Category | News

It's three months in to 2012 and this is the first update to the blog. Dang...time sure can get away you if your not careful. In fact it has been longer than this since the last update I wrote was posted just before leaving for Thailand. I was to be there for a month; stayed for two. But I won't bore you with the details of the Thailand shoot other than to say the people were friendly, the food delicious, and did I say the people were friendly? Anyhoo, here is some of what I shot while there: http://vimo.com/36377195 Since getting back to Australia however, I've had a little purification...

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So you've not heard from me in a couple of months. I always feel bad when I begin to write a post after so long. Truth is however, this is probably how it is going to be, as regular posting seems not to be a strong point of mine even if I wish it were.  Not all is lost however, and if you are interested in regular postings albeit 140 characters only hit me up on twitter. So what's my news then? Well, I'm off to shoot a bunch of promo video's for Thanyapura in Thailand this Friday and return to Australia in the third week of November. Yes indeedy that is 4 weeks in the tropical island that...

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Today we have a lesson in history. Or perhaps I should say some personal history that contains a lesson. As I am naturally loquacious however I will give away the ending upfront just in case you miss it embedded in my rambling. Ok, here it is: be true to yourself. I know, I know...it's cliche to even point out that it's a cliche. So, perhaps a smarter way of saying this is, know who you are, know what you do best, and then do that! I have made this point previously—most recently in the article the impact positive childhood memories can have on adulthood. I wrote that article as we often...

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I woke this morning to remember I had made the same mistake as the last time I published an article with a video. And that is, I did not tell people reading the article via email there was a video in the post and to click on the link to watch it. I must be getting old...sorry! So, if you are wondering what yesterdays post was all about here is the link to the short film, The Writer. http://clarkescott.org/the-writer-a-short-film/ And I might add the shortfilm is not about me, nor writing. The title "the writer" is simply a vehicle for the story.  

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As part of the new design and focus I plan to regularly update the blog with three kinds of posts. (1) The first will be shorter news stuff. (2) And then there will be the film/video with BTS, a short commentary (depending on the shoot) and sometime an accompanying article; and finally (3) longer posts about stuff—Buddhism, philosophy, etc. Below is an example of the first kind: Sitting here in the lounge of Likir House, a guest house in Delhi owned by a monastery in Ladakh, tonight is my last night in India. It been almost six month now! Wow, really? Yep. Can't believe it myself. It has been...

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Australia is calling. Yep, I am returning home in six days. While there are things I will miss about India I am looking forward to getting home. After all there is no place like it. It has been a wonderful five months though, I must say. As profound as the last, and life changing too, however, this trip has been a lot more enjoyable. And more importantly the past five months have afforded me some distance from my normal surroundings and thus the opportunity to reflect on the past few years without distraction. This, of course, is reflected in the new website design and the inclusion of filmmaking...

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It has been far too long since my last update. I have no excuses, nor will I bore you with an attempt. Also, I have no news important or otherwise to pass on. Well, other than I completed a chapter of my thesis and received positive feedback from a couple of heavy-hitters in the world of academic philosophy. No one was more surprised than I, let me tell you. Seems that getting away from the philosophy department of the university of Tasmania was a blessing for it afforded me the luxury to focus on the task of writing without the distractions of long lunches, philosophy seminars, and all that goes...

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NEWS: Recently, the Australian Institute for Consciousness Studies was invited to attend the 22nd Mind and Life conference, being held in Delhi (November 20-23rd 2010). I am taking with me a Professor from the University of Tasmania Psychology department, hoping that HHDL will inspire him to do more research in meditation. Quite exciting as you can imagine. The Mind and Life XXII conference in New Delhi, November 2010, has been requested by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and it is dedicated to the topic: Contemplative Science – The Scientific Study of the Effect of Contemplative Practice...

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Given the overwhelming result of the recent poll you may be interested to know the results even if you will never attend a AICS retreats. Overall there was about 10% of you who voted; with the total number of votes recorded being twenty-one. Here are the results to the question: what is your preferred retreat length? 7 days = 11 vote or 52% of the vote 10 days = 4 vote or 19% of the vote 14 days = 4 vote or 19% of the vote 21 days = 1 vote or 5% of the vote 30 days = 1 vote or 5% of the vote With 52% of the vote, seven day retreats is the clear winner. Not unexpected...

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This workshop covers material from the paper Dysfunction, Dispositional Narrative and Meditation, I will present at this years Australian Meditation Conference. Here is the abstract: The stories we tell ourselves, about ourselves, often lead to dysfunctional cognitive states that may lead to misunderstanding our place in the world. Because this dispositional narrative is rooted in a misconception, the question may be raised: can meditation effect dispositional narrative in such a way as to lead to a flourishing life? Clarke's talk will present current research that suggests this is indeed...

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