Wednesday, July 22, 2009 at 11:36AM This is the same set of images as the smaller ones on the front page, plus a bunch more. Click an image to pause the slideshow and reveal the name of the feeling state. While paused, mouse over the top frame border to reveal the forward/back buttons to browse the series.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009 at 11:24AM One single, simple belief consistently destroys lives, relationships, communities, and entire civilizations. It is currently in full-tilt assault on our current civilization and everyone in it, and it seems to be winning. It touches every single person you know, including you. In your own life, this belief's insidious effects include:
You almost certainly hold this belief as true and are subject to its corrupting effects. There's nothing you could have done to avoid it.
Friday, April 17, 2009 at 07:34AM In writing up the introduction page for Affirmative Morality, I got to go a little deeper with the core concept at the base of it. The simplest version of the idea is that we are all inherently good, and activities which promote the expression of that natural goodness should be acknowledged and supported, while activities which dampen the natural expression of human good should be clearly identified so we can all make better choices. We're wrapped in ideas and practices which interfere with our good nature, and for now we need a "morality" to help guide our way.
So this morality is affirmative in the sense that it says "Yes" to all that is human. It's not a "not-that" kind of morality. It doesn't find value in punishment or threats of punishment. This morality trusts that given a clear and actionable choice between supporting what is naturally good within themselves or another and suppressing it, every person will choose to support good.
It seems the foundation of this is the idea that we are inherently, or implicitly, moral. I am tempted to shift directions. It's early enough that it shouldn't matter. So few people even know I'm working on this.
Thursday, April 16, 2009 at 12:03AM The state of optimal well-being is an experience of wholeness. Wholeness can be described as an easy balance and flow between my interior experience and my exterior experience, such that the boundary between the two becomes fully permeable, within a context which enables and supports the healthy balance.
Examples include the so-called "flow" state of being immersed in a creative task, the experience of "connection" or "union" with a loved one, the feeling of "belonging" in a community, and the profound "oneness" sometimes found in spiritual practice. In the experience of wholeness, there is no erasure of my interior, but rather a heightening of its specificity in balance with an enhanced awareness and felt sense of my exterior.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009 at 12:05AM When you’re feeling distressed for any reason, take a quiet moment to ask yourself these three questions:
Use these three questions whenever you feel something that disrupts your balance. If you need to,
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 at 12:44AM 
Answering the somatosensory imaging questions for the first time can be an odd experience. You might start with a nebulous sense of discomfort, heaviness, or pressure. Perhaps you’ve named it “hurt.”
But then I start asking you questions about what “hurt” actually feels like. I start with location: “If you were to say the actual, felt experience of hurt was located somewhere in or around your body, where would you say it is?” As you scan your body, looking for the feeling hurt, you notice an intensity in your chest, and you say so. Then I ask you more specifically, “How big would you say it is in your chest, and what shape does it seem to be?” And you discover to your surprise that this “hurt” has a very definite shape and size.
Monday, April 13, 2009 at 12:14AM I ask strange questions for a living. I ask these questions after my clients share an experience of struggle in their work and they name the feeling states that come with that difficulty. The questions focus on what each specific feeling state actually feels like to my clients, on the inside.
For example, I ask where the sensation of the feeling is located “in or around” their body. I ask whether the sensation feels more like a solid, liquid, or gas. I ask if the substance seems to be moving, and about its temperature and color. I even ask if the feeling has a sound.
My clients surprise themselves with the specificity of their answers.
Sunday, April 12, 2009 at 12:50PM (Removed April 8, 2009)
The following diagram outlines key concepts in this new code.
This new guide stands in contrast to that which has shaped our civilization to date. The current morality is based upon authority, right and wrong, rewards for doing right and punishment for doing wrong. It could be termed a punitive morality.
The punitive morality is based on the assumption that human nature is fundamentally flawed, whether sinful, selfish, or simian according to the refinements of the various versions. Punishment is necessary to deter behavior disruptive to the society. And punishment is its own justification, whether it transgresses the boundaries of the moral code itself or not. For example, one is perfectly justified in slaughtering "infidels" or "evil terrorists" and anyone around them.
We could simplify the current morality into the following generalized model:
"Do this. Don't do that. Or else."
Our legal and penal system is based on this model. Our religions are based on this model. Our educational systems are based on this model. Everything that shapes our civilization is based on this model.
The new model can be summarized, in contrast:
"Seek wholeness, which is its own reward."
Different, yes? In the affirmative morality blog I will be exploring both the roots of this new approach and its implications for real-world challenges. Join me.
Thursday, April 2, 2009 at 11:04AM 
For those who are unfamiliar with the term, topology is the study of the functional relationships of elements undergoing transformation as a whole. For example, in mathematics the field examines the relationships between points on a surface as that surface is deformed without tearing. The image to the left is a classic demonstration of this, (click through to see the animation). (Joke: What is a topologist? Someone who can't tell the difference between a coffee cup and a donut.)
In computer science, the topology of a network refers to the functional relationships of the database, servers, workstations, etc., regardless of the arrangement of the physical elements in the space of an office.
Sunday, March 29, 2009 at 12:54AM When most people begin to answer the somatosensory imaging questions, the process feels a bit awkward. They've never been asked about what color, or temperature, or substance quality their feeling of sadness or frustration feels like. It feels like they're "just making it up," and they wonder if they're "doing it right."
The answer is, yes, you're doing it right. The simple fact is, there is no cold ball of steel vibrating in the pit of your stomach, (for example). There is, however, a felt sense that is quite distinct.
Saturday, March 28, 2009 at 12:36AM Is there anything else you want to notice about how this [feeling state] actually feels before we move on? Are there any adjustments you would like to make to your description?
All that’s necessary here is a quick invitation to allow the explorer to share any background discoveries she may have made while answering the questions. Sometimes answering a question about color, for example, can lead to a clarification about substance.
Occasionally the explorer will also wish to note other sensory information. The feeling may seem to have a distinct taste or smell. Record these as well if they seem important.
Make any changes or updates to the notes before moving on.
Friday, March 27, 2009 at 12:12AM "If you were to say this [feeling state] were associated with an inner sound track, are there any words or sounds that come naturally to mind? ... If there is a voice, it is your voice or someone else’s? ... What other sound qualities or tone of voice do you notice?"
For some explorers, sound is a natural element of their feeling state imagery. Others find sound a stretch. For many explorers, answering the questions about substance and color seemed like discovering properties that were already in place. Sound qualities may seem to fall more in the category of “making it up.”
Thursday, March 26, 2009 at 12:29AM Does this [ feeling substance ] have any qualities of movement – does it seem to be flowing... or pulsing... or vibrating? ... And does there seem to be any force or pressure?
Properties of movement, force and pressure vary greatly. The possibilities are at least as wide as those in the physical world of solids, liquids and gases. As with the other properties, only go into as much detail as seems useful to help the explorer experience a strong connection between the image and the feeling state. Here are a few things to consider.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 12:46AM If you were to say this [ feeling substance ] had a color, what color would you say that is? ... And does it seem to be transparent... translucent... or opaque?
Color is a simple property that adds a lot to the sensory image’s ability to connect strongly with the feeling state. When mapping, I generally keep the color question brief, not going into too much detail. The detail will emerge in the drawing.
Having an extensive set of coloring tools available can also help the explorer choose the appropriate color. Explorers often scan my hundreds of colors and pick exactly the one or two which match best.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009 at 12:35AM What temperature would you say this [ feeling substance ] seems to be?
Temperature is often very obvious to the explorer, especially when it is extreme. At other times, though, you may need to provide a gentle prompt such as the following.
Does this substance seem warmer, or cooler, or more like body temperature?
Some explorers, for some feeling states, will have a very refined sense of temperature and will actually give you a specific degree reading. For others, the following distinctions are useful and sufficient designators for temperature.
