Even before writing legend Stephen King sobered up, he would keep the door shut tight to his writing studio. When he felt his writing was ready, he’d open the door only to his wife, who he dubbed his supreme editor.

King has what he calls “closed-door writing” and “open-door writing.”

Closed-door writing is the crap, the stuff that he doesn’t want anyone to see. It’s the muck that all professionals and top-performers still muddle through to create something of high value (though they like to keep that hidden).

It’s what Anne Lamott would call the “shitty first draft” in her book on writing, Bird by Bird (one of my personal favorite reads).

To move beyond the first crappy draft, King finds the affirmation he needs from his wife. He describes in his book, On Writing, a scene where he gives his wife a manuscript on a road trip and she reads it in the passenger seat while he drives. He describes biting his nails in nervousness as he waits for her to laugh or gasp when he knows she’s at certain parts.

“How can you have a war on terrorism when war itself is terrorism?” – Howard Zinn

President Dwight Eisenhower gave a chilling warning in his farewell address on January 17, 1961 about a threat to democratic government. This threat, he warned, was the infiltration of the military-industrial complex, which was a “formidable union of defense contractors and the armed forces.” In his 1961 address Eisenhower elaborates, “In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists, and will persist.”(1)

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the military spending for 2013 in the U.S was approximately $640 billion. China came in a distant second with $188 billion, and Russia spent a mere $87.8 billion.(2) The threat of any military conflict in the U.S from foreign invaders seems remote, yet like the Cold War, America overstated the potential threats in an effort to continue to support the military industrial complex. This ensured certain corporations continue to thrive, prosper, and benefit from the ongoing industrial military industry while millions suffer from the conflict and destabilisation these wars promote.

Chemicals that are commonly used in the production of vaccines, according to the CDC, are done so to improve the effectiveness of the vaccine. Adjuvants like aluminum (one of the most common) are a component of vaccines that potentates the immune response to an antigen. The adjuvant is basically used to invoke the desired immune response.

Aluminum has been added to vaccines for approximately 90 years, and since then, a lot of controversy, especially in recent years, has emerged regarding their safety and effectiveness.

This controversy comes as a result of a number of recent studies (some of which are presented in this article) outlining clear concerns over the use of aluminum in this manner, as well as the fact that over the past few years, billions of dollars have been paid to families with vaccine injured children.

The readers of Collective Evolution are generally open to the expansion of our scientific inquiries to include the realm of consciousness, or as was suggested at the Science and Nonduality Conference, an “Observer-based” science to take into account the findings of quantum physics.

At SAND speakers like Bernardo Kastrup discussed his book, Why Materialism is Baloney, and Menas Kafatos and Jay Kumar have presented cogent concepts to expand our science.

These two slides provide an overview.

Dr. Kafatos has compared the essential aspects of a new Observer-Based science with our current paradigm:

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Leonardo da Vinci

Since the industrialization of society over the last two hundred years, humans have physically and mentally remained unchanged. We have, however, surrounded ourselves with accessories, added layers of complexity, and confusion in our lives. This urbanization has reduced humanity’s connection with nature.

Connection to the land and natural environment has been replaced by freeways, cities, concrete landscapes, and technological gadgetry that bring little solace and opportunity for reflection for individuals. Inner peace and happiness can be hard to find in a world of constant diversion and distraction. The ability to witness nature and live in harmony with the natural cycles provides unquantifiable experiences for those living a resilient life.