Recent content by TarSpiel

When I was a grad student in Chapel Hill, I worked with a very large autistic 17 year old named Derek. He was relatively high functioning, but would just absolutely come unglued at his triggers, which happened a couple of times a day. He could scare people. His parents loved us - his workers -...

I didn't really know that...that's super interesting. Thanks bree

Which makes sense, given that our reason evolved in order to help us do things like catch bugs and varmints, rather than plumb the mysteries of the space/time ouroboros.

Yea, that's crazy. Hard to see how last years team maxed out at 5 mil.

This is a ridiculous thing to think about those with whom you disagree, and if you actually believe it, you should be embarrassed.

Some liberal hell-holes on that list...

Yea...I guess she had just taken a large swig of Coca-cola, which you can still get down there in those glass bottles, and tastes super fresh and good. She had just taken a huge swig and just blew it all over everyone in the row in front of them. When they'd all got back they had a group...

That is one way of interpreting the evidence. Interestingly, it's rarely, if ever, interpreted that way by those who undergo the experience.

Perhaps he knows that Coach Davis authentically cares about him and his family, as opposed to how everyone else looks at him.

Saw this comedian talking about a mission trip to Mexico when she was in Jr high. The preacher said "we are but dust..." and the girl sitting next to her whispered incredulously "We are BUTT DUST?!?!?!?!"

Those near death experiences are wild. I did a deep dive on them about 10 years or so ago...incredibly interesting. The most common element in them is just this overwhelming feeling of peace and love...words just fail to describe it, but "it is" comes pretty darn close. Interestingly, there's...

Speaking of tangents, you ever wonder why if the earth is spinning so fast we don't all go flying off sideways?

I'm not so sure. Judaism has devout practitioners who don't believe in an afterlife. Some Buddhists don't believe in a personal soul that survives death. I think those are a minority in the wide context of world religions - I think most people do believe in some sort of survival of individual...

This reminds me of the core teaching of my zen tradition. What was "I" before you were born? What will be "I" after you die? What is "I"? Just your body? Just your mind? Don't know? Commentary: Everyone goes around saying I, I, I, yet nobody understands this "I." So everybody is insane.