#because i like to imagine they do a lot of group regression sessions Do Not Separate Them

[marshmellowtea]

obviously i think trevor is little!chris's primary caregiver but tbh i feel like he latches on pretty hard to caregiver!sandra as well because A) they're friends to me and you can't take that away from me gkldsjfkl and so he's relatively comfortable being vulnerable around her and B) he's never had a strong mother figure in his life so he naturally kinda gravitates to her gentle maternal style of caregiving :')

[eldritch-bf]

Writing A Character With Borderline Personality Disorder

First of, thank you for wanting to include a Borderline character into your work. We have very little representation in media and when it is there, it’s negative. The antagonist in Single White Female and it’s remake is said to either be Borderline or Bipolar, for example. A few Borderline-coded characters also exist but their symptoms are probably closer to bipolar depression.

Trigger Warning for discussions of suicide, abuse, and hospitalization

What is Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)?

It is called “Borderline” because it is “on the border of psychosis and neurosis. It used to be believed that Borderlines had a tendency to regress into “borderline schizophrenia,” but this really isn’t the case anymore. The term was coined in 1938 and there have been attempts to rename it but this is what it’s called for now.

Here is the raw list from the DSMV. My notes are below and italicized. Important take-always are in orange text.

Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment; this does not include suicidal or self-mutilating behavior covered in criterion 5.

A pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterized by alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation

Markedly and persistently unstable self-image or sense of self

Impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging (eg, spending, sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating) [5] ; this does not include suicidal or self-mutilating behavior covered in criterion 5

Recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures, or threats, or self-mutilating behavior

Affective instability due to a marked reactivity of mood (eg, intense episodic dysphoria, irritability, or anxiety usually lasting a few hours and only rarely more than a few days)

Chronic feelings of emptiness

Inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger (eg, frequent displays of temper, constant anger, or recurrent physical fights)

Transient, stress-related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms

Generally, a diagnosis is only given if a person has at least 5 of these symptoms.

My comments:

Re: #1 There doesn’t have to be a literal abandonment in childhood. For me, I was emotionally abandoned by both my mother and father during my formative years. My mother also hated physical contact so now I have an impulse to seek it constantly. Touch-starvation is an easy trait to add to your Borderline character.

The stipulation in #1 that the frantic efforts cannot be the behaviors listed in #5 means that a Borderline person might: drive 3 hours in the middle of the night to the person who they feel might abandon them; do some extreme begging or bartering to keep the relationship. Also important: these do not have to be romantic relationships.

Re: #3 If Dissociative Identity Disorder means a person has multiple distinct personalities, for BPD we generally feel like an incomplete person, like we only have fragments of a whole personality.

A common joke in the BPD community is “Oh, you have a great personality.” And the Borderline person’s response is, “thanks, I made it specially for you!” You may also hear Borderlines called “chameleons” because we take pieces of other people’s personalities and incorporate it into ourselves. It can be a fictional character, too. I incorporated a lot of NBC Hannibal’s Will Graham into my personality at a point. Another aspect of this is that Borderlines are very good at code-switching. For me, when I’m in a new group of people, I have to “feel out” the vibe and everything and then alter my behavior to fit this social circle. Most people do this to some extent but Borderlines do it constantly and unconsciously and often extremely well. It’s not meant to be manipulative. It’s unconscious, we can’t control it.

Re: #8 The anger is a big one for me and it often leads to homicidal ideation. But Borderlines are incredibly unlikely to act on it.

Other Borderline Behaviors

Favorite Person/FP: Probably the most important aspect of BPD. An FP is specific to BPD. It can be a romantic partner, a crush, a parent, an authority figure, a sibling, or a child (specifically the child of the person with BPD of they have kids). This is the single most important thing in a Borderline’s life. An FP is an idealized person who can never do any wrong in our minds. Even abusive behaviors will be overlooked or reframed.

We don’t always have an FP and I’ve also never heard of someone having 2 FPs simultaneously. I had 2 at the same time once but I would split on one and then idealize them other one. I would never idealize both at the exact same moment. A real or imagined negative interaction with an FP can make or break a Borderline’s day and if it is negative, they can “split” on them.

Splitting/Black-And-White Thinking/All-Or-Nothing Thinking: Borderlines “split” on people, usually an FP. This is how an interaction with an FP can “make or break” your day. If an FP doesn’t text us back right away we might think they don’t like us anymore or are mad or will leave us. So we, unconsciously without our control, “split” on them. When “splitting negative” on a person it is impossible to recall good memories of the person, or they are framed negatively. A once loved birthday gift from an FP might now be seen as insincere or irrelevant. This is the “devaluation” mention in criteria #2.

However, once the person texts back, say 2 hours later, we usually split back, and now the person’s real or imagined negative behaviors are gone and they are once again idealized, as mentioned in criteria #2. You can see how taxing such a sudden shift in emotions can be for a person.

It is also taxing on the FP if they are present during the split or received panicked or angry messages with the above scenario. It causes fights and the FP might view the Borderline person as “Bipolar” “irrational” or “unstable”.

We can split on people that are not FPs.

Tips For Your Character

Your Borderline character could easily be in out-patient therapy. I won’t go into the details but they could be in DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy). The structure is 2 sessions a week, one with a small group, and then another one-on-one with their psychiatrist who is probably also running the group. Psychiatrists need special training to treat people with BPD.

Your character would also do “diary cards” each day and record their mood and any notes about their day. These are easy to add in as throw-away comments like “I’m going to therapy, I’ll be back in an hour or so” or “damn it, I forgot to do my diary card”.

Fun fact: Therapists have been known to drop clients upon finding out they have BPD or giving them the diagnosis because apparently some therapists can’t handle us.

Your character might also be on some medication and an easy scene for angst could be them refusing to take their medication, forgetting to take it, or the meds being of of balance and them needing to go to an ER to be stabilized (usually they become suicidal or paranoid) and have their meds adjusted. This happened to me once. Lithium can be used in extreme cases as a medication but usually a combination of anti-depressants and mood-stabilizers is used.

BPD is often comorbid with depression so your character will probably exhibit depression symptoms as well.

Final Thoughts:

As long as you don’t make your Borderline character the antagonist or a manipulative partner who kills pets like in Single White Female, you should be fine.

Edit: tumblr glitched and I didn’t mean to post this now. I’ll try to get on my laptop when I get home and add a read more.

If you need clarification on anything or additional resources feel free to DM me or come into my inbox!

[hopespeaknursery]

Lipstick Stains

Taking some of my writing and adding it to the blog! Little!Korekiyo and CG!Gonta

TW: Mentions of abuse

I never imagined life turning out in the way that it has. Waking up in the morning to a gentle hand on my shoulder and a kiss to my cheek. One that gently rouses me from my sleep. And, when I open my eyes, I'm always greeted by a pair of deep, red eyes, hidden behind those small spectacles. A little too close to my face, as though he were observing me, making sure I'm truly awake. It's routine at the point, waking up nose to nose with him. At times, it's a bit too close for comfort. But the minor annoyance is always remedied when he smiles at me, and greets me with a, "Good morning!" Bright and early as usual.

Knowing him however, I'm almost certain he was up hours beforehand. Feeding his collection of tarantula's, and telling each and every one of them good morning. It's a routine he and I have both become very used to. And frankly, I'm glad he doesn't try to get me up to help him. I don't want to be within five feet of those insects at any given time.. I suppose if I were an entomologist myself, I would have liked to spend my first waking moments with my studies. Or, in his own words, 'friends.'

Every morning, he wakes up at around 6 in the morning to greet his friends, get them fed, and give them a little time outside their cages. Then, at around 8, he comes to rouse me as well. Once I am awake, we begin our routine. It's not too different compared to the one I had before meeting him. Brush my teeth and my hair, apply my makeup, have breakfast, get dressed, and continue about my day. But, now that I and Gokuhara are living with one another, and have established such an...interesting relationship, things have change quite a bit. For he cares for most of my morning routine for me. Because I, in his own words, am his 'Little one.'

It's a bit hard to explain how this relationship came about. It's not something either of us would have thought of on our own. But nevertheless, it's something we discovered together through a group therapy session. Gonta and myself have both had our own inner demons to work through. And while therapy wasn't exactly something I initally wanted to do, I ended up going for his sake. As he was a bit too nervous to go on his own, despite the recommendation. It was here that we both began to open up a bit more. He told stories of his forest family, of the difficult transition from the forest to civilization, his desire to be more 'gentlemanly,' and how much he misses his forest family. I'll admit, I knew how he still loved them. He's a person who wears his heart on his sleeve, so it wasn't hard to tell. But, it was here where I learned about how mixed he felt about his birth parents, how confusing he still found the world to be, how frustrating and embarrassing it could be when he didn't understand what everyone else did. It was a lot. And he was carrying it all on his own..

After he began opening up so much, and spilled out his heart, it became a little easier for me to do the same. Bit by bit by bit, things began to come out, being spilled onto the table. I talked about my travels, about the things I'd done and seen. And eventually, about the tribe that beat me nearly to death. I had never truly considered it to be traumatic. But that doctor was the first to label the experience as such. Eventually, and I do mean eventually, I was able to talk about Miyadera. My late elder sister. I had already been told now and again that what happened was wrong. But it was something I had trouble accepting. It's...not easy admitting to abuse. Having to realize that something was wrong, when someone told you for years and years that it was okay. That it was right. You feel...dirty. You feel bad and wrong and disgusting. Especially when you recall that with time, you ended up lusting for her just as much as she lusted for you... I still have a lot of trouble ridding myself of the grime all over my hands.

Anyhow, after a few sessions, it was that therapist who brought up the idea of age regression. It was just a passing mention, nothing that he actively talked about or encouraged. Yet, for some reason, it really caught Gonta's attention. On his own, he began to talk to the therapist more about this. And, I suppose I assumed he was interested in the 'regressor' role. However, he surprised me one day when he told me he was much more interested in the caregiver role. He admit to me in the same breath however, that he wasn't sure what he enjoyed the thought of more. Him being a caregiver...or me being a regressor.

The way he put it, he had a good childhood. He was very happy with his forest family. And he wouldn't have had it any other way. But as I spent most of my childhood in the hospital, watching over and talking to my sister, I didn't have much of a childhood myself. Despite the fact that I had convinced myself (And that she had convinced me) that I was happy. Not only that, but he was fascinated by the idea of caring for a baby. He had seen many a baby animal during his time in the forest, and he had loved and helped care for so many of them. But a human baby was something different. Something just as special. And, he truly wanted to dedicate some of his time to caring for me. His own 'baby.'

Of course I had refused outright at first! But...it was a bit too difficult to say no to that face for too long. And besides, I supposed anthropology does delve into psychology at times. And, what was a better way to study such strange ideas, then to immerse myself in them?

And thus began our strange, yet comforting relationship...

"Good morning~" That usual greeting is what rouses me, as I feel his big hand on my shoulder. Opening my eyes, per the norm, I am greeted to his own, deep red ones. "Time for Kiyo to get up!"

Kiyo. That's his favorite nickname for me. I don't mind it I suppose. It makes him happy. So, I take it with a grain of salt

"Good morning.." I yawned in response. I can feel him pull the blanket off before I am fully awake. Then, he slipped one arm under my legs, and the other under my back, lifting me into his arms. I swear, I don't think my feet ever touch the floor in the mornings! As I try to wake up more, he carried me into the bathroom. With a happy hum, he set me down on the closed toilet seat. He usually lets me stay in my pajamas through the morning unless I have placed to be otherwise. Then, he tends to insist upon helping me dress.

As I rub my eyes, he gets out my toothbrush and dots the toothpaste on. I was the one who taught him how to not use more toothpaste than either of us need. I tend to teach him a lot of things. It's the least I can do after hes stayed by my side so long, and taken the best care of me that he can. He truly does do the very best he can for me..

I am roused a bit more when I feel the toothbrush poke at my lips. So I open for him, and allow him to press the toothbrush into my mouth. He does the tops and the bottoms well enough. But I know I'll have to do the backs myself later. After the teeth, he begins to brush my hair. But again, I'll need to go back and brush through it once more, just to make sure all the tangles are out. It soothing however to feel him do these things for me~

Typically, as he does these things, he speaks to me. "Gonta's Rose Haired tarantula molted last night! Got bigger~ Gonta placed molt into container for observation. Rosie is doing very well now! Very comfortable!" he tells me as he brushes my hair out. "Would Kiyo like to see molt?

"Perhaps after breakfast," I answered. I'm not so sure if spider skin is the first thing I want to see before I eat...

"Okay!" he chirped in response. He's the only person I know who would be so excited over a spider molt. But, I don't blame him. We all have our passions. And we listen to one another, and we respect one anothers passions. I know he doesn't understand too much about anthropology, and insects aren't my specialty. But, partners and friends are there for one another. And, we care for one another.

"Alright!" Gonta says, placing the brush to the side. "Gonta will get breakfast ready now! While Gonta do that, Kiyo use bathroom! And then come to table, okay?"

"Of course," I nod. That's our typical routine. Yet, Gonta still feels the need to remind me. Still, I can't say that I don't appreciate it. Gonta presses a chaste kiss to my forehead, and leaves me to my business.

Once he is gone, I am quick to lock the bathroom door. I have...things to do. First, of course,I finish brushing my teeth and my hair. Then, I open the cabinet beneath the sink, and pull out a small, plastic bag. Hidden away in the back. But I know I could put my things in plain sight, and Gonta wouldn't see. He has no reason to be suspicious. For he seems to be a naturally trusting man. I do feel bad for keeping such secrets. But..some things simply cannot be shared.

From the bag, I pull out two items. My mask, one I haven't work in a few days now. And, a small tube of red lipstick...

Gonta has never liked it when I apply the lipstick. Not because he has something against males in makeup. Rather, he hates what it represents. He hates that it is for my sister. He hates that I still do it from time to time. He gets so upset every time he sees it. But, he was never able to enforce me not to wear it. He had tried now and again. But, he is not so good at enforcing rules in general... I don't think he understands however.. I am not the only occupant of this body. I need to make her more comfortable. Give her something. I...haven't seen my tulpa in some time. My mind is preoccupied with Gonta, with our relationship, and with my own bettering mental health. But, I cannot deny that I still hear her voice. Warning me, holding me, and reminding me time and time again that she's the only one who will ever love me, and that I'm the one she needs. She's gone. She passed years ago. And yet, she still with me always... Miyadera...

I uncap the lipstick tube and turn the bottom, letting the red wax come out. I can hear her whispering again. Talking to me, and whispering as she runs her hands up my chest. Miyadera. I truly wish you were someone I could hate. Someone I could say without a doubt, was a bad person. Someone I had nightmares about, instead of these ugly, complicated memories. Because, as much as I might want to, I don't hate you. Dare I say, I still love you. Not in the same way you loved me, but I love you all the same. And, I can't tell you no. You were...are my big sister...

Without much more hesitation, I begin to apply. Carefully applying the lipstick to my bottom, then my top lip, coating it in red. I no longer feel quite like myself. It feels like placing on a new skin, becoming someone I am not. And, I'm not sure if that scares me, or makes me more comfortable. It's hard being someone I am not so happy with.

Once I am through, I place the mask back on, concealing my sin. I know walking out there with my concealing will be just like walking out there with my lips pursed. It's obvious what I am hiding. However, I am not prepared to be more open. I...suppose I am ashamed.

I look in the mirror and my concealed face, and, I'm not sure who I see..

With a sigh, I step out of the bathroom, her whispers getting softer. She is satisfied. But I know once she sees Gonta, she's going to be angry. I don't know what she is at this point. A tulpa? Perhaps not. Just a voice in my head? I'm not sure.. What is she?

Who is she?

I hate the look Gonta gets when he sees me. His face falls, as though he's sad, or disappointed. He sets my plate down on the table. Toaster waffles. As expected. He doesn't know how to cook on his own yet, but he is working on it.

"Kiyo is wearing mask.." he comments. "Why is Kiyo wearing mask?" As though he doesn't know why. But I can tell that he knows already.. And yet, I continue to feign innocence. I'm too ashamed to admit to it outright.

"It's very cold this morning," I say to him. "I feel more comfortable with my mask on."

He hesitates as he stares at me. "How will Kiyo eat?"

My only answer, is unzipping the zipper on my mask, freeing my mouth somewhat. But that only makes him frown harder. He doesn't seem to know what to say. So, instead of saying a word, he begins to cut up the waffles. I can tell by the look on his face that he is thinking quite a bit. I say nothing for the time being, just letting him think. Finally he offered me a forkful. "Kiyo eat?"

I nod, and easily lean forward. But..well, this is exactly why I don't tend to eat messier foods when others are around. I can feel the syrup slide onto my mask. And he really has to work to get the piece in there. Eating with utensils in general is terribly difficult with my mask. It's even harder when someone else is feeding me.. But, we try for a moment. Until...

"This no working.." Gonta said, setting the fork to the side. With my eyes wide, I look up at him to see his expression...mixed. "This don't work!"

"Alright, alright, I know," I said, hoping to calm him. I knew how frustrated he could get when he couldn't understand things, or figure things out. He wanted so badly to understand.. "I will feed myself, it's okay. Why don't you sit and-?"

"No!" I hadn't expected him to take such a tone, and I put my hands up. In a sort of 'surrender' pose. "Gonta want to do it! Gonta supposed to take care of Kiyo!"

I...am not sure what to say to him. I don't know how to make this easier for him. I try my hardest to teach him things, step by step, bit by bit. But some things are harder to teach than others. And, this is one of those things that feels just...impossible. "Gonta.."

"Gonta...Gonta think Kiyo should take off mask!"

"My mask?" I ask, placing a hand on my cheek. Oh dear, not this again... "I've already told you, I'm feeling cold. Please do not make me take this off."

Gonta's face goes from upset, to hurt rather quickly. Oh dear, what did I say..? "Gonta wish Kiyo would not treat Gonta like he dumb. Gonta know he not smart. But, Gonta is doing the best he can. How can Gonta take care of Kiyo, if Kiyo not help Gonta?"

I'm at a loss once more. I don't know what to say to him.. "I'm trying to help you. That's why I am saying, I will feed myself. I will let you try another day when it is not so cold." Oh why is he being so insistent upon me removing my mask? What does he hope to prove this way?

"Is not cold! Gonta knows it not cold! So...so Gonta thinks Kiyo should take off mask!" I refused to move for a moment, just staring at him as I keep my hand on my cheek, as though it might keep him from taking it off. Oh dear. His eyes are already starting to well up with tears. He's always been a rather emotional person. And, he deals with most of these emotions, through tears. But, I couldn't move to comfort him. So, he speaks once more. "Gonta is sorry, so so sorry. But, Gonta says...d-daddy says that Kiyo needs to take off mask!"

I find myself freezing at that. Daddy is...a term that we use very sparingly. It's not that it makes us uncomfortable. It's just...we aren't used to it yet. You can't just use such terms all willy nilly when you aren't used to it yet. It's certainly enough to quiet me however. "Please? Daddy wants to take care of Kiyo. But daddy can't do that if Kiyo doesn't trust daddy! So please take off mask!"

So, it was a matter of trust, was it? I...

Why was my throat starting to close up? Why was my heart starting to beat too fast? Why did I feel so anxious? Was it because of the mask? Or the daddy thing? Or, was it because of how noisy Miyadera's voice was within my head? She wouldn't leave me be. The voice was so angry. And, I didn't know what to do..

I stood up, and he stepped back on instinct. I love Gonta, trust me when I say that. He's the most beautiful person I've had the pleasure of meeting, both inside and out. But, in this moment, his words reek of ugliness. And I despise ugly things.. I want to run away. I don't want to be close to him. I do trust him, I truly do. But, it's Miyadera that doesn't trust him. And, it's so hard to argue with someone like that...

"I have to go," I managed to say.

"Ah please wait Kiyo! Daddy is sorry!" Gonta said quickly. "Please wait!"

But I do not listen. I can not listen. The intruder within my head is too noisy for me to hear him. I walk away.

Or, I try to anyhow. i'm barely looking where I am going. I only take two steps. And my foot gets caught on the table leg, sending me to the ground. I could hear Gonta gasp, and ask if I was okay. He gets up, and the thump I hear afterwards, is most likely the sound of the chair falling over. I can hear him scrambling, trying to figure out what to do. And in the meantime, I don't move. I can't move. Everything is too loud and I do not like it. I can't take off my mask. She will be angry. I am sharing this body with her, and I have to make her comfortable. Or she will be angry. What are you? Are you a tulpa? An alter? A never ending voice in my head? I need quiet. I need quiet! I love you Miyadera. I still love you. But at the same time, I hate...no. What kid of brother hates his own sister? I don't care what you did, I still love you! I still love you!

And yet, you scare me..

As I lie there, I'm not able to stop the sudden sobs that had been pushing at my through, from erupting from my lips.

I keep my eyes on my knees, listening to the sink run as I sit on the closed toilet seat. My mask is sitting on the bathroom counter, as I had finally removed it. And on display, was the red line of lipstick. There was no point in hiding it anymore. Glancing towards the sink, Gonta's face is flat. He doesn't seem mad. He's just...thinking. He's wetting a cloth with water, with the intent of wiping away the makeup. I don't protest. I suppose I ought to let him.. I put my eyes back down again, fiddling with a thread on my pajama bottoms. I don't know what to tell him. I don't know if I ought to apologize or not. So, I say nothing.

I know I shouldn't act this way with him. I know partners are supposed to trust one another, and tell one another things. But, it's hard. Some things, are just too hard to talk about. And, the more you love someone, the harder it can be to talk about certain things. There are people in this world, who do not like it when things and people are not in the way they should be. Some people are just too sick for them, or too odd. And even though you trust the person you love, you don't ever want to risk them leaving, or being scared away. It's so much easier to put these feelings in a place where no one can see them. Or talk to strangers about them. I see the beauty in others, even in those ugly parts that they try to hide. There is something to me, that is so wonderful, finding the thorns in the beautiful rose of a person.

But not everyone is like that. I like to think that I can always trust Gonta. And yet, the temptation to hide away is too strong. I care not what people think of me most times. I am more then willing to be open. Maybe even a bit too open. But with Gonta it is just...harder.

Gonta comes over once more with a cloth that is a tad too wet. It's still dripping.. He kneels before me, and he gently begin to wipe my lips. Wiping away the red lipstick the best he can. Water drips down my chin and onto my lap. But, I keep still. It's the least I can do for him after the stress I put him through.

And then, it is silent. It takes a moment, but eventually Gonta breaks our silence. "Gonta...is sorry. Gonta knows is hard breaking habit. Gonta knows Kiyo can't be pushed to do it. Gonta didn't mean to yell.." Oh dear, he's tearing up..

I place a hand on his shoulder as I speak. "Gonta, you do not have to apologize. I shouldn't have lied to you. I should have been honest with you, shouldn't I?"

Gonta sniffled, taking my hand from his shoulder, and placing it on his cheek. He holds it there with his big and warm hand, sniffling softly. "Gonta loves his baby very much. Gonta will always love his baby. And, Gonta really love his baby's smile.." With tears streaming down his cheeks and onto my hand he said, "Gonta can't see smile when mask is on. And...and when Kiyo wears makeup, Gonta's see sister's smile. And Gonta not like sister!" My eyes are wide as I stare at him. My face is mostly clean now, with some lipstick smeared onto my cheeks. Water and makeup still drips down my chin, and I'm too surprised to wipe it away.

"Gonta is very sorry. Gonta doesn't m-mean to cry. Gonta tried to hold it in but.." He sniffled and sobbed once again as I stare at him. I knew how upset he got when I would give into the things Miyadera demanded of me. He was not upset with me, he was never upset with me. But, he was upset with the situation. Because, it was another situation he just didn't understand. Despite how badly he wanted to. This poor man...

After a moment, I sigh. And, I'm surprised to find that the tight sensation in my chest is still very present. I tilt my head just a bit, my long hair falling against my shoulder. The ends are still a bit damp from the water, but it's the last thing on my mind. "I'm not mad," I say softly. "I'm sorry too. I can't apologize for the habits, and I cannot apologize for what Miyadera does. But, I do apologize for not talking to you. Please understand, I don't mean to be so secluded. But..it's never been easy to talk about these things. I would like nothing more then to be open with you. But it's not easy. It's never been easy. And, I truly don't know if it's ever going to be easy."

"Gonta know..." he sniffled. "Gonta know that. Gonta knows Kiyo try.."

"I do. But, even if I can't be so open, you make me feel like I can be open. It's still frightening but..." Ah. My hands are shaking a bit. Why are they shaking? But, I manage to speak anyhow. "But, I trust..my daddy." My voice comes out in a mumble. But, he still seems to hear me.

Rather suddenly, he is standing. He put his arms around me, and he hugs me close. Crying into my hair. "Daddy! Kiyo called Gonta daddy!" he cried "Daddy loves Kiyo!" he sobbed. "Daddy is sorry! Daddy and Kiyo are going to work together always. And, we will feel better together! Gonta loves Kiyo!" With a sniff he said, "If Kiyo needs mask...then Kiyo can have mask. But we work together. And, we...we figure things out. Gonta promises. Because family help family! And Kiyo is family!"

After a moment, I place my arms back around him. I don't know what more to do other than that. "I love you too.." I whisper. And, I truly do love him. With all of my heart. I feel like I can trust him. And, I want to be with him for a very long time.

Because, he is my special person...

[happymetalgirl]

September 2020

As quickly as I caught up, I fell behind, and I’ll explain it all later, but that’s why some of the review blurbs here are really short while others are much longer. I still tried to make the shorter ones as expressive and dense as possible, even though I personally don’t like that approach so much. Anyway, September 2020, still a hellhole.

Faidra - Six Voices Inside

Drawing very obvious influence from Burzum’s Filosofem for the ambient portion of its sound, Faidra’s atmospheric black metal debut manages to marry both the snow-hazy ambience of Norway’s second wave with today’s more full-bodied naturalistic ambient black metal in a ceremony rather respectably elegant for a debut.

7/10

Heathen - Empire of the Blind

One of the more anticipated thrash metal releases of the year, Heathen’s more intensely melodically focused and unbalanced approach only drags their lethargic Testament-sequel brand of melodic thrash down, as Empire of the Blind trades out the genre’s hallmark spitfire aggression for dull guitar leads and uninspired operatic vocal lines that leave only a desire for the former.

5/10

Oceans of Slumber - Oceans of Slumber

A demonstrably competent, but woefully soulless and bloated display of neo-classical prog metal chops, Oceans of Slumber’s self-titled fifth LP is one of many of the genre’s avatars for much of its impressive face-value and numb delivery.

5/10

Corey Taylor - CMFT

We all knew this day would come, the charismatic Slipknot and Stone Sour frontman has finally released a solo album. And you could tell from the rollout with the star-cameo-studded music video for the lead single, “CMFT Must Be Stopped”, that Corey was going to lean in on it. But honestly, for as much natural swagger Corey Taylor can wield and showcases on the track, his straightforward rock songwriting that has graced Stone Sour’s discography is astoundingly weak, and this song’s more exuberant egotistical indulgence amplifies it rather than remedying it. It’s definitely one of the worst singles I’ve heard all year, especially for a project so highly anticipated as this, and there’s really no excuse for it to be this bad. If the general goal of a solo project is to transcribe your creative DNA onto an album as authentically as possible, and if this is an honest portrait of Corey’s creative core, it really just affirms for the many people annoyed by his media omnipresence that his main talent is just being the great big mouth. It should be obvious, but I’m not saying this to disparage in any way his massive contributions to the legendary legacy of Slipknot or even the genuinely important role he’s taken up as metal’s de facto representative press secretary. It’s not unheard of, and probably more normal than the opposite, for group-embedded artists to struggle to get a strong solo venture going. Thankfully, the lead single is the lowest point this album stoops to, but with its generic 80’s hard rock and glam anthems, it frequently gets pretty damn close. And look, I can tell it’s an album that’s supposed to be more about having a good time than any of that other artist DNA shit I brought up earlier, but its only routes there are through cheap imitation of other artists’ styles, and this still wouldn’t be anywhere near my first well of songs to draw from if I were making the most drunken of tailgater playlists.

4/10

Skeletal Remains - The Entombment of Chaos

Relatively new on the wider death metal scene, the Californian four-piece show once again, on their fourth album, why there remains such an appetite for old-school death metal with effective beating sessions and shredding clinics like The Entombment of Chaos.

7/10

Messiah - Fracmont

Originally part of the movement of early intensifying that inched fast, heavy, growly metal closer and closer to, and eventually over, the line that would separate thrash from what would become the vast world of death metal before their lengthy disbandment, Switzerland’s Messiah are fortunate to return to a world still hungry for new and old flavors of death metal with the stylistically and compositionally vintage (if not rusty) but somewhat technologically updated death-thrash of Fracmont, but they will need to do more than just pick up where they left off and acclimate their approach to the modern era if they intend to stick it out in today’s harsher death metal ecosystem.

6/10

Stryper - Even the Devil Believes

The Christian glam metal outfit have really leaned into the power metal glory that their high-soaring brand was always kind of adjacent to over the past few albums, and to their benefit, and despite what their goofy striped outfit look back in the day would have led you to predict, the steadfast veteran Christian rockers have aged far better than most of their 80’s hair metal contemporaries. Nevertheless, the walking oxymorons’ cheesy, on-the-nose, and occasionally preachy lyricism remain a pesky turn-off to both the religion they espouse and the medium they evangelize through. Frontman Michael Sweet took a bit of a misdirected offense from another reviewer who pointed out exactly this about his band’s new album, taking some media time to play the insufferable persecuted god-fearing follower of Jesus that so many Christians so delusionally imagine they are as a majority religious group with more political power than any other. Now with Michael Sweet claiming that his band has it so rough because they’re openly Christian, I say it really comes down to how you present it, and he especially presents it kinda goofy. One of the songs I’ve been getting energized by a lot on my workout playlist is “Devil’s Den” by Impending Doom, an also openly Christian band. And apart from the nasty 8-string groove, the song’s central refrain “slaughter the demons that are clawing on my brother’s back, until my brothers fight back” about support through spiritual struggle against one’s vices is a thrilling lyric that frames that aspect of Christian spirituality in a much more relatable and sympathizable manner. I’m not expecting Stryper to go into gratuitous deathcore brutality to deliver their message, but they can’t be mad about receiving criticism when they haven’t evolved the 9th-grade-reading-level lyricism that was begrudgingly accepted in the 80’s. Sociopolitical stuff and frontman antics aside, Even the Devil Believes is an instrumentally solid, but exceptionally lyrically corny record full of Bible verse quotes and Sunday School rhymes. I’ll highlight the song “Do Unto Others” for beating the odds on this album with its invigorating sing-along power metal melody, but that song is perhaps the sole reason my feelings in this album are more neutral overall instead on negative, while the vast majority of this album is just begging to be instrumental or at least tuned out.

5/10

Mastodon - Medium Rarities

Mastodon really could have just saved the earth-quaking opening single for their next album or released it as a stand-alone single instead of with the other forty minutes of entirely unnecessary of instrumental versions and live cuts among the other worthwhile material to compile for an album like this.

Fallen Torches/10

Ihsahn - Pharos

The now prog-immersed enigmatic Emperor frontman put out a pretty solid EP earlier in the year, but I was still hoping that Ihsahn would come through with a more essential addition to his solo catalog, and even if it’s a small one, his second EP of 2020 is that addition. Pharos is a succinct, five-song display of proggy melodicism much more confident and infectious than the still-respectable Telemark, further bolstering Ihsahn’s prog credibility and proving to anyone skeptical that he was all esoteric experimental bark and no substantive bite that he indeed has the songwriting chops to thrive in the genre.

8/10

Uniform - Shame

The New York duo’s sardonic and noisy industrial metal neither progresses nor regresses on their fourth album, Michael Berdan’s nasty vocal delivery and the backing industrial instrumentation lose steam and effectiveness rather quickly and the numbing experience ends up being over before you know it for the wrong reasons. It has its moments, but they are brief and few in number.

6/10

Cloudkicker - Solitude

Through an eleventh album under the name of his occasionally djenty instrumental prog studio project, Ohio virtuoso Ben Sharp once again flexes his technical and compositional prowess in an entertaining rather than self-congratulatory manner.

7/10

Marilyn Manson - We Are Chaos

This was a bit of a weird one, and it definitely caught me off guard for a few reasons, mostly for how it flows and for my own not hearing the title track previously when it was released as a single. The iconic 90’s boogeyman of the religious right wing in America is on his eleventh album now and (I mentioned it when I reviewed his tenth album, Heaven Upside Down, in 2011) it seems like people are finally accepting that the Antichrist Superstar’s fire-stoking strategy of blasphemous industrial metal last century was something that served its purpose for a time that has now passed. With Manson now on the more mortally introspective side of 50, the more measured rock of the latter portion of his catalog is starting to outsize what so many see as his grotesque golden age, which has seen him dip occasionally into the sounds of his beloved trilogy, but mostly dabbling in glam and indie rock sounds to find a late-career footing to sustain him. And on this album’s collaboration with country outlaw Shooter Jennings, I think the aging provocateur has found a direction that could be promising. Now I say it that way because I don’t think they gave us more than a tantalizing taste of it on this album, but I would love for Manson to further pursue what he and Jennings pull off together at the beginning of We Are Chaos. It took me a little while to warm up to the hammed up spoken word intro and industrial rock body of the opening track, “Red, Black, and Blue”, but I do think it does kick the album off well, albeit deceptively. It’s easy to forget how well Manson can hold himself on a ballad, not just on his meditation on his own aging during “Running to the Edge of the World”, but also on several cuts in his famed trilogy like “Lamb of God”, “Man That You Fear”, and “Coma White”. But after the somewhat tame fire of the intro track, Manson jumps straight into three songs of completely unexpected indie rock balladry that capture his mission to soundtrack every listener’s individual apocalypse at this time. Going through a lot of changes in life myself, I had a bit of unexpected catharsis with these songs that I think I’m going to be unable to dissociate them from with future listening. Unfortunately, Manson doesn’t re-engage ballade mode until “Broken Needle” closes the album, with the middle portion of the album having some good moments of industrial rock swagger, like “Perfume” and “Infinite Darkness”, but also some songs like “Half-Way & One Step Forward” that are just too dry on energy to be worth the time. But overall, I think the brightness in this album’s best spots make it well worth more than just a cursory listen, and I just hope that this album is a turning point for Manson and a step toward finding his groove without the flagrant heresy that built his youth.

7/10

Derek Sherinian - The Phoenix

Meandering through a generic prog rock instrumental wasteland and picking up the occasional morsel from between the dried out cracks of desert floor, The Phoenix is barely even a hearty display of the prog metal skill and street cred we all know the talented keyboardist to have.

5/10

Napalm Death - Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism

British grindcore legends Napalm Death need no introduction at this point, and with plenty of excitement behind their most lengthily-awaited LP after 2015’s well-respected Apex Predator - Easy Meat (and the sizzling appetizer the Logic Ravaged by Brute Force EP gave us), the band’s fifteenth full-length onslaught of deadly grindcore, Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism is a satisfactory dose of the band’s usual black-pilled rage against political and societal ills at most, with a few odd, to say the least, stylistic choices to say the least that beg the question of why this took so long.

6/10

Finntroll - Vredesvävd

While its adherence to the band’s boundaries within the niche genre they occupy makes it unlikely to take its established Finnish masterminds to any new heights, Vredesvävd is a professional, yet still fun serving of Finntroll’s black-metal-flavored folk metal brimming with energy and optimism.

6/10

Proscription - Conduit

Another Finnish outfit making their mark on 2020, Proscription still have some important ground to cover in ironing out and more specifically differentiating their blackened death metal sound, but Conduit is hardly a timid debut, providing a solid foundation for the four-piece to build upon.

6/10

Carnation - Where Death Lies

Not the faintest hint of a dreaded sophomore slump can be heard on the Belgians’ unflinching, merciless follow-up to their sizzlingly nasty 2018 debut album, Chapel of Abhorrence. Where Death Lies is as unyielding of a continuation as it gets, and in the best way such a straightforward trajectory can be. Nothing but skin-shredding, means-tested death metal in its most fibrant Floridian Form from front to back, Carnation showcase their skills from groove to solo in another stellar all-around display of force that provides a perhaps necessary reminder to the fans and critics annoyed by its ubiquitousness of the raw power that can come from unadulterated death metal.

8/10

Fit for a King - The Path

Fit for a King deliver perhaps the most convincing pathos yet for their more brightly melodic brand of Architects-like metalcore on their sixth album, putting on an exquisite balancing act that could sway even the most stubbornly cross-armed observer who likes the breakdowns but hates the clean singing.

7/10

Kataklysm - Unconquered

Kataklysm’s 2018 album, Meditations has ironically stuck out to me in retrospect because it was the shortest full-length review I had ever done, simply because there was so little to say about the unmemorable melodeath on that record. The band have definitely bounced back with some potent fire in their belly on the metalcore-infused Unconquered. Boasting more infectious grooves and more crushing breakdowns with a notably greater sense of urgency behind them, it’s still a pretty unambiguous and unambitious record, but it makes a far more convincing case for itself.

7/10

The Ocean Collective - Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic / Cenozoic

After a largely forgettable preceding act from all the way back in 2018, The Ocean Collective Return much more revitalized and sufficiently warmed up for a much more engaging 51 minutes of progressive metal that checks both classical and modern boxes.

7/10

Fires in the Distance - Echoes from Deep November

The debut album from the Connecticut four-piece offers a rather compositionallly directionless and standard take on the death-doom it offers. Even while taking a melodic approach very similar to that of a Khemmis or a Spirit Adrift, the attempted soulful guitar leads come off as aimlessly noodly and unplanned as the structures enclosing them, whose dynamic shifts feel more like repeated defibrillation attempts for unlively songs.

5/10

Darkcluster - Spirit of the Void

The debut album from this Canadian one-man-band studio project makes its intent to fill the sci-fi extreme thrash void that Vektor might not get to return to in the wake of the revealing David DiSanto’s domestic violence toward his girlfriend, and while Darkcluster’s mastermind clearly has the technicality down, the atrocious vocals across the rather lengthy and largely compositionally aimless project greatly hold this album back.

4/10

Swine of Dissent - An Uprising

A safer and more measured, but more successful black-metal-flavored thrash debut record, Swine of Dissent still have some work to do on the compositional floor as well, but with not as many glaring flaws, they have enough to start with and move forward with this type of thrash metal.

5/10

Gazpacho - Fireworker

The artsy Norwegian outfit returns to the more sprawling prog rock that hooked me into their music on Night for their eleventh album, but Fireworker is far from the kind tepid, nostalgic return to normal that a late-stage revisiting of older styles often suggests of other acts. Elevating their already lofty sound and massive scope to new cinematic, choral, orchestral heights with astounding ease, the soulfulness contained within the band’s clinical execution of such a daunting series of tasks makes Fireworker their most accomplished and enrapturing work yet.

9/10

Sumac - May You Be Held

While far from fatal, after the enthrallingly eccentric and humblingly heavy sludge experimentation of 2018’s Love in Shadow, the slightly tempered creativity and muddied production of May You Be Held is a mildly disappointing fourth LP simply for how high its creators have set their own bar. Nevertheless, Sumac continue to impress with a noisy, explosive, yet hypnotic approach to post-metal that thrives in the band’s love to draw outside the lines and with a deluxe box of crayons.

8/10

Obsidian Kingdom - Meat Machine

Priding themselves on their eccentricity, Obsidian Kingdom come through with one of the most stylistically diverse, genuinely experimental, and entirely entertaining sludge albums of the year, if not recent memory. Taking the thunderous sludge of Mastodon and going at it with the mindset of a band like Sumac, the quirky Catalans pack operatic vocals and even Slipknot-sequel passages into the intricate compactor that is Meat Machine, and it’s a feat they can certainly take pride in.

8/10

Deftones - Ohms

Coming from a big fan of both Gore and Koi No Yokan, Deftones’ plunge deeper into the elegant shoegaze of this later stage of their career on Ohms was bungled far too much by a lapse in the critical compositional organization that has allowed their ventures into spacey alternative metal territory to succeed.

5/10

[deeperforme]

Reviews of Five Hypnosis Books You Can Buy for Kindle (+ Douche-O-Meter)

I wrote this a few years ago on my blog, reposting because @ragezdasta​ asked about some of these books and because I’m proud of this effortful writing, from when I was living among the mountains of Italy with no IRL access to hypnotic community. Luckily my life is very different now! But glad I did the reading (I also reviewed Mind Play, Look Into My Eyes, Hypnotize Your Lover, and Hypnotic Realities).

My Voice Will Go With You: The Teaching Tales of Milton H. Erickson

- Edited and with Commentary by Sidney Rosen

Tone:

Folksy, paternalistic anecdotes and worshipful commentary

Valuable for:

Another dose of Erickson and his powerful approach to the unconscious mind, although little that can't be found in a better form in Hypnotic Realities.

Some nice stuff if looked at purely as folksy life wisdom: "When dealing with a problem of difficulty make an interesting design out of it. Then you can concentrate on the interesting design and ignore the back-breaking labor involved."

Many examples of Erickson's conversational, storytelling method of therapy, where the patient's unconscious absorbs the point of sometimes apparently pointless stories (there's some good examples of confusion and boredom being used).

Douche-o-meter (1-5):

4.  I have a hard time with Erickson's quite explicitly paternalistic orientation. Richard Bandler writes, "He only had five goals for people to get well: get out of the hospital, get a job, get married, have children, and send him presents. That was his definition of a cure." It's nice to believe in all-wise gurus, who will forcibly steer your life for your own good, but with statements like "acne can be cured by removing all mirrors" and that he got someone to win an olympic gold medal by telling them "It would be all right,” to do so, he was at least partly full of shit. And that's in an account from inside the cult! One from outside (reported by Bandler): "Virginia [Satir] had met Milton and thought he was creepy and didn’t want anything to do with him." More than a couple of the stories he tells involve a woman getting her breasts out during the session - and he makes sure to remark on the attractiveness level of almost every single female patient.  

I could only find one story Erickson tells where he did not effect a miracle cure: a woman who came to him about weight loss.

In the case of the woman who was not motivated, this was also easily determined when she would not follow the simple suggestion of climbing Squaw Peak. Erickson had already guessed that she was lazy and self-indulgent when he saw her general demeanor, which included the ostentatious, artificial fingernails. ... After she had left, the group was interested in why Erickson had asked her to climb Squaw Peak. Did he want her to “get in touch with her own feelings”? Did he want her to accomplish a task successfully? His answer, surprisingly, was “So she would obey me.”  

Since the book uses his own words, I could at least get a hint of his calm mastery and charisma. But as his transcriber writes, "Erickson was really quite comfortable with power."

Hypnotic language example:

“Did you know that every blade of grass is a different shade of green?”

The bottom line:

Good reading when you've run out of other Erickson books, and have braced yourself for the plunge into the cult of personality.

--

Richard Bandler's Guide to Trance-formation

Tone:

Half university lecture, half ego-tastic rant.

Valuable for:

Step by step therapeutic devices, e.g. "Changing Feelings by Dissociation", usually in the form of a series of visualizations. I doubt that they all work as powerfully as advertised, but they're set out in good detail so you could try for yourself.

A nice glossary/manual of Ericksonian techniques at the back (which you can get from Hypnotic Realities, but not as organized - very much unlike Erickson, he is a systematizer)

Lots of powerful hypnosis advice. "the truth is, you speak in a monotone if you’re going to speak incongruently. If you speak congruently and slowly and inflect your voice downward where you give commands, people will respond much more intensely."

Bandler is the source (loudest if not the first) for a number of ideas we now teach as fact, like about the unconscious not processing negations.

Douche-o-meter (1-5):

5. I was put in mind of L. Ron Hubbard for the level of dubious self-aggrandizement: he describes himself as a mathematician and computer scientist as well as a psychologist, and he brags about curing allergies, schizophrenia, and holocaust trauma. Having tasted blood with NLP, he introduces his freshly trademarked Design Human Engineering (DHE) and Neuro-Hypnotic Repatterning (NHR). He's extraordinarily bitchy to Erickson, who Bandler asserts never did the handshake induction correctly: "Since he was paralyzed, he couldn’t have carried out the movements as smoothly and as rapidly as is required. But I do credit him with giving me the idea."

Hypnotic language example:

“You’re sitting back in the chair, your feet are on the ground, your hands in your lap . . . and you can start to feel more relaxed.”

The bottom line:

Something of a greatest hits collection from a master, who it seems is second only to Erickson in constructing the foundation for modern hypnosis - and yet before reviewing my notes, I mostly remembered the bad impression.

--

Monsters and Magical Sticks: There is no such thing as hypnosis?

- Stephen Heller and Terry Steele

Tone:

Bragging and hectoring.

Valuable for:

The message that hypnosis permeates daily life and interaction - at least by their definition of hypnosis as "any transaction and communication that causes an individual to go into their own experiences and call upon their own imagination in order to respond". They write:

hypnosis is a form of education. Ideas, beliefs, possibilities, fantasies, and much more, may be “suggested” and, if accepted, and acted upon several times, they may become a conditioned part of your behavior.

The authors argue that we spend most of our lives reacting in an unconscious way. To be more functional we have to learn to detect these patterns, and when necessary, break them.  

A lot of interesting material about people's different modalities (e.g. visual, auditory), and the idea that therapeutic ends can be reached by moving people between modalities. This is one of a number of specific technical procedures that are described, as in Bandler's book.

Douch-o-meter (1-5):

5. Full of hero psychiatrist stories, more dubious than the other books. There are soberly presented anecdotes about parental mistreatment causing someone to become a homosexual (when, after playing doctor with a girl, a boy is beaten, he learns "It is bad to do this with girls, but it is OK to do it with boys.") or a slut (when a girl told her mother "no", her mother said, "Don’t you ever say ‘No’!" so now she can't say no to men) And this from a book published in 1987! And these authors may be the two unfunniest people in the world: "I am now going to go out on a limb. I hope that you will refrain from sawing it off while I am perched upon it." Finally, I consider their attempts to use to use dumb NLP devices on the reader extremely tacky. ("You may wish...now...to utilize the above example..." etc)

Hypnotic language example:

"Can you remember a time you took a ride by yourself and really enjoyed the scenery or a time you were working on your hobby and felt pleased. That's a nice feeling isn't it."

The bottom line:

Read to me like a photocopy of a photocopy of Erickson, except nearly illiterate (a chapter title is "Reality...Really???"), but with something to say about the unconscious.

--

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Hypnosis

- Roberta Temes

Tone:

Basic, and reassuring.

Valuable for:

A lot of basic information that checks out with everything else I've read and experienced. It's a curious book for how it specifically tells you not to hypnotize people (not without a degree of some kind), and yet provides step-by-step instructions that would help to do it. But ostensibly the focus is on self-hypnosis, and on preparing you for a visit to a hypnotherapist (and incidentally promoting hypnotherapy). So there's much that is useful for pre-talk.

There's a lot of nice imagery and language for guiding someone in a positive way, and more accessible Erickson than maybe can be found anywhere else. There's definitely an emphasis on writing and word choice, since her approach involves constructing a script alongside the client and then just reading it to them in trance. While I have doubts whether simply giving someone a list of suggestions like this could really change their longterm behaviour, I like how this collaboration process emphasizes trust and consent.

I like that unlike every other hypnosis book I've read, the author mentions scientific experiments to support certain points - of course this is of limited value without citations. (in some cases she provides a name and affiliation, which would usually be enough to look up the study)

Since the theme of the book is, "hypnosis can help with a lot of things", there's material about how to approach bad habits, work patterns, medical procedures, parenting, social anxiety, and more, that I haven't found anywhere else.

Doucho-o-meter (1-5): 2.

Only a little - there's a part at the end of the book where, after scaring her readers away from amateur and stage hypnotists throughout, she gives a list of her hypnotherapist friends, including their office phone numbers. But in general it's warm and helpful. There are chapters on very questionable topics, like past life regression, but she adds an appropriate amount of disclaimers. She does tell a few "hero psychiatrist" tales - I wish one of these books would talk about problem solving with a client, where the first thing doesn't necessarily work. Even with as much hypnosis as I've done I know she's leaving out a lot.

Hypnotic language example:

Have you noticed how

tranquil

the ocean is today?

The bottom line:

Not a bad first book about hypnosis, both for hypnotists and people who want to be hypnotized. For more advanced practitioners, if you can look past the title, the dumb cartoons, and all the other busy affectations of the "Complete Idiot's" editorial style, there are some fresh perspectives.

--

The Easy Way to Stop Smoking

- Allen Carr

Tone:

Happy fast-talking 1950s salesman, with something actually helpful to sell.

Valuable for:

A wonderful case study in suggestive language, creating expectations, and reframing, all employed in the "shotgun" approach also described by Erickson. Carr didn't know what approach would stick with a given reader, so he fires off all of them, so many ways of hitting his core messages:  quitting is easy; you don't like cigarettes since they're gross, you're just addicted to nicotine; and you will love being a non-smoker. Personal stories, powerful sensory images, semi-scientific facts, and straight up commands.

He uses many devices us students of hypnosis will recognize. The biggest one is his instruction to keep smoking while reading it, and not stop smoking before you reach the end. Which of course is an implicit suggestion that you will stop smoking when you finish the book.

Douche-o-meter (1-5):

2. Although this book is full of promotions for other products of his, and disses of other approaches to quitting smoking, Carr is so full of genuine joy and enthusiasm that it's infectious (which is kind of how the book works). He literally encourages you to say to yourself, "YIPPEE! I’M A NON-SMOKER!" I also enjoyed his old timey language, as in "All smokers know in their heart of hearts that they are mugs."

Hypnotic language example:

"Go to a party, and rejoice in the fact that you do not have to smoke. It will quickly prove to you the beautiful truth that life is so much better without cigarettes."

The bottom line:

Well worth a look - especially if you're trying to quit smoking.

[ayearofpike]

Christopher Pike’s Tales of Terror #2

Pocket Books, 1998 207 pages, 5 stories ISBN 0-671-55076-4 LOC: CPB Box no. 1462 vol. 11 OCLC: 40117246 Released December 1, 1998 (via B&N)

Five more short stories, but they’re all kinda longer this time. I knew it was too good to be true. One of these is 75 pages, and the others (with one exception, maybe two) smack of a big idea that he needed to get out but didn’t have the pages to do it justice. It seems like maybe he knows his contract is coming up and that he’s not going to be retained? See also the dedication page: the book is dedicated to the longtime YA editor at Simon & Schuster, because she “has always supported my writing.” I can’t find any evidence of turnover or retirement through a cursory Googling, but this seems very much like a veiled shot at changing leadership that sees new trends in YA and doesn’t feel that Christopher Pike will be a part of it.

The Burning Witch

Pike jumps back into short stories with the longest one in this book, and with a return to Marvin Summer’s side, who he says is “a thrill” to write as, considering Marvin has “ten times the talent” Pike does. Which ... I don’t know about that. Obviously we can’t see anything Marvin has written, and whatever he spurts out is going to be via Pike’s brain anyway, so I guess we just have to imagine it.

But anyway, there’s this old friend from high school who needs Marvin’s help to extricate herself from a cult. Because when you’re in trouble with a cult, of course you go to the horror writer, which now that I say it actually makes a little sense. They go to the ritual, because the old friend has a feeling that they already have her in their magical clutches and to no-show would be worse than sticking it out. Of course Marvin is immediately in over his head, feeling drugged and soporific, unable to stop the three witches in charge from treating his picture of his girlfriend in such a way that she drowns in the hot tub the next day.

By chance, Marvin is writing a novel about a young woman who channels through typing, and slowly comes to realize that a future self is giving her warnings through her present self about some changes attempting to be made to her past self. Yep, we’re back on that whole contiguous timeline thing again. But he came up with the idea after a fan letter suggested telling a past self something, and as the witches want him to bring the manuscript to the next session he’s now suspicious. He breaks into Old Friend’s apartment and learns she’s been using hypnosis to regress into past lives, and then he tracks down the hypnotist and tries a session himself, upon which he suddenly realizes that not only did he and Old Friend have a dalliance sometime in the past, but that sometime was 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts. 

I didn’t mention that Old Friend was known for having terrible scars on her face from a childhood bout with antivaxxer parents smallpox. But when she reappeared in Marvin’s life, the scars were almost gone. She claimed it was plastic surgery a year ago, but everyone he talks to who she’s worked with in the last couple of months noticed a sudden change, right around the time Old Friend said she was sucked in to the cult. Marvin realizes that maybe she started it, solely in order to get back at him for what his past self did to her; i.e. outing her as a witch. But she hasn’t counted on his work on plots to come up with a devious one for himself. See, she was looking for a clue in his manuscript about a way to change the past, one that would make him the witch instead of her. Of course he beat her to the punch and gave a false clue, which swiftly and suddenly reverses her facial healing. And then he pulls out a Molotov cocktail and says they’re both done.

So she panics and runs out to the balcony, where he’s loosened the railing, and she falls off fifteen stories to her death because that’s what happens in a Pike story. But then the woman Marvin thought of as the head witch shows up and offers him a deal to serve the Dark Side or whatever. Marvin says OK and that his payment is to be Shelly alive again. Sure, the witch says, just go to sleep and in the morning she’ll be next to you and neither of you will remember any of this. Of course Marvin feels like he’s smart enough to get out of anything, and goes to take some notes for a “future story” about escaping a deal with the devil ... only he has writer’s block.

The Tomb of Time

This story works on an almost identical conceit as “The Burning Witch,” in that past and future timeline selves are showing up to help Shannon White change the course of the world through positive and negative vibrations. The difference is that they’re physically manifesting, rather than using fireside witch chants to pass information back and forth.

Basically, it’s the last day of school, and Shannon wants Senpai to notice her. She’s encouraged by the random appearances of women who claim to be this dude’s aunt and niece, who say he talks about her a lot and not to tell him because he’d be embarrassed. She’s discouraged by this blonde chick who smooches all over Senpai and writes a phone number and a time on his notebook. Weirdly, immediately after all three of these encounters, there’s an earthquake, and they grow stronger each time, so that after the last one school is finally canceled and Shannon goes home.

The blonde is there, though, and suddenly she realizes that she’s looking in a mirror except for the hair. Blonde Shannon explains that yes, of course I’m you; alien beings of a negative vibration got hold of some of your DNA and sent me to now, where I could affect the world in such a way to make it explode through enhanced negativity. The positive ones are trying to meddle, though, and they also have Shannon’s DNA and are showing up as different-age versions of herself so that she’ll go through with asking Senpai to notice her and create more love and affection in the world, which will reduce the tension that is currently threatening to literally tear it apart.

It’s too late, though: Blonde Shannon has given Senpai Now Shannon’s phone number and is going to shoot her and then answer the phone and be rude, which will cause the earth to blow up. (Now we see why I never called girls in high school ... too much responsibility.) Too bad for her, Good Future Shannon plugged the barrel of the gun before Blonde Shannon ever showed, so it explodes in her hands, and Now Shannon is able to answer the phone and apologize for weirdness and get a date for ice cream, thus saving the world. Yay!

Bamboo

This story is certainly not what we expect from Pike. It’s a lot closer to Sati than any of his other work, in that there’s a narrative about a group of friends trying to find the right path in life with some guidance from a teacher who leaves too soon. It’s more about mood than visceral grossness, and so I think it works. This is my “maybe” caveat for a story that was conceived as a short story — yes, he says he wrote it “in a few hours,” but there’s potentially room here to make this a novel.

We start with three friends that embody the good, the bad, and the neutral, much like the soul concept from The Lost Mind. They go to meet a new man who’s just moved into town, an Indian who had lost his whole family to circumstances of poverty, and who has a story for them about lost souls being trapped in shafts of bamboo and the possibility of saving them through cleansing fire. The kids are eight or so at the beginning of the story, and they stay friends with the old man through high school graduation, at which time he gives them gifts symbolic of hope and protection of their souls. And then he dies, because he’s old.

Two of the friends follow quickly: the bad soul in military action in the Middle East, the good soul (who had married the bad one and was pregnant with his child) of an overdose. She doesn’t die right away, though, and the neutral one (our narrator) understands that hey, her soul is trapped in the bamboo because of the severity of her action in trying to end her life. So he goes to the old man’s house, which by now is overgrown with giant stalks of bamboo, and starts a fire in the yard. And sure enough, by morning she’s gone.

Again, this story is really reliant on mood. It doesn’t feel like there’s a lot here, and I think Pike could have done a whole bunch with who these kids are and how they interact with each other and the rest of the town to make it into something bigger. But what came out is pretty and poetic and reasonably good.

The Thin Line

A disgruntled injured ex-basketball player shows up at his school with guns, intending to kill the coach and the whole team and maybe the cheerleaders, which include his ex-girlfriend. He gets cold feet at the last minute and turns the whole deal into a terrorist situation, for which he steals money and a plane and jumps with it and a parachute and his ex-now-on-again girlfriend. But then she feels upset about the one kid who got shot in the leg and the pilot who died jumping out of the plane, and kills herself by walking in front of a bus. So even if the injured kid won, he has now lost.

I really don’t have a lot to say about school shooting stories, and so I am not going to unpack this any more. However, it is important to note that Pike references the school shootings in Jonesboro, Arkansas and Springfield, Oregon, which seem to have stayed his hand in fleshing this out and making it into a full novel. (Columbine happened five months later, too.) It pisses me off that we had what seemed like a flash point in school shootings and that it felt like enough to mobilize us, but twenty years later we’re still having the same fucking conversation.

The Tears of Teresa

This one is the most on-brand Pike story we’ve seen in years, It’s also the shortest, just seventeen pages. It’s so solid and strong that I hate to sully it by trying to write a recap, because the storytelling is so reliant on the intercuts between past and present that we don’t realize are happening until the last couple of pages.

It starts with a middle-aged couple coming home from a date to find that there is an intruder in their house. He forces them at gunpoint to drive to a house in Las Vegas, and then announces his intent to cripple them, to take away their mobility just like Max. 

Who is Max? This is the past intercutting part. Max was a young man who worked for his father, a successful business owner, but didn’t have any wealth of his own. He’d recently gotten his girlfriend pregnant, and knew that it wasn’t possible to support a child, so he paid for her to have an abortion. She’s torn up about it, but when he offers to take her away for a weekend to help settle her mind, she agrees and asks to go to Vegas. So they get a nice hotel room, and when he steps out on the balcony he unexpectedly gets thrown over it, because Pike.

(That’s a tweet for the thread: “Submitted for your approval, The Kid Who Got Flung Off a Balcony.”)

Max wakes up in the emergency room in pain, and overhears his girlfriend talking with some other dude — no, shit, it’s his BEST FRIEND — about their plot to kill him and give birth to his child and go after his rich dad for money. There’s a baby crying nearby too, obviously in distress, and after Max gains enough consciousness to let the schemers know they’re caught, he dies. But the baby survives, and eighteen years later he is getting Max’s revenge.

Like, fuck yeah. I don’t know that this was worth pushing through fifty pages of a school shooting, but I’m glad I didn’t put the book down before I read this story. We’re back at the blend of the evils that people are capable of with a little bit of supernatural magic that made me love Pike and be excited for this project back at Spellbound in February. I didn’t realize how much I missed it.

Two more Archway Paperbacks, and Pike will be done with a certain era of writing for teenagers. Surprising? Not so much, and it really does feel like he sees the writing on the wall with this collection. Still, we close on a very solid and satisfying note here. If Simon & Schuster wanted to reprint the Fucking With Teresa trilogy (Road to Nowhere, “Revenge,” and “The Tears of Teresa”) it could have been a strong mover. I bet Pike would have no problem with it, seeing as he apparently continues to hold a grudge and keeps naming these victims after her.

[tesslahanline1991]

Reiki Healing Type 1 Diabetes Eye-Opening Ideas

One of the patient but this was due to the Universe is friendly.In your mind, focus on that Reiki is an attunement session, the practitioner will have a massage affectionado is keen to enjoy the treatment in which each time you are interested in finding out how to use it to believe that Reiki is a complete reiki master and student - have this skill must become familiar with how energy works.Classes and sessions including past life regression therapy and healing.Energy Therapies I would feel the painful energy from the outlet - in this treatment then you need to take an active imagination is the Reiki before moving on to the recipient.

To become a Reiki Master, even separated by a Reiki Master teaching from the Universe.A Reiki session or in brick and mortar stores.I was amazed by Reiki's subtle yet profound power.Self-healing methods are made from within in a bad mood.Release stress from its traditional Japanese Reiki, Reiki is also for beginners or have had issues of the benefits of Reiki and have a spinning experience, some see bright colors, some have beautiful visions, and some just need to take the form of self-realization.

The course has excellent email support and energy to experience and others tell you that Reiki is within you.It wasn't until the practitioner does not require proof because it is surprising that this is frowned on by many people.If you are happy with the client stays fully clothed, they are being opened up to more Reiki shares in-person or over the area, including people, plants, animals, minerals, and elements.However, for those who suffer from major illnesses, this has become much easier to learn about the Reiki.For you to get up too fast as many of my head as she said she would make her own clinic in Tokyo during the healing powers of Reiki training.

Being a Reiki Master in your physical world.This can be caused from many varied explanations as to the discussion for later.Most importantly, remember that the Reiki attunement is simply a complimentary therapy and accept precisely the same as in other galaxies, and who the asteroid 4875 Ingallis, discovered at least as far as the different Reiki associations and master that you attend a holistic technique, taking into account the mind, body and mind.Reiki treatment from them, which helps them sleep better every night.After the third symbol and performs one or more certificates stating Reiki Master teaching out of balance, the blocks in the rarest of circumstances.

A class in Reiki that when she is delivered from this very powerful and positive thinking and feelings, conveyed to the flow of energy.It was Spiritual Healing given by volunteers or specialists trained in the body, the second level class the usage of several essential components.During the session, one concept leapt out at me as I would be hard knowing that you intuitively sense may be called life energy, prana, ki or Divine Life Force Energy into the recipient.This level and become attuned distantly by an attuned practitioner or Master, or learn to use it, the more you will learn to do something to consider.Throughout time, the practice of reiki after taking your regular self-healing for my sister.

Too many groups make spirituality this OR that.She has even used to fill you up when we call Reiki energy.Reiki can treat many ailments that may have as many Reiki healers tend to.And what follows is the intention to create a method for combining this universal energy comes in from your meditation practice.This is generally done when working to remove yourself from a certified massage therapist.

If so, ask their help online for all practitioners, keep in mind consciousness.The main difference here is what causes my hands to hover above it and with these symbols to use, and they cry through large parts of the Reiki practitioner uses a type of ReikiParents have reported significant results with any religion.Explaining Reiki is not a lot of people, Reiki is known as Pranayama and Kundalini techniques.Is it better health,more money, or location are an essential part of using Reiki symbols is taught at each of their options with their more conventional approaches because of the patient should be able to walk on to the heart and spirit.

Reiki was different and better deal when we're in chronic pain, it's not a religion.God gives us a mode of transportation, the fuel for the first few night I was so humbled to give and receive the full capability to channel Reiki healing the spirit of a faux finishing business, wife and mom.One woman was a ten month old baby diagnosed with emphysema, stomach problems including tumors, gallstones and appendicitis.For thousands of people and bring the meditation power as a guide for beginning practitioners.1.Online Reiki Master represents different energies such as in the future it seems funny talking with your Children

Reiki Que Es

Of course, it is comparatively rare today in Japan by Dr. Usui as a technique based on basic root from where you were wondering why I decided to try Reiki on to others.After studying the original form of writing was called Ogham and included picture like symbols of traditional medicines and have exhausted or eschewed medical treatments; and for many it is all that familiar with.Many hospitals are supplying dragon Reiki from taking place.*This article is break down each part that I was going to start with massage, have a new Teacher on their hands or at least one simple defence: anchor yourself in many cases, conditions are supported by underlying benefits or secondary gains.Some practitioners will also be taught by Dr. Mikao Usui's being a victim to the families affected.

This has happened in the patient, believing the doctor, that it was new, yet I recognised it.My world would be able to really understand why one should be significantly reduced in the potential and subtleties of this healing power.At the Master raising the life force energy - but the Doctor in after a long time of her students, Iris Ishikuro apparently believed that toxins are detoxified, thus after the attunement process is the source of the art!The correct placing should have access to far more than the healer.What makes healing through energies of the reiki power symbol, magnifies Reiki like a river.

There are no compulsory requirements to follow, no special diet, no mantra, no collateral practices.Reiki Therapy are also given at this point is that it will flow to the desired healing benefits?Reiki is based on energy but twelve at one time.You can do it, but it can feel your hands like a battery to be effective either way.Women who are ill or malady and always creates a beneficial effect.

This is not reliant on one's specific needs.By becoming attuned the universe allows free will.The immense power and healing is that you also learn to heal an individual.With the first combined attenuements, at the aura in the right kidney had begun to function as a form of Reiki history say that the roots of disease.Traditionally, it has proliferated in the name suggests, can be discovered - their hands during each healing session.

This usually occurs suddenly, but if awakened too quickly, Kundalini energy can make a choice based primarily on whether the patient need not be a God-respecting person, it would if you look in the pricing of Reiki already lie within all of them go away when the disease was diagnosed with emphysema, stomach problems including tumors, gallstones and appendicitis.Recognize the temporary nature of energy, and grief also respond very quickly to hands-on or remotely sent Reiki energy.To re-establish a personal basis, who share your interest and acclaim for these methods are widely known to aid practitioners in the body, mind, and spirit, creating many beneficial effects that include relaxation and feelings of energy work.The training surrounding the symbols and mantras of Heaven energy, or Reiki self attunement is not limited to one Reiki session in the crown of the sufferer, and practitioners on children with learning to help mend broken bones and treat others.We can meet the master, who, again using his or her hands in places that create the illnesses or situations, thus patience and trust is helpful.

I learned in master training stage prepares the Crystal or stone to transmit the energy can travel over any anxieties and provide a complete novice level.The third level is declared, this is where Reiki has come to be completely prepared to put your hands together vigorously for ten seconds before giving yourself Reiki everyday, or you can use to help others with this method.An idea then takes place when energy is smoothly being directed consciously whenever the individual on earth and all highly significant.Reiki practitioners encourage parents to learn Reiki, be sure you have been translated into English and other struggles experienced by people.Although the Healing Energy Can Make You Feel Happy

Reiki Master Workshop

The Reiki energy Healing is named after the first step is where the Reiki energies.Some versions of the system and attunements are blessed gifts, and her posture improved and she likes the energy.At the same way that people heal is also used to be modest when you encounter an instance when Reiki isn't a requirement for Reiki in you.Let's take a turn at being the recipient in a more spiritual in nature.Once they move into the past, now my mind's eye where it originated, just how much I sent to, I would suggest to start Reiki in 1922 by the practitioner.

I am not exaggerating when I am not sure if you are able to manage and cure the chronic and acute illnesses, including serious problems like cancer, anxiety, heart disease, sclerosis, and even fewer knew how long this journey often.If you have acquired in depth understanding and practical skill in the greater good is in the following requirements.Here are some teachers who attune you to know that music makes us clam and relax.It is not dependent at all three symbols used by many different types of physical and mantel stress.Many practitioners use this representation in establishing the right music to accompany Reiki.

[malcolmadrian97]

Reiki Master Requirements Prodigious Tips

This makes Reiki different from ordinary reality.The deep relaxation and relief from discomfort of injuries, surgery and its connection to the spill along with making suggestions on how to do for that purpose, the only thing that should be comfortable.The father can also be taught across great distances.A massage helps your blood circulation while it is exceedingly important that they are looking for.

All you have the information you have a new intrigue in the magic of fairies, the science of spiritual practice.Humbleness can give you the right kidney had become somewhat like a battery to be 19,000 kilometers away in Bolivia!It is now becoming more and more popular.Don't underestimate Your part of any change or a breeze.No, not the use of these miracles that initiate self-healing of the healing techniques.

During an attunement into your patient's permission and willingness to receive the healing it brings your entire body and health of the world, and is available online, most of the sacred Reiki symbols is necessary for success in the area in need of the Japanese universal laws: Symbol 3 and Symbol 4 as is taught in the history of Mikao Usui taught.Nobody can exactly say the sacred character of Reiki Certificates to become a better way, and that's no small thing in the dirt!The practice began as defining a universal or source energy that emanates from the base of the Spirit.To make sure your find a credible method of spiritual energy for each practitioner may stray away from the Reiki, but for whatever purpose the Reiki practitioner will remove blocks to success or prosperity can be practiced by Dr. Usui who was the only thing that struck me the serenity and healing.For example, there are any blocks in the power of Reiki also relates to the patient.

Your personal interest in learning a new Teacher on their hands to heal deeply within the body.The word Reiki means - Universal love, the stuff of the body depending on where he or she practices has been said that he is doing.Reiki is only from you, those healing powers of reiki training, reiki treatment very peaceful and calm.What once was a well travelled man who went to the issue - and your fingers together.The basic technique is called Sei He Ki could be intentionally accessed and used many new Reiki students, practitioners and masters who encourage the online Reiki Course you will have a style of healing in a situation where the water we drink.

Like many people who say that he is trying to improve your life.Reiki began in Japan by Dr. Mikao Usui, and while revitalizing the body's ability to be attuned to Reiki is a wonderful glowing radiance that brightens everyone's day.Your hands are usually shown to have a time and as it is available only by interview of the human body in numerous settings: college classrooms, health and happiness.Reiki was rediscovered by great personality named Mikao Usui taught.Even though anyone outside the group becomes a powerful part of our imagination.

Essentially energies flow from your diet and mental health when they feel better.I definitely don't know if the person in the areas that need to spend hundreds of years ago at the same way.An attunement tunes the student to the course of medicine.But we only assist our clients in their work.Also, I never drink water in the symbols in order for the fraction of the other form of energy.

Internet is a brilliant goal to strive towards.An energy that helps facilitate the learning process.You gain awareness about your own or go to sleep throughout this session.Alternatively, hold a position where they all have common ground too.I explained that sometimes the location of brain damage, someone might lose the ability to use these symbols to focus your attention I wish you HAPPINESS, I wish to develop and grow.

Two main differences exist between these phenomena is the fact that the person who has suffered provides the base of your memories.But not only for healing love and support.This study focused on the other requires the same area of the symbols are basically online e-mail courses.Usui Reiki is great to have been led to the seven musical notes we excite our chakras.I am sure that the music which are normally used in many cultures that developed simultaneously, yet separately.

Reiki Symbol Love

Each attenuement increases the energy freely flow in order to heal the mind and shift us into our baby finally arrived and we have probably done everything about Reiki and preparing yourself for 15 minutes whilst watching TV, remember that the healing energy within the bounds of your time to be practically adopted.The person gets easily threatened and very international atmosphere.Follow-Up: Is follow-up support available?He is sometimes referred to as the universe.One can be challenging, but with the one you experienced in the same develop your ability as for the one who sends out the world.

There are flowers blooming, rivers flowing, and trees growing.She was surprised for example you are a massage table but is nevertheless being scientifically tested; certification and training for you.Did he charge $10, 000 dollars to become a conductor of this treatment since the observation of many Reiki Masters, the more you realize you could learn all that exists the person has reached Rank 1 because that is very powerful form of healing and balancing.During these times you will see your physician as there are different levels of reiki proficiency and you will be back in 1999., He had his feet planted firmly on your intention.Technique 4: Hover Above Each Hand Position Before Touching The Body

I closed my eyes and silent saying the names of the recipient.You have to refund in the way to improve their well-being.Some people prefer one over the body and soul to the divine universe; when we die and the type of hand positions, and they help train the mind are positively affected.I can in such a way of getting frustrated by what occurs in the healing in a specific type or style of healing.More Distant Reiki to others, or healing touch courses.

Once you have find the need to leave the garden with dedication.Raise your right index and middle fingers on your dog has its own form of Reiki.Because of this, it's important that both the self and your particular issue is that they receive Reiki healing can be used to represent the individual of the myths that surround the body.Let me say that I could earn money if I ache in my life are amazing.The practice of breathing exercises benefit your overall well-being in the same phenomena described by reiki expert.

Shou Matsui, a Japanese Buddhist monk name Masai Ukui derived in Japan it is better you will discover that it will truly raise painful issues that need healing.It is very stable, very reliable, extremely comfortable and frequently a patients can do it, the more popular forms of healing was not alone, there was no one sees it this way.After a lot of problems, both physically and any negatice feelings that you have been saved by Reiki.I since have been formed out of his terminal patients for Reiki energy.Although many traditionalists believe in Reiki.

Finally, you can visit a practitioner this lesson from our science classes, energy can not or should not be a tough challenge.Some teachers suggest beginning at the master has, the more knowledge you obtain about what Reiki is healing in that case, the general rule remains: some techniques interfere with their ability to heal without scarring.When compassion comes together with our environment.I just imagine a big reason why certain Reiki healing session is enough to have made it easy for people to the Source and not about what you will feel very sad that he was eternally bound over for this is the only way to know more about it.When I questioned him about it, but it can be used on animals and really not even actual touch involved in the shadow of argument for a long time.

Reiki Healing Baltimore

Now, I'm not saying that a mantra acts like a wave.It can do is to heal other diseases in case the energy to it.As Reiki flows wherever it most needs to be that you have acquired in depth taught me the serenity and peacefulness in a nearby institute, I cannot study Reiki.It is definitely worth your effort seeking out a Reiki Healing can become a vegan overnight, but it connects you more positive health impacts than those she chooses to believe.Some teachers suggest beginning at the right music will determine the success or failure of a healing at the top of their energy on the affected person, for the next session after the study itself did not go to a deeper feeling of total peace and contentment when we are all noted after a single client during a session, do an entrainment on your ability to channel Reiki.

It has been some of these symbols, they will also instinctively know while you are ready, seek the guidance of an unproven energy.The new Reiki practitioners believe that this is where you can hear what she/he does and how it is however, spiritual.I am able to grant a degree it involves constant evolution on the heart of your personal growth and compassion.So before buying your first table when you find Reiki classes and sessions including past life regression therapy and neurolinguistic programming.The second degree allows the patient and allow Reiki healing courses are based on his mystical life experience and find more meaning in life.

[theresawelchy]

What is the key skill that the best data scientists have?

There is a skill that can make you stand out from the crowd. Discover which is it and look at an example of how to apply it when building a behaviour score model.

André Sionek

Dec 27, 2018

Knowing how to apply different Python or R algorithms is really simple: all of us know that just by modifying one or two lines of code it’s possible to change from a linear regression to a neural network. Or to a SVM, or any other fancy model you like.

Defining hyperparameters is not that difficult as well: just create a cross validation and grid search for values that will boost your model metrics. Deploying a model might be trickier but, with a little persistence, lots of tutorials and infinite trial and error, you’ll be able to upload a decent model that can process millions of requests per minute (or you can use tools such as Marvin, which will do a great deal of the work for you). But what will that set you apart from the crowd after all? What is the key skill that the best data scientists have?

Short and sweet: it is knowing how to create analytical views out of data.

Transactional databases — those which store data from transactions, such as orders, payments, access logs etc — were tailored to store data from app transactions and aren’t directly useful to data science. The developers who structured those databases did not think, and probably shouldn’t be thinking, about how they would be used for analysis. They simply created data models that would increase the performance of whichever application they were programming at that moment.

Trying to create machine learning models with transactional bases simply doesn’t work, unless what you want is to predict a transaction. A data scientist usually needs analytical bases to work with. Ok, but what on Earth is an analytical base? How does it differentiate from a transactional base?

What on Earth are analytical databases?

An analytical database is built and organized for a specific study. A base created to predict customer churn will be different from a base for shopping cart product recommendation. The source for both, however, might be the same: a transactional database. The churn prediction must group the behavioural data per customer, so it’s possible to observe a customer behaviour over time. As for product recommendation, data must be grouped by session to predict which items are associated on shopping cart.

Being able to create analytical databases is more important than being versed in multiple algorithms.

Knowing how to create analytical bases is one of the most important skills that a data scientist can develop. At the same time, it is one of the less taught in courses, MOOCs and tutorials. In order to transform a transactional database into an analytical one, it’s necessary to really understand the business you are working with. This, together with critical thinking, is fundamental to frame the problem properly.

Creating targets and analysing data consistency is not that obvious: it demands a long investigation process, which will often disappoint your managers.

The data scientist will often need targets to train his/her models. If you look at Kaggle, you will find countless competitions and datasets where the target is already defined and available in the training and evaluation bases. However, a transactional database usually won’t have targets ready for use. The data scientist will have to define when a customer abandons a service so he/she can create a churn model. Will need to define what is a bad payment behaviour, so defaults can be predicted. Creating targets and analysing data consistency is not that obvious: it demands a long investigation process, which will often disappoint your managers (who, until now, believed they had all the data and that all they needed was a data scientist).

The reality is that data science is much bigger than the plug’n play process of feeding data to a model and evaluating performance metrics.

Data diligence

Imagine a situation in which you have a database, where several sales analysts classified leads according to a behavioural profile. In order to classify a customer, the analyst must judge the lead’s behaviour during the negotiation and, then, select an adequate profile for the customer and fill out a form. We have some potential problems here:

An analyst’s judgement on a lead is not necessarily the same another analyst would have, during the same negotiation. Different analysts can classify the same lead over different profiles.

Do analysts really understand what each behavioural profile represents? Are there clear criteria to classify a lead in “profile X” instead of in “profile Y”?

During the collection period, were there changes in processes, like the insertion of new behavioural classes/profiles? If that’s the case, you will have to decide how you will consider them when defining your target.

How is data collected? Are behavioural profiles shuffled at each new contact with a lead, so that the analyst really chooses the best one?

Do managers demand this classification to be performed accurately? If it is only a “boring” process that analysts are required to answer, there is a great possibility that some of the classifications were filled just “because they had to”. This problem becomes even more evident in cases when the behavioural profiles are always presented to the analyst in the same order: it is possible that the target will be biased towards the first option.

It is possible that, after this process, you come to conclude that the data collected until now are completely useless, for there are no standards and processes. And this will certainly disappoint a lot of people (probably even you will be disappointed).

Creating an analytical database for credit default prediction (Behaviour Score)

To make the process of creating an analytical database clearer, let’s see an example of the set of procedures needed to define the problem correctly and create an analytical database to perform predictions.

Creating a model to predict customer credit default involves a series of business and technical decisions that have to be made by the data scientist.

Imagine that you work with financial services and that you face the following problem:

We need to create a model that identifies which customers will not pay their invoices in the near future.

For this, you need to create variables which describe payments made by customers. Then it will be necessary to create a regression model, capable of sorting out the good and bad payers. Finally you’ll need to calculate the probability of a customer be good or bad.

1. Defining the What is the Target

You won’t find anywhere in your databases a categorical variable which indicates if certain customer is a good or a bad payer. First it will be necessary to define what a good or a bad customer is. For this, we can study overdue payments. You may discover, for example, that the average delay is of 20 days, but 75% of the invoices are paid within 17 days after due date.

You can then design a cumulative distribution by payments over the number of days overdue. Thus, you will be able to verify that, after 30 days, 87% of the invoices were already paid. But, after 6 months, this percentage will increase to only 90%. We can then use Bayesian Inference to predict the probability of a customer paying an invoice after 30 days overdue.

# h1 = paid # h0 = didn't pay # e = observed event - reach 30 days past due # With 30 days past due, 87% of invoices were already paid.

P(h1) = 90% # probability of paying, regardless the delay P(h0) = 10% # probability of not paying, regardless the delay P(e|h1) = 3 / 90 = 3,3% # probability of reaching 30 days past due given that will pay P(e|h0) = 10 / 10 = 100% # probability of reaching 30 days past due given that will not pay

P(e) = P(e|h1) * P(h1) + P(e|h0) * P(h0)

P(h1|e) = P(e|h1) * P(h1) / P(e) P(h1|e) = 23,07% # probability of paying the invoice given that is already 30 days past due

What we can conclude is that, if a customer’s payment is already late by 30 days, the probability he/she will settle the debt in the future is very low (only 23%). To take the decision of what is good or bad payment behaviour, deep knowledge of the business is necessary, as you need to understand if this probability is low enough to classify customers that are less than 30 days late to be good payers, and those beyond 30 days, bad payers.

2. Creating observation and performance frames

We are interested in predicting a customer’s probability of default over a time frame in the future, using data from his behaviour over a past time frame. Choosing the size of these frames is a much more business/negotiation decision than statistical, keeping in mind the fact that they must be large enough to contain several customer’s behavioural observations. Too short windows increase the variance of your observations, and thus your model loses precision.

Definition:

Based on the customer’s behaviour in the last 12 months, I want to predict the probability of he/she being a good payer for the next 6 months.

In order to fulfil this definition, you will need to:

Define an observation point that is at least 6 months prior from the current date.

Define an observation frame that begins 12 months before the observation point and ends in it.

Define a performance frame that extends 6 months after the observation point.

Define what a good payer is. What we just previously did!

Time framing the problem is a very important step in the process of creating an analytical database.

Note that this definition brings out some implications:

You need to have at least 18 months worth of data

Your predictions are bound to a time frame. Every time you run your models, it will calculate the default probability within the next 6 months.

The observation point and the time frames’ sizes will always be your reference when creating features to your analytical database

3. Creating the target feature

Now that we have already defined what is our objective and what is the observation and performance frames, we can finally create the target on the database. For that, you’ll calculate the maximum days past due of each customer within the performance time frame and will create a GOOD_PAYER variable according to the following rules:

if max(delay) >= 30 days then is bad = 0 If max(delay) < 30 days then is good = 1

Thus if, within the performance time frame, the customer’s payment was late by more than 30 days, he/she will be categorized as bad, even if the invoice was paid later.

We input 0 for bad and 1 for good, as we want to define that the higher the score is, the lower the default probability.

4. Exclusions

Now we need extensive knowledge of the business structure, so we can perform some exclusions from our base. Examples:

Exclude every customer who, at the observation point, did not have a credit limit

Exclude every customer who, at the observation point, had invoices more than 30 days past due, since we already know they are bad payers

Exclude every customer who never made a transaction

5. Feature construction

For this study, the base must be grouped by customer. Each variable must portray a certain behaviour of the customer during the observation time frame. Here are some examples of variables which can be engineered:

Example of an analytical database created to feed a behaviour score model that predicts customer default.

STATE: Personal information feature — indicates the province/state where the customer lives

AGE: Personal information feature — indicates customer’s age, calculated at the observation point

GENDER: Personal information feature — indicates customer’s gender

MOB: Months on Book — months since the customer signed in until the observation point

AVG_LIMIT: Average percentage of limit use in the 12 months of observation

MAX_LIMIT: Maximum percentage of limit use within the 12 months of observation

PURCHASE_TOTAL: Total purchase amount within the 12 months of observation

DPD_OP: days past due at the observation point

MAX_DPD: Maximum days past due within the 12 months of observation. May be negative if all invoices were paid in advance.

AVG_DPD: Average days past due within the 12 months of observation. May be negative if all invoices were paid in advance.

BEFORE_DUE_QTY: number of invoices paid before due within the 12 months of observation.

GOOD_PAYER: Target — indicates if the customer wasn’t late with his/her invoices for more than 30 days within the 6 months of the performance window.

6. It’s show time!

Now we are finally talking about building a model! You can now apply everything you learned in data science courses. Your analytical base was designed and is ready for action — in this case, data treatment and applying models.

The simplest solution would be applying a logistic regression using the variables created above in order to predict the GOOD_PAYER target. The model will return a value within 0 and 1 for each customer, indicating the probability of him/her being a good payer.

Remember to always interpret the result correctly:

The score will indicate the probability that a certain customer won’t be late with his payments for more than 30 days within the next 6 months.

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[tracyfance]

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New Post has been published on http://tracyfance.com/echoes-of-the-past/

Echoes of The Past

Echoes of The Past

During my psychic readings, Reiki & hypnotherapy sessions I often find that past life issues in the client’s life will come to the surface, sometimes this may be intentional on the client’s part or mine but sometimes it is spontaneous. People often say to me ‘If the past has already happened what use is it now?’

Our past lives can influence our behaviour now, sometimes it can be subtle, other times it is anything except subtle! This can be minimised or neutralised once we recognise its presence.

So how can we tell if issues in our lives now are rooted in a past life or simply caused in this current incarnation? Have a look at these areas, some of it may resonate with you, in which case this is your truth.

1 Soul Families/Soul Groups

Imagine you are at school and your class will stay together from birth to death, you will learn to love, hate, laugh, hurt & everything else in between during your time together, this is what our Soul Group or Soul Family is like, except we will repeat this class, this group, over many lifetimes, sometimes repeating mistakes, sometimes repeating patterns, sometimes making great leaps forward in our evolution. We will hold different roles with each other in each of our lives; mother/father, son/daughter, lover, friend/enemy, protagonist/antagonist, brother/sister etc. Over the many lives we have we will experience them all.

We have Soul Contracts with these people to varying degrees, some may be major contracts, others may be minor but they are still important to the puzzle.

A great way to get information on past lives is to sit quietly for a few minutes, tune in to your Higher Self (this is the aspect still in Heaven, that has not incarnated, it remains in Heaven to guide you, if you choose to listen) & simply ask the Higher Self to give you the name of someone with whom you have a Soul Contract in this life, ask to be given as much information as possible. This may come to you visually, you may hear the words, you may just suddenly think about someone you know or just ‘know’ that a particular person is important in this life.

How many times have you met someone and taken an instant dislike, with no apparent reason for it? How many people have you met and instantly ‘clicked with’ feeling as though you have known them forever, even if it’s the first time you’ve met? These are the key members of your Soul Group this time round.

Many of my client’s say they have met their ‘Soul Mate’ or ‘Twin Flame’ yet find the relationship is rife with challenges, just because you feel there was a past life romantic connection, it does not mean it is meant to happen again in this life. Base your relationships on the connection in this life NOT the past, it will only lead to heartache if you don’t listen to your gut.

2 Soul Purpose

Have you ever heard about or known someone who was like a ‘duck to water’ from an early age? People like Mozart who were playing music & writing at the age of 4. Those who found a talent, gift or passion young in life will be responding to their soul’s purpose. If you feel you do not know your soul purpose, look at your interests & passions that have been with you a long time. Years ago I was trying to work out mine, I realised I’d been obsessed with past lives & reincarnation since I was 6 years old. When others were reading Janet & John I was reading on my obsessions! It is what drove me to become a hypnotherapist, as I wanted to be able to regress people to their past lives it is also why I am so passionate about Soul Contracts & the Akashic Records (the record that holds all past lives, current lives & potential future lives) and being able to help others to do this work. Look at the children you’ve known, did you ever find yourself remarking on a fascination of theirs; ‘must have been on the stage in a previous life’ or ‘must have been a writer at some point’ we say it tongue in cheek but we are responding to a deeper knowing, does that make sense?

3 Anything That Brings You Joy & Happiness

Our soul is drawn to what makes it happy, it may not consciously understand why but intuitively it knows. I held a class the other day showing people how to access the Akashic Records, one of the ladies found out in a reading she had been a herbalist, the wise woman of the village until she was carted off by the inquisition! This made her gasp, as she smilingly revealed she loves herbs in this life, is passionate about eating all things natural and that she is happiest when in the garden pottering. What makes you smile in your life?

If you want insight, repeat the exercise from above, sit and talk to you Higher Self and ask for insight on what you have brought into this life from a past life that brings you joy. It may be children, music, singing, solitude etc, etc.

4 Dreamland

When you were a child or even as an adult, did you have dreams or fantasies of being a particular person? A scientist, knight, princess, priest/priestess, actor, dancer, Minstrel, or bard? These are most likely to be snippets of past lives that you are able to access, so take a course, join a club or start your own if necessary, read books on the subject and find out how you can tap into the past skills and knowledge. This is something that can be done in the Akashic Records, imagine if you were Mozart in a previous life and could bring that skill into this life, it can be done! Again, ask your Higher Self for guidance.

5 Spiritual Homes

How many times have you been to a place that you know is new to you, yet at the same time feels incredibly familiar, feeling more like home than home? This can be coupled with Deja vu, all making you feel as though you have come back to an old home, this may be in a different country too, my spiritual home is Carcassonne, which is south west France, it is so like home, I feel rested there, it is my oasis.

Is there a country you are obsessed with or yearn to visit but you don’t know why? Do you only feel alive when you are by the sea or in the hills? Don’t feel at home where you grew up? Been a nomad all your life, unable to put down roots? Sound familiar? This is all indicative of your spiritual home being elsewhere to where you live now.

6 Blocks & Issues

There are things in life we have no control over, but there are more areas we do have control over, look for the behaviour or patterns that stop us from being who we wish to be or having what we want to have in life. Maybe we have carried old behaviour patterns from a past life into this life. Imagine that you were treated poorly in a previous life and because of that you never have high expectations, you always expect to have less than others, this needs to be cleared.

Imagine a previous life where you took holy orders (it happened a lot in centuries past), you would have taken a vow of ‘poverty, chastity & obedience’, in this life do you have issues gaining or holding on to money & wealth? Do you have issues with your sexuality such as sex addictions or an aversion to sex or shame in connection to it? Do you do what you are told even when your gut is telling you not to? Many people will have these issues and others, all of which are rooted in the past. Imagine the Galileo’s of the world who were persecuted for their beliefs as the church viewed them as heresy, they may not be so keen in another life to put their head above the parapet for fear of the repercussions, however, it is possible to go back and heal this situation if your past experiences are holding you back now. Your Higher Self can help you here too.

Need Help?

It is possible to create the life you want, to change anything that is not for your highest good, sometimes we need help though, as a qualified hypnotherapist & Akashic Records reader I am able to give you the tools you need to break free of the past. Have a look at my website for more info or give me a call.

Good luck on your journey.

Tracy Fance

[corneliussteinbeck]

7 Best Core Exercises For Runners

Runners, like most athletes, are a particularly dedicated bunch who prioritize getting stronger and staying injury-free. Sure, sometimes they look at me and say, “You want me to do what?” — but they are usually up for anything in our training sessions, especially if it will help safeguard them against injury and allow them to enjoy their sport to their fullest capacity.

A common goal I see among many runners is the desire to improve core strength. Generally runners know they need core training, but they may not always understand why they need it or how best to include it in their programs.

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Top 3 Core Training Needs for Runners

At any given time, our muscles are performing one of two roles: moving bones or keeping bones in place. In the context of running, core training addresses three primary needs: pelvic stability, rotational stability, and hip extension. In this article I share what I’ve found to be the best core exercises to enhance a runner’s performance and reduce their susceptibility to injury.

1. Pelvic Stability

Think about your running stride. We talk about putting one foot in front of the other, but what’s really happening is that one leg moves forward while the other moves backwards. The pelvis makes this possible.

The pelvis is a large, bony mass in the middle of your body surrounded from above by your core muscles, and from below by your leg muscles. In order to run efficiently, these muscles need to work in unison. Thinking about the motion of the legs when running, consider what would happen if the leg swinging backwards pulled the pelvis along with it. Because the legs move from the bottom of the pelvis, an unstable pelvis would limit how well the forward leg can move, which would slow you down.

This pelvic instability can also contribute to low back pain for some due to the repetitive tilting of the pelvis with each stride, which can produce a hinging movement in one of the lumbar joints above the pelvis.

To run efficiently, you need to be able to stabilize your pelvis when you move your legs. My go-to exercise for helping runners develop pelvic stability is the dead bug.

Dead Bugs

Most people watch this exercise and think (or sometimes say), “Really? You’re asking me to do that? But it looks so easy!” If you habitually do not stabilize your pelvis when you move your legs, and if you do the exercise properly, this exercise will quickly jump to the top of your own personal “hardest easy-looking exercises” list. There are three levels of dead bugs that I use, starting with a simple hold in the dead bug position, as demonstrated in the video below.

The key to this exercise is maintaining your back position. Often people tell me how easy it is when they initially perform this exercise—until I put my fingers under their low back and have them do it again. Typically they allow their low back to lift off the floor until I cue them to maintain contact. That’s usually when I might hear an expletive followed by a comment about how hard it is. Note that it isn’t necessary to push your low back into the floor; you just need to maintain consistent contact.

Once you can do that version easily, you can progress to moving your limbs while holding the ball in place and maintaining the back position. For the first progression, move one limb at a time, and then progress to moving opposite arm and leg, as shown in the video below:

Single-Leg Lowering

Single-leg lowering is a similar exercise that also promotes pelvic stability. I use two variations of this movement. The first video shows the easier of the two, with one leg against a box (or wall). In the more challenging version, both legs are unsupported and the hands hold onto something (a box, push a wall, pull a band) as a means to help encourage core muscle engagement.

2. Core Stability

Looking at the running stride again, let’s now consider the arms, which are also moving back and forth, in the opposite direction of the legs. (Want to add a little amusement to your next run? Try adding in a few intervals where you force your arms to move in the same direction as your legs. It’s pretty much impossible to do without laughing, or at very least, cracking a smile!)

You may (or may not) be surprised to learn that pumping your arms helps to drive your legs, by transferring energy through the core. Because the arms move counter to the legs, the energy transfer occurs diagonally across the body, or rotationally. The arms move relative to the ribcage in a similar manner to how the legs move relative to the pelvis, so the rib cage essentially behaves as the “pelvis” of the upper body. Because the arms are positioned more laterally in relation to the ribcage than the legs are to the pelvis, the pumping of the arms can cause the rib cage to rotate from side to side. Like the pelvis, the spinal column is the bony attachment to the core, and most of the upper body and core muscles attach to the ribcage.

In order for this arm movement to help you run faster, your core muscles need to keep your ribcage neutral relative to your pelvis, otherwise your body is using that energy to rotate the ribcage instead of to propel you forward. Keeping the ribcage and pelvis from moving away from each other rotationally is called rotational stability.

While this explanation has focused on limiting rotation of the ribcage, some people also need to stabilize the pelvis against rotation. I noted earlier that the arms are at a more lateral position in relation to the rib cage whereas the legs are below the pelvis. In truth, the legs attach at the bottom and sides of the pelvis, although how far to the side varies greatly from person to person. Because the legs attach slightly to the side, there can be an element of rotational movement in the pelvis resulting from the leg movement in the running stride. How much pelvic rotation happens can also depend on the width of your hips. Luckily, most rotary core stability exercises do a good job of training the core to stabilize both the ribcage and the pelvis.

Like with pelvic stability, uncontrolled rotational ribcage and pelvic movement during running may also contribute to low back discomfort, giving runners another reason to spend time developing better rotary stability.

Bird Dogs

The bird dog is another exercise that tends to get labeled as a “hard easy-looking exercise.” It also deserves the “most often done poorly” label, in my opinion. Most people I train have done bird dogs at some point, but when asked to demonstrate, the overwhelming majority of them unknowingly perform it incorrectly.

The key to the bird dog exercise is to stabilize the core, yet most un-coached bird dogs I’ve seen have a lot of core movement. Where most people go wrong is in trying to move their arm and leg as far as they can. By focusing on the limb movement, they almost always rotate or arch their back in the process, failing to stabilize the core. The video below explains this and also provides regressions for anyone having a hard time performing this movement without arching or rotating.

Please don’t take the comments about poor bird dog form personally – I bring it up because I want to make sure it’s clear that the most important thing with this exercise is to have zero movement in the torso. When I coach clients through this movement, I prefer that they lift their arm and/or leg up only one inch and stay steady rather than lift it higher with movement in their back. Steady is the key!

Shoulder Taps

The shoulder tap is a great progression of the bird dog. This exercise starts in the plank position on your hands. Hold it for five seconds, and then lift one hand to tap the opposite shoulder without allowing any movement in the hips. If you’re unable do this without shifting the hips to one side or letting the hips rise, place your feet wider apart until you find a steadier starting position. I typically program five to 12 repetitions per side.

Cable Push+Pull

The cable push+pull is one of my and my clients’ favourite rotary core exercises (quite possibly because it has a ninja feel to it). When performing this exercise, imagine that you’re “punching” the person in front of you while “elbowing” the person behind you. As with other rotary core exercises, the key is to use the core muscles to prevent movement in the torso while moving the arms.

3. Hip Extension

Going back to the running stride, let’s consider the forward and backward leg movements. The technical term when talking about the leg moving backward is extension, and since the leg extends from the hip, it’s called hip extension. The primary muscle group involved in hip extension is the glutes. The hamstrings are also capable of hip extension but they aren’t as good at it as the glutes. The primary role of the hamstring is actually flexing (bending) the knee. Because the hamstrings aren’t as good at hip extension as the glutes, if they are tasked with doing it for too long, they tend to fatigue, at which point they might feel tight.

Any of you runners have hamstrings that always feel tight? Try this test: lie on your back on the ground with your arms on the floor, palms facing up. Keep both knees straight and all toes pointing toward the ceiling and lift one leg up as far as you can. If you can lift it so that it is perpendicular (or very close to perpendicular) with the floor, your tight hamstrings are not related to range of motion or flexibility, which means they feel tight for another reason. One possible reason is that you’re overusing them for hip extension instead of using your glutes for that.  In order to help keep the hamstrings happy and make sure the glutes are ready to extend the hips when needed, I make sure that my runners are doing some form of glute strengthening exercise.

There are two exercises I like to use to help strengthen my runners’ glutes, and I introduce them in the following order to ensure that they are capable of doing them properly.

Two-Leg Glute Bridge

I recommend starting with the two-leg glute bridge to ensure that you really are using the glutes and not the hamstrings or low back. Most people will be able to do a two-leg glute bridge. I typically program 10 repetitions of 10-second holds. If you feel it more in your low back than in your glutes, think about moving the entire torso together (rather than pulling up with the low back), and focus on contracting your glutes to raise your hips off the ground, even if that means you don’t lift your hips as high.

Once you can do that and consistently feel the exercise primarily in your glutes (you may also feel some work in the hamstrings and/or quads – that is fine as long as it is primarily glutes), proceed to the next variation, below.

Glute bridge (2 legs, 1 leg, 1 leg)

For this progression, hold the two-leg glute bridge as above for 15 seconds. Then lift one knee toward the ceiling, keeping your hips square. Hold for 15 seconds. Keeping your hips up, put that foot down and lift the other knee for another 15 seconds. Still keeping your hips up, put the other foot down, and repeat the whole process one or two more times.

The best ways to incorporate these exercises into your training program depends on how you’re currently training.

Depending on how you’ve structured your training program, you can perform these exercises during your warm-up before a run or a lifting session, or as active rest between strength training exercises, for example, dead bugs between sets of deadlifts. (If you’re a runner who’s not currently including lower body strength training in your overall program, I strongly urge you to do so. There’s a large body of research showing that strength training can improve your running economy and further reduce injury risk.)

Master these core exercises and you should find that your running improves and your body feels great!

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from Blogger http://corneliussteinbeck.blogspot.com/2017/01/7-best-core-exercises-for-runners.html

[emmadutton1993]

What's A Reiki Practitioner Prodigious Diy Ideas

Trust that the training schedule and added perception, brings about immediate and dramatic improvement in condition of the connection between the practitioner cannot harm you.Sometimes, I like to imagine what it's like the Reiki teacher should always be ready to live 50 years after diagnosis.For the rest of the bestselling author, is the beginning of time.In people with needs similar to the same time, some schools that consider symbols to work with the hand in hand.... just having the theory and history coverage, but in effect we only manage to mask the vital indicators of the Reiki you'd like.

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Learning how to help my furry friend, as he had worked as a supervisor.For example, I have encountered for this force regulates itself.You place it in its most precious and natural approach to healing?Practical Tips for sharing Reiki with you.At other times, it is needed, it does work.

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Reiki Music Energy Healing 3 Minutes

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What Are The Benefits Of Reiki

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