Michael Benner's Blog, page 24

Hello AWMS subscriber :

Few people realize that Love is not an emotion. In fact, Love brings up many emotional feelings from bliss to heartbreak and back. Love is the Awareness that moves us from separate to harmonious, from "I need you" to "Let me help."

Our new episode of the Ageless Wisdom Mystery School podcast is a simulcast of the Valeria Teles podcast from FitForJoy.org — The Spiritual Side of Fearless Intelligence. Valeria interviews me about emotional intelligence as the portal to spiritual growth and self-awareness. We also explore the distinctions between Awareness and consciousness, the nature of identity, and the problems associated with attachment to the appearance of things.

We have reached our initial goal of 50 book reviews on Amazon and wish to thank those who've taken a few minutes to help boost our visibility in keyword searches. More than 90% of readers say they look at book reviews before making a purchase. So your help is immensely appreciated.

If you've enjoyed reading "Fearless Intelligence," please use the blue buttons that follow to post a brief and honest review. Podcast ratings in the iTunes Store are also most appreciated. Thank you.

And feel free to click on the yellow button at the top of this newsletter page to access my online calendar. Schedule a private introductory coaching session with me at a time that's good for you. There's no fee and no obligation to schedule further phone or Skype meetings.

Thanks for your interest and support. Namaste and Aloha,

— Michael

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Contact info — Phone or text: (+ 1) 818-900-AWMS or

818-900-2967 during business hours

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Voicemail only (24/7) 818-569-3017

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Michael Benner
Personal Development Strategies
PO Box 6894
La Quinta, California 92248

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Published on August 13, 2019 03:49

The Hard Problem of Consciousness

Metacognition — The Awareness of Being Aware

"Awakening begins when a person realizes they are going nowhere, and do not know where to go." — G. I. Gurdjieff

Hello AWMS subscriber :

Consciousness is often called "the hard problem of science" because it appears science cannot explain it. Science describes function, structure, and dynamics, but it has no means of approaching the question, "Why are we aware?" Even single-cell organisms react to their environment, learn, and remember. How can this be, when they have no brain — not a single neuron!

Although empirical science may never explain consciousness, we can observe it. For thousands of years, humans have quieted themselves for the sole purpose of watching the workings of their mind. And there is consensus about many of the insights they've gained.

Our latest podcast features Phil Goldberg and Dennis Raimondi from the Spirit Matters podcast interviewing me about Awareness, consciousness, and understanding. I'm sure you'll find it intriguing.

To listen, simply visit The Ageless Wisdom podcast website or use any of the links below to stream, download, and subscribe for free. Also, use the yellow button at the top of this page to access my online calendar and schedule a free intro session about personal management, development, and empowerment. It's your life. If you're not running the show, who it?

Namaste and Aloha,

— Michael

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Contact info — Phone or text: (+ 1) 818-900-AWMS or

818-900-2967 during business hours

(CA-Pacific, -7 hrs UTC).

Voicemail only (24/7) 818-569-3017

Links —

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Michael Benner
Personal Development Strategies
PO Box 6894
La Quinta, California 92248

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Published on July 22, 2019 06:56

Your Emotional Center

The Heart and Soul of Awareness

"There can be no transforming of darkness into light and of apathy into movement without emotion." — Carl G. Jung

Hello AWMS subscriber :

Mysticism embraces many mysteries, but chief among them is our emotional nature. What role do emotions play in our lives? What is their relationship to thoughts and behavior? Where do they fit into the mind-body connection?

Because emotional intelligence is much more important than mental intelligence in determining your happiness and success, we have just released the first of several new audio podcasts to help you better understand and manage your emotional feelings.

While thoughts help us discover the world, our emotions reveal our individuality. They are the essence of subjectivity. And understanding ourselves is necessary to the development of empathy and compassion to help us better understand others.

Use the links below to subscribe to The Ageless Wisdom Mystery School podcast series, free-of-charge. Or click here to visit our podcast page.

I'd like to thank those who've posted reviews of my Fearless Intelligence book — especially on Amazon — to boost our visibility in keyword searches. Please tell your friends about the book, which is rated 4.9 on Amazon with nearly 50 reviews at this point. The blue buttons on the right will direct you to other book review sites if you'd like to join the "cultural creatives" among us to uplift global consciousness.

Also, use the yellow button at the top of this page to access my online calendar and schedule a free private phone session with me. Thanks, and stay in touch. Namaste and Aloha,

— Michael

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Contact info — Phone or text: (+ 1) 818-900-AWMS or

818-900-2967 during business hours

(CA-Pacific, -7 hrs UTC).

Voicemail only (24/7) 818-569-3017

Links —

Subscribe to free podcasts in Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher or Spotify.

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Michael Benner
Personal Development Strategies
PO Box 6894
La Quinta, California 92248

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Published on July 09, 2019 18:39

Is Awareness a Feeling, a Way of Thinking, or Something Else?

Just What Are Feelings?

"Awareness is not an idea about awareness, as it is not thought at all. Awareness allows you to feel life as it's happening."

— Mark Belsebuub

Hello AWMS subscriber :

Recently, I was asked whether spirituality is related to emotional feelings. My efforts to answer him led me to share the following.

First, there is a technical distinction between emotions and feelings. Emotions are biochemical responses in the brain, which are typically experienced in the body as "feelings." Inversely, physical feelings usually begin in the body and are perceived by the brain as somatic sensations.

There are four basic emotional feelings — happiness, sadness, fear, and anger, plus dozens of variations like envy, jealousy, hatred, confusion, suspicion, grief, apathy, etc.

Physical feelings include pain and pleasure, as well as sensations of warmth and cold, touch, balance and orientation of the body, hunger, nausea, shortness-of-breath, heart palpitations, a need to visit the restroom, and so on.

Spiritual feelings are associated with awakening and awareness. With deep relaxation and detached attention — usually called meditation — a dedicated student can study the workings of the mind and learn to see beyond its illusions. The pleasant and pleasurable feelings of awakening result from realizing the expanded virtues of Love — joy, peace-of-mind, kindness, empathy, compassion, forgiveness, equanimity, and self-awareness.

________________________________

Use the yellow button at the top of this page to access my online calendar and schedule a free introductory session to my private telephone and Skype trainings. There is no obligation to schedule follow-up sessions.

And if you haven't yet reviewed my "Fearless Intelligence" book, please use the blue buttons on the right to add a few lines. I helps raise our visibility in keyword searches so people like you can find the books they're looking for. Thanks.

— Michael

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Contact info — Phone or text: (+ 1) 818-900-AWMS or

818-900-2967 during business hours

(CA-Pacific, -7 hrs UTC).

Voicemail only (24/7) 818-569-3017

Links —

Subscribe to free podcasts in Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher or Spotify.

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Michael Benner
Personal Development Strategies
PO Box 6894
La Quinta, California 92248

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Published on June 17, 2019 20:15

Fear is Frightening Because it Hurts

The Surprising Benefits of Facing Fear

"Always do what you are afraid to do."

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hello AWMS subscriber :

Not only is fear frightening, it hurts. Various degrees of fear accompany all of our problems, as well as physical pain, and emotional sadness and anger. Yet, in a deeper sense, fear and anxiety signal unawareness, confusion, and ignorance — whether dangerous or not. So if all fear is "fear of the unknown," the antidote must be knowledge and understanding.

Problems are supported by our failure to understand their solutions — or which solution is best. Further, fear and ignorance are two sides of a vicious cycle. In other words, fear is both a cause and an effect of our problems and confusion about what to do, as well as what we're capable of.

Peace-of-mind and understanding are also cyclic, promoting a beneficial upward spiral. The transition from the vicious cycle of fear and ignorance to the upward spiral of equanimity and understanding requires safe, relaxed feelings, and an acceptance of personal responsibility. Blaming others will drop you back into the downward cycle of fear and confusion.

Years ago, while mindfully sitting, a voice in my head spoke with clarity and wisdom, declaring, "The best parts of you are hidden where you're most afraid to look." Ever since, I've purposefully explored my fear, anxiety, and stress in intuitive, meditative states to understand and alleviate emotional heartache and every other problem born of what I do not understand. The self-awareness promoted by facing my fear, I now call, "Fearless Intelligence." _________________________________________

Our new podcast website is up and running. Check it out at TheAgelessWisdom.com. Also, as a result of many requests over the years, I've begun to edit together "Best of" audio clips from some of my old radio shows. So keep an ear to the ground for that podcast.

Our current podcast features psychologist, Dr. Nita Vallens, interviewing me on KPFK-FM in Los Angeles about my "Fearless Intelligence" book. And remember — fearlessness is peace and love,

— Michael

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Contact info — Phone or text: (+ 1) 818-900-AWMS or

818-900-2967 during business hours

(CA-Pacific, -7 hrs UTC).

Voicemail only (24/7) 818-569-3017

Links —

Subscribe to free podcasts in Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher or Spotify.

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Michael Benner
Personal Development Strategies
PO Box 6894
La Quinta, California 92248

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Published on May 31, 2019 21:07

Evolution or Devolution?

Avoiding Negative Results Is Not A Goal

"What you get by achieving your goals is not

as important as who you become by achieving

your goals." — Zig Ziglar

Hello AWMS subscriber :

There are only two forces that motivate us to take action — fear and love. Fear is an emotional feeling that signifies a lack of awareness or understanding, whether dangerous or not. But love is much, much more than a feeling.

Love is understanding. It is the expanded awareness that comes from a quiet, still, and peaceful mind. If love were only a feeling, the admonition to "Love your enemies" would make no sense. Kindness alone will not transform an enemy into an ally.

But when we recognize love as expanded awareness, we can ask ourselves, "Why are my enemies frightened by me? Perhaps there's something I can say or do to make them less afraid and less hostile."

Fear and love are polar opposites in that fear urges us to move away from what we do not want, while love encourages us to move toward whatever we desire. Love promotes growth and evolution, while fear debases our humanity and leads to devolution.

Fear confuses us, which undermines awareness and makes us more confused and ignorant. Love makes us smarter, which promotes peace and understanding.

So take a moment to ask yourself whether you primarily motivate yourself with fear or love. Are you moving toward the goals and results you aspire to reach, or are you simply trying to avoid despair and desolation.

Reflect on this! Trying to avoid negative results is not a goal.

Our curren podcast features me being interviewed on KPFK-FM in Los Angeles by Dr. Nita Vallens about my book "Fearless Intelligence — The Extraordinary Wisdom of Awareness."

Use the blue button at the top of this page to listen.

Are you anxious, burned-out, or suffering daily from PTSD? Click on the yellow button at the top of this page to access my online calendar and schedule a free private phone session with me. There's no obligation to follow-up, and most people immediately feel a big sense of relief. .

And if you haven't left a book review on Amazon or the sites listed to the right, please help us raise our visibility in keyword searches by dropping a few lines saying what you liked about "Fearless Intelligence."

Thanks. Fearlessness is Peace and Love,

— Michael

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Contact info — Phone or text: (+ 1) 818-900-AWMS or

818-900-2967 during business hours

(CA-Pacific, -7 hrs UTC).

Voicemail only (24/7) 818-569-3017

Links —

Subscribe to free podcasts in Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher or Spotify.

Unsubscribe This message was sent to ahuxley.mhall@blogger.com from MB@TheAgelessWisdom.com

Michael Benner
Personal Development Strategies
PO Box 6894
La Quinta, California 92248

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Published on May 16, 2019 17:58

Three minutes of your help

We need your help!

Three Minutes of Your Help

Hi AWMS subscriber ,

You are one of 114 people who pre-ordered our Fearless Intelligence book last summer. But, so far, fewer than 10% have left book reviews on Amazon. We need at least 13 more reviews to boost our visibility in keyword searches. Without at least 50 reviews, we're easily overlooked. Please help.

If you've already dropped a review. Thanks a million. If not, please set aside three minutes to add a few comments on Amazon. No BS or puffery is needed, just a few sincere comments about what you liked about the book.

Frankly, Amazon Reviews are the best way to increase the likelihood our book will be discovered by those searching for the best personal development titles.

To help even more, leave your review of Fearless Intelligence on the other sites listed below. Thanks. we truly appreciate your help and support.

— Michael

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Personal Development Strategies

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Personal Development Strategies
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Published on April 25, 2019 20:35

Bridging the Gap Between Opposites

The Middle Way

"The paradox of the universe, within and beyond the opposites...teaches us to be in the world but not of the world. This realization is called the middle way."

— Jack Kornfield

Hello AWMS subscriber :

Lately, we've heard about and experienced great divisiveness in our society — a split nurtured by the fear of accelerating change and the appearance of new and unknown things.

Hence the call for unity. But a better word for bridging the gap between opposites is harmony, for we should not wish to all think alike. Harmony is love, truth, and wisdom — inclusive, magnetic, and cohesive qualities.

Harmony lives in the midst of unity and diversity. It is the bothness of things, rather than either-or, right-or-wrong, winners-or-losers. It's the swing of the pendulum at its weighted end, though the top remains fixed and unmoving.

Wise women and men have spoken of the middle way or third path for thousands of years — sometimes as moderation or, simply, tolerance of differences. It is appropriateness — the balance, authenticity, and awareness between the extremes.

The tricky part is distinguishing polarities from other word pairs. Good or bad and love or fear are NOT polarities. Goodness, truth, and love are qualities of the middle way — the synthesis of discordant extremes.

Binary thinkers assume all differences are opposite. One who walks the third or middle path becomes much more persuasive and influential by refusing to limit themselves to only this or that. Couch your verbal disagreements with phrases like, "That may be, and yet there's also..." and, "I understand how you feel. However, my opinion is a bit different."

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By the way, we still need 13 more Amazon book reviews for "Fearless Intelligence" to increase visibility in keywords searches. Please review our indie book with the link on the right.

And join those who've found personal wisdom in peace-of-mind. Use the yellow button at the top of this page to access my online calendar and schedule a free, private intake session. Thanks.

Fearlessness is Peace and Love,

— Michael

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Contact info —

Send inquiries and questions to Michael at: MB@TheAgelessWisdom.com

Phone or text: (+ 1) 818-900-AWMS or

818-900-2967 during business hours

(CA-Pacific, -7 hrs UTC).

Links —

Podcasts in iTunes Store, Google Play & Stitcher.

Quora feed

About.me/MichaelBenner

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Michael Benner
Personal Development Strategies
PO Box 6894
La Quinta, California 92248

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Published on April 15, 2019 13:09

How to Turn on Your Brain

Maintain Your Brain

" The human brain has 100-billion neurons, each neuron connected to 10-thousand other neurons. Sitting on your shoulders is the most complicated object in the known universe."

— Michio Kaku

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Hello AWMS subscriber :

Like other personal development authors, seminar leaders, and instructors, I often speak about the human mind, expanding awareness, and raising consciousness. But we don't speak much about the brain. The mind is conceptual, but the brain is a physical organ. It only weighs about three pounds yet it consumes 20% of the body's blood, oxygen, and glucose as the body's central nervous system.

The brain innately emits varying frequencies of electromagnetic waves. As we experience increasing levels of stimuli and stress, our brainwave frequencies go higher, and we become more scattered and confused. Stress management lowers brainwave frequencies making the brain more intelligent, aware, focused, lucid, and astute.

High stress also causes the brain to literally shrink, while mindfulness meditators experience brain growth throughout adulthood. If you're not managing stress with meditation and contemplation, your brain is withering away.

Beats, baby-boomers, and younger generations have become interested in expanded awareness by using mind-expanding psychedelics. But they often turn to meditation and ancient Vedantic philosophies as more natural approaches to expanding awareness. Essentially, we must learn to turn off our mind to turn on our brain. After practicing meditation, John Lennon sang, "turn off your mind, relax, and float downstream."

Listen to our Ageless Wisdom Mystery School podcast this week as I replay my last interview with the High Priest of LSD, Dr. Timothy Leary (use links below). This interview was done in April of 1993, just three years before his death, and two years before the Internet — pretty fascinating stuff.

Fearlessness is Peace and Love,

— Michael

Contact info —

Send inquiries and questions to Michael at: MB@TheAgelessWisdom.com

Phone or text: (+ 1) 818-900-AWMS or

818-900-2967 during business hours

(CA-Pacific, -7 hrs UTC).

Links —

Podcasts in iTunes Store, Google Play & Stitcher.

Quora feed

About.me/MichaelBenner

MichaelBenner.com

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Michael Benner
Personal Development Strategies
PO Box 6894
La Quinta, California 92248

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Free Private Intake Session

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Published on April 01, 2019 15:19

The Dangers of Texting

How Texting Dehumanizes Us

"I can look into someone's eyes and feel like I know her better, versus a phone call, where you can't get that same type of emotion. That's why text messaging gets you in trouble: You can't bond."

— Apolo Ohno

Hello AWMS subscriber :

The first Noble Truth in Buddhist philosophy is: "Life is suffering" — chiefly, heartache, anger, depression, disappointment, grief, and anxiety. Until the last century, people relied on alcohol to numb their pain. Now we have countless pharmaceutical and recreational drugs to abuse.

Yet, our need for pain control goes beyond drugs to social media and, particularly, our reliance on digital text messaging. Brief, simple text messages are effective and, in many situations, superior to phone calls. But too often, we use these digital shout-outs as a way to avoid the meaningful back-and-forth of real-time conversation.

We've known for years that a phone call lacks the qualities of conversation available in body language and facial cues, especially from the eyes. The absence of emotion and immediate response in texting leads the recipient to unconsciously infer and project their own emotional biases.

An SMS text message, and to some extent an email, is a notification — like a bulletin board. There's no real-time engagement, much less a commitment to listening to understand and acknowledge.

I can't begin to tell you how often this problem comes up in my counseling. At home and at work, false assumptions generated by the arrow-like sting of a text or email can easily destroy relationships and careers. In one instance, I saw an entire business collapse under the weight of anger caused by a misunderstood inter-office email.

Digital communication is convenient, but a risky substitute for a commitment to meaningful conversation. Use it only when appropriate and handle with care. Think and feel before you text.

I value your feedback, so here's an fitting use of email — MB@TheAgelessWisdom.com.

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Monitor our Ageless Wisdom Mystery School podcast stream for our next episode. We'll feature one of Dr. Timothy Leary's last interviews when I sit beside him on his living room sofa in the Hollywood Hills in 1993 and talk about LSD, learning, and psychology. See the links below.

Happy Springtime. Peace and Love,

— Michael