Marcel van Marrewijk's Blog, page 156

S2M TV is alive and kicking

If you were at Seats2meet Utrecht CS last week you might have noticed two crazy people walking around with a camera. Now you know why. Every Tuesday from now we will have a new video at the S2M TV. The 2 first episodes are online:

During the first one we presented the Utrecht workspaces and on the second the Permanent Future Lab.

The idea is to present the S2M locations through the Netherlands – maybe in other countries in the future as well – and also how we build up communities and make serendipity happen.

So tell us, do you have any suggestions? Do you know how to make really good audio with a smartphone? What would you like to see next?

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No Food Waste

Je zal het vast weleens gehoord of opgemerkt hebben. De immense hoeveelheden voedsel die op de wereld wordt weggegooid en daarnaast de hongersnood in veel gebieden. De laatste metingen laten weten dat er wereldwijd ongeveer 1/3de van het totaal geproduceerde voedsel niet geconsumeerd wordt en in Nederland alleen al €5 miljard aan voedsel in de prullenbak terecht komt en dat terwijl 12% van de wereld ondervoed is! Dit zijn schrikbarend hoge cijfers die naar mijn mening onnodig zijn. Bij Seats2meet.com Utrecht CS (S2M030) doe ik onderzoek naar hoe deze locatie de voedselverspilling kan verminderen.

Wie ben ik?

Ik ben Boris Boeije en ik ben bezig met het afronden van mijn opleiding tot facilitair manager. Vier jaar geleden koos ik ervoor om facilitair management te gaan studeren omdat ik organisaties wilde helpen om te verduurzamen. Tot op de dag van vandaag heb ik daar veel plezier in en dat heb ik tijdens mijn gesprek bij S2M030 aangegeven. Mede daardoor heb ik een mooie opdracht in mijn handen gekregen waarmee ik S2M030 ook verder kan helpen met vergroenen/verduurzamen. Zodoende ben ik sinds februari van dit jaar gestart met mijn afstudeeronderzoek naar de mogelijkheden om de voedselverspilling van S2M030 te minimaliseren.

Hoe kun je mij en S2M030 helpen om de voedselverspilling te verminderen?

Bij S2M030 is het belangrijk om kennis met elkaar te delen, zodoende heb ik met diverse personen over mijn onderzoek gesproken. Een onderdeel van mijn onderzoek bestaat uit een enquête. Zowel de stem van bedrijven die een meetinigspace boeken als de ZP’ers die een werkplek in de lounge reserveren met hun S2M profiel wil ik ondervragen, zodat we tot de beste conclusies kunnen komen.

In overleg met Martine en Nynke (de vestigingsmanagers van S2M030) en keukenmedewerkers heb ik een enquête opgesteld waarin verschillende maatregelen benoemd worden die eventueel toegepast kunnen worden om de voedselverspilling te minimaliseren.

Door mee te doen aan de enquête kun je aangeven wat volgens jou goede of minder goede maatregelen zijn. De komende periode zal ik in de lounge van S2M030 langskomen met deze enquête met de vraag deze in te vullen. Daarnaast is de enquête nog tot 15 juni 2016 op te vragen via mijn mailadres: bboeije@gmail.com

Alvast bedankt voor het delen van je groene mening!

Boris

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10 things I learned about the Dutch culture

Ok, so I have been here only for 4 months. So what? They have been really intense months and were enough to learn those 10 things:

1.  What everyone has to know, first thing, when coming to the Netherlands – especially if you are from Brazil – is that they put sprinkles on bread. Yes, they take brad, put butter and sprinkle on it and eat it. Not Nutella, sprinkle. They name the sprinkle Hagelslag, and believe me, no matter how you read that word, the pronunciation is wrong. That leads me to the number 2 of our list.

2. If you want to speak Dutch prepare your throat. The “G” in the Dutch language is an unique sound that only Dutch people can make. And they have the letter G in every. Single. Word. Ok, I am exaggerating, but the G is very common. And for you to have an idea how they are the only people who can pronounce the Dutch G during the second war their password was Scheveningen because foreigners just can’t say that word right. Seriously, don’t even try it.

3. Another thing that I would advice for you not to try: biking. That is if you do not master it like me. No one in this whole world knows how to bike like the Dutch people. They learned how to bike before they learned how to walk. They have this think where people can read other people’s mind to know where they are heading. I tried it once and am still recovering. You can do it in a tour guide, but not with other Dutch people. Also, even if you are walking ALWAYS look for the bikes, they will appear when you last expect. Stay alert!

4. Now things to try: Dutch food. From what I hear the most traditional dish around – apart from hagelslag – is Stamppot; the farmer’s food. There are lots of variations of it, but basically is mashed vegetable and meet, it could be meet balls or sausages. Truth is although it’s simple, is very tasty. Besides the traditional food The Netherlands have a big variation of excellent restaurants. Just go for it!

5. Now let’s go to music. Oh, the Dutch popular music. It is really something to appreciate. Their most famous representative is the iconic, unique Andre Hazes. He used to sing in bars in Amsterdam and achieved stardom. His songs are the songs you hear Dutch people singing when they are drunk. After you hear it once you will immediately recognize his songs. Even though they are in Dutch you can understand that he is talking about being alone in a club just with the agony in his voice. Truly amazing.

 

6. One word that defines Dutch people for me is entrepreneurial. Maybe it’s just the people I met, but I have never heard so many people saying they want or already opened their own company. And they do it like nobody. Being here I learned that the Netherlands has a culture of being traders. They are welcoming and speak every single one of them speak at least very good English, if not, it is a perfect English. After all they are a very small country without many natural resources, but the people are definitely resourceful, extremely creative and innovative when it comes to business. That is in their nature.

7. Have you ever heard that the Dutch people are the tallest in the world? It’s true! Bring your high heels.

8. The sense of distance is totally different. Ok, that might not be only in the Netherlands but in any minuscule country. Being one hour away here is way too far, when in other countries like Brazil is nothing. Actually I’ve made a whole collection of phrases saying how the Netherlands is small. I’m planning of publishing a book called “The Netherlands is so small that…” Here is a teaser for you.

“The Netherlands is so small that the forecast is the same for the whole country”

Is funny because is true.

9. The probability of meeting Dutch people in the Heineken experience or in The Bulldog Coffee shop is very, very low. If you want to meet them go to the terraces (at least during the summer) or parks. They will be there enjoying a beer or a barbecue, or both.

10. The Netherlands and the Dutch people are absolutely irresistible. It is impossible not fall in love with this place and everything that is going on here. There is innovation, creativity, energy, movement and inspiration everywhere you look. It is no wonder the world’s eyes are on what is happening here.

I will keep you updated about my Dutch culture knowledge!

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Zoekt en gij zult wat anders vinden

Zoekt en gij zult wat anders vinden

Serendipity. Wat vind ik dit een mooi Engels woord. Het betekent iets als ‘ontdekken waar je niet naar op zoek was’. Een onverwachtse ontmoeting, een nieuw inzicht, een nieuwe mogelijkheid. Oftewel; een Cadeautje! Het is zo’n beetje het thema van mijn afgelopen half jaar geworden. Zo zat ik ‘ineens’ in de redactie van DeBroekriem. Een vriend wees me op de organisatie, ik melde me aan en na de eerste workshop werd ik benaderd om voor ze te gaan schrijven. Ik was er niet naar op zoek, maar niet veel later stond mijn eerste artikel online en kreeg ik super toffe reacties. In goed Nederlands: een echt gevalletje serendipiteit.

Buiten-de-deur-werken; een inspirerend werkwoord

Door de redactievergadering van DeBroekriem heb ik bovendien Seats2meet ontdekt. Hoe heerlijk is het om iedere dag opnieuw je werkplek te kunnen kiezen! Als je langere tijd thuis zit, voelt thuis vaak niet meer als de meest fijne plek om te zijn. Je wilt er immers ook wel weer eens uit. Wellicht mis het loopje naar de koffiemachine en de kletspraat met je collega, of zelfs de dagelijkse file of drukte in de trein. Mijn oplossing: ritme en regelmatig buiten-de-deur-werken.

Kantoor 2.0

Wat mij aan Seats2meet zo aanspreekt is de inspirerende sfeer die er hangt. We willen allemaal hetzelfde; een dag lekker werken. Zij het aan een opdracht of aan een sollicitatiebrief. Dat werkt super motiverend; al die werkende mensen om je heen, waar je als je wilt zo een praatje mee kunt maken. Je kunt op zo’n dag dus op een laagdrempelige manier veel verschillende nieuwe mensen leren kennen.

Ook het sociaal kapitaal concept spreekt me enorm aan. Voor ik met Seats2meet in aanraking kwam, had ik er nog nooit van gehoord, maar volgens mij past het helemaal in deze tijd. Geld en bezit lijken niet langer het belangrijkst te zijn; het belang van kennis en spullen delen neemt steeds meer toe.

Onverwachts inspirerende ontmoetingen

Buiten-de-deur-werken betekent voor mij gemotiveerd aan het werk gaan en nieuwe mensen leren kennen. Ik vind het een prettige manier van netwerken. En als je ervoor open staat, kun je van iedereen wat leren. Zo werd ik laatst spreekwoordelijk omsingeld door een projectgroep jonge mannen en raakten we aan de praat. Ik prikkelde één van de jongens om ook zijn skileraren-diploma te halen; andersom had ik drie heren voor me aan het rennen om mijn logo te vergroten én kreeg ik tussen neus en lippen door nog een slim advies voor mijn visitekaartje. Die dag heb ik niet heel veel werk verzet, maar ben ik heel voldaan thuis gekomen; vol met nieuwe inspiratie en weer wat LinkedIn connecties rijker.

Ik ben fan.

Auteur: Laura Sannes LinkedIn: Laura Sannes Website: AltijdTrek[image error]

Laura is blogger bij DeBroekriem en heeft Communicatie gestudeerd en voornamelijk werkervaring opgedaan in de online communicatie. In haar vrije tijd is ze als echte keukenprinses vooral in de keuken of aan de etenstafel te vinden. Gezonde voeding is haar passie. “Computeren en het internet zijn me met de paplepel ingegoten. Ook Social Media heeft vanaf het begin mijn interesse gewekt en is een onderdeel van mijn dagelijks (en professionele) leven geworden. Gaandeweg ben ik er ook achtergekomen dat ik schrijven erg leuk vind. De positieve feedback die ik daar op krijg, smaakt naar meer. In een baan vind ik menselijk contact en maatschappelijke verantwoordelijkheid erg belangrijk. Dingen aantrekkelijk en toegankelijk maken; daarin ligt mijn kracht. En als dat ook nog eens zichtbare resultaten oplevert, ben ik helemaal gelukkig!”

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How to travel the world sending postcards to unknown people

 

A lot of us have the dream of travelling the world, but how to save money for that? Michael Ruppert, a 29 year old dutch, stumbled on the most creative solution; sending postcards and souvenirs to unknown people. Still confused? Here is an interview we did with him a while back.

 What first led you to travelling?

After finishing high school I didn’t know what to do. My dream was to travel around the world, but I had no idea how to arrange that financially. So first I joined the army, then I became a triathlete and finally I went to university. All that time I didn’t have the feeling that I was chasing my dream. When I was 24, I finally made the best decision I could make, although I didn’t have much money, I quit everything and started to travel.

Are you travelling now? Where?

 I don’t have a home anywhere in the world, so my trip never stops. Right now I’m in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Some schools and universities here asked me to share my story with their students. It’s great to motivate them to follow their dreams as well. The keyword is focus! I’ve wasted 6 years after finishing high school, I hope those students won’t make the same mistake and go for their dreams immediately.

How do you finance your travels?

When i started to travel I wanted to keep my family and friends up to date about my adventures, that’s why I started to send them postcards and small souvenirs. After a while also strangers started to ask me to send them something from the places I visited. At that moment I started the Facebook page called ”Starring You”. Everybody who is interested can send me his or her home address and I will send something nice from one of the countries that I’ll visit, for free. Some people like the project so much, that they make a donation from time to time. That’s how I can finance my travels and make other people happy at the same time.

What is your favourite part of travelling?

My Facebook page ”Starring You” has more than 17.000 followers from all around the world. 90% of the time I stay at the homes of my followers! That’s a great and unique experience, because in every country I have the chance to experience the local lifestyle. I try to avoid hotels and hostels and so far that works really well.

Michael shows us how it’s possible to be daring on today’s world when you have all the tools for sharing. Have any crazy ideas on how to follow your dreams? Share it with us in the S2M ecosystem and find people who can help you.

Follow Michael’s facebook page here.

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How an author, a graphic designer, a music student and a neuroscientist ended up in the same room

What is the first thing you look at when you meet someone new? What would be your favorite thing to do if you were alone for a whole day? What do you worry about?

These are just some of the ‘talkieS2M’ icebreaker question-cards made by Esmee Keuren, founder of Fondly.nl. I visited her ‘S2M for Locals’-location ‘het Stadshuisje’ yesterday, and don’t worry; no icebreakers were needed!

In Dutch ‘Stadshuisje’ has the connotation of being a small, little, cozy house in the city. And that was exactly what this was! Esmee doesn’t live here, instead this little house (and its neighbors) is used by artists as studios and workspaces! A truly inspirational place to work for a day, and this is where the story of Esmee, Kasper, Anke Marit and Marjolein starts.

Yesterday morning I got a call from a (rather stressed) Esmee: “I just found out there are three people coming to work at my house! How do I know not more will show up? What if there will be 10 people by the end of the day? It won’t fit!” After which I told her there is a capacity control function in the management environment, luckily that put her mind at ease. But still, three people, three strangers, working at a small S2M for Locals location: that was something I wanted to see with my own eyes! So I got my camera and hurried out of the office.

To some degree I was expecting to see three people cramped at a small kitchen table, maybe one would be banned to the table in the garden, but alas; this was not the case! The cute little art-studio has a rather spacious downstairs area with an adorable garden (which will soon be totally renovated). Upstairs were four (big) desks where Kaspar, Anke Marit and Marjolein were all working quietly. Anke Marit, a PHD-student in neuroscience, was working on her dissertation and applying for jobs (I understood something related to MRI’s and visual imaging…it sounded really cool!). Kasper, music student, was working hard to complete his last school assignments, hoping to finish them soon so he can enjoy his summer break. Marjolein, on the other hand, was working on her new children’s book, something about time travel to the Middle Ages where all these awesome adventures will take place. When I asked her whether ‘Het Stadshuisje’ helped inspire her stories, she said it did, but mainly because of the prehistoric bathroom located in the garden (check out this video for an explanation;)).

Four people, four different careers, one workspace and yet another great experience. Want to check it out for yourself? Book a workspace at Esmee’s location, or one of the other ‘S2M for Locals’- Locations!

House with a View– Amsterdam

Sunny Waterfront Villa at Marina– Amsterdam

Peona– Utrecht

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There has to be a better way to organize – the story of MeetBerlage adopting Holacracy

When you have an idea. How easy is it for you to go and take action on it in your organization?

When you are a solo entrepreneur or just with a few very like minded people this is probably a no brainer.

But once organizations grow it becomes more difficult. Even in organizations as small as with three people the time you spend on discussing ideas increases a lot. Sometimes this helps you improve your ideas. But in many occasions it would be just so much easier to just go and test it. As long as it is safe enough to just give it a try.

Else we start experiencing a lot of bureaucracy, difficult reorganizations, painful meetings, a lot of alignment requirements, difficulty to get your opinion voiced. Just to name a few things a lot of people experience while working in organizations. There are many statistics that sum up these experiences. Typically ~80% of people are not fully engaged at work, of which some part actively disengaged.

Why do we find it so difficult to organize in a natural way?

Holacracy is an alternative to the traditional management hierarchy. See it as an operating system for organizations. That fundamentally changes the power structure in an organization, changes the way we are used to make decisions and work together. That enables people to work with great autonomy and ownership, while at the same time creating alignment around the purpose of the organization.

You might have iOS on your phone as operating system. But an empty iphone with just iOS is boring. The apps you install on it, the way you use your phone are what make it work for you. In the same way Holacracy is just a new underlying operating system for organizations. But so much faster and effective for humans to work in. Which allow you to develop your organizations unique “apps” on top of it.

Adopting Holacracy is like learning to play a new game. And while playing a new game, learning the rules of the game. Imagine you would change from Soccer to American football. What do the rules of the game do to the speed of the game, the way players interact or the way points are made?

Whether you are a large organization like bol.com (who already runs on Holacracy with ~250 of its people). Or you are like S2M MeetBerlage a 5 person organization. Holacracy provides you with the organizational agility that helps you grow.

Seats2Meet location MeetBerlage adopted Holacracy in May 2015. In the words of founder Felix LePoutre: “Holacracy enabled us to translate our ideas on distributed ownership and entrepreneurship into the way we operated MeetBerlage. Within three months we created a noticeable difference in the way we worked together”

Seats2Meet is an organization founded on the principles of serendipity. How to organize serendipity? What would be roles in an organization that foster serendipity? How will it help to create autonomy for roles to just take action and experiment with new ideas in real life?

Read here on Felix his experience of the first week (link https://magazine.seats2meet.com/our-first-real-step-into-holacracy-a-better-way-or-organising-your-business-2/ ).

In the months after MeetBerlage adopted Holacracy MeetBerlage explored these questions. They created roles that the team needed to operate the location in their way. With Holacracy you do this iteratively. Based on what you sense that is happening in reality. The agility of the governance system allowed MeetBerlage to evolve their roles one by one. Just when it was needed. The MeetBerlage team also used Holacracy to get quick alignment between roles. To make sure all work was taken up by the right roles at the right moment, with the right priority.

As well as Felix his story after 3.5 months https://magazine.seats2meet.com/35-month-of-holacracy-brings-great-results-2/)

Want to know more? Join Koen Veltman from OrganizationBuilders for a Holacracy introduction at S2M Amsterdam Connected on June 23 at 11am (event link to follow soon) or at S2M Utrecht on one of the next Monday lunch events. Or reach out to Koen directly at koen@organizationbuilders.com or +316 20835076.

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Lancering hotspot voor sociaal ondernemen in Utrecht: Social impact factory Utrecht

In Utrecht start in het najaar van 2016 een hotspot voor sociaal ondernemen: de Social Impact Factory Utrecht. Het is een initiatief van de Stichting Social Impact Factory, Seats2meet.com en Kirkman Company, waarbij zich inmiddels Legal Impact (Bruggink & Van der Velden Advocaten Belastingadviseurs) en Buzinezzclub Utrecht hebben aangesloten. Ze hebben samen de Social Impact Factory Utrecht bv opgericht die de komende jaren het pand aan het Vredenburg 40 (bekend als ‘Staffhorstpand’) gaat huren van de gemeente Utrecht.

Samen sociale impact maken

Het pand van ca. 2.000 m2 gaat functioneren als werk-, vergader- en ontmoetingsplek voor sociaal ondernemers, zoals zelfstandige professionals, startups, bedrijven en organisaties, die samen werken aan innovatieve en ondernemende oplossingen voor maatschappelijke vraagstukken. Door de vestiging van netwerkorganisaties, dienstverleners, financiers en fondsen wordt het een landelijke hotspot waar alle kennis- en expertise over dit thema vertegenwoordigd is. Er zal een programma van trainingen, workshops en events worden ontwikkeld, voor startups en gevestigde sociaal ondernemers, maar ook voor het grotere bedrijfsleven en de overheden die willen innoveren en transformeren naar een sociaal maatschappelijke organisatie. De focus op het creëren van sociale impact, de combinatie van allerlei soorten ondernemers en organisaties, het inhoudelijk programma dat in het pand wordt uitgevoerd én het feit dat de Social Impact Factory Utrecht onderdeel wordt van het Seats2meet.com ecosysteem, maken deze hotspot uniek.

Han Hendriks, voorzitter van de stichting Social Impact Factory: “De Social Impact Factory is een inclusief netwerk en platform van verschillende soorten organisaties om samen innovatieve en ondernemende businessmodellen te ontwikkelen voor maatschappelijke vraagstukken. Sinds de lancering op de Social Enterprise Day in mei 2015 bestaat het platform uit ca. 50 Utrechtse en landelijke bedrijven en organisaties, waaronder de Rabobank, EY, Incluzio, de Universiteit Utrecht, MVO Nederland, de Koekfabriek en vele andere. Een sociale onderneming levert net als elke andere onderneming een product of dienst en heeft een verdienmodel. Geld verdienen is echter niet het hoofddoel, het is een middel om de maatschappelijke missie te bereiken, om meerwaarde of ‘impact’ te creëren.”

Impuls

Vanwege overeenkomstige visie en ambitie, het creëren van toegevoegde waarde voor de deelnemers en de behoefte écht een impuls tot stand te brengen in het sociaal ondernemen is samenwerking gezocht met de ontwikkelaar van de bekende werk- en vergaderlocaties Seats2meet.com.

Mariëlle Sijgers van Seats2meet.com: “Voor ons is ‘serendipiteit’ een van de meest onderscheidende factoren van ons concept, het faciliteren van ‘toevallige ontmoetingen’ die van werkelijke waarde zijn voor het werk dat jij in een S2M locatie aan het doen bent. Deze komen voort uit ons inlogsysteem, waarmee voor iedereen zichtbaar wordt wie aanwezig is in de locatie en vooral met welke kennis en kunde. Wij faciliteren zo relevante samenwerking tussen de aanwezigen, waardoor kwaliteit en waarde wordt toegevoegd aan het werk van de professionals. Nu de Social Impact Factory en Seats2meet.com hun krachten bundelen kunnen de visie op sociaal ondernemen en de ambities van de Social Impact Factory via het netwerk van Seats2meet.com verder worden verspreid.”

De komst van de Social Impact Factory Utrecht past naadloos in de ontwikkeling van Utrecht. Er zijn steeds meer ondernemers in de stad met de motivatie om meer maatschappelijk van waarde te zijn en dat zichtbaar te maken. Maar het is niet altijd eenvoudig om dat op een goede manier vorm te geven. Hoe vind je elkaar? Hoe plak je initiatiefnemers en financiers aan elkaar? Mariëlle Sijgers: “Met de nieuwe hotspot wordt hieraan een impuls gegeven, terwijl ook een leegstaand pand weer een waardevolle invulling krijgt en er ook nog nieuwe werkgelegenheid wordt gecreëerd.”

Ecosysteem van sociaal ondernemen

Met de komst van deze nieuwe hotspot wordt het ‘ecosysteem’ van sociaal ondernemen in Utrecht verder versterkt. In Utrecht is de eerste leerstoel op het gebied van Sociaal Ondernemerschap in Nederland ingesteld. Professor Harry Hummels is per 1 mei 2016 benoemd tot hoogleraar Sociaal Ondernemerschap aan de Utrecht University School of Economics. De Universiteit Utrecht is op vele andere vlakken actief op het terrein van sociaal ondernemerschap. Zo bestaat er sinds dit academische jaar een minor sociaal ondernemerschap voor bachelor studenten. In april 2016 heeft de Universiteit Utrecht in samenwerking met Grameen Creative Lab het European Social Business Forum georganiseerd, onder bezielende leiding van Nobelprijs voor de Vrede-winnaar prof. Muhammad Yunus.

Sneak preview tijdens Social Enterprise Day 2 juni 2016

Op 2 juni 2016 vindt voor de derde maal in Utrecht (TivoliVredenburg) de Social Enterprise Day plaats, hét landelijke congres waar alles en iedereen in de wereld van sociaal ondernemen in Nederland samen komt. Deelnemers krijgen de mogelijkheid van een ‘sneak preview’ in het pand Vredenburg 40.

Circulair inrichten

De eigenaar en verhuurder, gemeente Utrecht gaat de buitenkant van het pand opknappen. De gesprekken over de huurovereenkomst met de Social Impact Factory Utrecht bv zijn in een afrondende fase. De opening is naar verwachting in het najaar 2016.  De nieuwe huurder gaat het pand inrichten, waar mogelijk op circulaire en sociaal ondernemende wijze: met hergebruik van materialen, duurzame producten, met inzet van mensen met afstand tot de arbeidsmarkt en met het bieden van stage- en leer-werkplekken.

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VIRTUAL REALITY –reality or illusion?

Post written by Yfke Laanstra

One of my favorite movies of all time is ‘The Matrix’. I still remember the day like it was yesterday in which (back in 1999) I left the cinema after watching this movie: I was flabbergasted but also hugely inspired. I felt this movie was about much more then I could grasp at that time and my system, my whole being was in overdrive. It triggered so much in me but I couldn’t comprehend it back then…

For those who haven’t seen this movie: the hypothesis is that we’re caught in a illusory reality called ‘The Matrix’, a computer simulation with its main program being the enslavement of mankind into a constant ‘buy, consume, die’ mode. Every individual has the choice to awaken from this so called ‘reality’.

One of the fascinating quotes of this movie is in which Neo , the main character, asks himself this question about reality:

‘This isn’t real?’

Morpheus answers:

‘How do we know what we experience is ‘real’? What is ‘real’? How do you define ‘real’?’

‘If you’re talking about what you can feel, what you can smell, what you can taste and see then ‘real’ is simply electrical signals interpreted by the brain’.

This hypothesis hasn’t left my brain and seemed to be hardcoded into my system ever since…

Fact or fiction

In our 3D reality (let’s simply call it that) we mainly assume that what we observe with our five senses is our actual reality, and we also collectively assume this is the only reality.

We however do talk about the existence of a six sense, the third eye. Which can observe that which is outside our visual spectrum: like clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience etc. The so called extrasensory perception.

There is a lot of controversy about this amongst (the classical) scientists, because they tend to focus on what is measurable, visible and can be seen with our eyes.

What is observation?

Maybe therefore it is a better idea to focus on the term observation.

Wikipedia says ‘observation is the active acquisition of information from a primary source. In living beings, observation employs the senses. In science, observation can also involve the recording of data via the use of instruments. The term may also refer to any data collected during the scientific activity. Observations can be qualitative, that is, only the absence or presence of a property is noted, or quantitative if a numerical value is attached to the observed phenomenon by counting or measuring.’

Again it is referring to the use of our five senses (with or without the help of instruments), as if this is the only means of observation.

The Quantum Theory adds another dimension to the equation: in which the observer seems to have influence upon that which is being observed.

Perception deception

Observation is also called perception. And this seems to demonstrate a closer link to the subjective element of observation: the interpretation of the stimulus. How objective is our so-called reality…?

You are probably familiar with the drawings in which you can distinguish multiple elements (see image): do you see the old or the young woman? The art of M.C. Escher is also brilliant with regards to this perception deception.

Your frame of reference also plays an important part in your interpretation; often times we consciously or unconsciously draw all kinds of conclusions to what we assume we’re observing through our lens of perception at that certain moment in time. This influences our view of the world, of humanity and this is purposively being taken advantage of by mainstream media and politics. All be it in seemingly innocent product marketing to the level of collective (subliminal) brainwashing which is called the News…

I find it fascinating, the level to which we let science or mass media dictate us what is real, what is true or truth, what is legitimate in our perception and where we draw the line between fact and fiction.

Left and right hemisphere

Another essential aspect of our observation is which hemisphere is most dominant and how this affects our perception of reality. The left hemisphere represents our analytical side, where logic, structure and separateness rules. Our right hemisphere represents our intuition, our creativity and our ability to see the bigger picture. Our society and especially science focuses its attention mainly on the left hemisphere and approaches reality from this perspective. While it is our right hemisphere that is able to have a holistic view on reality, not limited to time and space, from a perspective of unity, wholeness and cohesion. One isn’t particularly better than the other, it is a balanced perspective that is essential.

Dream world

How about our dream world? Day dreaming, visualizations, visions, guided meditations? Is this by definition a fantasy or isn’t it? Who decides whether it is the dream world, the virtual reality or our 3D reality that is more real? Or that a vision is merely a delusion or actually a sneak peak into another reality?

Have you ever heard of lucid dreaming?

In a lucid dream you actually become awake within your dream and realize that you are in a dream so you can consciously decide on what does or does not happens next. You can invite characters to join you in your dream, switch locations instantly, (de)materialize objects etc.

Have you seen the movie ‘Inception’? Reality and the dream world become more and more entangled. These types of movies are generally considered to be ‘science fiction’ or even ‘fantasy’ but I dare to question this. Maybe it’s just that we haven’t been able to really grasp the concept and we need a wake up call of our own…

‘Have you ever had a dream, Neo, that you were so sure was real? What if you were unable to wake from that dream? How would you know the difference between the dream world and the real world?’

Multidimensionality

This touches upon an essential aspect of reality and observation/ perception. Who decides that our reality is limited to merely our 3D version? What about the stories concerning the 4th, 5th or many other dimensions? Parallel realities like the spirit world, in which people can see deceased people with their sixth sense and actually communicate with them. And what about the sightings of extraterrestrial or should I say ‘inter dimensional’ beings?

Is this fiction or could it be that this another existing reality that is not yet fully visible, perceivable by our consciousness because of our collective denial of this reality?

‘Truth is in the eye of the beholder….’

We consist of so much more than just our physical body. We are the cosmos in miniature and therefore so immense in such a comparatively small body that this in incomprehensible to our human brain. And let’s not forget the function of the heart. It is our heart that connects us to our multidimensionality. Our heart signals and registers other types of stimulus than we we’re able to with our five senses. This is where the deeper, inner knowing resides, beyond our observation and connected to (the) source (code).

Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality (VR) is actually a catch-all term for everything that can be programmed into a virtual reality, parallel to our current 3D reality. Created by computers, through bits & bytes, via ones and zeros.

The virtual reality is actually a parallel digital reality/ dimension

A well known VR technique is in which you’re being immersed in this Virtual Reality by wearing VR glasses, like Occulus Rift or the Google Cardboard. In these glasses you can place your smartphone and this functions kind of like a portal to this virtual dimension.

When you’re sitting behind your TV, desktop or when you’re looking at your tablet or smartphone, there is always this distance remaining between you and the hardware. So you remain more aware/ conscious of the fact that these realities co-exist. You are able to consciously choose whether and when you want to leave this ‘reality’. 3D or IMAX movies are already blurring this line but as soon as you put on VR glasses you are fully immersed in its software, in this programmed virtual reality. The graphics are no longer to be distinguished from our 3D reality. Boundaries seem to continuously fade between these different realities (the ‘veil of illusion’) and it is becoming more difficult to be able to make the distinction.

As soon as you put on the VR glasses your brain can no longer tell this difference anyway and it considers the Virtual Reality as the sole existing reality. These glasses evolve at high speed: glasses become helmets (with e.g. scent applications), helmets become suits and suits become constructs (with physical applications like wind, water etc). Did you know that there is an actual VR Theme Park under construction? Go and Google ‘The Void’.

Another very clear example of a virtual reality is Second Life. Where you create an Avatar (a virtual alias) of yourself and you start living this fully virtual parallel life: you start making new friends, go out, start businesses, do your groceries, taking part in a virtual economy with virtual currencies that you can buy in real life. The Simms is a comparable, immensely populair, life simulation game.

Multidimensional techniques

Another type of Virtual Reality is Augmented Reality, in which the virtual reality is added to our 3D reality instead of it being taken over by it. Virtual layers are being projected over our reality, through e.g. apps on smartphones. Go and Google ‘Layar’: this app can locate and point out restaurants in a certain area by means of a GEO layer by scanning this area with the camera of the app. These types of techniques are also becoming more integrated with our biology by the introduction of Google Glasses and specific Smart lenses.

Applications and implications

What are the applications of these types of technology? Think about for gaming, for fun, but also think of it for health purposes (test environments, operations, treatments of phobias), corporate means (marketing, production) or for educational purposes (serious gaming). However also for military and industrial purposes…

What if we would apply these techniques for the evolution of our consciousness, to remember our true origin and our true potential? Imagine a VR experience where you are being fully immersed into sacred geometry, with additional healing frequencies? A VR game that reconnects you to the reality outside of The Matrix?

So using these technologies to become, and stay, more connected to yourself instead of becoming increasingly disconnected into a cloned reality.

Copy…right?

Because of my personal fascination to everything consciousness related, to the bigger questions in life like ‘who am I’, ‘what is my purpose in life’ but also ‘what is real’, it was a no brainer to me to start researching the virtual reality.

‘Let me tell you why you’re here Neo. You’re here because you know something. What you know you can’t explain, but you feel it. You’ve felt it your entire life, that there’s something wrong with the world. You don’t know what it is, but it’s there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad.’

We are becoming increasingly aware of how powerful and complex we are and at the same time continue to develop these exponential technologies.

I see a clear connection between the computer/machine reality and our 3D reality. It is almost as if we are trying to understand ourselves and the world around us by creating an artificial copy, a kind of cloned reality. Where we are convinced, or try to convince ourselves, of the fact that we can replicate something using our limited human brain. Something we cannot even grasp or process with those same brain cells. It is almost like a God-complex.

And that is where the danger lies: the usage of exponential technologies needs to go together with a dito level of consciousness (and ethics for that matter). Technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), nanotechnology, transhumanism, genetic technology, man-machine interfaces etc. have even bigger implications and seem controllable by man: it is us that write the programs and construct the hardware, right? But just as our limited understanding of who we are this might also be the case for the implications of these technologies…

‘Wake up (Neo)….’

Welcome to the future.

The Dutch version of this article has been released in the Dutch printed magazine ‘ BRES – bewustzijn in beweging’ , edition #296 March/April ’16. It is also available online at www.yfkelaanstra.nl . 

Yfke Laanstra her mission is to empower conscious entrepreneurs & individuals through virtual products and services.

She has recently launched a virtual platform called Soulvalley. Which is all about the cutting edge of consciousness and computer technology and how this relates to human potential and wellbeing.

She is a spirit junkie, holistic hacker and a truth seeker and wants to know everything there is to know about our true nature and the nature of reality. The virtual realms are her main medium.

Reloading lost data_

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Spice up your Brain tijdens het Brein & Buik Event!

Voeding is hot. Diëten is uit, gezond eten is in en elke zichzelf respecterende stad heeft tegenwoordig wel een of meerdere foodtruck festivals in het jaar. Er is meer aandacht dan ooit voor de versheid en herkomst van ingrediënten. Maar ook voor voeding in relatie tot aandoeningen, ziektes en hormonen, zelfs vanuit de wetenschap. Voeding verbindt mensen met elkaar – wat is er gezelliger dan samen eten? -, maar voeding beïnvloedt ook zeker je functioneren. Leuk en nuttig tegelijk dus, net als de inhoud van het derde Food Passionistas event op zaterdag 25 juni a.s. met dit keer als thema: BREIN & BUIK.

Organisator Franca van Nunen van Green Passion, in S2M-kringen ook bekend van het Food Boost Programma waarmee zij het eten en drinken bij Seats2meet.com Utrecht CS heeft verduurzaamd, is al meer dan 20 jaar gepassioneerd bezig met voeding in relatie tot gezondheid. Alles wat ze doet, doet ze omdat ze mensen een gezond lijf gunt. Samen met andere Food Passionistas deelt ze haar kennis dan ook graag met andere mensen om bewustzijn te creëren. Met dit prachtige BREIN & BUIK event brengt ze andere food passionistas, professionals uit de zorg en voedingskunde, mensen met neurologische aandoeningen, sporters en iedereen die meer wil weten over met name de voedingswaarde en kracht van voeding, bij elkaar.

De lijst van meer dan 25 sprekers en workshophouders is indrukwekkend, met o.a. Nienke Tode-Gottenbos (auteur van het boek De Poepdokter; Gezond van mond tot kont) en orthomoleculair therapeut Juglen Zwaan (auteur De Supplementenwijzer) en vele anderen die je met hun expertise nieuwe inzichten kunnen geven. De dag krijgt nog meer glans door het aanbod van heerlijke gezonde voeding, drankjes en leuke aanbiedingen, zoals een gratis yogales. En wat dacht je van een mindful tea ceremony met handgemaakte thee? Of een heerlijke gin-tonic van De Gintonnerie, infused met fruit, kruiden en specerijen?

Laat je informeren, maar vooral inspireren en verwennen tijdens het BREIN & BUIK event!

WANNEER Zaterdag 25 juni 2016 van 10:00 tot 18:00 uur

WAAR Seats2meet.com Utrecht CS – 65 Moreelsepark, 3511 EP Utrecht

TICKETS Early Bird dagkaart (incl. vele extra’s!) € 49,95 – jonger dan 25 jaar € 39,95 nu bestellen

Uiteraard is Seats2meet meemaker van dit event, daar wij al onze bezoekers graag faciliteren en ondersteunen in een gezonde lifestyle!

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