The Road, Less Travelled

My first ride

My first ride was on a Vespa. That was all my dad could afford at that time in Pakistan. So we would all fit somehow, Dad, Mom, and sometimes all three brothers on it. (We were somewhat little then :)

But this is just a hook to discuss, the road we must all travel. We are on a journey, and yes that journey may seem very difficult at this point in time. I can only help give each person the tools to decide what direction to take.

I sent this out to my Global list in 2004. I hope it was well taken, and want to see how it applies today.

The Road Travelled

Many people have asked for help in determining what their purpose in life was. Was it based on what one did, or strengths and accomplishments, the places one had been to and the people met? Are we meant to follow certain rules, and obtain rewards in this and the afterlife, and those who broke the rules would be punished by whatever means, Hell or Karma, and the consequences would be unpleasant? Must we search in blindness, and do the best we can, and hope for the best?

In the past I have said there is a particular place within ourselves, the part or chakra of dharma, where our path can be determined. But knowing our path is not the important thing, it is how we get to that realisation, the road travelled, that is all-important.

This is a time for reflection, and so I would like to share with you The Road Travelled.

I have had great loves and sorrows, accomplishments, remembered my past lives, saved the lives of others and seen the future. My purpose is to help, but is that all there is? No.

I see men and women who aren't at peace, unhappy in love or their jobs or family situation, looking at their lives and saying is that all there is? Then there are those who find their passion and go for it, but are they truly content, or is there always, some unreachable goal they will pursue to the end of their days?

I see people who are so unhappy they can only live by obtaining substitutes for happiness, and that becomes their purpose. Is life meant to be suffered?

There is one answer, and one only. We must find God, however we may expect that being to be, and whatever form, and if that gives you peace and balance, hold to it. If you do not have peace and balance, search for it. What you do in life or how you do it may be a means to an end, but remember, the chakras I tell you about are just doorways into other dimensions. You must still find the thing you were meant to do. It may even be that all you have to do is love someone, or give in some way, or create something wonderful. You may be the greatest or the lowest of beings, but in the end, it will be how you lived your life, the road travelled, that will bring to you great happiness and joy.

Love,
Naseer Ahmad

7 years have passed and I hope you have found what it is you are looking for. But if not, then what is the direction you must take?

There's an exercise I teach, where if you have always followed a certain route, then take another. If your road comes to a fork and you think you should go left, then, turn right. You may take longer to get to where you want to go, but who knows what or whom you might meet along the way?

If you have always done the same thing, be it in politics, or religion, or any other area of action, then, look at new ways, and look for change. The old ways do not work any more, and I am changing all the rules. Look at your belief systems and reactions, and then, take the road less travelled.

It may be harder; I know mine has been very much so. So many times when I knew I could take the easy road, which is where I would meet everyone else :)

Yet I knew it was the wrong way for me, so I took the road that did not make any sense, until much later. Always.

Now we come to the end of an age. There is no safety anywhere, be it through material wealth or New Age spirituality. Only faith in yourself and the future can help, if you are ready to change, and seek help.

May you take the road, less travelled.

A Psycho-Astrological Perspective on the Relationship of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito

Knox/Sollecito. Are they soul mates? No. Kercher/Knox

I'm grateful to the person who asked this question a while ago: "I'd love to have a psychologist give an opinion of this Amanda/Raffaele relationship. They don't know each other. Media is making it out to be some great story of lovers torn apart. They had sex for a few days" (Referring to media speculation that the two would meet in Seattle over Christmas, much seen as an attempt to rehabilitate their image)

My reply:"Sigh, here I go, being dragged back into this case again. Thanks! Coming up, "A Psycho-Astrological Perspective on the Relationship of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito" But to let you know, it never was a soul mate relationship, more of a karmic one, clearly leading to imprisonment and legal difficulties. They'd do best to stay two oceans away from now on"

Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito have been found innocent in the first of two appeals trials that will determine whether they are truly guilty or innocent of the crime of the murder of British student Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Italy.

While we wait for the outcome of this process I would like to say that indeed, Astrology can answer such questions about the nature and outcome of a relationship. Whether Psychology can ever get back to its astrological roots is another debate, for another time, of course :)

Astrology, like Psychology, is the study of humanity in the context of time, location, space and waves, or, cycles, of energy. It can draw maps of the relationships of each with the other..

You can have one horoscope for the place where you were born, another for the place you go to, and an innumerable number for all the relationships you have, with people, places, and nations.

And then there are more, pertaining to time and the cycles of energy, which like the tides, ebb and flow.

I have already written about the astrological background, with spiritual insight of course, of the night of the murder in my article "What Might Have Been" http://manfromatlan.blogspot.com/2011/06/what-might-have-been.html

Further background insights may be obtained from "The Criminal Mind" http://manfromatlan.blogspot.com/2011/09/criminal-mind.html and there are two amazing books I recommend as well, "An Astrology Guide to your Sex Life" by Vivian E. Robson, and "Signs of Mental Illness" by Mitchell E. Gibson, M.D. Dr. Gibson was the chief resident in Psychiatry in a Philadelphia medical center and now has a successful private practice in Arizona. He is also an astrologer, with a new technique that identifies the planetary markers of mental illness; and Vivian E. Robson, has written a classic, almost out of print primer on sexual and marital compatibility (and dysfunction)

Their books have informed my own opinion, but the following interpretations are broadly speaking, my own, even if they are solidly grounded in accepted astrological teaching.

I am also grateful to the good people of http://www.astro.com/ for the use of their software to draw up the composite charts shown here. Please support them by ordering their horoscopes, which make great gifts!

There is an astrological technique called synastry where the charts of two individuals are blended into one. The composite chart of Raffaele Sollecito and Amanda Knox show fascinating insights into the nature of their relationship, and, eventual outcome...

Moon Conjunct Neptune: With the conjunction of Moon and Neptune, both individuals should be very careful to understand the true nature of their relationship. They can see themselves as soul mates, but there is a great deal of self deception involved..

Venus in the Second House: Indicates being in love with the idea of love. This being the house of emotional resources, they will always have what they need, and may even be financially successful together.

Jupiter Trine Pluto: Luck, and fate, combine here. How that works out depends on the choices made, but Jupiter in the 12th house of restriction and imprisonment and Pluto the planet of inexorable fate in the 8th house of death shows the pitfalls ahead in this relationship..

Venus Opposition Pluto: This is a warning of danger. The relationship brings up deeply buried emotions that can be overwhelming.. It can either help you to grow, or cause self-destruction.

Sun Conjunct Mercury: You have the ability to understand each other's thinking. You meet through travel. You are alike on a mental level.

Sun Opposition Saturn:
The development of the self (Sun) is constantly thwarted by the fated or karmic circumstances of Saturn. This relationship cannot last.

Saturn in the Ninth House: The karma (Saturn) of the relationship is expressed through the 9th house. The ninth house rules higher learning, the legal system, and publishing.

Jupiter Conjunct Ascendant: The relationship will always have an element of 'luck' and 'friends in high places' that can help in the worst crisis. The relationship can create feelings of exuberance and optimism as long as the chart does not show other stressors.

Jupiter in the Twelfth House: This is the house of imprisonment and restriction. Combined with other indicators, shows a time spent in prison.

Uranus in the Tenth House: Uranus (upheaval and change) in the house of how the outer world sees you indicates you can seem er, 'different'. You try to challenge people's perceptions, but it is your choice whether to bring change in a positive or negative manner. Destructive activities can lead to a fall from grace.

Uranus Square Ascendant: This amplifies the destructiveness mentioned earlier. You can goad each other, and feelings of rebelliousness will be exaggerated in this unstable relationship. This is why I strongly feel the relationship cannot last.

Moon Square Mars: This is a difficult aspect for a relationship. The emotional energies show conflict through bad associations.

Mars in the Seventh House: You have the choice of channelling your energies together for a common purpose, or you can end up being each other's greatest enemy. The seventh is the house of partners and enemies.

Mars Square Neptune: This negative aspect can indicate ego and controlling games with each other. There can be confusion, deceit, and delusion in the relationship, which is often accompanied by drugs. The two can often act against each other's interests.

Jupiter Square Saturn: You have to find a balance between optimism on the one hand, and feelings of restriction. Extremes of mood and behavior can lead to difficulty.

Ascendant in Pisces: You can project an outward, dreamlike quality, and others can perceive yours as an ideal relationship. However, there may be self-destructive elements of your relationship. As long as you find a common idealism, it should work well. Drugs and alcohol on the other hand weakens the relationship. Friends and family find it hard to understand you; there are many levels of deception.

Neptune in the Tenth House: A lack of clarity is what you project to the outside world. People find it hard to understand what makes you tick. Or you can develop your creative, spiritual side to counteract that. (Note: I have this aspect in my own chart :)

Pluto in Scorpio in the Eighth House: Pluto (and Scorpio) rules death and transformation. So does the eighth house. It makes the relationship deep and intense, but can also bring out psychological conflict. There is a deep sexual connection that if utilised properly can lead to spiritual oneness. Or, it can lead to death and destruction. (Funny, but I have this aspect too :) and the spirit's journey after we pass on and the sacred aspects of sexuality is part of my teaching)

Venus Opposition Pluto: This can bring up deep powerful emotions in your relationship, so you have to be careful, otherwise you will not be able to deal with the consequences. (I have this aspect too, and yes I have powerful emotions, but direct it towards healing)

To summarise then:
The relationship chart of Raffaele Sollecito and Amanda Knox shows that in spite of the fact they only knew each other a week, they did have a relationship based on their inner psychological needs. This sort of 'fatedness' but also imbalance, can project outwards and explain why so many people are attracted to and support them, and others, not. And so we project back on to them what is inside ourselves, good or bad, and it is important we step back and examine our own attraction to this case.

And here, so clearly in the chart, we see, motivation, outcome, political interference, and reaction.

The next technique I use is called Astro-Cartography. Moving away from our place of birth shifts the placement of the planets of our chart to different angles that bring out deep rooted conflicts or, where we can be more in harmony with ourselves and others.

Knox in Perugia: Chiron/MC Line: This line runs through Germany as well, where Knox had a job through her aunt which she lost. This affected her perception of herself and goals for her trip. The crisis of confidence that arose from her loss of professional and social standing affected her deeply. Here, one becomes aware of the influence of parents on one's growth, but also brings up feelings of rebelliousness.

Sollecito in Perugia: Crossing Sun/Uranus: This line shows how the quest for personal freedom and independence from a restrictive situation can make one seem even more eccentric and unpredictable. You seek new challenges and experiences. The unusual and the unexpected can happen along this line..

Knox in Seattle: Pluto/DC Line: Not a good place for Knox. Here there are secret power plays and conflicts, and uncontrolled behaviour. Life can run roughly, and one seeks to escape through extremes of behaviour, and then actually, seek to leave this place.. Unfortunately, one takes conflicts along where ever one goes..

Sollecito in Seattle: Crossing Venus/Jupiter: Funny, but he'd actually do very well if he moved to Seattle: Here, he'd find luck, prosperity and happiness; but not, it would seem, with Knox. Fame and notoriety may help, but it also would be an escape from the pressures of home..

But what about Meredith?

I thought this would be it for my article but found myself coming back to the victim, Meredith Kercher. What was it in Knox and Kercher that brought them together? They clearly had a deeper connection, to my mind, than Knox/Sollecito.

This is where the rationalists and I part ways. To them, it must have been a random coincidence, just bad luck, that brought them together that fateful night in Perugia. To me, there was a clear attraction that came from what is often referred to as a karmic relationship. And the map of that lies in their relationship chart, seen above.

I am drawn to the six planets all narrowly concentrated in the 6th house of service and health. Also, the house of mental and physical conflicts arising from the externalization of the ego http://www.astrologyweekly.com/dictionary/sixth-house.php It is clear from accounts that Knox and Kercher had many conflicts in the short time they were together. Published reports only show the petty irritations that might arise from two young women of different background and temperament having to live together. The relationship chart, however shows what in hindsight was clearly a deadly combination.

Note: blue lines show areas of compatibility; red lines, stresses and conflict. The eye is drawn immediately to a red triangle in the upper part of the chart (a conflict that is in the public eye) and connecting the 6th house of inner conflict with 8th house Uranus (jealousy, sudden death) and 12th house Jupiter (imprisonment, release)

Here are some interpretations of their chart:
Knox/Kercher:

Jupiter Square Uranus 8th/12th: It means you must give each other lots of room, and not try to restrict or change the other.

Mars Square Uranus 6th/8th: Personal expectations of each other cannot be met, a great deal of reaction to each other. Can escalate into violence leading to injury or death.

Mercury Square Uranus 6th /8th: Automatic disagreement with the other; psychologically conditioned reactions. This relationship would have broken up very quickly, and one or the other would have moved out. Sadly, this did not happen.

Venus in the Sixth House: The relationship is on the surface, a utilitarian one (a shared apartment) but has underlying nervous reactions that can lower self-esteem.

Venus Square Neptune 6th/9th: Here, I see that Knox was attracted to Kercher, and I do not mean in a sexual way. The 6th house is the house of healing. Knox had deep mental and psychological issues that had never been addressed. Kercher was a bright, focused high achieving student with passion and drive. There was something special about her that attracted everyone. It is my opinion that Knox wanted very much to not only be Meredith's friend, but also, to control her. (There are domination issues in Knox's chart) There can also be an idealized fixation, and from all accounts of their respective personalities, it appears the attraction was on Knox's part. Kercher would have found her the very opposite of her driven to achieve Capricorn character. This aspect leads to great disappointment in the relationship, and yes, I consider jealousy and feelings of rejection to be one of the motives.

Mars Square Saturn 6th/9th: This provokes negative feelings that simmer below the surface.

Uranus in the Eighth House: Sudden and unpredictable reactions

Mercury Conjunct Mars 6th: Speech patterns that can aggravate the other. Constant irritations can lead to physical confrontations.

One of the problems faced by the prosecution and defense has been in trying to determine or eliminate the motivation for this crime. The actual mechanics and physical evidence have been argued and disputed for a long time now but motive, on the other hand, with various scenarios being presented, are all conjectural. We may never know for sure.

But a study of the psychology of the individual, as seen through astrology, can be quite insightful.

Here: The placement of the Moon in the chart explains hidden feeling and emotion so very clearly.

Moon in the Sixth House: This indicates a coming together for the specific purpose of healing. However, this cannot work as there are too many imbalances in the chart, which prevent understanding.

Moon Conjunct Venus: They could have had a great friendship, but they were too opposite, and the squares to Uranus and Neptune indicate that repulsion set in very quickly.

Sun Conjunct Moon: This indicates a great attraction, even if there are too many difficulties indicated elsewhere.

Moon Square Neptune: This relationship has aspects of delusional thinking. It appears that one or the other can project all sorts of longing on to the other, but, when that turns out to have been misjudged, lead to great disappointment. Alcohol and drugs can exacerbate the situation.

Summary: The Moon represents the relationship with the mother. Amanda Knox's father left the family when she was a toddler, and her mother remarried with a much younger man. Meredith Kercher, on the other hand, had a strong, loving relationship with her mother. It appears that Meredith reflected back Amanda's issues with her own mother, whose high expectations (she's a teacher) and Amanda's self destructive patterns and rebelliousness led to a violent outcome.

That the Moon falls in the 6th house indicates to me that her actions can lead to Amanda Knox's eventual healing. It is very clear she had mental issues before she left for Italy, and they are much worse now. I told some people that she would be in a prison of one kind or the other until she was 41 years of age. Karma is a healer; more so than any physical prison.

And in the end, we will always remember Meredith Kercher. I prefer to see her, not as a victim, but the luminous figure (it really was her) who appeared in Kristian Leontiou's haunting music video, "Some Say" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-q15O-rRdQM

RIP Meredith Kercher

Buried Treasure

This is a real treasure map, mateys!

I meet the most interesting people, and it's always, always, for a reason. They always have a good story to tell. They may be a connection from the past, or, a message pertaining to the future. (Note: don't ask me if I have a message for them :) Even if I did, I'd still wait and see what unfolds) They may know people that are famous (though I always find their story more compelling than that of the politician/celebrity they're connected with) And yes, there is buried treasure waiting to be found.

There are many people, with buried memories of past lives. Helping them untangle and move forward is one thing I do. There are those who almost died and came back with a purpose, or still are searching. You look at a person, and you see the gifts they have. You look around, and there are unquiet spirits... yes, they are interesting.

So, Nelson Mandela is a hero to many people because of his heroic resistance to oppression. But in the end he had to make a deal not to nationalize South Africa's mines before he was allowed to become president. And then, even then, people still tried to assassinate him. I met the special forces man who was supposed to plant a bomb in his office. He'd been tortured in prison, and I helped heal his broken body so he was free of pain for a while. As I said, it was his story that was interesting.

The Dalai Lama is another celebrity we get to project our emotional and spiritual longing on to. I know too much of his story of compromise to care any more. It was the Rinpoche in Toronto with the gleaming eyes and shared sense of humour I liked.

Then there are people who quite literally search for buried treasure.

There was an Iranian businessman who wanted much but was afraid to give. He had all sorts of spiritual and financial karma. So I made him pay me up front :) and as it turned out, good thing I did :))) He won a big lawsuit, regained property stolen from him, sold a factory, made millions. Then, in the nature of rich people everywhere, he wanted his money's worth. Which, he got. There's a friend of his in London whose son had a stroke. In a coma for a while, could I help? Yes, and he got better. His brother was a coke addict. I healed from a distance, and he quit. Left his family too, but, I break eggs. Then he got me in touch with some exiles who needed to get a hold of 'buried treasure'. Sure I could help, but pay me first. Nope, and we parted ways.

But the real person in all of this was his wife. She had some tremendous abilities and would have become a very powerful spiritual teacher. But they both were victims of spiritual possession and in the end, I could only wish them the best, with no regrets.

There are the 'spiritual advisers' to politicians. Like Djuna Davishavili, the woman who some say had enormous influence both with Russian leaders Leonid Brezhnev and Boris Yeltsin. I met her in Spain, and was invited to Moscow. Funny how my sense of self preservation kept me from going there just before the second Russian revolution and attack on the Russian White House in 1993. Around 2000 people were killed.

Yet I would also go to Iran in 2007, and believe me, that was more dangerous. Many of the ayatollahs and businessmen do believe in sorcery. But I was there to teach spirituality and prevent a disaster, and again, whatever could have happened, didn't (See "Happy Nawrooz To The People Of Iran").

When the Japanese armies invaded China in the late 30's huge amounts of gold and jewels were looted and sent back to Japan, and later, hidden in caves in the Philippines. The late Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos had a spiritual advisor he trusted implicitly. She had a disciple who came to Canada and became my student for a while. She told me about the caves which still had tons of looted gold and jewels. The CIA was after that, and she'd already been cheated of $30 million which had been entrusted to her by Marcos. Could I help her with that? Perhaps I could. But again, my spidey sense said it would come to nothing. Yet, funnily, coincidentally, my cousin was South Asian head of operations for a European bank based in Manila, and then when he might have been able to help the Iranians in 2007, he was heading operations in Amsterdam. But there was no way I'd endanger him.

Ever since I read RL Stevenson's Treasure Island I'd been fascinated by the idea of hidden treasure. Sure, there's Nazi looted gold in European lakes, and Mayan treasure vaults buried deep in the Andes, and Captain Kidd's pirate treasure somewhere off the Carolina coast.

But note this. The occult means 'the hidden', and alchemy is not the transmutation of lead to gold, but the transformation of humanity to a higher spiritual level.

There are people with a divine gift who wish to make a difference but don't know how.

If you want to know how to get there I say: give it up and follow me.

The greatest treasure of all is knowledge.

The Rape of Europa

It's so sad to see this

Europe has given so much to us in the way of civilization. From the Greek philosophers to the Roman foundations of empire and stability, to the Enlightenment and the Age of Revolution, the intellectual, cultural, scientific and artistic gifts given to future generations can only be looked at with wonder.

In my youth and going up to University I read all 11 volumes and 10,000 pages of Will and Ariel Durant's The Story of Civilization http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Story_of_Civilization (mostly Western Civilization, alas, but Vol. 1, Our Oriental Heritage, is magnificent)

But it is this elegy on Will Durant by his wife Ariel Durant that best describes Europe: "that sentimental, idealizing blend of love, philosophy, Christianity, and socialism which dominated (its) spiritual chemistry"

Yes, Europeans can be insular, xenophobic, nationalistic and a little too rationalistic. Nothing an occasional invasion by Eastern hordes can't resolve :)

Yes, it has a dark karma that involves far too many colonial occupations and wholesale slaughter of native peoples. Yes, that karma is catching up to Europe.

But, I do love Europeans and their culture and social norms. My children are a happy blend of both worlds, and I respect the Western Mind as equal, if different than the Eastern Mind; the joy's in the mix.

And, as we go through these momentous changes, here's a word from Will Durant on the decline and rebuilding of civilizations: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Durant#On_the_decline_and_rebuilding_of_civilizations

"Much like Oswald Spengler, Will Durant saw the decline of a civilization as a culmination of strife between religion and secular intellectualism, thus toppling the precarious institutions of convention and morality:

"Hence a certain tension between religion and society marks the higher stages of every civilization. Religion begins by offering magical aid to harassed and bewildered men; it culminates by giving to a people that unity of morals and belief which seems so favorable to statesmanship and art; it ends by fighting suicidally in the lost cause of the past."

"For as knowledge grows or alters continually, it clashes with mythology and theology, which change with geological leisureliness. Priestly control of arts and letters is then felt as a galling shackle or hateful barrier, and intellectual history takes on the character of a "conflict between science and religion"

"Institutions which were at first in the hands of the clergy, like law and punishment, education and morals, marriage and divorce, tend to escape from ecclesiastical control, and become secular, perhaps profane. The intellectual classes abandon the ancient theology and—after some hesitation—the moral code allied with it; literature and philosophy become anticlerical"

"The movement of liberation rises to an exuberant worship of reason, and falls to a paralyzing disillusionment with every dogma and every idea. Conduct, deprived of its religious supports, deteriorates into epicurean chaos; and life itself, shorn of consoling faith, becomes a burden alike to conscious poverty and to weary wealth. In the end a society and its religion tend to fall together, like body and soul, in a harmonious death. Meanwhile among the oppressed another myth arises, gives new form to human hope, new courage to human effort, and after centuries of chaos builds another civilization"

Europe is indeed, going through its period of chaos, and hopefully will one day build another civilization. And bless Will Durant's hopeful optimism, he's right. Europe needs to embrace an idea.

Of course, since he died in 1981, he wasn't able to see the culmination of decades of decline in morality - fiscal, political, and ethical, but the results are upon us now. His quote: "A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within" was in the title credits of Mel Gibson's 2006 film "Apocalypto".

I liked the Durants because of the clarity of their writing and sheer love for their subject. If there was a writer who best might describe the socio-economic upheaval we are going through, it would be Karl Marx, but most people find him unreadable. Still, he sees the process of change as a continuous struggle between the capitalists and the masses. And, as riots take place in the streets of Europe and more sedate Americans occupy Wall Street, who can deny that struggle is ongoing?

Whither Europe? After decades of neo-liberal economic policies we are now being subjected to fears of the collapse of European economies and the Eurozone. Here's a Counterpunch magazine article that describes the problem very well: http://www.counterpunch.org/2011/06/24/bankers-gear-up-for-the-rape-of-greece-as-social-democrats-vote-for-national-suicide/

"The fight for Europe’s future is being waged in Athens and other Greek cities to resist financial demands that are the 21st century’s version of an outright military attack. The threat of bank overlordsh­ip is not the kind of economy-ki­lling policy that affords opportunit­ies for heroism in armed battle, to be sure. Destructive­ financial policies are more like an exercise in the banality of evil; in this case, the pro-credit­or assumption­s of the European Central Bank (ECB), EU and IMF (egged on by the U.S. Treasury).

As Vladimir Putin pointed out some years ago, the neoliberal reforms put in Boris Yeltsin’s hands by the Harvard Boys in the 1990s caused Russia to suffer lower birth rates, shortening life spans and emigration; the greatest loss in population growth since World War II.

Capital flight is another consequence­ of financial austerity. The ECB’s proposed “solution” to Greece’s debt problem is thus self-defea­ting. It only buys time for the ECB to take on yet more Greek government debt, leaving all EU taxpayers to get the bill. It is to avoid this shift of bank losses onto taxpayers that Angela Merkel in Germany has insisted that private bondholder­s must absorb some of the loss resulting from their bad investment­s”

The bankers are trying to get a windfall by using the debt hammer to achieve what warfare did in times past. They are demanding privatization of public assets (on credit, with tax deductibility for interest so as to leave more cash flow to pay the bankers). This transfer of land, public utilities and interest as financial booty and tribute to creditor economies is what makes financial austerity like war in its effect.

Socrates said that ignorance must be the root of all evil, because no one deliberately sets out to be bad. But the economic “medicine” of driving debtors into poverty and forcing the selloff of their public domain has become socially accepted wisdom taught in today’s business schools. One would think that after fifty years of austerity programs and privatization selloffs to pay bad debts, the world has learned enough about causes and consequences"

The article goes on to advocate a cancellation of public debt, and tax on economic rentiers, for social movements to take back governments that advocate for financial interests instead of the people. I agree, and wish people all the best in that.

But as those that follow me know, none of those changes can take place, given the forces against them, until people themselves change.

And I have been saying this for some time now, that until humanity makes a quantum change in spirituality nothing will change, except what you are forced to do. Let go of fear and cynicism, and accept the spiritual message.

I travelled around the world in the 50's, 70's and 90's. Each time, observing humanity's search for peace and spiritual understanding. Each time, to America, Asia, and Europe (not been to the Southern Hemisphere yet, alas) Each time, seeing the changes yet to come. All people want is food, shelter, and to raise their children in peace. But the forces that prevent that are evil.

Socrates was wrong in that. People choose to do evil. And it is up to us, to peacefully, and non-violently, resist. It is up to us to say we won't buy, or believe, their shit. It is up to us to not believe the lie, that there is nothing we can do.

I went to America in the 90's. I gave without asking anything in return, and helped thousands of people with workshops, healing and meditations. Many of the ideas I taught have entered the New Age mainstream. The same in Asia. The same, in Europe.

It seemed I was drawn to places that needed healing. In Sri Lanka, I saw the tsunami and brutal culmination of civil war. In America, the so called war on terror that gave some the opportunity to loot the economy. I tried so hard to go back to Japan before the tsunami and nuclear disaster. The Japanese people need to change course, if their corrupt institutions will let them. So, too, do the American people. Until then, what must be, will be.

This is about Europe though. Immediately after I left the US I went on an extended trip around Europe with my family. For four months in 1996 we travelled to ten different countries; 16,000 kms in our car and everywhere we went, I did healing and talked to people. My favourite moment was in a remote village in Eastern Hungary: one day, having an (outdoor:) shower and seeing over a hundred people walking down the hills to meet the healer who had come there. Later that day, another hundred people from a youth camp for orphans. I did healing work with them too. Their instructor suffered from progressive blindness; he says I cured his eyesight. I like to look at the spiritual implications of that.

The fact still remains that Europe then went on to invade Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya, and allow the brutal occupation of the Palestinian people. If you look at many conflicts in Africa, it's European powers that are arming combatants and encouraging tribal conflicts to better divide up nations and control other people's natural resources. Yet they complain when Americans conduct financial warfare against them.

I love the European people, their culture and historical institutions. It may well be they cannot tolerate more economic refugees ending up on their shores; I believe they are for the most part still tolerant and compassionate enough to withstand the xenophobia and race hatred being promoted by the very land thieves who purport to lead them. I believe they are capable of creating a new civilization.

But first, they must resolve this conflict between 'reason' and 'religion'. The real conflict is between materialism and spirituality, and that must be healed.

I am drawn to America and Europe. It is vital that I go there, because the needed change must come from there. There has to be spiritual change in both places. The consequences otherwise will be terrible. But for the first time in my life, I will not be using my own resources to do that. I have to remain in Canada and look after my own family. I have to raise a certain amount of money to publish all my books. I have to look after myself now.

This isn't a crass request for donations. The universe operates on the basis of exchange, and what you give is what you receive. I have always given back more than I received (see my next article, "Buried Treasure" and previous ones for examples) Those who have known and followed me for the last twenty years know I always help anyone that asks. You can come to Toronto or you can write. I can heal, even from a distance.

But if you want to change the world, then I say to you: spiritual power is the greatest force known. It must be harnessed. People have to learn how to do it, and teach others. Whether you come to see me, or I you, will be immaterial. Whether you are American, or European, or from anywhere else, doesn't matter. I need a lot of people, around 100,000, and from all around the world. Together, I can show you miracles...

So if you are drawn to help, or follow me, then I can be reached here: naseer@manfromatlan.com

Who Is This Man?

The Black Sea, November 2010

Spirituality is always a struggle between the need to sustain the body and, to nurture the spirit.

And yes, that is quite a journey.

My website, Man From Atlan is now up. You can click http://www.manfromatlan.com/ to get there.

It's a teaching web site. Available to all. I have always offered healing and teaching to anyone who asked, and now I see a whole planet in need of healing. But now, for the first time, I'm the one asking: Will you join me?

The people of Atlan who came to Earth thousands of years ago did so because of a prophecy. And because of that prophecy which pointed to this particular point in time, I have incarnated over and over again, through many lifetimes, with struggle, but also, with love.

So here I am again. From 1966, to start my work when I was 16. Now I'm 61, and it's like I'm starting again.

I was in England in 1977 when I saw the events that would come to this planet, and returned in 1999 to see, yet again, that vision.

It was a burden too heavy to carry. As I said, "sometimes, seeing the future can be a terrible thing", but, now I've shared that vision with you, what will you do about it?

So if you care about the world you leave for future generations; if you want to make a difference, let me know.

If, after you check this out and feel you want to support this work, in a small or large way, please contact me at naseer@manfromatlan.com

Sometimes, the only thing to do is make a leap of faith, and plunge in.

Thank you.

The Criminal Mind

Is there such a thing?

Of course there is.

Introduction:

The question of criminality has been much in the news lately, as wild gangs of youth rampaged through British cities, and wild gangs of feral financial speculators rampaged through the world's economies.

As a scientist I wonder about the pathologies involved, and as a spiritual person I wonder about root causes.

So this is about where we are going as a society. Are we descending into criminality, and is the problem getting worse? I also wonder about the connection between criminality and mental illness.

I have been following the case of Amanda Knox for some time, as readers may know. http://manfromatlan.blogspot.com/2011/06/what-might-have-been.html

Amanda Knox, along with her boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito and acquaintance Rudy Guede, was convicted of the brutal murder of British student Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Italy in November 2007.

There are passionate supporters of the case for her innocence, as well as those who believe the several hearings and trials she has had so far were fair and she is in fact, guilty. I belong to the latter camp, but, since she has filed an appeal am quite content to let it run its course. Justice will be served.

Disclaimer:

I have never met her, or anyone connected with her. This article is not a diagnosis of the psychology of Amanda Knox, nor in any way does it make presumptions of her guilt or innocence. That will be determined by evidence presented in court.

Nor, as some have attempted to argue in other forums, is my opinion based on astrology, or other occult tools.

But I was inspired by people who asked the following questions:

1) Is there such a thing as a criminal mind?

2)How can that be ascertained?

This, then, is to present an overview of the research and opinions of experts in the field, as well as present hypotheses of my own.

My background, for those only aware of my spiritual beliefs, is that I am a foreign trained physician with a specialization in Autism Spectrum Disorder. I've been in clinical practice for over three decades, but now act as a consultant as I continue further research into the causes and treatment of mental illness.

Concurrent with that I have been following my spiritual path and see no conflict between my calling and my work; both have the goal of helping humanity.

In the course of trying to find a treatment for my own children's Autism, I came to the following conclusion: conventional medical science has no clue about the causes or effective treatment of mental illness.

Therefore I had to range further into alternative medicine to find solutions, and serendipitously, I did. Yet, when my son's autism reversal was confirmed by psychologists, no one seemed to want to know how. Neither the media, nor the conventional establishment.

Never mind. My findings were presented, for free, to various alternative medical doctors and clinics, reported in journals and books, and confirmed by them. The protocol has great possibilities in the treatment of other neurological illnesses. It is possible to reverse brain disease.

At my clinic in Toronto as well as other countries, I treated hundreds of young people with Autism, ADHD, Aspergers, and other psychological disorders, using holistic medical methods alone. Many of them went on to have normal lives; most improved significantly. And, when I have the time, I will write a book about this journey, and share it with everyone.

Which I already did, btw, here: http://manfromatlan.blogspot.com/2007/12/not-incurable-new-research-on-autism.html But this is by way of background. I do not claim to have cures, or answers; I'm a searcher for knowledge, which I wish to share with others.

The question:

So: Is there such a thing as a criminal mind? This was a question much pondered as the new field of psychology came into being. In opposition to religious belief that crimes were caused by man's original state of sin, and provoked by deadly sins like avarice and lust etc., it tried to define abnormal behaviour as a function of upbringing and environment. It was only later as research into the nature of the brain emerged that new theories were formed; could neurological deficits explain criminal acts? Along with other suppositions of nurture and nature, addictions and abuse?

The answer: According to these studies, yes. http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=Top_Story&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=38174

"The release today of a study by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) showing than 64 percent of local jail inmates, 56 percent of state prisoners and 45 percent of federal prisoners have symptoms of serious mental illnesses is an indictment of the nation’s mental health care system. It is both a scandal and a national tragedy. The figures are worse than those generally believed in the past, in which estimates of the total number of inmates with mental illnesses have been approximately 20 percent. The study reveals that the problem is two to three times greater than anyone imagined. What is even more disturbing is the number of these inmates that have served prior sentences, committed violent offenses, or engaged in substance abuse"

This is not an ideological statement, nor is it an attempt to avoid the serious problem of crimes in society. We have to have a system of laws and justice, and we have to protect the innocent. But the present system of crime and punishment doesn't work, either.

So, how do we measure the criminal mind? Could there possibly be genetic, neurological, behavioral or even, physiognomic markers? I was 10 years old when a gentleman took one look at certain bumps on my head and said I "was very perceptive; could look at a scene and see what others could not"Cool, and this was my introduction to phrenology.

This was where 18-19th century researchers sought to determine racial and emotional differences through the study of skull size, shape and protuberances. And yes, they did believe the criminal's head was different than that of normal people. This later became the field of craniology and craniometry, as scientists tried to avoid making unsavory determinations.

http://www.answers.com/topic/craniometry "The scars left after World War II by these atrocious programmes of research meant that the study of human skull shape and size fell into disrepute. Human variation, the core subject of anthropology, was increasingly explored through genetics and other biological markers, and became functional and adaptive in orientation rather than a search for racial affinities. In recent years, however, the introduction of new computer-based techniques of measurement, and the greatly enhanced power of statistical analysis, has meant that there has been a resurgence of interest in this subject, and, stripped of its non-Darwinian and racist past, the study of the human head remains a topic of major importance"

So now, scientists are using cranial measurements to determine mental illness, like here: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/118653.php

"Recently, Harvard researchers reported that children with autism have a wide range of genetic defects, making it nearly impossible to develop a simple genetic test to identify the disorder. Now, University of Missouri researchers are studying 3-D imaging to reveal correlations in the facial features and brain structures of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which will enable them to develop a formula for earlier detection of the disorder" .."When you compare the faces and head shapes of children with specific types of autism to other children, it is obvious there are variations. Currently, autism diagnosis is purely behavior based and doctors use tape measurements to check for facial and brain dissimilarities. We are developing a quantitative method that will accurately measure these differences and allow for earlier, more precise detection of specific types of the disorder," said Ye Duan, assistant computer science professor in the MU College of Engineering"

Then you have "The Criminal Brain-Understanding Biological Theories of Crime", author Nicole Hahn Rafter, New York University Press (October 2008) http://www.amazon.ca/Criminal-Brain-Understanding-Biological-Theories/dp/0814776140,

"What is the relationship between criminality and biology? Nineteenth-century phrenologists insisted that criminality was innate, a trait inherent in the offender's brain matter. While they were eventually repudiated as pseudo-scientists and self-deluded charlatans, today the pendulum has swung back. Both criminologists and biologists have begun to speak of a tantalizing but disturbing possibility: that criminality may be inherited as a set of genetic deficits that place one at risk for theft, violence, and sexual deviance. If that is so, we may soon confront proposals for genetically modifying "at risk" foetuses or doctoring up criminals so their brains operate like those of law-abiding citizens"

Wow. Now this really frightens me, to see scientists, once again, barking up the wrong genetic tree, but there you go any way.

Brain Injury as a factor in crime:

Alternative physician Dr. Russell L. Blaylock:

Vaccines, Depression and Neurodegeneration After Age 50 http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/pages/vaccines-depression-and-neurodegeneration-after-age-50.aspx

"Previously, it was thought that major depression was secondary to a deficiency in certain neurotransmitters in the brain, particularly the monoamines, which include serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. While alterations in these important mood-related neurotransmitters is found with major depression, growing evidence indicates that the primary culprit is low-grade, chronic brain inflammation. In addition, we now know that inflammatory cytokines can lower serotonin significantly and for long periods by a number of different mechanisms"

I would agree with him there, since it has been my observation that mental illness is often accompanied by inflammatory disorders or auto-immune illness. I also believe the changes in vaccine schedules may have led to increased neurological deficits and genetic damage passed on to subsequent generations, but that is an argument for a separate article. I do not blame vaccines alone, as I will explain here.

There is research that shows criminal minds and behavior issues are often accompanied by brain damage. http://waiting.com/blog/tag/chris-henry-autopsy-show-brain-damage

"Brain injury is a condition that involves microscopic damage to brain tissue that can only be seen in life through the lens of the patterns of the injured person’s life. Chris Henry, the former NFL wide receiver whose autopsy results confirmed he was living with brain damage, may have finally made that clear"

"Limbic Abnormalities in Affective Processing by Criminal Psychopaths as Revealed by Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging"
Kiehl, et al, http://www.uni-graz.at/~schulter/Limbic_abnormalities.pdf

"Results: Compared with criminal nonpsychopaths and noncriminal control participants, criminal psychopaths showed significantly less affect-related activity in the amygdala/hippocampal formation, parahippocampal gyrus, ventral striatum, and in the anterior and posterior cingulate gyri. Psychopathic criminals also showed evidence of overactivation in the bilateral fronto-temporal cortex for processing affective stimuli"

The brains of autistic individuals show similar defects: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1200/is_v130/ai_4422064/

"The two research teams have noticed an intriguing abnormality in the brains of the small group of autistics they have examined: The cerebellum, a portion of the brain involved with muscle coordination and the regulation of incoming sensations, contains fewer neurons known as Purkinje cells. There are also preliminary indications that growth in parts of the limbic system, which oversees emotion and memory, is arrested while autistics are still in the womb"

Likewise, in schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/unlocked-the-secrets-of-schizophrenia-1727987.html

"new research shows for the first time that both have a common genetic basis that leads people to develop one or other of the two illnesses..find that thousands of tiny genetic mutations – known as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) – are operating in raising the risk of developing the illness"

"Early Signs of Psychopathy" argues that signs can show at an early age http://www.suite101.com/content/early-signs-of-antisocial-personal-a29191

"A twenty-five year study, published this month in The Journal of Abnormal Psychology, demonstrates that, as early as the age of three, there are temperamental and physiological difference between those who show psychopathic tendencies as adults and those who don’t. Not only do psychopaths lack emotions of conscience and empathy, but research has shown that these individuals consistently display certain aspects of temperament including a lack of fear, lack of inhibition and stimulus seeking behavior"

A lack of a hormone that affects empathy:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=the-hormone-that-helps-you-read-min

"We've long accepted that hormones can make you amorous, aggressive, or erratic. But lately neuroscience has been abuzz with evidence that the hormone oxytocin -- which also acts as a neuromodulator -- can enhance at least one cognitive power: the ability to understand the gist of what others are thinking. In this week's Mind Matters, Jennifer Bartz and Eric Hollander, two leading researchers in this area, review the many and surprising ways in which oxytocin seems to influence both our openness to others and our understanding of them"

"For inherently social creatures such as humans, the ability to identify the motives, intentions, goals, desires, beliefs and feelings of others is not a nicety but an essential skill. We must understand "where others are coming from" not only to pursue our individual goals but also to facilitate social harmony more generally. Specifically, we need to recognize that other people can have thoughts, beliefs, desires and feelings that differ from our own --"

and it may be this that drives psychopathy, or the criminal mind.

Psychopathy: Two lengthy checklists of psychopathic, or anti-social personality disorder:

Cleckley: http://www.angelfire.com/zine2/narcissism/psychopathy_checklist.html

Cleckley's original list of symptoms of a psychopath: 1. Considerable superficial charm and average or above average intelligence. 2. Absence of delusions and other signs of irrational thinking 3. Absence of anxiety or other "neurotic" symptoms considerable poise, calmness, and verbal facility. 4. Unreliability, disregard for obligations no sense of responsibility, in matters of little and great import. 5.Untruthfulness and insincerity 7. Antisocial behavior which is inadequately motivated and poorly planned, seeming to stem from an inexplicable impulsiveness. 7.Inadequately motivated antisocial behavior 8.Poor judgment and failure to learn from experience 9. Pathological egocentricity. Total self-centeredness incapacity for real love and attachment. 10. General poverty of deep and lasting emotions. 11. Lack of any true insight, inability to see oneself as others do. 12. Ingratitude for any special considerations, kindness, and trust. 13. Fantastic and objectionable behavior, after drinking and sometimes even when not drinking--vulgarity, rudeness, quick mood shifts, pranks. 14. No history of genuine suicide attempts. 15. An impersonal, trivial, and poorly integrated sex life. 16. Failure to have a life plan and to live in any ordered way, unless it be one promoting self-defeat.

Hare: http://www.oregoncounseling.org/Handouts/PsychopathicPersonality.htm

The Psychopathic Personality:

"A psychopath can have high verbal intelligence, but they typically lack "emotional intelligence". They can be expert in manipulating others by playing to their emotions. There is a shallow quality to the emotional aspect of their stories (i.e., how they felt, why they felt that way, or how others may have felt and why). The lack of emotional intelligence is the first good sign you may be dealing with a psychopath. A history of criminal behavior in which they do not seem to learn from their experience, but merely think about ways to not get caught is the second best sign.

The following is a list of items based on the research of Robert Hare, Ph.D. which is derived from the "The Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised, .1991, Toronto: Multi-Health Systems." These are the most highly researched and recognized characteristics of psychopathic personality and behavior":

1. glibness/superficial charm 2. grandiose sense of self worth 3. need for stimulation/prone to boredom 4. pathological lying 5. conning/manipulative 6. lack of remorse or guilt 7. shallow emotional response 8. callous/lack of empathy 9. parasitic lifestyle 10. poor behavioral controls 11. promiscuous sexual behavior 12. early behavioral problems 13. lack of realistic long term goals 14. impulsivity 15. irresponsibility 16. failure to accept responsibility for their own actions 17. many short term relationships 18. juvenile delinquency 19. revocation of conditional release 20. criminal versatility

What is Emotional Intelligence?

Is it becoming a rare quality among young people? It certainly seems to be declining in society.
http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/Gallery/Young/emotion.htm#what%20is%20EI

"Emotional intelligence "is a type of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one's own and others' emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use the information to guide one's thinking and actions" (Mayer & Salovey, 1993: 433). According to Salovey & Mayer (1990), EI subsumes Gardner's inter- and intrapersonal intelligences, and involves abilities that may be categorized into five domains:

Self-awareness: Observing yourself and recognizing a feeling as it happens.

Managing emotions: Handling feelings so that they are appropriate; realizing what is behind a feeling; finding ways to handle fears and anxieties, anger, and sadness.

Motivating oneself: Channeling emotions in the service of a goal; emotional self control; delaying gratification and stifling impulses.

Empathy: Sensitivity to others' feelings and concerns and taking their perspective; appreciating the differences in how people feel about things.

Handling relationships: Managing emotions in others; social competence and social skills.

And according to Goleman (1995: 160), "Emotional intelligence, the skills that help people harmonize, should become increasingly valued as a workplace asset in the years to come."

The last words belong to the educators, of course.
http://www.indiana.edu/~intell/gardner.shtml
Howard Gardner (July 11, 1943 - ) American Psychologist and Educator

"Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences (1983) proposes that intelligent behavior does not arise from a single unitary quality of the mind, as the g -based theories profiled on this Web site suggest, but rather that different kinds of intelligence are generated from separate metaphorical pools of mental energy"

"Gardner derived this conceptualization of intelligence in part from his experiences working with members (of) extreme populations, in which certain cognitive abilities are preserved (often to a remarkable degree) even in the absence of other, very basic abilities. For example, some autistic savants display extraordinary musical or mathematical abilities despite severely impaired language development and social awareness. Likewise, individuals with localized brain damage often demonstrate severe deficits that are circumscribed to a single cognitive domain (Gardner, 1983/2003)"

And Piaget, who inspired me many years ago:
http://www.indiana.edu/~intell/piaget.shtml
Jean Piaget (August 9, 1896-September 16, 1980) Swiss Biologist and Child Psychologist

Definition of Intelligence:

"Intelligence is an adaptation…To say that intelligence is a particular instance of biological adaptation is thus to suppose that it is essentially an organization and that its function is to structure the universe just as the organism structures its immediate environment" (Piaget, 1963, pp. 3-4).

"Intelligence is assimilation to the extent that it incorporates all the given data of experience within its framework…There can be no doubt either, that mental life is also accommodation to the environment. Assimilation can never be pure because by incorporating new elements into its earlier schemata the intelligence constantly modifies the latter in order to adjust them to new elements" (Piaget, 1963, p. 6-7) (Including, imo, 'criminal intelligence')

Major Contributions:

The theory of Genetic Epistemology

"Piaget also believed that intellectual development occurs in four distinct stages.

The sensorimotor stage begins at birth, and lasts until the child is approximately two years old. At this stage, the child cannot form mental representations of objects that are outside his immediate view, so his intelligence develops through his motor interactions with his environment.

The preoperational stage typically lasts until the child is 6 or 7. According to Piaget, this is the stage where true "thought" emerges. Preoperational children are able to make mental representations of unseen objects, but they cannot use deductive reasoning.

The concrete operations stage follows, and lasts until the child is 11 or 12. Concrete operational children are able to use deductive reasoning, demonstrate conservation of number, and can differentiate their perspective from that of other people.

Formal operations is the final stage. Its most salient feature is the ability to think abstractly"

It is my opinion that emotional intelligence development also follows these four distinct phases. This is where nurture and nature come into play, and any trauma, abuse, neglect, that occurs during these phases can lead to an emotional stunting where the child is unable to progress to the next stage of development.

In the same way, a positive home and school environment can help children grow to be more harmonious members of society, once you adjust for any biological and neurological deficits. Early recognition and treatment is key...

Having worked as a volunteer in the public school system, I can tell you what teachers and educators have been telling me for years: the number of learning disabled and emotionally disturbed children is increasing exponentially..

Is it just me, or does it seem like the world has become an increasingly disharmonious place lately?

But the last word might well come from a book written by a Norwegian judge, Jens Jacob-Sander:

The Criminal Brain: A View from the Bench
Exploring the Criminal Mind

http://www.dana.org/news/cerebrum/detail.aspx?id=1354

"What goes on in the minds of criminals? This question raises perennial philosophical issues about human behavior in general and criminal conduct in particular. Do criminals act the way they do because of how and what they think and feel? And, are these internal forces of thought and feeling caused by the states of their brains, which in turn are predetermined by biology, chemistry, and genetics? Is the problem, in short, what used to be called bad blood?

Or, are the thoughts, feelings, and actions of criminals caused by external factors such as parents, education, and other influences in the environment that mold and shape malleable brains, which, in turn, give rise to the criminal personality? In other words, is the real culprit for criminal behavior what used to be called society?

With the emergence of brain science over the past 50 years, including brain imaging technologies and the study of brain chemistry, perhaps we can return to these profound questions with new hope of making progress toward answers.

At the present time, although some scholars of brain science lean heavily toward a reductionistic biological determinism, others call attention to the plasticity of the brain and its capacity for change. Even if we cannot ever uncover a single satisfactory answer to how the criminal mind works, perhaps we can begin to diminish the devastation caused by criminal behavior.

An exploration of the criminal mind might yield insights, ideas, and innovative hypotheses worthy of serious consideration and further study. It might also provoke us to reconsider how we think about the questions we ask about the causes of criminal behavior. Instead of polarizing the discussion by pitting determinism (biological or social) against free will as mutually exclusive explanations of criminal conduct, we might discover that biological predispositions and habits of thought can be influenced by education, cognitive retraining, and behavior modification. Whatever our current state of knowledge, isn't it worth our effort to try to formulate better theories and more effective forms of intervention?

That daunting task has been undertaken in a new e-book titled Exploring the Criminal Mind and subtitled Advances of Brainscience and Mental Procedures of the Criminal Personality: A Unified Brain-Mind Theory. The author and publisher, Jens-Jacob Sander, is a judge in the Norwegian Courts of Justice, located west of the city of Oslo. Judge Sander tells us in the foreword to his book that it grew out of his frustration with trying to understand the criminal mind while he was engaged in a major international fraud-hunt in 1989 that, although successful, was apparently hampered by the lack of adequate information and insights about criminal minds"

Perhaps we can return to these profound questions with new hope of making progress toward answers, indeed.

The Horoscope of the United States of America

My first love was an American

Growing up in the diplomatic enclave of Tokyo I first came in contact with Americans at the American Nichimachi School and many of my neighbours were also, American. They were open and friendly, and I made many friends.

Then when I returned to Pakistan there was another family right across from us, funny enough. The father was American, the mom, Russian. How they ended up in Karachi I never knew, but the older brother, Christopher, was my friend, and Margaret, who was about my own age, was my first love.

She really liked me, and I, her, but being 10 at the time we never really knew how to proceed, and then she moved away.

Me and my family almost moved to the U.S. in 1970 but came to Canada instead.

So, for me, the United States is like one's first love, a memory that always remains in one's mind, like the question, what might have been.

As I grew up I realized there would always be the dichotomy of the ideals of the American Republic and Constitution and how it rose to greatness on the backs of ruthless expansion and war finance of its economy.

Now I have written at length about how I tried in previous years to bring about a spiritual awakening movement in the United States. (See "A Spiritual Journey to the United States") http://manfromatlan.blogspot.com/2007/12/spiritual-journey-to-u.html originally published in late 2001 then again in December 2007.

I was reminded of this just a few days ago, when someone asked me a general astrological question ;)

I said well, some Cancers were going through a rough time.

And since astrology is a theoretical science, it will never be 'proven' as there are indeed too many variables, so I try to avoid any blanket statements as to how, or when.

But, the day after I said that, the eastern seaboard of the U.S. was struck by a rare earthquake and the Washington Monument cracked.

And the US is a Cancer country, born on July 4, and this was a message.

So, if astrology is a karmic map, I can say the U.S. is in for some interesting times!

This is what I wrote shortly after the events of September 2001: "And if Earth Changes are required to bring about harmony, let them take place"

And: "This applies to all the people of the United States. You, and all your generations, are trapped inside a spiritual, emotional and karmic place, and never will be free until you heal the harm that was done in your name"

Please understand that all this shows in the horoscope of the U.S. The Sagittarius ascendant shows the ideals that formed the basis of its founding. The Mars Neptune square, deception and corruption of those ideals. Pluto opposite Mercury and Pars Fortunae in the 8th house, ruthless exploitation of natural resources and jingoist propaganda to exculpate that. And Sun, Venus and Jupiter conjunct in the 7th house, being so blessed with good fortune and love from its allies.

But, every cycle comes to an end, and the planets now show so clearly what will be.

Saturn returns to its original position every 30 years, (It became exact in November 2010, continued through 2011) and signifies a time of renewal, but also, the culmination of activities that have formed that cycle, for good or evil. Karma is just a form of balance.

Pluto opposite planets in Cancer, signifying a shift in national identity. And in September, more upheavals going into the new year.

I wrote in 'Healer" http://manfromatlan.blogspot.com/2011/04/healer.html and "America the Spiritual" http://manfromatlan.blogspot.com/2011/03/america-spiritual.html what was going to happen, and what needed to be done.

I know how to offer help, but don't know how to ask for it. Yet I do know one thing. If there is going to be that spiritual change which is the only possible thing that will ensure our survival, it must begin there, in the United States. If there is one person of means out there who is prepared to take a chance and help me, then let me know. The information will always be available to everyone, but, at this time of my life, I will ask for help.

There are two places I need to be soon. The U.S., and, Europe.

The contact address is on my profile page.

I look forward to hearing from you.