The Value of Positive Thinking in Aging

The virtuality continuum is a continuous scale ranging between the completely virtual, a virtuality, and the completely real, reality. The reality–virtuality continuum therefore encompasses all possible variations and compositions of real and virtual objects. It has been described as a concept in new media and computer science, but in fact it could be considered a matter of anthropology.[clarification needed][citation needed] The concept was first introduced by Paul Milgram.[1]

The area between the two extremes, where both the real and the virtual are mixed, is called mixed reality. This in turn is said to consist of both augmented reality, where the virtual augments the real, and augmented virtuality, where the real augments the virtual.

This continuum has been extended into a two-dimensional plane of virtuality and mediality.[2] Taxonomy of reality, virtuality, mediality. The origin R denotes unmodified reality. A continuum across the virtuality axis, V, includes reality augmented with graphics (augmented reality), as well as graphics augmented by reality (augmented virtuality). However, the taxonomy also includes modification of reality or virtuality or any combination of these.

The mediality axis denotes changes The modification is denoted by moving up the mediality axis. Further up this axis, for example, we can find mediated reality, mediated virtuality, or any combination of these. Further up and to the right, we have virtual worlds that are responsive to a severely modified version of reality.

Augmented reality and mixed reality are now sometimes used as synonyms.[citation needed]

The virtuality continuum has grown and progressed past labels such as computer science and new media. As the concept has much to do with the way in which humans continue to change how they communicate; the way in which identities form and the way in which they interact to and within the world; it is more accurately described as a subject within anthropology.[original research?]

Changes in attitudes towards and the increase in availability of technology and media have changed and progressed the way it is used. One to one (SMS), one to many (email), and many to many (chat rooms), have become ingrained in society. The use of such items have made once clear distinctions like online and offline obsolete, and the distinctions between reality and virtuality have become blurred as people are incorporating and relying heavily upon virtuality within their everyday personal realities.[original research?]

Daniel Miller and Don Slater are prominent researchers pursuing the concept of the virtuality continuum and the media and its effect on communities, especially in the Caribbean, most notably Trinidad and Jamaica.

Steve Woolgar is another researcher who has established four rules of virtuality. These are:

The way in which media and technology affect people relies on their non-information communication technology (ICT) related background which may include gender, age, social status, income amongst others.

Risks and fears in regards to new media and technology are unevenly socially distributed.

Advancements in media and technology supplement rather than replace existing activities in reality.

New media and technology tends to create new kinds of localism rather than furthering globalization.

Author: Ellsworth Cannon Many people wander the earth believing they the lack the strength and power to achieve their goals. This negative mechanism holds them down. You can gain motivation and live healthier, by simply telling yourself "I can do it." Anything you put your mind to, you can do it if you want to. How to tell self I can do it: Just say today I am going for a short walk. Tomorrow I will walk a little longer then the first day. You have to be in control of your thoughts, actions, behaviors, etc by building your power of the mind. Nevertheless, if you do not put your mind to it and you decide that you do not want to become active, and then you are only living a life filled with shortcomings. Your negative reflections will defeat the purpose of getting your thoughts in control. Saying I will do it later, is another negative reflection. This is called procrastination, which leads to laziness. Laziness leads to weak muscles and joints, which gradually builds up to medical problems. Take control of your thoughts. If you want to do something bad enough you will do what you have to do to get where you want to be. You need to make a goal and stick to it. Create plans that help you to reach your goals, and take action each day to achieve. When you give up, it is a sign that you lack faith in self and is a clear indication of weakness. You need faith to stay strong. As well, you need positive thinking to strive. Good results: Having a positive attitude will give you a jumpstart to a healthier life. Keep on pushing. Do not stop once you get started instead go until you reach your goal. When times get hard and you don't think you can go on just remember I -can- do - this always keep your head up and mind open. Don't dwell on something you can't change, rather focus on the things you have power to change. How to continue positive living: To stay positive you have to admit your feelings and express them. If you feel depressed or frustrated, just say it aloud. There is nothing wrong with showing emotions, providing you do not beat up your best friend physically to express those emotions. Stay in control and express what you feel. You have to talk about how you feel and don't blame your self but try to figure out why you are so depressed or frustrated. Failing to discover your intentions or reasons will reduce your control, especially if you do not understand what you need or want. Do not worry about the cause, rather find your wants and needs and the cause will come to you. Here is some pointer that might help you to get where you want to be. You have to look for a good role model and become acquainted with their way of thinking positive. Try to talk positive and avoid negative talk. Seek some support from friends and family. Reward your self with a massage or listen to your favorite music. Make a plan and stay with it no matter what. Just remember you can do whatever you want to do and keep your mind set for the good things and not the bad things. This will make you feel better and make you a happier person. If you're happy, you will have a healthier life. Don't forget to create a goal. Don't make the goal so high that you won't be able to keep it, but make it so that you can meet your goals. To learn about vitamin b benefits, bat droppings and other information, visit the Health And Nutrition Tips website. Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/http://ellsworthcannon.articlealley.com/the-value-of-positive-thinking-in-aging-1199688.html

How Our Thinking Can Lead to Positivity in Our Lives

Simulated reality is the hypothesis that reality could be simulated—for example by quantum computer simulation—to a degree indistinguishable from "true" reality. It could contain conscious minds that may or may not know that they live inside a simulation. This is quite different from the current, technologically achievable concept of virtual reality. Virtual reality is easily distinguished from the experience of actuality; participants are never in doubt about the nature of what they experience. Simulated reality, by contrast, would be hard or impossible to separate from "true" reality. There has been much debate over this topic, ranging from philosophical discourse to practical applications in computing.

Simulation argument

Main article: Simulation hypothesis

A version of the simulation hypothesis was first theorised as a part of a philosophical argument on the part of René Descartes, and later by Hans Moravec.[1][2][3] The philosopher Nick Bostrom developed an expanded argument examining the probability of our reality being a simulation.[4] His argument states that at least one of the following statements is very likely to be true:

1. Human civilization or a comparable civilization is unlikely to reach a level of technological maturity capable of producing simulated realities or such simulations are physically impossible to construct.[4]

2. A comparable civilization reaching aforementioned technological status will likely not produce a significant number of simulated realities (one that might push the probable existence of digital entities beyond the probable number of "real" entities in a Universe) for any of a number of reasons, such as diversion of computational processing power for other tasks, ethical considerations of holding entities captive in simulated realities, etc.[4]

3. Any entities with our general set of experiences are almost certainly living in a simulation.[4]

4. We are living in a reality in which posthumans have not developed yet and we are actually living in reality.[4]

Bostrom's argument rests on the premise that given sufficiently advanced technology, it is possible to represent the populated surface of the Earth without recourse to digital physics; that the qualia experienced by a simulated consciousness are comparable or equivalent to those of a naturally occurring human consciousness, and that one or more levels of simulation within simulations would be feasible given only a modest expenditure of computational resources in the real world.[4]

If one assumes first that humans will not be destroyed nor destroy themselves before developing such a technology, and that human descendants will have no overriding legal restrictions or moral compunctions against simulating biospheres or their own historical biosphere, then, Bostrom argues, it would be unreasonable to count ourselves among the small minority of genuine organisms who, sooner or later, will be vastly outnumbered by artificial simulations.[4]

Epistemologically, it is not impossible to tell whether we are living in a simulation. For example, Bostrom suggests that a window could pop up saying: "You are living in a simulation. Click here for more information." However, imperfections in a simulated environment might be difficult for the native inhabitants to identify and for purposes of authenticity, even the simulated memory of a blatant revelation might be purged programmatically. Nonetheless, should any evidence come to light, either for or against the skeptical hypothesis, it would radically alter the aforementioned probability.[4]

Computationalism

Main articles: Computationalism and Mathematical universe hypothesis

Computationalism is a philosophy of mind theory stating that cognition is a form of computation. It is relevant to the Simulation hypothesis in that it illustrates how a simulation could contain conscious subjects, as required by a "virtual people" simulation. For example, it is well known that physical systems can be simulated to some degree of accuracy. If computationalism is correct and if there is no problem in generating artificial consciousness or cognition, it would establish the theoretical possibility of a simulated reality. Nevertheless, the relationship between cognition and phenomenal qualia of consciousness is disputed. It is possible that consciousness requires a vital substrate that a computer cannot provide and that simulated people, while behaving appropriately, would be philosophical zombies. This would undermine Nick Bostrom's simulation argument; we cannot be a simulated consciousness, if consciousness, as we know it, cannot be simulated. The skeptical hypothesis remains intact, however, and we could still be envatted brains, existing as conscious beings within a simulated environment, even if consciousness cannot be simulated. It has been suggested that whereas virtual reality would enable a participant to experience only three senses (sight, sound and optionally smell), simulated reality would enable all five (including taste and touch).[citation needed]

Some theorists[5][6] have argued that if the "consciousness-is-computation" version of computationalism and mathematical realism (or radical mathematical Platonism)[7] are true then consciousnesses is computation, which in principle is platform independent and thus admits of simulation. This argument states that a "Platonic realm" or ultimate ensemble would contain every algorithm, including those that implement consciousness. Hans Moravec has explored the simulation hypothesis and has argued for a kind of mathematical Platonism according to which every object (including, for example, a stone) can be regarded as implementing every possible computation.[1]

When you were in school you may have thought without knowing it that your peers were somehow better at doing things than you were.

There is no point of comparing what we can do with what others are doing. It's true we learn from other people. We look up to them, and they inspire us.

If we are the same, there is no variety. The secret of creativity is diversity. Most organizations which have diverse groups of people are more innovative. For example Apple has the most innovative products on the market right now with the iPad and the iPhone.

Diversity is a prolific source of ideas. Different backgrounds, races, colors, make up a good soil to creative idea to germinate. Be glad you're different. You are unique.

Think positive of what you are. Capitalize and concentrate on your strengths rather than dwelling your minds on your limitations. Look up to others that they might serve as examples to follow, never allow them underestimate you.

As we find inspiration from others let it drive you to the excellence that is inside of us all

The Power of Positive Thinking

It is easy to talk about positive thinking exercises. Positive thinking has become a worldwide trend lately. Everything from support groups to consumer advertising uses tricks to help you think more positively.

But what exactly does that mean?

The optimist, on the other hand, views the glass as being half full. In other words, there is already half a glass of water there, rather than none at all. The optimist's way of thinking is actually nothing more than positive thinking.

Here are some positive thinking exercises you can use to help you view the world as half full also.

One positive thinking exercise is to take some time to really appreciate what you have. The negative thinker will dwell on what he or she feels is missing in their life. The positive thinker will realize that there are already many great things in their life. In fact, if you sit down and really list out what you have in your life, you will surely find that you have an abundance of good things in your life.

This could include material things such as money, cars, clothes, just about anything. It could also be non-material things such as family, love, happiness. Anything that you feel good about, no matter how small, can be listed as something already in your life.

This can include the list of what you have mentioned earlier, but it can also include small successes you had in the day, such as finishing an assignment that was due at work or finding a five dollar bill on the sidewalk.

An interesting positive thinking exercise that many people overlook is to just do something that you enjoy doing. Rent a funny movie that will make you laugh or cook a nice meal. It doesn't matter what you like to do, nor does it matter why you enjoy doing it. The important thing is to ensure that it is something you enjoy.

When you enjoy doing something, it can be extremely hard to do anything other than think happy thoughts while you are doing it. If you enjoy it, your mind will automatically go into a positive thinking mode. This will help you feel better about your self or your surroundings.

Everyone has certain positive thinking exercises that work best for them. There is any number of exercises that will work, including those mentioned here. These are only a drop in the ocean, however, to the number of exercises that you many come across.

The best way to find the positive thinking exercises that work best for you is to experiment and see what happens. Find out what you can do that ultimately makes you feel better, and you will be well on your way toward training your mind to think positively.

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