What if we forgot everything?

What if you forgot everything?

Yes, you woke up this morning and it was all gone. I mean everything was forgotten. How would you feel and what would you think? You would not have anything to remember, no past and no future. In fact, you would not even have a sense of time.

If we forgot everything, how would we know anything had happened or was about to happen? So, we would have no sense of waiting for something to happen. Not even the awareness of how long it has been since we had the awareness to time. It is all gone.




What about your family, friends and love ones? What about your enemies and foes? They would all appear the same. With no memory, how would you know who was your friend or foe? In fact, when you looked in the mirror you might see a stranger? Perhaps you might think everyone was you.


What would it really be like to forget it all? If only for a moment, just for one moment and then returned to all the memories that define you.

Perhaps it would just be like it is now. We cannot remember what we have forgotten! All would appear normal and correct. We have forgotten everything and no longer remember who we were.

Steve Oliver
June 2011

What if everything was the same?

What if everything was the same?

You know like everything! What if every snow flake was identical to every other snow flake? What if each moment was the same as the last? Could that be possible? What would our world look and feel like if each moment was identical to the last and every future moment?

Is it possible that each snow flake is made of the exact same thing? Could each drop of water in the universe be made of the exact same stuff? No matter where or when we are in the universe, water would be made of the exact same stuff. Here is another one, what if every cell in our body was identical. There would only be one type of cell. So, the cells in our eyes are the same as the cells in our blood. Yikes how could that be?

Each cell would have to contain the exact same information as every other cell. Perhaps this could be true. But that would mean that any particular cell could be anything and for some reason that cell took on a specific responsibility in our body.

Ok, let's look at water again. What about water?  Well, is every drop of water really made of the same stuff everywhere and every time? Then the stuff that water is made of has to be the same thing as well!

So we could think of every drop of water in the universe being made of the same type of atoms. Then that would mean that each atom of water is made of the same stuff. I guess this line of thought could just keep going on and on.

I guess when the great thinkers and scientist say – “Everything is made of the same thing!” They really meant everything!  Then why do things look so different?

Dialling up Success and Happiness

Dialling up Success and Happiness

Is there a specific frequency or internal combination that determines our level of success and happiness? Why do some people seem to be happy and successful most of the time? Do they know the number or combination for personal happiness and success?

Can you recall the times when you were truly happy?  During those times of happiness did success come easy?  Did success make you happy? At other times, did failure make you feel sad?  Perhaps your un-happiness helped to determine your eventual failures...?  Yes, it does sound like the chicken or the egg dilemma. Which came first; your happiness or your success..?  Perhaps happiness and success are not really related.

So, could there be a specific combination of internal things that creates our happiness?  Is there a special “happiness” combination, a frequency or a feeling?  Do those happy people have a specific “feeling” that defines how to create happiness?  Could they be just “feeling” their way to success and happiness?

If we understood that “successful feeling” then we could just dial up that feeling whenever we wanted success and happiness.  Successful people are quoted as saying “They can create success!”.  Many self development books state that success comes from within.  Athletes often state that they can generate a winning “feeling”.

OK, so how can we get this winning feeling?  Are there specific rules and guidelines?  Or do we each have to discover our personal success combination?  If we do not have this ability to create success and happiness then how can we learn?  What would be the first step to achieving this ability?

So let’s start with becoming more aware of our selves. This sounds like a great place to begin the journey.  But there must be more...

Perhaps a quote from The Buddha teaching the Four Noble Truths, Sanskrit manuscript. Nālandā, Bihar, India.

Here are the first three translated for our North American ways :

1. Some times we get what we do not want and suffer
2. Some times we do not get what we want and suffer
3. Some times we get what we want then it goes away and we suffer

Steve Oliver

January 2011

Where is God?

Where is God?

Yes, I’m walking into dangerous territory. I am about step into the cosmic dodo. What the heck, let’s just go for the ride and enjoy this discussion. For a few minutes, let’s set aside our current point of view and look at the universe in a few different ways. Why do this? OK, it is just healthy and can be fun.

There are many religions, cultures, sects, ideologies and individuals that have opposing beliefs about where, if, who and how God exists. Let’s look at the famous Allen Watts description of the three most commonly held world views of God.

1. God as a maker of artefacts (the universe). A God who created the universe with “his” hands. Much like you would make a clay pot. This God is outside of the universe and manages everything from a location outside of our experience. “He” is out there or up there, “he” does not live in our universe.

2. God as the dreamer. This version of God creates the universe in “his” dream. There is no distinction or separation between anything. Everything is part of God’s Dream. This view might remind you of the movie The Matrix.

3. God as a living organism. In this view of the universe, everything just exists much like a single cell organism just exists. This Universe exists because it does. It is because it is. There is no understandable meaning that can define the “who or what” of this God. You cannot comprehend what you are immersed in. A fish may experience water the same way we experience the air we breathe. Normally we do not notice the air we breathe because we are immersed in air.



Yes it is a lot to digest. Could you see your version of God in these three generalized views? These three descriptions are not meant to replace a true study or research of religion. These generalizations are being presented here to provide a high level point of reference. Look at these three descriptions as models of how the universe works. We can then experiment with any specific observation in terms of these models. We could test out some observations of human behaviour in these models see if we can predict the result. A good model can simulate a process and suggest a result. For example scientists use models to predict the weather.

So, let’s test a few behaviours against these models and see what happens.

How would people, who believe in God as a Dreamer, view the birth and death cycle? Perhaps if you ascribe to God as the Dreamer, then reincarnation could be a real possibility in your world.

On the other hand, if you believed in God as an Organism, then perhaps a holistic life style would be highly valued. In your universe as a living organism, everything you do has a impact on everything else around you.

What if your God is a creator of Artefacts? How might this person behave or view the world if everything is “made” by God?

Can we predict how two people with different views of God would react to having same experience? Say, look at worldwide war and how two people discussing the impact of World War II might react to each other. The “God as a Dreamer” might tell the “God as a maker of Artefacts” person that in the “big picture” the impact of World War II has no meaning because it is just a dream.

So, where the heck is God? Well perhaps our personal definition of God is more useful knowledge then understanding where God is located.

That’s what I think, how about you?

Steve Oliver
June 2010

Starting a New Life's Project?

Starting a New Life's Project

Oh what fun it is! What a joy! You are starting a new business or creating a significant change in your life? Getting ready to get married or buying your first home? Just completed college or university and looking for your first job?

It is all just so easy, right?  It is a “piece of cake”?  Starting a new life project is just real easy.  Everything goes just the way you want.  No confusion and every decision you make is perfect.

OK, as they say in the computer business: “That’s the demo version!” What is reality?


In reality, you may get frustrated, make many errors and wonder why the heck you started this project. Sometimes people get the “Demo Version” and everything goes just perfect.  However, for most of us, it is really hard to make major changes.  People experience a lot of chaos when making a major change or starting a significant life project.

It seems like the larger the project or the more significant the life change the more chaos we experience. The chaos can be so intense that we may even stop the project or decide the price for making the life change is too expensive. We may “back off”, run like heck and try to avoid the project or change. The chaos may have just become way too intense!   You may even feel physcally bad, not able to eat and feel sick.

Have you ever tried to stop smoking?  Leave a long term dysfunctional relationship?  Hey, these are all good things to do in your life.  So, why do we experience all this chaos when we are trying to do “good” things in our lives?

Ok, let’s look at it a different way.  What if the experience of chaos was an indicator that we are having some success?  The act of experiencing all this confusion, doubt, anxiety and the eruption of chaos may be normal.

Consider these three levels of learning and personal growth:

1. First we are totally ignorant of what we need to know inorder to make the change,
2. Then we become knowledgeable about what we don’t know and we may panic,
3. Finally we gain some understanding and begin to master this new knowledge.

The chaos usually happens in the second level.  If you are at the second level, keep going until you reach the third level.  It has been proven that people on the second level may become totally messed up and confused.  The brain just does not have the neural pathways to complete the tasks.  The process of creating the needed neural pathways or learn the new skills, takes time, practice and patience.  Do not quit!  If this change is important to you than just keep going until to reach the third level.  Just trust that you can do it!

More later..

Steve Oliver
May 2010