There s a whole system out there running your and everone else s universe

Of all these self help books, all those self improvement tapes, all the religious dogmas, every ideology, there is a single underlying system which explains how everything works and fits together.

Woooof. That's one heady statement to make.

But I've been working this over for over 8 years now as a steady research and collecting notes the earlier 40-some - on just about everything that crossed my path. So when I say that I've been able to boil down the universe into a single system, it just might be plausible.

The basic is back on the farm. Did you know that Nature runs the same, no matter what you believe, or practice, or what party you belong to? True. Plant a seed anywhere on this planet and as long as it has enough sunlight, enough nutrients, and is warm enough to do it's job - you'll have a sprouted plant. Keep these conditions long enough and that plant will make seeds so you can make more plants.

Heated greenhouses in Antarctica prove it.

So how do all these religions say they are the only way out and that all others are (whatever)? They are simply running marketing silos, trying to build a monopoly of belief and so finance their buildings and what-not.

That's a bit cruel, and perhaps steps on everyone's toes at once. But if you analyze organized religions against marketing data, that's what falls out. (There is even the modern saw that whatever party wins the election, they both act the same when in office.)

Back up a bit.

All - and I mean all - religions and philosophies contain certain common points. One of these is the "Golden Rule". Every single historical belief-system we have on this planet has recognized that there is a definite reciprocity on this mud-ball we live on. What ever you do has consequences - and these all come back to haunt or elevate you. Your choice - treat people like manure and you'll get manure dumped on you. Treat people with respect and you'll get respect. Be charitable, get charity. Help others, get helped.

On and on and on.

Most nations have outlawed capital punishment - who wants to cast that first stone?

I think that if you looked hard enough, you'd also find some recognition of the Law of Attraction in all these - but it's a different search. I know it's been written about in both the New and Old Testaments. And Huna mentions it - which is the oldest-known philosophic system still practiced on this planet.

Of course, this above would then be a complete study all on its own. And I'll leave that to theologists to study up as part of the postgraduate studies. I'll keep to the broad strokes.

Let's just go with this idea that, like Nature, we are all living on this planet under the same rules. We all have bodies which are different hues and shades, but all function the same. There are only so many blood types, and they can all be fixed with varying degrees of success when they get broken.

It is just logical that all these religions, cults, and belief-systems (extremist, moderate, conservative) work because of that underlying common system, not in spite of it.

How would I go about explaining it?

1. Take Napoleon Hill's "Think and Grow Rich" as the base, and back up to Huna's 7 principles to explain how this works.

2. Expand to his Law of Success, and widen the scope to include Haanel's Master Key System, as well as Mental Chemistry.

3. Compare with Science of Getting Rich.

4. Examine the phenomenon of "The Secret", which is pushing the Law of Attraction.

5. Review Atkinson's works along this line, as well as Earl Prevette.

6. Back this up through Genevieve Behrend to Thomas Troward.

7. Which then brings us right back to Huna as an overall and underlying base for all modern self help.

8. Then come forward through current religions to show their similarities and posit the point that all religions (and all belief-systems/world-views) depend on a common system of philosophy in order to work at all.

9. Now, the base foundation for a common system could be laid, taking just the key points held in common by all above authors and Huna.

And this is just the beginning. Once you lay out the basic principles, personal techniques could be approached, so that anyone could improve just about anything in their lives (thought being the first point of creation, any system of thought would then enable anything to be created/achieved/acquired).

As well, an approach to world peace is possible. If all war is either economic or ideological in origin, it would be possible to show that everyone would be richer if you allowed free commerce, as well as other human freedoms.

This underlying system does exist. Interestingly, it isn't a question of proving it, but disproving it... Because it runs on faith for fuel. Faith is based on knowledge and understanding. Those that doubt only limit themselves. The best gains to be had are by thoroughly immersing oneself in the subject. You can't try out a pair of boots to see if they fit and wear well unless you put them on, first.

Obsessive compulsive disorder

Did you just come back from checking that the back door was locked? Will you be checking again in ten minutes? Will your session at the computer be interrupted at least twice to make sure that the back door is locked? If so, then you suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder.

Obsessive compulsive disorder may generate laughter in a skit on a television show, but for millions of people it is anything but funny. An obsession can range from something as mildly irritating as checking to make sure the back door is locked twenty times a day to never being able to travel more than five miles from your home before you return just to make sure you didn’t leave the stove on. Even though you checked it before you got in the car and checked it again after you got in the car but before you turned the key.

Probably the most famous victim of obsessive compulsive disorder was billionaire Howard Hughes, whose battle with the disease took him from being a dashing movie executive who dated some of the most beautiful women in Hollywood to a recluse who washed his hands a hundred times a day and was petrified of human contact.

Although many people consider it a mental illness, in fact there is physiological condition associated with the disorder. Obsessive compulsive disorder is the result of a chemical imbalance in the brain. Specifically, the imbalance takes place in a part of the brain known as the caudate nucleus. The caudate nucleus works in conjunction with an area of the brain called the orbital cortex. The orbital cortex is sort of the tattletale of the brain; it serves to warn us that something isn’t quite right, that we forgot to lock the door or turn off the stove. But when the imbalance occurs in the caudate nucleus it causes the orbital cortex to malfunction. In essence, it becomes a tattletale that keeps repeating the same story. It keeps telling you that the door is unlocked, or that your hands aren’t clean and need to be washed.

While some drugs have proven to be effective in some cases in dealing with the imbalance, as of yet there is still no proven foolproof pharmacological cure for obsessive compulsive disorder. The magic cure doesn’t exist yet, but it’s not all bad news. Increasing numbers of sufferers are finding various levels of relief by combining one of several brand name antidepressants with behavioral control methods. One theory goes that the medication lessens one’s anxiety level enough to allow for greater mental control over the fear involved in the compulsive. After all, what is really going on is the fear that you left the door unlocked or the stove still burning. Because the brain is constantly ringing that alarm, it’s difficult to control the urge to check it out. But the medication can work to lessen that anxiety and allow you to exert more control over whether you check that door for the third time in ten minutes.

Jerk reactions the reason we are often jolted out of sleep

No matter what time we get up in the morning, what our day consisted of, or how late we decided to call it a night, getting a good night's sleep is something we all want and need, but all do differently. Some of us are naturally "restless" sleepers. Despite our exhaustion an efforts, we toss and turn, finding it almost impossible to get comfortable and (perhaps just when we get settled in and comfortable) are awakened by just about any little noise, movement, or glimpse of light. Yet, others (of us) are sound sleepers who easily fall asleep, remain virtually undisturbed and "incapacitated" until the next day or until the alarm clock jolts us out of bed (and with lots of effort at that).

However, the one thing that most of us have in common once we've dozed off is that from time to time we all experience a jerking action as our bodies and minds zone into the zone of sleep. And, it frequently leaves us with the feeling that we are falling.

Ever wonder why this happens, and what causes it? If you’re like most of us, we're sure you have.

According to experts, it's all part of a phenomenon known as sleep start. Sleepstart, ironically is an occurrence that even scientists can’t fully explain and don't totally understand. However the most widely accepted scientific speculation and explanation is that the brain misinterprets the relaxation process that muscles experience as you drift into sleep. As a result the brain then notifies, or rather, alerts the muscles, and encourages them to suddenly tense up in an effort to prevent the sensation of "falling".

However, experts assert that regardless of whether these jolts, jolt you out of sleep or not, they are quite common, normal, and nothing to worry about.

What you should know about anxiety disorders

Anxiety is a natural human reaction. And contrary to popular opinion, anxiety can be beneficial because it alerts poeple to potential dangers and gives off an adrenaline rush that can help them accomplish a task in record time.

But like many things, anxiety when taken into the extreme can have disastrous results. These feelings can lead to panic attacks and chronic worrying that can slowly affect the way a person deals with other people and with normal life situations.

Anxiety disorder, as psychologists would want to call this condition, can range from something as simple as feelings of uneasiness to responses as severe as feelings of terror and claustrophobia. Fortunately, among the psychological disorders, anxiety problems are one of the most common and the most treatable. Combinations of medications and behavior therapy are often given. Symptoms of anxiety problems include fast heartbeat and palpitations, chest pains and difficulty in breathing, anxious thoughts that persist even without any concrete reason, dizziness and nausea, sweating, trembling, difficulty in concentrating, fearful thoughts and feelings of disorientation and claustrophobia.

Below are the types of anxiety disorders as mentioned in the DSM-IV.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder is characterized by excessive but unwarranted worries that a person cannot stop having. Although most people will experience these kinds of feelings every once in a while, a disorder is only diagnosed if the feelings persist for six months and start to affect work and the person’s relationships with other people. Some of the common symptoms that people should watch out for are physiological reactions such as headaches, trembling, muscle tension, sweating, and trouble staying or falling asleep. There are also bouts of restlessness and sweating.

Panic disorder is another type of anxiety disorder characterized by feelings of terror that strikes so suddenly without immediate cause. Often, people who are having panic attacks feel pains in their chest with their heartbeats going fast. Some will also feel lightheadedness and even nausea. They will find it hard to breathe and may feel unwarranted fears. Although most attacks usually last for about a few minutes, there are some that last for almost ten minutes and even those that continue on for an hour. A disorder is diagnosed when the attacks happen in a time frame of just four weeks.

We fear a lot of things but there are some people who are quite irrational with their fears. These fears on things are called phobias. There is a long list of phobia forms, having a specific name for each item that is feared. A person, for instance, who is afraid of open spaces has what psychologists like to call agoraphobia. Phobias are characterized by extreme anxiety and even panic attacks when confronted by the object being feared. Many of the symptoms that are felt during panic attacks are also felt during phobic episodes.

Post-traumatic stress disorder also falls under anxiety disorders. PTSD, as it is often called, often developed after experiencing, witnessing or participating in a traumatic and terrorizing event such as death, war, torture and other extreme circumstances. PTSD is characterized by intense anxiety and nightmares at night. People who have PTSD also find it difficult to sleep and to concentrate on things. Often, anxiety attacks go to the extreme when confronted with situations that have similarities with the one experienced.