Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Pineal Gland and DMT, Spirit Molecule in Jim's Life

The Pineal Gland, also called the third eye, is about the size of a pea and exists near the very center of the human brain. Due to its central brain location directly behind the eyes, one may safely assume it's a highly important gland. The pineal regulates many complex chemicals including melatonin, serotonin and DMT (dimethyltryptamine), which is a neuro-chemical that modern science still knows very little about. Ancient cultures such as the Egyptians refer to the pineal as the spirit gland and Rene Descartes called in the seat of the soul. Today many refer to the drug DMT as the spirit molecule, reporting life-changing hallucinations under its effects.
These concepts captured my interest when writing Jim's Life, a novel based on a teenage boy who has a traumatic injury that forever alters his natural production of DMT to elevated levels that allow him to see what others can't: the auras and chakras of the human body.
The YouTube video below was uploaded by astralwalk and is a nice introduction to these concepts.


Monday, July 25, 2011

Meditating on Chakras for Personal Growth, Awareness and Healing of the Human Light Field

In the west it's hard to talk with most people about chakras without sounding like a new age freak. But really, this kind of belief is anything but new age. Hopefully the science of understanding chakras and meditation will help western people accept the human light field within themselves and open up a whole new level of conscious appreciation for auras and chakras.
This is a nice video to get familiar with the chakras.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

New Technology Gadget, 3-D Printing, Amazing Video Stranger Than Fiction

Truth really can be stranger than fiction. Every once in a while a friend will share something online that is so unbelievably amazing, it's got to be shared with others. New technology gadgets are coming out everyday like this 3-D printer. What happens in this video is just as fantastic and incredible as some of the things that happen in my novels, The Little Universe and Jim's Life.
In this video, a 3-dimensional copy gets made of any object small enough to fit into this machine. Even if it has moving parts, like the crescent wrench in the example, a physical replica that actually works will get reproduced before your eyes.
Imagine if you could show this to a person from a hundred years ago; they would probably conclude it was magical in either a good or bad way. It really makes me wonder if replicating a living thing (like a person) could be possible a hundred years from now or less.

Wednesday, July 06, 2011

Kryon, Channeling the Angel in Sacramento

Kryon the angel? Have you heard of Kryon of Magnetic Service? I hadn't but my wife had and was visiting the website the other day for the first time, http://www.kryon.com/. (The magnetic service part has to do with the Earth's magnetic poles, field and grid, but I'm not going to talk too much about that here.)

Kryon the angel of Magnetic Forces in Sacramento California
On Friday afternoon, Jana came into my office and asked, "Want to drive to Sacramento tomorrow morning to hear Kryon?" When she explained it all including her surprise to find out the event was scheduled for the next day, I found it a nice coincidence since we live about 100 miles from Sacramento and had no plans for Saturday. We found out later the medium for Kryon, Lee Carroll, speaks all over the world. Strangely, it seemed like perfect timing.

It all came about rather suddenly, but since I'm usually a fan of these things, always wanting to learn more about the human experience, soul development, the future prognosis, etc., I decided to go with her.

Jason Matthews, Lee Carroll and Jana Matthews
The next day, July 2 at the Hilton in Sacramento, we met Lee Carroll, a fascinating man who has been channeling for Kryon, a loving angelic entity, since 1989. Lee is the author of 15 books including the Indigo Children series. He's extremely down-to-earth and scientific in his approach, not at all what some people might describe as fruit-loopy or wind-chimey even though the subjects of angels and channeling are something many people find hard to believe and treat with understandable skepticism. (Note; if you research people set on debunking Lee and Kryon, you will find some.)

Jewelry for sale at Kyron in Sacramento
In a small conference room with about 100 others, many first-timers and some repeat visitors, we listened to primarily Lee and (at times) Kryon discuss happenings within the world of past, present and future, as well as within the DNA of our own bodies. This was not at all hokey nor a big sales pitch, although we did pay for the 5 hours of lecture and there were some books/jewelry available for sale. Also please note that it was not appropriate or possible for me to take notes during the meditations, so the quotes I give below for Kryon are only from my memory and not to be taken as verbatim or entirely accurate.

What we did hear from both Lee and Kryon were in-depth discussions of what they call core truths including subjects like Quantum physics, Einstein and the concept of time as a dimension, past lives, Gaia, ancestral energies, reincarnation, world religions, 2012 and much more. It was well presented and thoroughly engrossing. I could have listened for much longer and felt the same degree of belief in these paranormal matters as I would for a reading from a psychic like Edgar Cayce. Though the field is always ripe for charlatans, that doesn't mean the "real deal" can't be found. I left believing very much that Lee Carroll is the real deal.

During the lecture Lee also discussed at great length the author, Gregg Braden and his book Fractal Time: The Secret of 2012 and a New World Age. In fact, he discussed Gregg and this book more than any other subject for the entire day. This was also another interesting coincidence for me as that book happens to be the book I've been reading for the past week and have almost finished. (Of course I believe there are no coincidences like this in life, so it really made me focus in on the lessons of the day.)

Most of the time was spent with Lee discussing these things as himself, as Lee, a warm, witty, cosmopolitan, educated and humorous lecturer. Other times, a introductory short period of about 20 minutes and later a lengthy period of about 45 minutes, were spent with Lee channeling the voice of Kryon, the angel. I have to admit, the time spent listening to Kryon was truly inspiring. As a writer, I've developed a decent sense for redundancy and poor word choice. Kryon spoke at great length (up to 45 minutes) in such clear and concise phrasing while delivering substantial information, and yet Kryon never had an awkward pause or stumble nor did I ever find the need to edit one single word. To the disbelievers, the speech itself would have been an amazing feat had it been memorized and performed by an actor. If it was a hoax, then Lee Carroll can teach Marlon Brando a few things about acting. Not only was Kryon's diction the best I've ever heard during a continuous monologue but I felt absolutely riveted in my chair, participating in the meditation as if magnetic forces held me there in a pleasant way. Normally, sitting in one spot meditating for that long would be extremely difficult for me, but this was quite enjoyable and could have continued for even longer. I'll speak more on the final 45 minutes below.

Much of Lee's personal discussion was about the anticipated date of Dec. 21, 2012, a date that some people believe marks the end of the Mayan Calendar and perhaps the end of the world. Fortunately for us, Lee argues (and Kryon does too) that this is merely a time of astronomical alignment that has to do with the precession of the equinoxes. That's a fancy term for the Earth's rotational axis slowly changing, making a cone shape over a period of approx. 26,000 years. Ancient cultures recognized that the sunrise on the spring solstice would happen with the same star constellation in the night sky for approx. 2,150 years before the rotating axis of Earth would change the backdrop to the proceeding sign of the zodiac. Each of the 12 zodiac signs are represented during a Great Age of 26,000 years. We are currently in the final stages of the Age of Pisces (which began just before the coming of Jesus) and entering the Age of Aquarius. However, ancient cultures didn't typically identify the end of one Great Age and the beginning of the next on an exact date, like Dec. 21, 2012.

What might make the end of this age more special than most (in the Mayan's eyes) is that our solar system, sun and planet will have moved to an alignment with the equator of the Milky Way Galaxy, an event that won't happen again for another 26,000 years. (Author's note; perhaps that's a good time for a chapter break when you're in the business of publishing a universal calendar as seen from Earth. Did the Mayans have more calendars after the one that ends in 2012? Perhaps, but they might have figured they had plenty of time to get it printed.)

Lee points out, "The 2012 alignment did not end the Mayan Calendar. More likely, it was merely the last calendar they had published. For whatever reasons, the Mayans died out or disappeared, but they did not preach an end times date."

Lee also says, "It will take 36 years for the sun to go through this period (we're 17 years into it now, halfway at 2012), although the entire precession of the equinoxes is a 26,000 year period. It marks a time for the highest potential consciousness that humanity has ever seen."

What is happening on our planet today in 2011? Some people focus on the problems: war, economy, wacky weather, political issues at home and abroad. But what about the good signs and the future possibilities? Kryon says, "DNA is the new frontier, and when humans learn how to work with their own DNA programing, amazing things will become possible."

What is time? Einstein says time is relative to speed, and that time is the 4th dimension. Does time repeat? Are the fractal wave patterns an indicator of time repeating? "Time is in a circle so what happens in the future always affects the past," Kryon says. "People need to learn how to step out of 3D to really learn how to meditate, pray and co-create."

Global warming? Kryon says, "There is a mass weather shifting, which affects agriculture and water changes. It's all about water and the water cycle. Silly humans did not cause global warming; it's a cycle that comes and goes. Now we're in the beginning of a cooling cycle, the beginning of an ice age. First it gets warmer then it gets cooler. This is a generational change; this will take a long time to play out. Earth is now in the beginning of an Ice Age, and it's all about the water." (Author's note; if it's all about the water then isn't it coincidental that we're entering the Age of Aquarius, the water bearer?)

Is humanity evolving? Kryon says, "We are always changing as it's a dynamic, energetic, spiritual world. Look for examples of people finding unity instead of warring with each other. The European Union and the currency, the Euro, is one such example. The fall of the Soviet Union is another."

Kryon's prediction for the Middle East, "Egypt is going through a revolution without a leader. When everybody can talk to everybody there can be no more conspiracies." (Author's note; sounds like social networking, Facebook, etc.) "Peace in the Middle East potentially comes from Iran, which will re-establish its greatness from a revolution that starts with the young people. Parts of Iran might be bombed before this happens. Peace in Middle East will be brokered by an Islamic country."

Back to the comment, "DNA is the new frontier. It's more than you think." We know that quantum is the study of small things, and biological molecules are enormous compared to an individual atom. But LIGHT is especially intriguing. Quantum Benevolence, the name of a premise recently talked about, is a description of quantum state behavior, bizarre and seemingly impossible wave particle duality as light is BOTH wave and particle depending on the conditions of the experiment (Heisenberg uncertainty principal). Matter can be in two places at the same time in quantum realities (double-slit light experiment). Can light be a part of healing? Kryon says, "You are part of both sides of the veil. Therefore you are never really alone and always with the Creator which you are a part of. Quantum healing knows no boundaries of any kind; it can be instantaneous over enormous distances."

Other things Kryon touched on but I won't even attempt to remember with quotes:
-Our Akashic records are in our DNA. Everything we've done or thought, life lessons, stem-cell blueprints, etc. Aging happens due to DNA not being fully active, or without cells that repeat the pristine original DNA form. Instead, with aging, it just keeps dividing from what it has. Ageless living is possible.
-We need to learn to ask the DNA strands to use the original cellular structure and slowly activate it to original information to stop aging. Spontaneous remission reproduces the original DNA and cellular blueprints. Kryon says the biblical characters who allegedly lived for hundreds of years, really did.

During the final 45 minute meditation, it felt like my hands, palms upward, were holding hands with other angels and LOCKED in place. This is hard to describe, but afterwards I also felt slightly drunk from the experience. Kryon's main message was that some of us in the audience have accepted our roles as LIGHT BEARERS, and others have not. For those who haven't, this is fine. There is no expectation from God or angels to perform work. For those of us who do accept our roles as LIGHT BEARERS, we need to remind ourselves to provide light. That means by lighting ourselves, not by being evangelical. For nobody wants (or needs) to be told how to act or behave in a Godly manner. It is within us already. The best thing a light-bearer can do is illuminate herself/himself. Shine brightly and let the world see it. Love everyone, regardless of what they are doing. If they are committing crimes, war, abuse, love them anyway. Don't love what they do, but love who they are and forgive them, for they have a difficult road just like everyone does.

This felt exactly like the Christ message to me if I'm reading between the lines of the gospels correctly; love yourself and your neighbor as yourself. Forgive everything, judge not. The human experience is difficult for all of us. As humans, we make mistakes. Does God really condemn us? Of course not. So for us to act Godly, we must learn to forgive and give grace as God does to EVERYONE.

What are some of the things Kryon told me that really felt like core truths? That God is within us, and the person who can find God anywhere is certainly blessed (as communication with spirit can happen easily outside of church). That concepts of Heaven and Hell are very much made up by humans and can be likened to children's stories (I really enjoyed that one!).

Remember the Higher-self, the God-within that is our constant guide. Follow the Higher-self, and all will be just fine during December of 2012 and beyond.

What are your thoughts or comments?
--
Home Page of author Jason Matthews.


Jason Matthews on Google Plus

add me to your Google Plus circles

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Summer Here Finally

This past winter in Truckee was particularly long. Actually, so was last year's winter. That's why my wife is constantly talking about moving and why we're so relieved summer is finally here.
The kids are still in school today. I know, you're kidding, right? Not kidding. Today is the last day of school. Shelby's taking a final right now while Devan is... well, whatever 7th graders without lockers do on their last day of school. The semester got extended due to the high number of snow days we had.
Now that summer is finally here, we'll be staying up a little later, sleeping in a little later, wearing less clothes and having more fun in the sun.
As a tribute to June 22nd and summer 2011, I'd like to watch a bit of those old time summer classics, like Grease.

Then of course was my all time favorite, Jaws, the 1975 movie that came out when I was 7 and scared the crap out of me even in swimming pools since I knew great white sharks could also magically appear out from the drain at the bottom of the deep end.

Friday, June 03, 2011

Trinity Episcopal Church Gardens and the Chartres Labyrinth

We just returned from a long Memorial Day vacation in Medford, Oregon where one daughter played and the other worked as assistant referee for the Rogue Valley Cup Soccer Tournament. What does this have to do with holy, spiritual labyrinths, you might ask? Everything.
Trinity Gardens labyrinth Ashland Oregon
For, you see, Medford is just 10 miles north of Ashland, Oregon. And within Ashland is the Trinity Episcopal Church and its Trinity Gardens, which is the site of a very nice, holy and spiritual labyrinth.
At the church's website, the history of the garden is chronicled way back;
The story of Trinity Garden goes back for millennia, deep into the Pleistocene Epoch...
Well, we probably don't need quite that much history. Here's the more recent gist of it;
Trinity Garden, Columbarium, and Sacred Ground was finished in the late fall of 2004. The garden consists of a large Chartres style labyrinth, designed and painted by the internationally known Robert Ferré on colored concrete. The three separate Columbaria units consist of 145 individual niches for the repose of the ashes of parish members and their families. Sacred ground for the scattering or burial of parishioners’ ashes is located in a fenced area between the columbarium units and the church. Low benches, a trellis, and a fountain are additional garden amenities. The trellis with seating beneath serves as a visual connection to the church building itself.
The Chartres Cathedral in France is widely know for its impressive architecture, stained glass windows, use of sacred geometry and its labyrinth. Located in Chartres, France, about an hour southwest of Paris, the 800 plus year old church is considered to be one of the finest examples of the French High Gothic style with heavy flying buttresses and spires that reach nearly 400 feet in height. And there is also a world famous labyrinth, regularly walked by the religiously pious, the spiritually aware and the just-plain-curious alike.
Chartres Cathedral labyrinth Chartres France

The Chartres labyrinth is a bit like a gigantic pattern of concentric circles on the floor but it's really a maze. Though there is no solving a puzzle with this maze; you simply follow between the lines at the beginning and will wind up at the end in a few minutes. The whole idea is to hold contemplative thoughts and energies as you go to better connect with God, spirit, higher source, however you like to think about it.
Devan Matthews, Shelby Matthews, Jana Matthews walking the Trinity Garden labyrinth

Devan, Shelby and Jana walking the spiritual path at Trinity Gardens in Ashland, Oregon. The church to the right (not in picture) had Sunday service so the sounds of singing and hymns accompanied the walk. Nice touch.
at the beginning Devan Matthews, Shelby Matthews, Jana Matthews


 At the beginning. Twelve trees around the garden symbolize the apostles.

botanical gardens of Trinity Church Ashland Oregon


Beautiful botanical garden and flowers in bloom around the trellis.
fountain at Trinity gardens Ashland Oregon


Fountain with three large rocks symbolizing the Holy Trinity.







I have been to France twice but never to Chartres. Due to our brief but memorable time in Ashland and the Trinity Gardens, our family has added the Chartres church and labyrinth to our wish list. For those thinking of visiting Southern Oregon, Ashland has many wonderful places to visit and things to do.

Thoughts or comments?
--
Home Page of author Jason Matthews.


Jason Matthews on Google Plus

add me to your Google Plus circles

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Empathy, Sam Richard's Radical Experiment, Genius Way to Understand Arab Resentment of Americans

My brother asked me to watch this video. Glad he did. It's a good reminder for putting yourself in the shoes of other people, or at least trying to. If you don't understand why so many people around the world hate Americans, try putting yourself in their shoes. It's all about empathy, compassion, mercy, forgiveness.




 "While nothing is easier than to denounce the evildoer, nothing is more difficult than to understand him." - Fyodor Dostoevsky

Thoughts or comments?

Sunday, May 08, 2011

Happy Mother's Day to All My Moms

Kaye Shackford, superb Mom and winner of royal flushes
I really got lucky in the mom department, must've come into this world saying, "Okay God, but whatever happens make sure I've got lots of mom-types around."
4 for 1 is a pretty good deal for just about anything. In fact, it's hard to think of many 4 for 1 deals that truly exist, but it does for me. Let me explain.
First of all, I was blessed to be birthed by my Mom, Kaye. She always took exceptional care of me (and sister, Mindy) even though it wasn't easy being a single mom for much of that time. While the money wasn't always flowing as well as it could have, there was never a shortage of love and support, which is clearly why I turned out to be so wonderful.
This is a picture of Mom at the Hacienda in Incline and a royal flush on the poker machine with all 5 coins in. That's the kind of effect Kaye has on the world, where everything blossoms around her. (Okay, so the royal flush was PaBear's; she still influenced it.)

Jeannie Matthews, fantastic Step Mom and grandma of Nola Bartley
I also got lucky with a 2nd Mom. Jeannie, my step-Mom, married my dad about 3 years after my folks divorced and went separate ways. At the time, Dad and Jeannie didn't have kids yet, and so Mindy and I were thrust upon her every summer during our childhood through teen years. Of course it was a major challenge for Jeannie to have to deal with us, especially because we were rather wild and carefree and often took the emotional difficulties of the divorce out on her. But Jeannie did a great job and was a blessing as a 2nd Mom for me and continues to be to this day. Looking forward to seeing her soon. This is a picture of a lucky granddaughter, Nola, with her GrandMa who continues to share the love with the next generation. Thanks, Jeannie!

Mindy Tindle, wonderful sister and Mother of Mollie Tindle and Adam Tindle
Then there was my sister, Mindy, filling in part time as a mom. She was 3 years older, and since we were often on our own at very young ages, Mindy took care of me when no one else was around. We endured cross-country flights twice a year at very young ages to spend time with each parent, but during those flights and transition periods at the next home, Mindy was often the person I needed for support. In a similar vein, we moved homes quite often when I was a child, 6 different houses and 3 states by the time I was 10. Thankfully, Mindy was always there to help and now is a great mom to her own kids, Mollie and Adam.

Jason Matthews and Jana Matthews at Cottonwood restaurant Truckee CA
Finally, there's the wonderful mom I see everyday, my wife, Jana. She's my best friend, my daily partner and companion, and she's also the greatest mom to our beautiful daughters, Shelby and Devan, who (trust me) know how truly blessed they are to have Jana in their lives. And even though Jana is my wife, she often mentions how terrific it is that I'm really one of the children and how I help spread the need for her mom skills to yet another child in the family. Aw shucks, honey, just doing what I can to help out.

Thanks so much to all the Mom's in my life! You've really made a difference and continue to today. I love you.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Truckee Adult Futsal Champs 2011, 3-Peat and Still Undefeated 31-0

Truckee Futsal Champs winter 2011 Jason Matthews, Andreas Zeischegg, Genevieve Speas, Autumn, Natalie Pratt, Tommy Hernandez, Octavio Cardenas and Michael Kugler, 3 peat undefeated
Another season of Truckee Adult Co-ed Futsal is in the books with the team sponsored by Mountain Lake Painting once again claiming the big prize in undefeated fashion. MLP went 11-0 through the winter 2011 regular season and playoffs elevating their overall 3 season record to an empirical 31-0.
As before, the final (real) contest came at the expense of arch-rival, Guapos, though MLP handily took care of business this time with a game that was never very close and finished 10-5. The next game (against the champs from the B-league) was a lopsided mismatch and ended 20-1.
But the path to glory, champagne and roses wasn't easy, including a regular season game against Guapos that saw MLP down 2 goals with 90 seconds remaining. As if by miracle, team captain Tommy Hernandez scored a goal and then, with 10 seconds left, found teammate striker, Andreas Zeischegg, heavily guarded near the net. Andreas received the ball, shielded one defender, turned and somehow slipped it past the Guapos keeper with 8 seconds left as the overcapacity Rec Center crowd went wild and had to be restrained by Truckee Police from storming the court.
In overtime, Genevieve Speas of MLP nailed the game-winning sudden-death penalty shot to close the nail-biting contest and keep the unbeaten streak alive.

After winning against their arch-rivals in the championship game, Hernandez spoke of destiny when he said, "We weren't scured tonight. Normally we know games with them can go either way. Tonight we were never scured, not even sure why."
Genevieve Speas came up huge again, leading team MLP in scoring and finding herself mobbed by fans and reporters immediately afterwards. "I just put the ball in the net," she said when asked the secret of her success. "People make this game complex with hella rules and strategies. Just put the ball in the back of the net."
Despite Speas' prolific goal-scoring, team assist leader, Michael (Mike) Kruger was named finals MVP for dishing out 6 assists. "My teammates deserve the credit," Kruger said, holding the cherished TDRPD Futsal Cup. "They bust ass to get open so I can dish out dimes. Makes me look like Steve Mash or Lebron Jones."

(Pictured above left to right standing - Autumn, Michael Kugler, Andreas Zeischegg, Genevieve Speas,  kneeling -Tommy Hernandez, Octavio Cardenas, Jason Matthews, Octavio Jr. Not pictured - team spiritual leader, Natalie Pratt)

--
Click here for the home page of Jason Matthews, spiritual fiction author.

add me to your Google Plus circles.

+Jason Matthews

Monday, March 21, 2011

Second Bodies by Sandra Danilovic, Documentary Film Review

"There is something stronger than sex or happiness: the passion for illusion." Jean Baudrillard, the French philosopher, theorist and social activist said this well before Linden Lab designed Second Life, a 3D virtual world created by its residents (people like you) that's bursting with entertainment, experiences, and opportunity.

If anything was possible and you could be anyone or do anything.... what would it be? Want to fly across the ocean or perhaps the universe? Care to change your body into a perfect physical specimen or maybe another gender or something completely different? Drive a Rolls Royce, work on Wall Street, dunk a basketball? Want to dabble with virtual reality for awhile, even if it means gaining some new perspective on your current situation?
Second Bodies cover image
I just had the pleasure of watching an Indie film, Second Bodies, about one woman's experience in the gaming world of Second Life. The 2009, 46 minute documentary is written, produced and directed by Sandra Danilovic of Toronto. It won Best Documentary at the 2010 San Francisco New Media Film Festival.

Elements of beauty, escape, personal journey, fear, sex and more are intricately woven into both Second Bodies and the online experience. Danilovic, as actress and director, does an excellent job presenting the philosophies inherent to the system without spelling everything out for the audience. In fact, I found this film subtly artistic; it's likely many people may not be ready to appreciate the scope of intelligence within. If one goal of the documentary is to get us to open our eyes and learn more about ourselves, this film passes with flying colors.

Second Bodies sex scene
After all, can Sandra Danilovic explain attraction, love, reality and experience for the rest of us? Of course not, and she's not attempting that. What's great about this film is what it achieves without trying to; it gets the viewer pondering subjects as basic (and simultaneously profound) as self-image and self-worth which are perhaps now more understandable because of this "video game."

Fellow cast members include Danilovic's friends, Annette and Michele, who help explain the intrigue of the Second Life experience as well as the benefits.

Annette's furry avatar
Annette describes herself as an educator, bookworm, bi-polar married person who is often shy and hides out with her husband and friends in her apartment. In Second Life, "I feel confident, attractive, funny and interesting, like a more confident version of myself." Annette has tried avatars like Goth Chicks, but in the film adorns the body of a Furry, a cross between human and animal with fox mouth, big ears, long tail, paws and a rather sexy-while-furry body.

Michele says she feels... "free, like a little kid experiencing something new for the first time. I get to do things I couldn't possibly do in real life, like flying." In this life, Michele faces the challenges after entering the real world with birth complications that left her suffering from cerebral palsy and eventually confined to a wheelchair. In the gaming world, Michele can do anything she wants.

"Do you think you're beautiful?" Danilovic asks, both herself and her friends.

"I wish I had my avatar's waist," Annette says jokingly. "My furry avatar is a way to distinguish myself from all the avatars that are perfect renditions of what bodies should be."

Michele answers, "I'm not the conventional beauty type like Kim Basinger or Nicole Kidman... I don't look like that... some would describe me as exotic looking. I feel loved by my son. He tells me all the time," she says referring to Seth, her 6-year-old who seems to appreciate his single mother at just the right moments.

Sandra Danilovic, writer director and producer
Perhaps Danilovic was destined to experience the gaming world and make this film. Her earliest childhood memories of beauty involve two women: her mother and Barbie. In the game she gets to experience either version, but there's much more to it than that. From Sandra's own diary in 1996; "Am I just imagining my own pain or is it real? I don't know what reality is."

Another huge element of both the game and movie is understanding experience itself. Perhaps we need to step outside of our bodies to experience something else and thus more fully appreciate our actual reality.

We have seen it in the past and believe that technology will continuously get better with each coming year. My guess is Second Life and other virtual worlds will forever get closer to everyday realities until we have trouble distinguishing between the two. The question ultimately becomes; which world would we rather life in?

"We no longer partake of the drama of alienation, but are in the ecstasy of communication." - Jean Baudrillard

Second Bodies, a Independent documentary film by Sandra Danilovic, 5 out of 5 stars rating

Your thoughts or comments?
--
Click here for the home page of author Jason Matthews.

add me to your Google Plus circles.

+Jason Matthews

Wednesday, March 02, 2011

Imagine Creating a Universe

Albert Einstein, Imagination is more important than knowledge
"Imagination is more important than knowledge," said Albert Einstein, the German born physicist who lived from 1879 to 1955. He's the father of general relativity, E=mc2 and arguably the greatest mind the Earth has ever known.
Perhaps part of what Einstein was saying is that creativity plays a more valuable role in actual discovery than merely understanding existing doctrine. Not to say educating ourselves on what is known isn't important, but perhaps fiction and fantasy are far more involved with the revelation of new ideas than we realize.

Imagination is at the heart of the novel, The Little Universe. For the reader needs to imagine creating a miniature universe, a living and breathing self-enclosed cosmos separate from our own where the reader can explore all the galaxies, stars and even planets within it.
Think outside the box for a moment. If you really had a universe at your fingertips and could search anywhere within it, what might you find? The possibilities are endless; from primordial soup to advanced alien worlds, surely anything could be found - and this truly stretches the limits of anyone's imagination. As an author, I felt humbled by the very concept.
Here is a sample from the novel, at the moment of creation within The Little Universe:

The Little Universe front cover, Jason Matthews, spiritual books
I wiped the sweat from my palms onto my pants. Adams gripped the back of his swivel chair as he stood behind it, pressing his thumbs into the fabric. His stare remained locked on the blank monitors. I felt the tension getting worse, and I wanted to say something witty to break the silence, but nothing came to mind. Instead, a calm peace spread over us from the dark screens. I could hear my breathing and feel my heartbeat over the sounds of anything else. The silence made me think that something wasn’t working. I looked at the control panel and noticed that Jim’s green light was glowing as brightly as I had ever seen
it, as if at any moment he would explode from thinking. I figured there must be a glitch, and I expected Adams to take off his glasses in frustration and start complaining to Rose about what went wrong.
Then suddenly, a tiny spot of light began to show on the main monitor.
As soon as I could focus on it, it flashed into a brilliant explosion across all the monitors. Then it was dark again. Jim’s light dimmed to a dull green glow. I looked to Adams for an explanation. He started laughing out loud, staring at the screens. The flash had blinded me after it dissipated. Now I saw that tiny dots of light remained. Those spots of white emerged from the center of the main monitor and began spreading out and getting larger.
“Yes!” Adams cried.
“Yes, what?” I asked.
“Everything okay, Jim?” he asked, taking off his glasses.
“I think so,” Jim said. “I think it’s working.”
The screens remained primarily dark, but small areas of glowing light were visible.
“There!” Adams said. “Let’s get a closer shot from Monitor One.”
As the camera zoomed in, I could make out what looked like glowing gas. The light was bright yet transparent. It floated outward and settled into swirls with other bits and pieces. My hand made swirling motions, mimicking the action on the monitors.
I turned to Adams. “What is that stuff?”
“Matter,” Adams said, smiling broadly. “Pure matter.”
It didn’t look like matter. It looked like a bundle of glowing gas. As the shot went closer in toward the light, I could see big blobs and little blobs, each pulsing with tiny specks of light.
“Chemical analysis of the matter, Jim?” Adams asked, nervously spinning the chair in front of him.
“Hydrogen. Entirely hydrogen.”
“Perfect!” Adams said, rubbing his hands together.
“It’s just gas,” I said. “You took hydrogen from one source and merely placed it into another.”
We watched the images of the glowing gas blobs become larger. They spread out and intermingled with other blobs of light. It was mildly intriguing.
We stood motionless for several minutes, just watching.
Then Adams broke the trance. “See, Jon. These lights number in the millions. Most are locked in orbits with others.”
As I looked more closely at the tiny areas of light, I suddenly realized they looked like galaxies.
A shiver traveled down my spine. A tiny universe had been created before my eyes. Within minutes, dozens of different masses sparkled against the darkness on the screens. Each mass hovered about on its own, tracked by a different camera within the cavity of the building and displayed on a monitor. Our dimly lit lab room was filled with light from these newborn galaxies.
Adams laughed again. “Jim, zoom Camera Two in closer.”
Monitor Two revealed a cluster of stars, tons of them surrounded by extraordinary colors and formations. It was like a fountain of magic dust, reminding me of the pictures in the hallway that I passed by each day.
“What’s happening here?” I asked. “This doesn’t look like gas anymore.”
“It’s a nebula!” Adams cried out, raising his arms to the ceiling in victory. “We have a nebula! Slow down the rate, Jim. Take it down to a crawl.”
The twisting and moving slowed down, halting the lights. The monitors displayed dozens of galaxies frozen in time. Adams, mystified by his creation, stared at the screens. Each one showcased a galaxy of brilliant lights and amazing colors. He laughed in delight.
“We did it,” he said, shaking me. “We really did it!”
I looked around at the monitors into a vast horizon of heavens, feeling like I was on a space station in the center of the universe.
“I still don’t understand,” I said. “How did this come from a little atomic matter?”
Adams sat in his chair, calmed himself, and stared at the monitors in a dreamy way as if the full understanding of the invention had just come to him.
“When you analyze things that are extremely small, like quarks and elements of atoms... and when you compare them to things that are extremely large, like stars and galaxies... they’re oddly similar. Physical size may be one of the great mysteries of life.”
Then it became clear to me. I found myself saying out loud, “We have a model of a universe. Not just a plastic model, but a living, breathing, real universe right in front of us.”
All that time in the making, I never really understood the significance of what he was attempting until that moment.
“What’s more,” Adams added, “we’ve just witnessed The Big Bang.”

“Creation has happened! It’s been a long road, but we arrived today. Rose, you were right as usual. Portal from ct over zero at parsec y! If I die tomorrow, I’ll be happy. Doubtful to sleep tonight, the rush of it all is still in me. Watching light come out of nothing... watching the birth of stars! It was everything I had hoped for and more.”
- From p. 23 of Webster’s journal.

This novel available as a paperback at Amazon and as an ebook for Amazon Kindle, Barnes&Noble Nook, Apple iBookstore and the author's website directly.

What are your thoughts?
--
Click here for the home page of author Jason Matthews.

add me to your Google Plus circles.

+Jason Matthews

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Is Dumping Big Snow in Truckee-Tahoe, California Winter Storm 2011

author Jason Matthews big snow Truckee California
Big snow in California? Excuse me, you did say California; that's the sunshine state known for growing every food imaginable and having such pleasant weather, right? Hey, isn't it also known for palm trees, Hollywood tans, surfing in Malibu, sweltering in Death Valley, rocking to the Beach Boys while cruising convertibles and turning heads in bikinis down the Venice Beach Boardwalk?

home of author Jason Matthews Truckee CaliforniaYeah, it's all that too, but in the Sierra Nevada mountain range around Lake Tahoe and Truckee there's another side of California and it's a Northern thing. Up North in the winter when the weather comes a-callin' you might hear an unfamiliar Cali saying; "Is dumping!"
downtown Truckee with big snow in streetsYou mean, it's dumping, right? It's would be grammatically correct. Nope, the saying is; "Is dumping!" There's no need for grammar when the snow piles up so fast one finishes snow-blowing the driveway and has to turn around and do it again.
The above is a picture of my house which hasn't had snow for well over a month as an early spring had settled in. Just a few days ago there was nothing but shingles on the roof and grass spots popping up in the yard. Look at it now. Look at it! That white stuff just arrived since Wednesday.
What kind of snow are we talking about? Ski areas like Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows report 87 inches (221 cm) at base area and 126 inches (320 cm) at mid-mountain over the last 4 days.
author Jason Matthews standing on huge pile of snow Truckee CaliforniaIn the town of Truckee, it's business as usual. Well, sort of. Sometimes they have trouble finding new places to store the snow from the streets, so the plows just make great big piles of it in...well, the street, why not? Yeah, that's different. Before you know it with a storm like this, the whole town is one monstrous pile of snow after another. Going out to lunch at Panda turns into going out to lunch at Panda next to a humungous pile of snow! This was the scene at Panda restaurant in Truckee. That little building on the right is Panda and that crazy-ass pile of plowed snow I'm standing on arrived in the previous 3 days. Reservation for party of one! I'll have the mandarin chicken.
stop sign buried in snowDidn't they say it snowed, for like, 40 days or something before Noah finally decided to build the arc? Wow, I don't know how I'd perform under that kind of  pressure. After just a few days of dealing with this, I'm not sure how much more I can take.
USPS mail truck covered in four feet of snowI know this Stop sign can't take much more. Since this photo was taken it might already be buried, no longer warning anyone of the present need to stop before proceeding. Seems kinda dangerous in a driver-safety sorta way.
This is the feeling when you just want the weather to chill and give you a chance to catch up. Then you realize, this has just been for a few days. That's all? What if it snowed like this for a week or a month or the whole winter? Anna, this is God getting back to you, sorry about the delay but for your own sake please don't ask such questions.
You know the US postal service? They've got a little slogan that goes something like this; "And neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night, nor the winds of change, nor a nation challenged, will stay us from the swift completion of our appointed rounds. Ever." Wow, pretty sure of themselves. In this case it might be changed to, "What the heck, today the mail might make it there, maybe not. Ever."

Devan Matthews jumps off roof into big pile of snow We don't always know what to do with ourselves when the kids have a snow day off from school... or two... or three and ultimately get kinda bored. Shoveling the back deck seems to drive them bonkers, especially after the fourth time. They also tire of the board games from the closet, even the ones that haven't been used in years: Parcheesi and Yahtzee, all the games that end in the "zee" sound. With so much pent-up energy compounded by the low pressure system, a parent might lose better judgment momentarily telling their kid to go jump off the roof, and the kid might reply, "There could be a need to test Newton's law of gravity and the actual snow density from these storms." Truckee translation; perfect time for the old family tradition of launching oneself off the roof.
Devan Matthews big snow Truckee CaliforniaHere's my 12 year old daughter, Devan Matthews, performing an acrobatic assault from the second story into the front yard. Normally, this would be a twelve foot plunge into a very painful landing. In this case, we're guessing the 5 feet of fresh powder might possibly cushion her buttocks. Okay, Devan, go ahead and jump, as if she needs me to tell her. Poof.
Yep, looks like she's doing okay on this 3rd straight no-school-Truckee-snow-day if you ask me.
"Anyone seen the weather forecast? Dumping? Okay, thanks."

Want to add a comment?
--
Home Page of author Jason Matthews.


Jason Matthews on Google Plus

add me to your Google Plus circles