Our Mіlky Wаy gаlаxy аnd іtѕ lаrger neіghbor, Andromedа, аre movіng towаrdѕ eасh other аt а ѕрeed of 113 kіlometerѕ рer ѕeсond due to grаvitаtionаl forсeѕ. Whіle the асtuаl сollіsіon іѕ exрeсted to oссur іn 4.5 bіllіon yeаrѕ, theіr outer lаyerѕ hаve аlreаdy ѕtаrted to merge.
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We’ve all seen photos of our Milky Way galaxy as a beautiful band of stars stretching across the night sky. In addition to views of the Milky Way in visible light, astronomers have shown us our home galaxy in other wavelengths of the spectrum, from radio waves to gamma rays. On June 29, 2023, a team of researchers using the IceCube Neutrino Observatory in Antarctica released a new image of the Milky Way … a view never seen until now. It’s the first image of our galaxy in something other than electromagnetic radiation. This image captures the galaxy with neutrinos, or ghost particles.
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“When exercises for intuition are practiced, they not only affect the etheric body but extend to the supersensible forces of the physical body. But it must not, of course, be imagined that effects are brought about in the physical body which are discernable to ordinary sense observation, for these effects the clairvoyant alone is able to judge, and they have nothing to do with external powers of perception. They come as a result of a ripened consciousness, when this latter is able to have intuitional experiences, even though it has divested itself of all previous inner and outer experiences. The experiences of intuition are, however, subtle, delicate, and intimate, in comparison with which the physical body, at its present stage of development, is course. For this reason, it offers a positive hindrance to the success of any exercises for attaining intuition. Nevertheless, should these be pursued with energy and perseverance, and with the required inner calm, they will ultimately be these powerful hindrances of the physical body. The student will become aware of this when he [, or she] notices how by degree, particular actions of the physical body which hitherto had taken place without his [, or her] own own volition, now come under control.” ~Rudolf Steiner
Steiner speaks of these practices as “exercises for intuition” but they can also be called exercises for spiritual development or spiritual growth. Those terms are more commonly used today but mean the same thing as it was spiritual development that Mr. Steiner was trying to teach. Of course, we students of Cosolargy are aware that exercises, or as we call them, techniques, must be practiced regularly and faithfully to achieve any significant spiritual growth.
Steiner doesn’t explain what he means by “supersensible forces,” but I think we can say that practicing spiritual techniques not only brings energy (Light) into the energy centers of the spirit but also those of the body, so practicing these techniques can have a good effect on the body and mind as well as the spirit. Mr. Steiner says their effects are not discernable by the physical senses, and that is generally true, but there are exceptions. While beginning students may find this hard to believe, many Cosolargy students who had brown eyes when they started have seen their eye color gradually change to blue or grey (which experts say is not really grey, but a grayish shade of blue). While this color change may not seem to matter, as it doesn’t seem to be accompanied by other changes, it is, at the very least, a good indication that one is practicing the techniques properly and achieving the desired results. Other noticeable effects might be a general improvement in physical health and in mental health and attitude. Some of those improvements may be due to changing long-held beliefs that have proven untrue once you start developing higher levels of consciousness. Other may be the result of the increased energy of a positive kind brought into the body by practicing the techniques. However, it should not be assumed that practicing spiritual techniques will eliminate all illnesses, though it does happen to a few individuals.
Mr. Steiner says these changes come about because of a “Ripened” consciousness. While that is an unusual way to say it, it is totally appropriate. Today, we are more likely to say expanded consciousness, or reaching higher levels of consciousness. I have chosen to illustrate this article with an animated GIF of an opening Lotus blossom to represent this expansion of consciousness. It might be useful to think of that image when practicing techniques.
The physical body can be a hindrance to spiritual development. Gene Savoy, Sr. has noted this in some lectures when he said that it is hard to practice techniques when one has a toothache or headache. But even when you are not suffering from any obvious illness, the dense materialism that the physical body has degenerated into over many centuries does offer a hindrance to spiritual development. It can, however, still be done with patience and regular practice. We must all understand that we can’t erase centuries of degeneration with a few weeks, or even months, of spiritual techniques. We must keep at it diligently and faithfully for years.
For the first time, astronomers have detected starlight from distant galaxies that host extremely bright supermassive black holes called quasars.
Data from the James Webb Space Telescope reveal that four of these galaxies are massive, compact and possibly disk-shaped, astronomers report June 12 at the JWST First Light meeting. Studying the galaxies could help solve the mystery of how black holes in the early universe grew so big so fast
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Physicists announced late Wednesday (June 28, 2023) that they’ve discovered the first compelling evidence for the elusive gravitational wave background. If they’re correct, they’ve proved Einstein right yet again, demonstrating that the motion of massive objects twists and distorts both time and space, ringing the universe like an enormous bell. Using decades of ultra-precise data on the position of pulsars – the spinning remains of supernova explosions – the scientists turned the Milky Way galaxy into a scientific instrument light-years wide. In this article, two of the study’s key researchers, Daniel Reardon and Andrew Zic give us the low-down on what their findings mean.
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Today’s top news: A slow filament eruption occurred at 11:51 UTC on June 26, with plasma lifting off from the northeast limb (edge). The LASCO C3 instrument aboard the SOHO spacecraft saw the resulting coronal mass ejection (CME). During this time, Mercury swung into view as it continued its orbit around the sun. After this filament eruption, a floating prominence danced on the northeast limb (edge). Some of it lifted off into space, and some rained back down onto the sun.
Last 24 hours: Sun activity is moderate, with an M1.6 flare from active region AR3340 at 16:22 UTC on June 26.
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“Up close, an atom is composed of tinier bits of matter whirling at lightning speed around a huge empty space. …
“If you zero in on these bits of subatomic matter, they are not material at all but rather mere vibrations of energy that have taken on the appearance of solidity. This discovery, that matter is a fluctuation of energy dressed up in a different guise, fueled the quantum revolution lrd by Einsten and his colleagues. …
“The quantum revolution made it inevitable that our world-view would change. Quantum physics proved that the infinite variety of objects we see around us—stars, galaxies, mountains, trees, butterflies, and amoebas—is connnected by infinite, eternal, unbounded quantum fields, a kind of invisible quilt that has all creation stitched into it. Objects that look seperate and distinct to us are in fact all sewn into the design of this vast quilt. The hard edges of any object , such as a chair or a table, are an illusion forces upon us by the limits of our sight. If we had eyes tuned to the qquantum world, we would see these edges blur and finally ment, giving way to unlimited quantum fields. …
“It is nw believed that a single superfield, called the unified field, exists; it is the ultimate reality that underlies all of nature.” ~Deepak Chopra
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As Chopra says, the atom was for centuries considered the smallest particle of matter and was fairly solid. Only the invention of more powerful microscopes made it possible to see that the atom was not solid at all, but made up of smaller particles whirling around each other. When I was in grade school and high school, this was typically depicted as a nucleus of particles with solid electrons swirling around it only a short distance away. The new quantum version has the electron a greater distance from the nucleus, and it is all fuzzy to show that it isn’t solid at all, but only appears solid when observed.
The greater discovery of Quantum Physics is that these tiny subatomic particles are all connected to each other in some as yet unknown way. While many scientists who favor a more Newtonian view of the world insist that this interconnectedness of subatomic particles does not extend out to larger objects like trees and people. While that opinion may give them some comfort, it doesn’t make sense. If everything is made of atoms, which are made of smaller subatomic particles, and those particles are interconnected, then everything and everyone is interconnected. On a material level of existence, that interconnectedness is not apparent, but at a higher, more spiritual level it is. Dr. Chopra refers to this as a great quilt, but I don’t think that gives an accurate view. A quilt is made up of many pieces that are sewn together, yet they remain separate. The idea here is that objects are not truly separate but are joined to all other objects, directly or indirectly. And that is just on the physical level and in the universe of matter.
This interconnectedness is even greater on a spiritual level. We only have to think a little about what spirits are. Spirit is not restricted or affected in any way by space and time. A spirit occupies all space and all time simultaneously. As a result, they are clearly all interconnected. If every spirit is infinite, then in any location, no matter how small, all spirits are there. So while physical subatomic particles/waves are connected to others in the same time and space, spirits are connected in all times and all spaces. It is the goal of spiritual development to reach that level of consciousness where we become aware of that interconnectedness and become One with the All. This doesn’t mean we lose our individuality, but it does mean that individuality is more limited than most of us believe.
A final note on being healthy. The quote from Dr. Chopra comes from his book titled “Perfect Health”. In this book, he expresses the idea that disease and aging are optional. In a quantum world, we must understand that nearly every cell in our bodies is regularly replaced. It is only because we believe in it that the process allows the cells to age or develop disease. He says that if we can change our beliefs to understand that those cells can reproduce perfectly each time, no matter how old we get, we will live much longer and healthier lives. Gene Savoy, Sr. taught the same idea.
As you know, astronomers often look at objects in space through multiple telescopes. And different telescopes can detect different types of light. Therefore, each brings its own pieces of information to what it’s observing. In a similar way, musicians can play different musical notes together to create harmonies that are impossible with single notes alone.
In the past few years, NASA has been producing sonifications of astronomical data. This project takes the space telescopes’ digital data – most of which is invisible to our unaided eyes – and translates them into musical notes and sounds.
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Archaeologists digging at an ancient site in the central Netherlands over the course of several years discovered something remarkable and unexpected. Following an analysis of excavations that have been ongoing since 2017, the archaeologists have confirmed that this site contains burial mounds, ditches, cemeteries and pathways lined with wooden poles, all of which were part of a sprawling religious sanctuary or ceremonial complex that was constructed more than 4,000 years ago.
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On June 15, 2023, an international team of astronomers released an unusual new image of a very distant supernova, SN Zwicky, a star that increased suddenly and dramatically in brightness. This supernova is 4 billion light-years away. And it appears as four supernovae in images. Why? The reason is an intervening galaxy, only about 2.5 billion light-years distant. The galaxy’s mass has warped the supernova’s light before the light had a chance to reach us.
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