my sometime affiliation/play/involvement with Bujinkan came from one thing and one thing only-the desire to continue to develop my hanbo skills. That said, I have found that some practitioners/teachers have substantial skills, and some only think they do. No matter. I wouldn't call the Bujinkan a cult, though, like a lot of martial arts organizations, it has some cultish elements, and like a lot of organizations that are spread away from any centralized control, these elements can and do blossom into something a little more malevolent, like all the political bickering about who's teaching the real stuff.

As for the "Warriorship" training of Jeff Prather, while I have no first hand experience with it, it sounds a little off, and a little okay. The okay parts, as far as Native American spirtual practice goes might be difficult for some of you to agree with, but here goes.

24 hrs. of fasting is no big deal, and the inipi (sweatlodge) is not particularly difficult-especially for only 45 minutes. Sundancers bind themselves to a tree and dance staring at the sun for four days without food or water . This ritual takes place every summer, all over the west, and a Sundancer typically commits to participating four times. Sundancers-the more pious ones, anyway- usually refrain from sex and alchohol in the four months leading up to Sundance-try explaining that to your white wife. (Never mind getting her to come support the vividly brutal thing that you're doing to yourself as a form of prayer.....)

And, typically, one does go about "asking for permission" and/or "saying thank you" for the elements used in ritual. One doesn't go digging into the earth without asking-and apologizing. That's just the way things are done.

The whole "females preparing and serving" thing is also pretty common to Indian cultures, and doesn't indicate the entire place of women in Indian society. It's worth pointing out that the "Supreme Court" of the Five Nations was composed entirely of women, and their word was final.

On the other hand, the co-option of these rituals and social constructs by various non-Native organizations and movements if troubling and dangerous-where did Mr. Prather learn to conduct the sweat? Was he given permission to pass it on to others? Do they have the necessary skills and training to conduct the ceremony in a physically and spiritually safe manner? What is the leadership role of these women? ALso, the stories of submitting to the leader's will are a big bell ringer-not very Native or denoting of "warriorship" at all.

So, yeah, it's probably a cult-I know nothing of the allegations against Mr. Prather, and have only heard good things about his skills. I don't necessarily think it's a dangerous cult-just not something for the already weak-minded to get involved with.

Mr. Prather might be another story altogether, though. What do I know?

Ad , while it seems kind of hokey, a lot of the statements the writers took issue with are accepted sociological observations: our larger society, while it posesses many avenues for rites of passage, typically lacks organized ones. While a rite of passage might be as simple as having a beer with the old man, taking one's first deer, or getting your driver's license, they aren't necessarily denoted as such.

I think the writers were right to get out, because it wasn't for them, and, as they found out, Mr. Prather might not be such a great guy. But I also think they're a little soft to confuse a 24 hour fast and 45 minute sweat with brainwashing-but hey, I'm a Sundancer, and I drink nobody's Kool-Aid.

As for the whole "warrior" thing, it's also overdone. Who wants to be a warrior? I'd rather just be able to tell a good story now and then.....of course, it depends upon how you define "warrior," and that's probably a whole other thread.
__________________
Aaron J. Cuffee

Mentalism Podcast Interview

Project Alpha

Here is a short article I copied from Wikipedia about the project alpha. It was a project in which a magician and skeptic used two kids to fool scientists into believing they had supernatural powers.

Read below for an idea of what happened:

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

For the military project, see Project Alpha (military).

Project Alpha was an elaborate hoax orchestrated by the stage magician and skeptic James Randi. It involved planting two fake psychics, Steve Shaw (known as Banachek) and Michael Edwards, into a paranormal research project. During the initial stages of the investigation, the researchers came to believe that the pair's psychic powers were real. However, more formal experiments, as well as criticism from both the parapsychology community and Mr. Randi himself, led them to dismiss their initial trust.[1] The hoax was later revealed publicly.

The success of Project Alpha led Randi to use variations of the technique on several other occasions. Perhaps the most famous example led to the downfall of TV evangelist and faith healer Peter Popoff, when Randi had a man pose as a woman with uterine cancer, which Popoff happily "cured". In another example, Randi hired a performance artist to pose as a channeller known as "Carlos", who was presented on Australian TV and soon had a wide following. After this hoax was exposed the artist was constantly approached by people who believed him to be genuine, even if he told them directly that he was an actor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Alpha




I listened to a podcast recently from Penn Jillettes radio show. He was interviewing the leading Mentalist and Alpha Project kid Banachek. They also had on another famous magician called Ian Swiss.

I will post the file later, but I just wanted to post some of my notes here really quickly.

3:59 - 5:30 Talking about Korean Yogic Flying Priminovin

6:00

8:00 The Alpha Project Kids were intended to fool the scientists. The hoax lasted 180 hours and was spread over 4 years. The scientists had the goal of performing various psychic tests on the kids and merely accepted the two kids into their program, because they applied for it. Neither of the two were trained by James Randi. Randi did however help the kids come up with their plan on how to organize the proceedings of the hoax. None of the scientist engaged in any sort of background check on the kids. Later though the scientists claimed that they had had other experts check on the kids. Randi had encouraged the kids to play up their abilities in their home town as best as they could, in case there ever was a background check, but all were surprised that the scientists were so unprofessional in their selection of subjects. Randi even joked that the scientists become arrogant when they receive their Ph. D.'s saying in their hearts: "I have a Ph. D. they can't fool me". Randi had offered his services as a magician to help scientists debunk those who claim to have paranormal powers, but the scientists would always reject his help. Well in this case Randi took advantage of their arrogance to show them a lesson that they need to be more weary of their own beliefs and of those making outrageous claims.

One of the directives of the Alpha Project Kids was to answer honestly that they are using tricks and deceptions, but only if they are directly asked and confronted. Otherwise they were to continue. The scientists sadly never directly asked or questioned the kids. They were true believers and never even questioned nor catalogued their own belief systems.

17:00 Spit on Camera = ghosts

19:30 stop

28:12 Being set up by Howard Stern as magic geniuses

30:47

31:20

32:59 Tricks, easy cheat, 36 seances, mentalists are able to deceive people because they are always one step ahead and know how you will think. People who come to the show are already primed. Synchronicity and coincidences will always give the mentalist an opportunity to connect dots and seem to have supernatural and magical abilities.


This is a rough draft post. You will have to listen to the entire 1 hour podcast once I post it. It will be worth it. It was fascinating to hear how these amateur magicians were able to fool scientists for so long under controlled circumstances.

At one point the two kids actually broke into the lab and bent all sorts of silverware that was inside of an aquarium. In the morning the scientist called them and the kids talked about a strange 'dream' he had had. He told the scientist that he had bent all the silverwear and the scientist exclaimed: "Your dream came true!". He totally believed the kid had psychically bent the silverwear.

Those of us who have been deceived by Warriorschool most likely didn't approach it with a scientific perspective. We weren't skeptical or suspicious enough and therefore we were duped. But even the most sophisticated of people can be fooled so easily as well. In the end it boils down to the fact that you either have a skeptical toolbox and can sort through all the frauds and lies or you don't.


http://www.pennfans.net/radio_show_archive/The.Penn.Jillette.Radio.Show.2007.02.28.mp3

If you click the link directly above this line, it should take you to the Jillette Podcast site where you can listen to the full podcast.

Rape Victim of Warriorschool

I was just reading some more of the Action Skeptics web site today and found a few comments I wanted to highlight. They are an account of a woman who says she suffered from rape while she was in Warriorschool. Read below.


http://actionskeptics.blogspot.com/2007/04/my-brush-with-cult-part-1-background.html



Post on


Lisa said...

Yael et. all,
I have done some research not on cults, but on cult recovery due to my deep involvement with Warriorschool. A cult is a wolf in sheep's clothing. The sweat lodge and all the nice people you met, including me (I gave you a ride to the airport after one Initiation I think) are the sheep part - all soft, fluffy and non threatening. "We're all free to graze or not." The wolf part comes out during the apprenticeship part that you narrowly missed. That is when you have committed yourself to the organization. I lost everything because of Warriorschool. I was raped by the founder and told it was a healing. I was asked to lie to other bracelets and simple folks who just came for the "free sweat". You should consider yourself lucky. Anything else is just mincing words. Call it a cult or call it just plain wrong, Warriorschool was more than it claimed to be. The best lie is sandwiched between two truths. Yeah there was some good stuff, but that was just the bait. And the good stuff was nothing new or unique. The bad stuff was really bad, I am (barely) living proof. And anyway, even if you're not convinced it was a cult, you should have a little more respect for those that have been hurt by this group. I'm glad you're out. You seemed like a nice girl when I met you.
12 June, 2008 04:13

Sensitivity Training and Brainwashing like Warriorship Cult

Penn &Teller Bullshit Sensitivity Training Part 2


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HrDzfo0n2Y



0:30 to 1:43

In this article I recorded as many quotes and explanations as I could. Just watch the video. I will try to re edit my writing in the future. This is a rough draft.

Penn and Teller explain how sensitivity training in the workplace is bullshit. I don't totally agree with them, but they do an analysis of the process and show that a large part of it is based on financial gain and law suit prevention. I am sure that it teaches people how to be more courteous, understanding and respectful of others and I don't mind that. There are some seriously offensive and rude individuals out there, and no one should have to put up with their crap in the workplace. Penn and Teller however want to expose the manipulative and brain washing aspects of this training and I found it compelling and similar to Warriorship.

My favorite part was of Kurt Lewins who is considered the father of modern psychology. He had escaped Germany while it was controlled by the nazi's. His goal was to understand group dynamics that the Germans had so successfully used. He wanted to develop a similar system that could be used for good rather than evil. He was the original professional manipulator, before it became the thing to do.

His formula for achieving this goal of cohesive group dynamics involved a manipulation process of 3 stages. All parts were directed at changing the mindset of the people.

1. Unfreezing - in which the persons mindset is opened up
2. Change - in which the persons mindset is modified
3. Freezing - in which the mindset is crystallized, so that it will function in a solid fashion without being compromised to its original and flawed position. The goal is to make the mindset function in a subconscious way. Ideally the subject would become aware of their own mindset and continue to modify it to match the indoctrination philosophy. This would be the ideal stage.

In Warriorship all of these stages were pretty clear. The power of any cult or mind control organization is that the standards and beliefs are raised to such a high level, that the members are constantly putting themselves in stages where they unfreeze themselves, change their mindset to conform to the philosophies or books of the organization and then radically cling to the new mindset.

In Warriorship I wasn't being forced by my 'Job' or some lame ass 'Corporation' to change my mindset in order to be a better 'employee'. In Warriorship and Budo Taijutsu I had accidentally found some great people who had far more wisdom than I did. My passion led me to them, their lives were much more sophisticated, I wanted that life and therefore I was willing to do anything to join them. The warrior mindset allowed them to overcome fears, weaknesses and develop boldness that is unheard of in the civilian realm. That was such a powerful concept to me, that I wanted to scrap my own mindset and take on that of people with real experience and knowledge of the wisodom of the past. Once I had made that realization and commitment I lowered my guard and became an easy victim.

I have been to some political trainings and stock market investment trainings which were not as powerful, sexy or interesting as Warriorship. They didn't capture my heart, nor inspire me to an equivalent degree. I was very skeptical of the politicians and the stock market guys who were trying to sell me $45,000 worth of training and I never even expected that they would try to brainwash me. But after 3 x 8 hour days of listening to these groups I noticed that they had put me under a spell. That spell was the exact same that Warriorship had put on me. I became enthralled and mesmerized by the charismatic leader. I became exceptionally happy, because my mindset had been favorably changed to prepare me for greatness and opportunities I had never before considered. I had powerfully and practically performed actions that gave me tantalizing social feedback (expanding my credit line and performing speeches in front of the groups). The training also exhausted my attention to such a degree that my mind was silenced so that I wasn't even able to intellectually or critically analyze things. I was also often confused and the teachers could not sufficiently explain simple topics to me. In other words, my brain started shutting down. By the end of the 'trainings' I was ready to be taken advantage of. I knew that I should just avoid doing anything and watched how others paid $45,000 for bullshit training or became convinced and dedicated to this political party.

The facilitator is a professional change agent and she will start with affection and then move people around to a preconceived opinion that has already been ordained.

The change agent wants to achieve homogenized thought

These manipulations are considered horribly unethical and anybody can use these techniques.

according to Beverly Eckman
Author Lecturer Speechwriter and Columnist

Their training will yoke every individual to the collective dog sled

Carrot = a better way to treat people that is more respectful, compassionate or virtuous. Better identity and wise world view and framework. Bringing everyone onto the same page and avoiding unnecessary or accidental conflicts.

Trap = surrender of individuality, personal defensive mental framework and ability to guide your own identity.

They don't want people who will think outside of the box.

They want people who won't make waves.

Mentalism Magic and how Human Nature Leads us to Superstition and Exploitation

Mentalism is a form of magic. Instead of using objects or slight of hand, mentalism seeks to trick, deceive and lead the mind. Ideally it is meant for entertainment and can be a very fun thing to watch.

Some people get carried away with the craft of mentalism however and get caught up in the power, fame and status it bestows on them. Those people then use that power to exploit others. Mentalism is possible, because most of us are extremely unaware of ourselves, life or liars and can't anticipate exceptional deceptions which might be perpetrated upon us by predators. Most of us who watch mentalism for entertainment can walk away from the experience more aware of ourselves and possible scams we might encounter in the future, but there are others who are not so fortunate. Some people can't watch magic or mentalism and learn from it. There is a part of the population that can not separate reality from fantasy. They will be fascinated by the show and want to believe in 'magical' and 'mystical' things no matter what. These people will be convinced that all the tricks were spiritual and supernatural paranormal events, even if you tell them otherwise. It is our human nature to be amazed and believe in spiritual things, even if they are not logical, real or provable.

I recently listened to a science podcast which discussed this very aspect of our human nature.

MP3
http://media.libsyn.com/media/pointofinquiry/POI_2008_07_25_Lewis_Wolpert_a.mp3

Web Page
http://www.pointofinquiry.org/lewis_wolpert_the_evolutionary_origins_of_belief/

"Lewis Wolpert - The Evolutionary Origins of Belief"

In this discussion with D.J. Grothe, Lewis Wolpert explores the evolutionary origins of belief, and argues that atheism is unnatural while belief in gods is not. He details the relationship between tool-making and belief in God, and shows how human primates are unique in this regard. He explains why he thinks it is so hard for people to give up their unbelievable beliefs. He shares his views on organized religion, including how it benefits believers, and examines if the same tools of science and reason can equally be applied to beliefs about the paranormal. He also debates the usefulness of argumentation with believers.

We are hard wired to believe in God and supernatural explanations which might prevent us from discovering the true causes of events. If indeed this is our default behavior as humans, then it follows from this, that those humans who can restrain their human nature, think, study, research and test their beliefs will learn more about 'true reality' than the untrained humans. Those who can restrain their silly human nature will then easily be able to manipulate and control those people who are less knowledgeable and undisciplined.

Lewis Wolpert is Professor of Biology as Applied to Medicine in the Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology of University College, London, focusing his research on the mechanisms involved in the development of the embryo. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society, and the Royal Society of Literature. So feel free to listen to the expert discuss the matter on his MP3 interview.

Below is a six part video from the BBC which will explain mentalism and how it works. All of the experts admit that tricks and deception can be used to bring about any sort of belief, worship or devotion. Reality and fact are of no issue, but only the audiences perception plays a role. If you can anticipate peoples thoughts or make them believe that you are doing things in an extrasensory sort of impossible way, then you will blow them away and fascinate them. Some people will be entertained and amazed, but others will be convinced you have supernatural powers. Once people start believing you have supernatural powers, anything could really happen. One lady explained how the press began wildly exaggerating stories about her skills and her credibility kept growing and growing beyond what she had truly done. Yuri Geller happened to pawn himself off as a sort of Miracle Worker (through tricks and deception) in a time of chaotic turmoil in the world and gained a nearly instantaneous and world wide following overnight. People wanted and needed to believe in a person with a supernatural and 'non-human' ability to solve problems. Later it is explained how 2 women started the spiritualism movement in the USA through simple deception and trickery, and people wouldn't believe them when they explained how they conned everyone. There is an inner nature inside of us that wants to believe these things. Once a person is exposed to something like magic, mentalism or powerful 'spiritual experiences' like they happen in Warriorschool it can short circuit our logic and reason and we can fall into a sort of mindless devotion. It is spooky, but once you see it at work you might be able to gain some perspective or wake up a little. When Jeff Prather was teaching us martial arts, meditation, or Warriorschool stuff he was 20, 30 or 40 years ahead of us. He knew a lot about human nature that most of us were ignorant of. He could anticipate our thoughts and behavior. He didn't have to read minds, he just had to recognize the conclusions we would be coming to. Those conclusions would be obvious if you had enough experience. Just like the mentalist he would have been able to use this 'wisdom' or knowledge to his advantage. Jeff Prather and Budo Taijutsu both claim that we have supernatural psychic powers and that played into his hands as well, giving him the credibility of a mystical spiritual authority. He become a sort of miracle worker to us and his abilities were wildly exaggerated. He received all the feedback that a scam artist and fraudster can elicit through tricks. That should make you suspicious right there.

Watch and learn:



If you notice in the last few videos Derren Brown is on the train and makes a man forget where he is headed. Then he touches his head and helps him remember. These are types of things that Jeff Prather would do to us during martial arts or with the God Hand exercises. He showed us he had abilities we never knew were truly possible. He would tell us things and show us things that would absolutely fascinate us and that takes you out of the boring and mundane. His teachings transported you back to that time when you were a child and you were utterly amazed by life. The person who can do that to you, becomes immediately powerful in your eyes. If you can't explain what is going on, but enjoy the experience, then that person can then take advantage of you, which is what Jeff Prather is doing.

Some people accuse the astrologers, psychics and religious/spiritual hypocrites of this world for being complete frauds, scammers and without a conscience. Although it might be absolutely true for some it might not be true for others. I know when I was heavily involved with the spiritual life, I actually was convinced that spiritual realities were at play. I engaged others on this level and truly believed I was bringing these spiritual treasures to them. Looking back on it all, I don't hold it against myself. It was absolutely natural, absolutely convincing and absolutely exhilarating. Although I was wrong, I am glad I went through this whole experience. It was worth it. Now that I know better I am glad I came out the other end free and intact.

Here is a quote from Michael Shermer who is explaining what Skepticism and Science are:

"The default position in science is that: whatever it is you think you believe in, it is not true, unless you prove it otherwise"

In other words, humans are stupid and wrong. Their natural tendencies will lead them astray. Only science is a true guide in separating superstition from truth, and reality from fantasy.

Steven Pinker said:

"The first few years of college are designed to merely unteach everything the students think they know from personal experience, feeling and folk wisdom, because it is most likely completely wrong". That is a paraphrase.

I wish I had learned more about mentalism, magic, science and skepticism as a kid. It would have saved me a lot of trouble. It isn't too late. We can keep educating ourselves.

Warriorschool Negative Conditions Analysis

If you consider Warriorschool and all of the things it offers you, you might be astonished. But consider what might be its dark side, that you would leave it all for, if you found out about it. Let's analize the darker side of Warriorschool. If you knew these things were going on personally would you still stay? Would it still be worth all the fellowship or teaching?


Child Molestation - I have not heard of anything like this happening in Warriorschool.

Rape - There are allegations and a possible lawsuit related to this. Considering the vulnerability of people, the spiritual and sexual healing component, this is a real serious possibility.

Murder - I know for a fact that one of the most senior 'englightened' guys has absolutely undoubtedly murdered people. This guy ended up leaving the organization, because Prather kept trying to get him to break up with his girlfriend who is now his wife. Long story short, this guy was out drinking one night with a bunch of friends and they encountered a group of men who were armed. The murderer told the story as if he defended himself from the attackers, but I believe that he and his buddies did something to bring the situation on themselves. In the fight this guy ended up killing at least one person. I always found this story so suspicious, but when you are with an organization like Warriorschool you give your friends the benefit of the doubt. You figure, well he just defended himself from a bunch of thugs and robbers. Now I think different. Anyway, once I had left Warriorschool I happened to be invited to this guys place of work and met some people that used to work with him. They said he was a 'scary and dangerous guy'. I asked for clarification and the ex-coworker told me about a conversation they had had at one time. The Warriorschooler had said: "Do you know how to tell if you killed a man?" And his ex-coworker said 'No'. Then the Warriorschooler replied: "You can smell it, when he shits his pants after you snap his neck". The way the guy told the story was so sick. I was disgusted to think I admired this guy and thought he was enlightened at one time. The other thing I remember tripping me out about this guy, was the fact that he visited a prostitute while he was engaged to the woman he actually ended up marrying. How retarded, and to talk about it. That didn't win any respect from me. All of these things just kept adding up.

Serious bodily injury (ill willed) - I know for a fact that Jeff Prather seriously lost his temper one day and gave a student third degree burns on his hand with an AR-15 rifle.

Brainwashing - If you study cults and brainwashing you will absolutely confirm that this is going on.

Illegal activity that could get people arrested - I know of one guy who was a bracelet who ended up leaving the organization in deep fear. He was afraid of retaliation and was convinced that Jeff Prather had asked him to commit or do something that could possibly get him put into a dangerous prison. He kept saying: "I have visited prisons and I told myself 'I will never be locked up with those animals! They are animals in there". The same guy would get into fights with his wife and beat her. She may have hit him too. Another top bracelet would beat his wife, punch her in the stomach is what I heard. And another guy at the very top supposedly would beat his wife as well. That is criminal behavior and if it is true, then some of those guys who work for the government are endangering their careers. Some law enforcement careers will actually possibly fire you or at least take away your weapon if you are convicted of a crime or domestic violence.

Enslavement of trainees - Ok not full blown enslavement, but something kind of like it.

Illogical and unverifiable teachings - The worldview of Warriorschool is illogical. They try to say that all religions are practically the same, or that is the message I got. If you know anything about world religions you will know that they completely contradict and are at odds with each other on many levels. Also I can't verify if Jeff Prather was supposedly resuscitated or resurrected.

Finding out the leader is a 'bad' person - yes, he cheated on his wife, seriously injured students in bad will and is taking sexual liberties with students.

Anti-Bible, Anti-Christian, Anti-Jesus Christ beliefs or teachings - they will yell at you if you quote the bible and talk bad about you if you are committed to the real Jesus Christ of the gospels.

Drunkenness - I have also seen Jeff Prather wasted off of alcohol and arguing with people about driving home drunk. What morons, putting other peoples lives at risk. That was one of the last things I needed to see them do.

Warriorschool Should I Stay or Should I Go?

If you are taking some time out to think about staying in Warriorschool or leaving it, consider this.

1. Why did you join Warriorschool? What exactly was your own personal reason?
To experience a richer life?
To be like the bracelets whom you admire?
To challenge yourself and get to know yourself? To live with purpose and at your full potential?

2. Warriorschool is a powerful organization, teaching powerful things. There could be accidents, disgruntled detractors and basic human weaknesses that become visible. All these elements can be overlooked. What sort of conditions need to exist in the group, in the leaders, in the trainees or in your own life that would make you leave for good?

Child Molestation

Rape

Murder

Serious bodily injury (ill willed)

Brainwashing

Illegal activity that could get people arrested

Enslavement of trainees

Illogical and unverifiable teachings

Finding out the leader is a 'bad' person

Anti-Bible, Anti-Christian, Anti-Jesus Christ beliefs or teachings


3. If any of these conditions exist, then how would you be able to find out about it, before it is too late? What would you do, if these conditions start popping up? Will you maintain enough of a support network outside of Warriorschool to fall back on if indeed things go seriously wrong?

If you consider these questions and spend enough time with Jeff Prather or Warriorschool you will learn a lot. See if you can ask these questions and what sort of answers you get. If you keep these parameters in mind you will be able to stay, leave or keep enough of your individuality to maintain your free will. None of us want bad things to happen to us. None of us want to support bad people or organizations. Most people join Warriorschool and Jeff Prather, because they are teaching a quality of life we otherwise never would have learned. Just ask yourself how much this 'good life' is ultimately worth. What are you willing to sacrifice for it? Your autonomy, freedom, money, sex, marriage, friends?

Warriorschool Cult Prather Myspace Page

More Prather Cult Warriorschool Info

Here is a guy named Jarad who seems to have lost his wife to the "Warriorcult" as he cleverly calls it. Follow the web link immediately below for more information. You can also read some excerpts from his blog farther below.

http://profile.myspace.com/warriorschool

Blog Excerpts

Tuesday, August 26, 2008


Clockwise
Current mood: luminous
Category: Dreams and the Supernatural

It is amazing that it is so difficult to find what category to place these blogs in. One would think that dealing with a cult would call for the category - Philosophy/Religion. Yet I worry that it somehow gives credence to Jeffrey's little cult by calling it Philosophy/Religion. So, I opted for "Dreams and Supernatural", why?...because "complete idiocy and fallacy" isn't available as a category.

Clockwise. Prather once instructed my ex that she must turn clockwise four times each morning and then bow to the sun. This is part of the sun ceremony. I asked her about clockwise. Her response was that Prather said that counter-clockwise is evil and clockwise is good. I asked her to elaborate; she got upset. Not her fault, Prather's teachings lack explanation and historical reference. He is really good at the "Karate Kid" kind of teaching, but when asked for references...well, he can't really back things up.

Before we go any further, I want you to do something for me; spin you finger clockwise - as your looking down upon you finger. Continue spinning your finger. Make sure that you are indeed spinning your finger clockwise. Slowly move your head under your finger that is continuing to spin clockwise. When your head is completely under you finger, you may notice that your finger is actually spinning counter-clockwise - oh my God, have you suddenly become evil?! No, it is just a matter of perspective. If you listened to, umm. how shall we say, those less informed, somebody like Prather, then the entire Southern hemisphere is evil. How did this happen?!

Clockwise developed due to the observation of a gnomon's shadow as caused by the Sun. A gnomon is the vertical part of a sundial. In the Northern hemisphere the shadow travels clockwise, and in the Southern hemisphere the shadow travels counter-clockwise. The tracking of time really took off in the Northern hemisphere, in fact, we still tell official time based on the Greenwich Mean Time. Prather hasn't grasped this fact. So unfortunately for those of you in Australia who are currently worshipping Prather - he thinks you are evil. The problem comes in that Prather isn't very well studied, he kind of makes stuff up as he goes. He bastardized Apache traditions where they turn in the four cardinal directions prior to a number of their ceremonies.

I have to get going - past my bedtime. To sum up - everything depends on perspective. If you have reduced ability to be aware of your surroundings, maybe you have a limited capacity to reason, then maybe you can be forgiven for making such an audacious statement as "counter-clockwise is evil". For the rest of the thinking world, we know BS when we hear it.

Again, take care of yourself, take care of others, God bless,

Jarad

PS: Reading back through this, I may add some more to this, but you get the genereal idea.





Friday, August 22, 2008


The End is Near
Current mood: blessed
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes

Mornin' All,

I have been continuously asked by friends and family why I am blogging about Warriorcult (aka warriorschool). Giving this inquiry serious thought has led to my decision to wrap this up. I will post the blogs that I have been writing in my brain over the last year and after that...I will check in monthly to keep this page alive and I will always respond to any email that is sent my way.

Why have I been doing this? Hatred of Prather? Haranguing my ex-wife? No. While it may have had ominous beginnings, my bloggin became altruistic all too soon. I freely admit that I was just venting in the first couple of months. I very much loved my ex-wife, part of me continues to love her. So, yes, I was upset at losing her to something as ludicrous as a cult. ...then the emails came. One or two emails at first, and then I was getting a couple of emails a month. All of these emails had roughly the same refrain. I received questions like: can you help me get my fiancé out of this cult, can you save my spouse, what can I do to get my family member out of this cult, and so on and so on. I didn't know what to do. I didn't have answers for any of these people. I wrote them back and told them what happened to me, and maybe try something different because obviously what I tried didn't work.

Then other rather disturbing emails came in: the DEA asking if I knew anything about "sexual healings" or any other "bizarre cult behavior", Jeffrey Prather's ex-wife asking me for information about Jeffrey's downward spiral, had I heard about Jeff burning one of his students, rape allegations, etc. Almost weekly was I receiving emails about horrible accusations against Prather - all the way from blasphemy, adultery, and assault. I just couldn't turn my back against that.

The fact is that Prather has already taken so much from me, not just time and money, something more, something priceless.... I cannot allow him to take any more than what he already has. In the next couple of months, I will roll out my remaining research into Prather's inadequacies, after that - I'm done.

At present I have three more blogs planned. I do have a few other requests out there for interviews - if those come to fruition, I will blog those as well.

I apologize if I am letting anybody down. I feel that I have said enough and demonstrated enough to leave no excuse for anyone to associate with Jeffrey Prather or any of his various levels of cult. At this point, if your not in Warriorcult to save a loved one, then as far as I am concerned you are aiding and abetting Prather. There are so many other outlets for exploration - go back to church, join a community center, volunteer at a charity, give something back to the community instead of just taking.

Thank you to everybody who has supported me in the last two years and please allow me this opportunity to completely get Prather out of my life.

God Bless,

Jarad

Derren Brown Tricking People

Here is a light hearted video of Derren Brown the mentalist tricking people. It is amazing how vulnerable people become when they are confronted by a stranger and asked to give directions. For most people directions can be a very difficult thing to think about. Watch how Derren exploits this weakness for fun and pleasure.






These are the same kind of principles cult masters use on their subjects to see what the members will far for and what they will not.

Warriorschool Cult Persuasion

I found that the most powerful form of persuasion in my own life was 'discovering' and 'learning' things on my very own. That is what Warriorschool encouraged through meditation, martial arts and questing. I found the lessons to be deeply moving, profound and empowering. I felt liberated, real and alive. I was convinced in my own mind, in my heart and with my emotions that the things I was learning and the people I was with were good.

Watch Derren Brown describe such an un-scientific approach:

Dog Training Psychology vs Warriorschool

In order to have a healthy Human to Dog relationship you need to realize a few things and then train your dog in the correct way.

1. Offer Exercise, Discipline and then Affection to the dog (in that order)

2. Remember: "You are the dogs pack leader, not his parent, nor his friend", "The dog is a pack 'animal' and you need to treat him as such"

3. Always exert Calm and Assertive Energy when dealing with your dog (the dog will mirror you and only respects grounded and stable leaders)

Most people do not know these rules and do not treat their dog accordingly. If dogs do not have these principals guiding their life, they can become insecure, display problem behaviors, be disobedient and irritating. All of these things are signs that the dog is confused and does not know what it is he should do. It is up to the human to provide the dog with the proper understanding and outlets for his nature. These principals and formulas will offer that to him. These principals are exactly how alpha dogs would treat each other if humans were not involved, and they are the guide on how we should treat them as well, if we want them to be healthy and truly happy.

Once you train your dog according to these principals he will take a submissive role in relation to you. Since he is domesticated and relies on you to provide his food and shelter he will now be psychologically ready to work together with you in exceptional harmony. This should be your goal and it will be enjoyable for you and your dog. The dog deeply desires to be calm, peaceful, obedient and submissive to a strong leader and you need to provide that for him. It is a wonderful thing to see a dog and master work together, because as a team they can both accomplish so much. If there was deep miscommunication, lack of understanding, confusion or bad leadership there could be many negative consequences.


The sad thing is that most humans live their entire life feeling insecure, lost and displaying problem behaviors for the same reason a dog does. They don't know themselves, their place and they don't have a leader who knows their nature. Because of this, they don't know what to do with themselves. Unlike dogs however, we can prevent ourselves from acting out and often drown out the depths of our true feelings with activity and entertainment. Most people will never truly develop those very qualities a dog will display through good dog training, because they are unambitious, afraid or unwilling to submit themselves to others the way a dog would. Most people might exercise, but it is in the form of sports and its purpose is to entertain, not to fulfill their primal nature. They may discipline themselves, but not in a militaristic fashion. They may share superficial affection with others, but they don't push themselves to achieve profound spiritual connections with others. This would all require humbling themselves to a way of life, a teacher or principals the same way a dog would humble himself to an alpha dog. Most people are unwilling to do this when it comes to the essence of their nature, and therefore will never truly experience the benefits and life available to them. Warriorschool offered this and built on this.

Most people will never admit that some people are above us and better than us. They will not acknowledge, that another person or God or principals are their pack leader. Jeff Prather used to say: "I am not your friend, I am your teacher". He was saying essentially that he was our pack leader. I never felt like he was bringing glory to himself, but merely saying that he had principals he was teaching us and in order to learn them we needed to follow him in an intense way. If indeed such a thing as the good life exists, or virtues or justice they are rare, and in order to develop them it will take work. The work is difficult and most people will never achieve it. Because of the average persons unwillingness to submit to principals or a teacher they cut themselves short. They are stubborn towards submitting and like an untrained dog, they relegate themselves to an imperfect and flawed life. They probably will fail to enjoy the deep interactions and possibilities life has to offer. By purposely pursuing and developing these qualities a new world opens up to us, the same way an obedient dog opens himself up to more extravagant adventures with his master.

The other thing most people will never experience is to be around people who exert 'Calm and Assertive' energy at all times. This builds peace and trust that allows us to come together and accomplish things like never before. Warriorschool taught this and brought this to us. It was like a breath of fresh air amongst the worlds polluted winds of death and vice. Most people expect their teachers and fellow humans to be upset, angry, frustrated, irritated, dismissive, judgemental, impatient, retaliatory or rude at any given time, especially when unfavorable or dangerous circumstances arise. Like a good master of a dog, Warriorschoolers learned to always project this calm and assertive energy towards others, even lighthearted, gentle and graceful energy when life threatening situations occurred. This virtue made them highly respectable and credible. We all fed off each others calm and assertive power and it developed a safe environment where everyone could freely learn and advance. Most people will never experience this. They may want it, but they only want to receive such love and affection. Most people absolutely do not want to act this way, or be expected to act this way. It is too hard. They don't think they can do it, because they are convinced that they have the right to act that way themselves. Because they are so committed to their own vices, they will never submit themselves to such rigorous training which cultivates such virtues. Again, that is why I loved Warriorschool, because they brought such primal, simple and awesome principals to us in such an awesome way.

Another thing I learned from Warriorschool is that deep down inside humans are wild animals as well. Dogs used to be wild animals, until humans domesticated them thousands of years ago. They no longer hunt for food, because humans feed them. Instead of roaming the wild with other dogs, they now live with humans and support them as if they were their own wild pack of dogs. Humans also no longer live as wild animals, and because of the advances of civilization and technology humans have been domesticated themselves. The dog has been forced into his new environment, but his nature stays the same. A clever human will recognize the dogs nature and train him to appropriately express his nature in an acceptable way. Humans are so severely domesticated that many never learn about their wild nature. Most will never discover it, most will never become aware of it and most will never find a master so to speak who will help them properly unleash it and channel it into the appropriate and acceptable channels. The same way a dog will never feel completely happy and complete without the right master and context for his life, humans will also never feel complete without the proper guidance to live the truly human life. Jeff Prather and Warriorschool tried to teach this. That is why I joined and stayed, because I felt like I was gaining and learning something that was so powerful, any price was worth paying for it. I felt truly real, calm, peaceful and powerful around the Warriorschool people, the same way my dog feels when he has the right environment around him.

Warriorschool, like a good dog trainer offered a similar sort of formula for its students. Dogs are wild animals with sharp teeth and their nature is to defend, attack and alert their pack to danger. They desire to know their role, because they have needed to violently defend themselves from predators and have had to violently attack their prey to survive. In order to accomplish this, dogs have needed to develop a clear and simple militaristic sort of authority structure for their social interactions. They need a clear pack leader, and that leader needs to display specific qualities for them to be convinced that they can live together as a group and survive. Once they have this structure in place they can live together with harmony that wouldn't otherwise be possible.

Dogs know instinctually how to provide this structure for each other, but humans who have been domesticated for hundreds of years by modern society don't necessarily know this. Because of sports, which are merely sophisticated childrens games, entertainment and work, humans are able to ignore their primal nature and can live together in some sort of harmony. I am convinced that deep down inside humans have a void and a longing, that is silenced from all the distractions of life. We truly desire to unleash the oppressed primal nature of our humanity, but usually die without ever doing so.

Warriorschool gave us that primal, raw and wild experience that allowed us to know our selves and be ourselves in an acceptable way. Warriorschool's goal was to turn us into truly whole human beings who weren't domesticated or enslaved to the system of today. We were to learn skills that were true to our essential human nature, and encouraged to avoid deceptive entertainment, drugs or childrens games like sports. We were supposed to prepare ourselves to offer something back to society that only the most sophisticated of people could do. In order to do that, we needed the right leader and teachings. That leader and those teachings were based on indiginous and militaristic principals which were designed to help us be who we were meant to be.

Proper dog training brings about these qualities in a dog which are qualities and virtues most people would say are missing in their own lives

Through effective dog training
I have developed a deep connection, bond and sense of respect in the dog.
I can calmly and assertively order and guide his behavior. I have confidence and am able to use finesse to bring about his cooperation.
I have disciplined and trained him to work in harmony with the family.
He knows the proper forms of play, and feels powerful when I allow him to guard the house as I have trained him to do.
He now receives and shows the proper affection that calms him and puts him at ease.
He knows that we are his masters, that we have authority over him and that we are his leaders which helps him find his proper role.
I have built trust in the dog for us as owners and removed his need to fill the void of indecision and ignorance.
I have prepared him through training to calmly encounter danger or scary situations.
I am able to unravel and untrain old and bad habits.
I am able to challenge the dog in a healthy way and teach him how to be a better part of the family, so that everything runs more smoothly for all of us.


Because Warriorschool was similar to effective dog training it brought about many of these qualities. When I noticed these in others and realized I could share in them and partake in them I was determined to do anything it took to accomplish this. What made Warriorschool so sophisticated was the fact that it addressed the primal nature of training, but also helped us develop a sense of justice and holiness. Now I am not talking about it in a way that you read a book about it, but in a primitive way. In the sense that you embody those principals in a non-verbal way, that you do it in your life and don't just talk about it. Because of the militaristic approach and the clear pack leader and context for our life, we were able to develop these virtues that usually remain elusive to most.



Now below I have included some excerpts from the Dog Whisperer and other dog training sites. I hope you get an idea of what it is like to effectively train a dog. I think it is a great metaphor for life and shows the basic foundational level of Warriorschool. Warriorschool ultimately brought us all together like a master brings together a dog pack. The master being Jeff Prather. Too bad he turned out to be such a deluded and bad guy. Check out the dog training advice.

Dr. Frank Beach performed a 30-year study on dogs at Yale and UC Berkeley. Nineteen years of the study was devoted to social behavior of a dog pack. (Not a wolf pack. A DOG pack.) Some of his findings:
Male dogs have a rigid hierarchy.
Female dogs have a hierarchy, but it's more variable.
When you mix the sexes, the rules get mixed up. Males try to follow their constitution, but the females have "amendments."
Young puppies have what's called "puppy license." Basically, that license to do most anything. Bitches are more tolerant of puppy license than males are.
The puppy license is revoked at approximately four months of age. At that time, the older middle-ranked dogs literally give the puppy hell -- psychologically torturing it until it offers all of the appropriate appeasement behaviors and takes its place at the bottom of the social hierarchy. The top-ranked dogs ignore the whole thing.
There is NO physical domination. Everything is accomplished through psychological harassment. It's all ritualistic.
A small minority of "alpha" dogs assumed their position by bullying and force. Those that did were quickly deposed. No one likes a dictator.
The vast majority of alpha dogs rule benevolently. They are confident in their position. They do not stoop to squabbling to prove their point. To do so would lower their status because...
Middle-ranked animals squabble. They are insecure in their positions and want to advance over other middle-ranked animals.
Low-ranked animals do not squabble. They know they would lose. They know their position, and they accept it.
"Alpha" does not mean physically dominant. It means "in control of resources." Many, many alpha dogs are too small or too physically frail to physically dominate. But they have earned the right to control the valued resources. An individual dog determines which resources he considers important. Thus an alpha dog may give up a prime sleeping place because he simply couldn't care less.
So what does this mean for the dog-human relationship?




2

Using physical force of any kind reduces your "rank." Only middle-ranked animals insecure in their place squabble.
To be "alpha," control the resources. I don't mean hokey stuff like not allowing dogs on beds or preceding them through doorways. I mean making resources contingent on behavior. Does the dog want to be fed. Great -- ask him to sit first. Does the dog want to go outside?
Sit first. Dog want to greet people? Sit first. Want to play a game? Sit first. Or whatever. If you are proactive enough to control the things your dogs want, *you* are alpha by definition.
Train your dog. This is the dog-human equivalent of the "revoking of puppy license" phase in dog development. Children, women, elderly people, handicapped people -- all are capable of training a dog. Very few people are capable of physical domination.
Reward deferential behavior, rather than pushy behavior. I have two dogs. If one pushes in front of the other, the other gets the attention, the food, whatever the first dog wanted. The first dog to sit gets treated. Pulling on lead goes nowhere. Doors don't open until dogs are seated and I say they may go out. Reward pushy, and you get pushy.
Your job is to be a leader, not a boss, not a dictator. Leadership is a huge responsibility. Your job is to provide for all of your dog's needs... food, water, vet care, social needs, security, etc. If you fail to provide what your dog needs, your dog will try to satisfy those needs on his own.


3

What do you mean by “pack mentality”?
A dog’s pack mentality is its natural way of relating to other dogs. A family unit can also be a dog’s pack. Even a single person and a dog is the dog’s pack. It is important that the human be the dominant member of the pack. This is not achieved through violence or bullying, but with calm, assertive energy. The dog isn’t threatened; it just knows its place in the pack.
How do you get dogs to change?
People humanize dogs and don’t understand their psychology as pack animals. I begin by showing the dog that I am the pack leader. I fulfill the dog’s need through exercise, which is walking the dog in the correct way. I give the dog rules, boundaries and limitations … and then affection.
What is the most common mistake people make with dogs?
They don’t establish a leadership role. Almost all dog problems come from two things: lack of exercise and lack of leadership. Additionally, especially in America, owners tend to give affection, affection, and more affection, when what the dog really needs is exercise, discipline … and then affection.
What is the most important thing to do for your dog?
Take your dog on a 45-minute power walk every morning. BUT, you must use the proper method in walking your dog – when leaving the house, make sure you always walk out the door ahead of your dog to demonstrate who is the leader, and make sure the dog is not in front of you on the walk.



Unspoken Rules
The mom or pack leader also uses calm-assertive energy to set rules, boundaries and limitations for how the dog interacts with his surroundings. The pack leader enforces these laws in a quiet way; maybe the mom picks up the puppy if he strays outside the den.
The pack leader doesn’t project emotional or nervous energy and neither should you. If you don’t set rules, boundaries and limitations in calm-assertive ways, your dog will not respect you.
Waiting is another way that pack leaders assert their position. Puppies wait to eat; dogs wait until the pack leader wants them to travel. Waiting is a form of psychological work for the dog. Domestication means dogs don’t need to hunt for food, but they can still work for food.
Establish your position as pack leader by asking your dog to work. Take him on a walk before you feed him. And just as you don’t give affection without your dog being in a calm-submissive state, don’t give food until your dog acts calm and submissive. (Exercise will help the dog, especially a high-energy one, to achieve this state.)
Try this: To further achieve a calm and submissive state before feeding, ask your dog to sit and wait a moment while you place his meal in his bowl. When he has sat patiently, give him the okay to eat.
Interact as canine parents interact with their puppies. Begin your day with calm-assertive energy before you share emotions or excitement. Establish rules, limitations and boundaries to create a healthy state of mind in the dog. Finally, enjoy a simple walk - a primal activity for dogs accustomed to following pack leaders over hundreds of miles. It will say more than any word ever could.

Most dogs that live in this country have shelter, food, and lots of love. These are the dogs that often become unstable because they’re not working for food and water. Dogs need a pack leader to feel balanced and connected. They need to be told every day what to do.

Leadership is forever, and love is forever. But sometimes we get lazy and only share love and no leadership. Once you share calm-assertive energy and the dog goes into a submissive state, then you can share love and affection.

Position matters; walking in front of a dog allows you to be seen as the pack leader. Conversely, if your dog controls you on the walk, he’s the pack leader. Master the walk, and your dog will relate to you as a pack leader.
During the walk, you will feel the highest level of connection with your dog. My clients are often surprised by this, because they think dogs only crave love and affection. This is not so. Dogs crave rules, boundaries and limitations from their pack leader. This allows them to relax and accept their role within the pack.

Dogs as Animals
Dogs don’t follow emotional leaders or lovable leaders; they follow calm-assertive leaders. This is the same for all animals in the animal kingdom. Humans are the only animals that follow unstable, emotional leaders around the world.

The pack leader, often the mom or a male, controls everything: when the pack eats, when they play and how far they can walk. The key to earning your dog’s respect as the pack leader is to understand the nature of the pack and to duplicate the action and attitude of the pack leader. The pack instinct is the dog’s strongest natural motivator.

The dog’s mom sets these rules from day one: where they can sleep, how far they can walk, and when they can eat. These rules, boundaries and limitations nurture a healthy state of mind.
As adults, dogs look to their pack leader to set these rules. They don’t question the pack leader’s position, and the pack leader doesn’t look to the dogs to affirm his position. This is the natural balance of the pack.
Without rules, boundaries and limitations, your dog will not respect you as the pack leader.

Make feeding a ritual. When puppies are little, they wait to be fed by their mother. This waiting is a form of work. When feeding, we ask the pack to work for food and water. This is why we walk the pack before they eat.
Dogs don’t get fed when their mind is excited, nervous, tense or aggressive. They get fed when their mind is calm and submissive.
Walk the walk. If we study dogs in their natural habitat, walking is how they earn food and water and experience the world. Dogs would rather walk than do anything else, because they get to work their body and their mind.
A big back yard is no substitute for a primal activity like a walk. A dog with a big back yard can still develop frustration because the physical energy needs to go somewhere. That is why daily walks are so important.
When walking, make sure that you are in front of your dog. This allows you to be seen as the pack leader. Remember, dogs always follow the pack leader.
When your dog recognizes you as the pack leader, you will enjoy the connection that you have sought all along.

4

Funny

How Humans Create Behavioral Issues for Dogs
Tips for Retraining Humans
Your dog will set the rules if you don’t learn how.
The number one mistake people make in their relationships with dogs is treating them like people. You wouldn’t interact with a horse like you interact with your sister. So why do humans insist on treating dogs like people?
I see it every day with my clients; they think that their dogs will stop tearing up the couch if they just love them more or show them more affection. These strategies might work in the structure of human relationships, but, in the animal world, Nature didn’t hard-wire dogs to interact this way. Instead, Nature instilled dogs with a powerful pack instinct. This way of being is how dogs communicate and experience the world.
If you love your dog, treat him like a dog. A dog needs a stable pack leader to lead a balanced and happy life. The recipe is really that simple. Humans are the ones that make these relations complicated.
Retrain Your Brain
I realize this turns upside down most thinking about the human-dog relationship. But think about it, if your husband mistook your needs for the needs of a chimpanzee, where would that leave you? Confused and disoriented.
It’s the same for dogs. But their confusion and disorientation manifest in bad behavior such as tearing up the couch or barking constantly. Most of these dogs are probably loved and well cared for by their owners but feel lost in a vast ocean without a life raft. Think of the life raft as the strong, stable pack leader. S/he provides a source of strength and guidance to help the dog navigate through a complex world

Barking and Jumping

Behavior Rehabilitation
Discovering the Cause of Barking
If nuisance barking is a problem, consider these issues to find a solution.
Some clients tell me that they love coming home because their dog greets them excitedly by jumping and barking. They feel this proves their dogs love for and bond with the family.
But look at a dog in a natural setting; she doesn’t bark and yelp and jump on her pack mates in a burst of affection.
So what are my clients’ dogs trying to say?
Looking Deeper for Answers
Dogs that greet their owners in this way are trying to communicate. But rather than professing undying love, they are probably trying to tell you that they are lonely and bored and that their needs as a dog are not being met. The excitement that you see is your dog’s way of burning off the excess energy that has been building throughout the day.
People shouldn’t be disappointed by this revelation. This just means that dogs don’t use emotions like people do. Remember, they’re dogs. To love a dog means you must treat him like an animal, which means fulfilling him as Nature intended him to be fulfilled.
Now, let’s get back to our barking dog. So-called nuisance barking, which is often ongoing and not in response to a particular stimulus like a jogger running by the house, is your dog’s way of sending you a distress signal.
Somewhere his needs as an animal are not being met. Is his world anchored by a pack leader who projects calm-assertive energy? Are you walking with him every day, which exercises his body and his mind? Is he living a balanced life?
If nuisance barking is a problem, consider these issues to find a solution. It’s the best way to show real love for your dog.


Who is the pack leader??????

If your dog jumps on you when you arrive home, she's the pack leader.
How can you tell if your dog is the pack leader? It’s simple: If she jumps on you when you arrive home, she is the pack leader. If she jumps on your guests, she is making sure that these new arrivals also know she is in charge.
What can you do to stop this unwanted behavior? Most importantly, you need to establish yourself as pack leader. When a dog doesn’t have a clear pack leader who projects calm- assertive energy, she tries to fill the vacant role, usually to disastrous results (for the owner and for the dog).
Set Some Rules-For You and Your Dog
Don’t shower your dog with affection when you walk through the door. This kind of attention is wonderful for a human child, but not for a dog. Remember dogs are animals, and the kindest thing you can do is to treat your dog like a dog by communicating in a way he’ll understand.
The dog’s mom, the ultimate pack leader, would never tolerate inappropriate activity. If she sees something she doesn’t like, she stops the activity by moving the puppy out of the way in her calm-assertive manner. The puppy learns an important boundary from the lesson, and her firm and unambiguous leadership balances the puppy’s submissive role in the pack.
When your guests arrive, ask your dog to sit patiently. Your dog will follow your commands when he respects you as his pack leader. Remember, the animal pack leader doesn’t negotiate to get what he or she wants. The pack leader leads by projecting a calm-assertive energy, the language dogs use to communicate.
The most important thing to remember is that you can’t be a leader only some of the time. Leadership is forever; inconsistency triggers confusion and anxiety in a dog. Animal pack leaders never waver from their leadership role, and neither should you.

In their natural habitat, dogs earn food and water by walking and they get to experience the world. If a dog does not walk, she does not eat. You can see how this activity exists deep within a dog’s DNA, but too few dog owners recognize its importance.

I also explain to the owners the importance of exercise. Physical activity burns the dog’s excess energy and maintains his healthy state of mind. This is important because, in order to talk to the mind, you need to remove the energy from the body.

remember: the golden rule is “once the dog is done, remove the plate.” Once the dog is finished eating, the meal is over. You will be the one that determines this. Eventually, the dog will settle into the new structure, and you will see an end to this problem behavior. The dog will eat what you give her, and there should be nothing left to horde.

Challenge Your Dog Psychologically
The canine pack leader requires his followers to work for food and water. This work is mostly psychological and comes in the form of waiting, for example, waiting to eat or waiting to travel.
A good way to refocus your dog’s behavior is to ask him to wait a moment before he eats. Only when he achieves a calm-submissive state, do you put down the bowl of food.
The same is true for daily walks. Put the leash on your dog and have him sit and wait a moment. Only when you say OK is it time to begin your journey out into the world.
These simple exercises provide excellent mental stimulation and help your dog ease into a calm-submissive state of being.

American Pimp vs Warriorschool Comparison

Random unedited ideas comparing Pimping in the United States of America to the experience of being in Warriorschool and a student of Jeff Prather.

I just watched a documentary by the Hughes Brothers tonight called

"American Pimp"

and I must say it was one of the best documentaries I have seen in a long time. As soon as I heard the Pimp's describe their line of work and their mindset I felt like I was recognizing something. Once I heard the prostitutes verbalize their experiences I noticed another familiar pattern. The first thing that came to mind was that this movie was explaining things in a profound way, similar to the way that Warriorschool and Jeff Prather had explained things. The sex, drugs, violence and money involved with Pimping made those who were involved constantly aware of the dangers of life. In order to survive they had to live like soldiers. Sure their goals might not have been virtuous, nor righteous, but they were putting their lives literally on the line for what they wanted and/or believed in. For that we have to respect them. Or at least I do. I don't condone pimping or prostitution, but after watching this documentary my attitude towards that lifestyle was severely altered. It seemed like the inherent dangers involved in the life of pimping cut out all the fluff and bullshit most of us experience in our mundane daily existence. These Pimps, although they might be immoral or even criminal, had an attitude and approach to life that was raw and real. The pimp's were accomplished, sophisticated, charismatic and no-nonsense type people who dealt with reality as it was and not how it was supposed to be. These pimps had a mission to make money and get sex and they didn't care what laws or obstacles might stand in their way. They were going to do what they wanted to do and they just didn't care what the consequences were going to be. In their minds they didn't really think they were doing anything wrong. Rich and successful people want access to good sex at a moments notice, and the pimp provides the service in an efficient manner. They know sex is legal, selling things is legal, so in their minds selling sex is 'legal', the government just doesn't know it yet. While it is 'illegal' it is scarce. Basic economics tell us that when demand is high and supply is low the commodity in question can command a high price. The pimps and prostitutes want to provide that service and reap the rewards.

You can probably watch the whole movie on YouTube. Here is at least one part of the video.





Some of the similarities between the pimping and warriorschool that stuck out to me were the elements of danger.

The Pimps controlled the sex, they carefully managed the money, avoided violence as much as they could and definitely didn't want drugs involved. Their goal was to make money over the long term. In Warriorschool they also had a goal to spiritually advance people, train them to be empowered citizens, develop a business or whatever. In order to attain their goal they also controlled the sex, the spending of money, avoided violence and discouraged drugs. Instead of using sex as their product, warriorschool used violence and war training to engage people. Same shit different toilet.

I always wondered why a prostitute would even ever want a pimp. Why doesn't she just prostitute herself? Or in the case of Warriorschool why did we need a cult leader, why did we want a master? Why didn't we just take care of ourselves? It's because the pimp offers the prostitute a number of services that she can't very easily provide for herself. I guess women don't just part-time prostitute. If they are going to prostitute themselves, they are probably pretty committed to it, because of desperation, lack of other options or the love of it (if that exists). Prostitutes are probably doing it full time and often times they are showing up late to the game and don't know everything that is going on. The pimp knows the streets, he knows the clients, he knows the legal system, he knows the money, he knows how to get clients and knows how to train the girls on how to stay safe. Almost all pimps interviewed said that they give the girls 0% of the income. They give the girls, nothing, nada, zilch, zero! The pimp provides 100% of the girls housing, food, medical bills, phone, protection, transportation and bail money. All the woman has to provide is her clean/healthy body and the time on the street. The pimp is providing her with a valuable, consistent, developed and powerful service. He is in essence the entrepreneur and she is the commodity. If the women involved in prostitution were very sophisticated, educated, ambitious, well balanced and independent they might not be involved in the "illegal" lifestyle of prostitution. But maybe due to desperation, inability, laziness or as victims of manipulation and exploitation they allow the pimp to be their boss. By allowing the pimp to control the very foundations of their existence, they indefinitely and completely bind themselves to him. Part of the pimps success depends on his level of absolute control over the womens bodies, minds, hearts and lives. Giving the women extra money and/or a savings account would erode the very control the pimp seeks over her life. Jeff Prather and Warriorschool were also providing a service to those of us who were a part of it. Jeff Prathers experience was far reaching and far more intricate than I ever imagined. He taught us things, most people will never have a chance to learn. It was liberating to face your fears, find your weaknesses, push yourself to the limit and connect with others who were doing the same. Learning about the very extremes of life gave me a great sense of calm, peace and relief. I felt like I had a compass and map for life, whereas most others around me were slaves, zombies and lost souls. That was exceptionally satisfying and Jeff Prather was predominantly responsible for that wisdom. Unlike the pimp, Jeff Prather was encouraging us to take all of the powerful matters of life into our own hands and allowed us to network with others who would help empower us. He called himself the 'anti-cult' and he really did try to liberate us. But sadly human nature is retarded, weak and stupid. Because of the great things he taught us, the power he made us feel within ourselves we naturally surrendered ourselves to him and his teaching, similar to the prostitutes surrendering to their pimp. When the prostitutes talk about their pimp, you can see an appreciation and satisfaction in them. They are grateful for their pimp, even if he hits them or is mean to them. They figure it is for their own good and success in their dangerous life and business. You can tell that the pimp is fulfilling a deep psychological need and void in the prostitutes life. The prostitutes get attached to their pimp and some even fall in love with him in a unique kind of way. Even though they share sex, money and companionship the pimp made it very clear that he doesn't date his prostitutes as girlfriends. Pimping and prostitution are pure business and that cuts out a lot of bullshit. That way a lot can get done. Jeff Prather also took our money, shared companionship, teaching and training with us. He also used to say: "I am not your friend, I am your teacher", "I am not your equal, I am teaching you respect and manners". The atmosphere he created was a militaristic one and it allowed us also to cut out the bullshit and get a lot of stuff done.

There seemed to be a number of different type of pimps. There are the drug addict abusive pimps, the aggressive and threatening pimps and the fair business minded pimps. Depending on what caliber of a woman you are and what type of boss you want, women in America generally can choose what type of pimp they want. Working together seemed to be a synergistic relationship for both parties. Together they both could accomplish more, and it seemed like the Pimp enjoyed the womens money and sex, and the woman enjoyed the man's companionship, power and provision. They were each fulfilling roles for the other that the other didn't feel they could do alone. There was a deep level of trust, commitment and bonding that developed between the two. The fact that they were defying the system, risking imprisonment, serving the rich and powerful was intriguing to both of them. In their minds they were both achieving things together that they couldn't do on their own. I knew of myself that I could choose to live many different lifestyles and could hang out with many different groups. I wanted to push myself to the max, learn as much about different types of living and hang out with the most radical people. I found that in Warriorschool and therefore threw myself into that full force. Sure occasionally it was awkward, uncomfortable or hard, but I also felt like I was doing things and experiencing things I never could have on my own. Like the prostitutes I also formed a deep bond with the warriorschoolers and Prather in the face of the dangerous training we were engaging in and the challenges we were preparing for. Psychologically I also became very attached to him and the organization, similarly to the prostitutes. The fact that it might turn bad or be slightly bad for me at the time, was not a major factor. The benefits far outweighed the negative and like the prostitutes I was willing to stick in there and do what needed to be done.

Being part of Warriorschool and seeing Jeff Prather do things and teach us things we never knew was possible was amazing. He had experience, skills and stories that many of us knew we couldn't nor wouldn't ever replicate. Just to be in his presence was awesome. I knew I could never do what he did and I didn't have the skills to apply all of his lessons to the degree that it was possible. All I knew was that he was opening up my perception of reality, that I could trust him, that being around him was hard, but it was worth it. I was willing to give up meat, sex, friends, family, personal autonomy, old habits, money, time and travel to learn what it was he had to teach. I was also willing to do things that were against my nature, because I felt that his goal was to help me overcome obstacles. I am sure many others felt the same way, and truly I don't regret having given up those things to learn from the man. I'd say it was worth it. I am just glad I didn't get ultimately destroyed in the end. Watching American Pimp showed me that the prostitutes had the exact same attitude I did. Their Pimp offered them shelter, food and a lifestyle they didn't think they could achieve on their own. Their Pimp would be a boyfriend/father substitute that they otherwise wouldn't be able to get. They felt that they could trust him (more than anyone else) and that he was opening their perception of reality by introducing them to stars and other successful people and taking them on trips around the world. In the end the prostitutes would end up in jail or in the mental institution, but they probably knew that and were willing to pay the price for that. I was just amazed how the psychology somewhat overlapped.

One of the prostitutes said that this was her attitude towards being beaten:
"He'll kick my ass, but that is only if I fuck up." I am paraphrasing, but what she is saying to me is that he is correcting me and keeping me out of jail, out of the homeless shelters and in this life style, he listens to me and helps me and I appreciate him)

Those women want and need someone to dominate and encapsulate their mind and life. They need a strong person around them, to shelter them, make them feel safe, allow them to do what it is they know how to do, so they can relax and be a woman. They don't want to do a million things they don't know how to do all at once. They just want to work and live. They have found that they know how to do prostitution and how to live, but they don't know how to do any other work that pays as well. I am not saying all women are like this or even that all prostitutes are like this. I am just writing this out to get into their minds and to understand them. My goal is to find parallels to my own life within Warriorschool.

Men feel powerful when they have a faithful woman and/or companion. We enjoy sex, influence and control. We like being somebody, we like respect, we like control. It is satisfying to us. Or at least it is to me and I can't speak for women. I think Jeff Prather found all those things in Warriorschool. People believed he was the 'Neo Christo' and they treated him like that. He played the role of a mystic and a general. Cult leaders seek to gain complete control over their cult subjects and although Jeff Prather maybe didn't set out to do that, it began to cultivate itself. Human psychology tends towards hero worship and Jeff Prather may have begun to play into it more and more as time went on. As the organization picked up more momentum, the delusions had more time to intensify and now the dynamics of the organization have become very cultish and Jeff Prather has become very much a cult leader. I think Jeff Prather really believes in his own delusions and his subjects have fallen into the most primal psychological traps and feed his delusions. It all takes on a life of its own and people loose perspective. Jeff Prather had the ultimate impact on those of us in Warriorschool and I imagine it must have been very satisfying and edifying for him. I know being around him was satisfying and edifying for me, and I was mainly receiving. I wasn't known as the one dishing out all the wisdom.

There were some definitely primal psychology lessons contained in the movie. For instance one Pimp discussed how important it was to choose your words carefully when you are dealing with a prostitute. Her whole lifestyle involves the continued seduction, manipulation and repeated exploitation of men. Therefore when she is dealing with her Pimp it is only natural for her to try to do the same things to him. The pimp said that you have to be careful when you say to a prostitute "I am going to kill you", because the prostitute will test you and your word. She will do something that will be so bad, that you really should follow through on your word. He said that you "Just beat her so bad, that she thinks you are going to kill her" that way she gets the point and you can keep her around to keep making you money. He said: "You have to beat her so bad that she believes you are going to kill her and she says 'Oh, don't kill me. I won't do that again, I will change. Please let me live. I promise I am changed.' and from that point on you have yourself a good 'ho'." Another guy said that "Everyone needs to get slapped at some point in their lives" and that it was necessary for him to hit his women for them to respect him. Sometimes I lay down the boom hand he said. Jeff Prather would also talk about 'thumping people' and 'giving them major course corrections that were uncomfortable'. He would also take people to that psychological edge. He hit me on numerous occasions to make a point to me, and I thought it was great. I really admired him for it and respected him for it. It was amazing for a pimp to explain those dynamics so clearly and for me to see how it affected my own life. In the end it all boils down to basic human psychology. I think most 'lost souls' in the civilian world learn about these things through osmosis and chance, but some of us learn the full context of life because of intense teachers. Whoever brings these lessons to you will have that power over you, if they request it or not, it is our tendency as humans to give it.