Category: Conferences - PRISCILLA CL RAJ

Can Science Become Enlightened?

2/1/2016

Deepak Chopra
https://www.deepakchopra.com

'Science goes where reality leads it, but what happens when reality itself comes under question? Since the quantum revolution over a century ago, the solid, tangible nature of reality has been undermined. Scientists were faced with three linked mysteries that are only now being seen as inseparably linked:
What is the nature of the universe?
What is the nature of consciousness?
What is the origin of both the universe and consciousness?

The era has ended when consciousness and the universe could be treated as separate and unrelated. Once accepted as independent, material reality depends on observation – the “measurement problem” in quantum mechanics. At the same time, mind/consciousness/awareness can no longer be considered epiphenomenal, a complex product of brain processes having no bearing on reality.

On the way to making the case for “consciousness first,” the following issues will be considered:

Can exploring consciousness through spiritual methodologies lead to some of the same insights as science?

Can the conscious observer and ‘self’ be understood through introspection - self awareness, self reflection, transcendence, and conscious choice making and intentional self - observation?

Is there a difference between perceptual experience and fundamental reality?

Where do consciousness and conscious experience occur?

In Vedanta, reality changes as consciousness expands. What brain states in neuroscience correlate with different states of consciousness?

Enlightenment or nondual awareness also referred to as liberation (moksha), has been the ultimate goal of life in Vedanta. How does this state of unity bear upon modern science?'

http://www.scienceandnonduality.com/

Writers Digest Conference 2015

8/1/2015

Writers Digest Conference is a conference that takes place in New York City every year and this year it was at The Roosevelt Hotel. It consists of three days of workshops that run from 9am to 7pm with some breaks in between as well as a selection of workshops to choose from hourly. Writers, editors, publishers, authors(New York times best selling and very accomplished), and the aspiring writer.

Who knows what to expect when you come to New York-the capital for writing and publishing. I had concerns that I would be spending three days with pretentious writers way more accomplished than me feeling like I'm out of my league. And then a question, "Why did I sign up for this again?"......
We also have the option to sign up for a "Pitch Slam" where it's 90 seconds to pitch your book to an agent. Again, this could be miserable if the agents are harsh and just getting down to business with zero empathy.

Well, good news AGAIN for New YORK because none of that was the case. The speakers, authors, editors, and agents were completely down to earth and nice. When it came to agents, they were helpful with steering your pitch in the right direction rather than saying, "No, next." My book that I am pitching is "Memoir" and that is one of the hardest to sell because everyone has a story, but I have not just "any" story. With my analysis, I kept them very interested with plenty of questions at the end and business cards in my hand. Score for me and Score for New York!
Those who are editors or agents have thousands of submissions and people always trying to pitch them, but they were super approachable. They had their "agent" vibes of course, but they were way more mellow than how most in the industry can be. Same with the authors who answered my millions of questions about publishing and editing! Thanks girls!!!

Being in the conference for three days, I met a wide variety of writers from all over the country with a diverse background. One man published three poetry books, another writing since the age of seven and has 15 unpublished manuscripts(she is 22 years old), one lady writing about martians and outerspace, another about teen romance, one a travel cookbook- a whole lot of FICTION. It's fascinating how creative the mind is and how people go different places.

Three Indian Writers:)

Sweetest author and speaker!

Friends who Match!

The Roosevelt-Old with Charm Left Over

Lunch Break for Patsy's Pizza!

With over 500 people, it was common to still run into the same people over and over. We shared our story, read out pitch to one another, went for lunch, etc. We bonded and it was fantastic. By the end of it, our minds were overloaded with Query letters, proposals, synopsis, sample chapters, the first three pages, the content editing, marketing platform, scene creation, and so on.

People do not understand HOW MUCH GOES INTO WRITING, EDITING, AND PUBLISHING A BOOK. It is an extremely challenging process and even I was naïve to the fifty drafts and ten rounds of editing and selling yourself before the book-there are reasons for these big writing conferences-us writers definitely need all the help we can get-especially those who are just starting.

University of Iowa-Home to the Writers

7/16/2015

After a five hour arrival back to Chicago from San Francisco and a five hour bus ride to Iowa, I was extremely tired yet excited for the learning opportunities to come....the next morning at 8:30 a.m. in the Old City Museum on the University campus of Iowa.

Lots of umbrellas and unfamiliar yet friendly faces arrived at the museum enjoying some fantastic pastries and coffee. Being there in the place of such incredible writers was a bit intimidating also a place with an older population.

As I was walking up the wooden spiral staircase, I just so happened to run into a woman from the bus who I was speaking with at the rest stop. She is from Argentina(which is my new country of interest) and she was sharing how therapy is widely accepted and if you don't have it people think you are weird. Wow can I move there immediately, speak Spanish, have my own practice, and tango the nights away? A girl can dream right or make that dream reality...She has a great spirit and I look forward to speaking more with her.

As for our short, but extremely funny orientation-we went straight to our four hour course split into two sessions. This is just a Saturday and Sunday Course. The following course is one weeklong.

Class: Illustrated Scenes of Nonfiction with Carol Spindel
She has been teaching at the conference for years and my peers had also been attending the writing conference. Also, ten of my classmates were twice my age or perhaps older, which is just fine because I enjoy learning, but the discussion shifts based off their generation not my own.

Not going to share everything about the day, but basically

1. Don't edit it while you write it
2. Be specific and concrete taking a small edge from a topic
3. Choose and choose aggressively
4. Know your audience and don't write for your own
5. Frame, unity, and conference

Realistically writers can be fantastic and down to earth or they are on their "publication pedestal." Being in one of the best writers scene, Chicago, I have met 90 percent great down to earth authors and editors, but that is just my experience thus far.
It's just that somehow opposition(always resurfaces) especially in those moments of being productive and happy. If this is you, this means that you are on your path to success so keep going, smile, nod, and handle it with confidence rather than utilizing defense mechanisms from your back pocket.

If you succeed in facing opposition, then those good people will come your direction and reaffirm your own truth and character. That person was in my classroom. She sat next to me whispering in my ear, "You're a great writer don't listen to them." After class, I met two of her friends who were just as lovely, smart, and educated. They had been attending the writing festival for fifteen years and they were the experts. Over Indian food, they all let me have my own therapeutic moment(Priscilla needs this too:) and they confirmed that I wrote with passion, conviction, and reason. When you have confirmations that what you experienced was not what it should've or could've been-you feel empowered to keep trekking forward. "Chin up Priscilla and keep writing." Thankful for those that save me from the fall:)

Writing a book is time consuming, but so is passion:) PCR

Schizophrenia to Stanford

7/11/2015

When we hear the school or name "Stanford" automatically we may think two things: money and intelligence. For Nev Jones, this was not about money, but it was about intelligence, persistence, and true resilience.

Standing at a mere 5'3 and quite petite, she stand to the side of the podium just in the beginning of sharing her deepest and darkest secrets. Nev happened to have a parent diagnosed with Schizophrenia and had to spend a significant amount of physical and mental time caring for her mother. It was emotionally draining, but she always had her studies to focus on. Nev had what every program wanted and was except to the twelve or more Doctoral programs she was accepted to in the country.

She chose one school(name confidential), but things took a sharp turn when symptoms of Schizophrenia started to appear. The school took notice, the school humiliated her, they expelled her, and labeled her as "incompetent" when her grades were perfect. All of her friends turned on her and she had no activities left to attend.

It was the stigma of Mental Illness that was getting in the way of Nev's future....

After a deep depression and a psychotic episode, Nev received a random invitation from another program who were unaware of her illness. With support, medication, and not giving up-Nev is now a top researcher at Stanford for research of illness and educational impact. She has proven in her determination and now with research that things have a strong potential of shifting in the direction of Mental health with advocacy and increasing numbers.

This young woman is quite an inspiration. When it came time for questions a man even randomly asked, "Are you married? I have a nice son for you." "No response, but hey at least he tried:)

EDUCATING ENVIRONMENTS ARE SUPPOSE TO BE PLACES OF SAFETY...WHAT IS HAPPENING TO US IN THIS SOCIETY?? PCR

NAMI Closing Conference

7/9/2015

Amazing and inspirational Senator Goldstein

The last day of the conference consisted of our workshops and at the end of the day: the closing banquet. It was a great time to enjoy our three course meal and have closure with all the great people we had met.

Speeches, Awards, and Music.....
Award for a judge who created a Mental health program within the Judicial system between clients and families. Award for a Senator in Sacramento fighting for Mental healthcare through policy. Then we have our humorous and kind psychiatrist with the standard closing speech.
Music included a young adult who looked like Brad Pitt from "Thelma and Louise" wearing cowboy boots and playing Johnny Cash. He shared his diagnosis of Bipolar disorder and it was quite easy to connect with his emotional lyrics and "Somewhere over the Rainbow."
He spoke about his concerns for humanity...for how physical illness takes priority....patients just want to be acknowledged like everyone else. My favorite quote from him was ,"I ain't receive no casseroles or flowers at my hospital bed." He had such great charisma and a positive attitude. He currently visits local hospitals all over the country singing to children. Another inspirational man doing great things with the illnesss he did not choose rather it chose him. PCR

Cowboy Johnny Cash Singer

Inspirational Peer Award for Youth of the Year!

Time 100 Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor

7/8/2015

This photo is from the Wordpress of Dr. Taylor. It is a beautiful representation of the Left and Right Brain

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor has one of the most famous ted talks:
http://www.ted.com/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight?language=en

Found on:
www.ted.com

She is a researcher of the Brain at Harvard University who shares her personal story and education with the brain. When you watch her video, your mind is transported to thinking about your brain and how it functions. Even if you don't have interest in the learning all the details about the brain, she makes you interested for twenty minutes to an hour.
Dr. Jill had been studying the brain as a passion and career. She especially was interested in studying Schizophrenia as her brother is diagnosed. It was her own stroke that changed her life at age 37 that resulted in having to relearn everything she knew i.e. how to write, read, speak, eat, talk, and walk. She called herself "an infant in a woman's body." It took her approximately 7 YEARS for her brain to recover back to it's normal state.
When you can study the brain and then sit and analyze, experience, observe your brain fall apart-it turns out to be a fascinating experience of learning and as Jill titled her book "A Stroke of Insight."

At NAMI, Jill briefly shared her incident and passionately moved onto the brain. The Amygdala vs. the Hippocampus, Right Brain vs. Left Brain, Addiction, Neurocircuitry, and various feeling states/messages sent to the brain.

An important overview of the brain from Dr. Jill:
Left Brain Right Brain
Serial Processor Parallel Processor
Black Vs. White Nonverbal
Thinks in Language/Details Thinks in Pictures
Competetive Present Moment
Confrontational                                                Hollistic thinking
Sense of Urgency                                            Compassionate
Critical analysis Non-confrontational
Right vs. Wrong                                                Contentment/Energy in Flow

Do you feel more connected to one side over another? Or Both?
Dr. Jill says, "The left brain is dominating society. We need more right brain!"
Teenage behavior expected: No Frontal Lobe-Can't plan ahead-High Impulse Control, and Do not Understand Consequences. Brain Not Fully Developed until Age 25

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor is a true inspiration with an uplifting spirit and charisma towards starting life over and being insightful into the human mind and behavior. She lost it all, but it came back to her ten fold and she is using this experience to make a difference.
She is on my Top 100 and the deserves a spot on the Most Influential of Time Magazine.

I am Acceptance

7/7/2015

The speaker, Hakeem Rahim informed us to take out our phone and tweet
#Iamacceptance. The problem is I don't have twitter and I don't know how to use a hatch tag(this should create some humor as a two year old might understand how to do it).

Hakeem Rahim is a presenter for NAMI-"Let's talk about illness."
It was his bold, confident that captivated myself and I believe the rest of the audience.
He shared his story struggling with Bipolar Disorder for fifteen years and recently coming out just two years ago. He was diagnosed while studying at Harvard, times of seeing Jesus, and having events of Mania-running around with too much energy and the ability to perform way too much in short amount of time.

GREAT POINTS OF HIS SPEECH

Depression is raising the bricks off your back one by one to get up

Lift the shame of Mental illness

Where you are is not who you are

We are the architects of our comebacks

We are under the banner of acceptance

The Queen of DBT

7/6/2015

Dr. Linehan appears to be serious, but she also has a great sense of humor despite the subject matter

DBT
-Cost effective
-Effective with adults and adolescents
-Keeps patients out of hospitals
(Important for system recycling patients in and out of hospital beds).

After speaking, everyone went up to speak with her and I was one of the first ones. I praised her for her positive contributions to the field and told her I love the Radical acceptance interconnected with therapy. What happened next???

A spiritual connection of two beings.
While a girl was asking her a question(interrupting mine) she said, "Just wait dear, Just wait." She smiled and held my hand for about 5-10 seconds. She started to speak with another person interrupted our conversation. It didn't matter because I had her hand-spiritually connecting with her being. She had not come this far in her career without it. She mentioned practicing radical acceptance each day.
It was a moment, a special moment, from a special clinician, and a special opportunity to meet her and discuss my DBT training and career opportunities out of the country.

Thank you Marsha for all your persistent and meaningful efforts!!!!
You're an inspiration!

As a therapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, patient-Who could not be excited about listening to the brilliant Marsha Linehan, Ph.D and Director of Behavioral Research at the University of Washington Seattle. This is the only place in the country where research of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy(DBT)is being through random clinical trials. She is the Queen because she invented the highly effective DBT in the late 1980s with a combination of behavioral science and mindfulness practice.

As a clinician, I remember first using this therapy about eight years ago in my first Mental Health position. We utilized it in a group therapy session with myself and a co-facilitator. This therapy I absolutely loved because I felt so connected with this idea of MINDFULNESS, which now is turning out to be a big thing today in therapy and still very much present in religion.

As a young clinician, I did not further explore DBT, but I did use pieces of it within my own therapy. It is one of my favorite therapies as it has qualities that people are receptive to and realistically use. It's also a co-created experience between patient and therapist.

Mental Health+ Tech World

7/6/2015

The World of Technology is constantly advancing and thanks to an intelligent, passionate Karan Singh, the co-founder of www.ginger.io, we can use the smartphone(application) to improve mental health care for people living with Mental Illness and their providers.

Also, another helpful application is www.moodmatters.org

How is all of this useful?
A patient cannot always follow up on their symptoms with their clinician. It may take a week or a month until their next appointment, but in reality a person should be self-managing their symptoms. This application allows a person to identify with their symptoms and learn about useful strategies to feel better-depression, anxiety, mood disorders? Use this application or recommend it to a friend.

With technology sadly ruling the world, having an application to address symptoms is a good idea. My ultimate fear is that this can or will replace the interpersonal interaction-this is actually my worst nightmare. We can utilize technology for self-management, but it cannot replace time with clinicians and utilization of other tools to cope with illness.

DO YOU KNOW ANYONE WITH AN ILLNESS WHETHER MILD TO SEVERE WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM THIS APPLICATION? FEEL FREE TO SHARE ABOUT IT

NAMI CONVENTION 2015

7/6/2015

Source: www.nami.org

About NAMI
Who We Are NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.

What started as a small group of families gathered around a kitchen table in 1979 has blossomed into the nation's leading voice on mental health. Today, we are an association of hundreds of local affiliates, state organizations and volunteers who work in your community to raise awareness and provide support and education that was not previously available to those in need.

NAMI relies on gifts and contributions to support our important work.

What We Do
We educate. Offered in thousands of communities across America through our NAMI State Organizations and NAMI Affiliates, our education programs ensure hundreds of thousands of families, individuals and educators get the support and information they need.

We advocate. NAMI shapes the national public policy landscape for people with mental illness and their families and provides grassroots volunteer leaders with the tools, resources and skills necessary to save mental health in all states.

We listen. Our toll-free NAMI HelpLine allows us to respond personally to hundreds of thousands of requests each year, providing free referral, information and support—a much-needed lifeline for many.

We lead. Public awareness events and activities, including Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW), NAMIWalks and other efforts, successfully combat stigma and encourage understanding. NAMI works with reporters on a daily basis to make sure our country understands how important mental health is.

- See more at: https://www.nami.org/About-NAMI#sthash.gZoTlh7e.dpuf