Religions are a natural outgrowth of the intuitive ways of knowing that evolved with human culture. Though many people continue to find value in religious identity and community, intuitive knowledge has been eclipsed by a more effective way of knowing—the scientific way. A better way of relating religion to politics called secularism is gradually replacing theocracy. Once you understand and accept the scientific way of knowing and this preferred relationship of church and state, you become agnostic and secular—even if you continue to identify with and participate in religion.As Jeff T. Haley and Dale McGowan argue in this volume, this isn't some abstract dream—it's happening right now. Religions are in a continuous state of evolution, changing beliefs, values, and practices over time. All religions, including Christianity and Islam, can evolve to accept the scientific way of knowing and secularism, becoming agnostic and even atheistic without losing their essential value. Haley and McGowan explain how you can help this natural process, sharing reality with your friends and family in a way that encourages religions to embrace the best of humanity's knowledge and values.

Since the debut of the Medicine Meets Virtual Reality (MMVR) conference in 1992, MMVR has served as a forum for researchers harnessing IT advances for the benefit of patient diagnosis and care, medical education and procedural training. At MMVR, virtual reality becomes a theatre for medicine, where multiple senses are engaged - sight, sound and touch - and language and image fuse. Precisely because this theatre is unreal, it is a valuable tool: the risks of experimentation and failure are gone, while the opportunity to understand remains. Improvement of this tool, through steady technological progress, is the purpose of MMVR. This book presents papers delivered at the MMVR18 / NextMed conference, held in Newport Beach, California, in February 2011, with contributions from international researchers whose work creates new devices and methods at the juncture of informatics and medicine. Subjects covered include simulation and learning, visualization and information-guided therapy, robotics and haptics, virtual reality and advanced ICT in Europe, validation of new surgical techniques, and many other applications of virtual-reality technology. As its name suggests, the NextMed conference looks forward to the expanding role that virtual reality can play in global healthcare. This overview of current technology will interest those who dedicate themselves to improving medicine through technology.

Practical, down to earth, clearly written, and easy for therapists to understand and apply, Virtual Reality Therapy for Anxiety is a useful guide for any clinician treating anxiety, regardless of setting (in-office or via telehealth), theoretical orientation, or level of training. Written by an experienced psychologist who has used multiple VR systems since 2010, it’s the only up to date, clinically informed, evidence-based training manual available. Easy-to-understand concepts and diagrams explain anxiety and its treatment, and the book incorporates research findings and clinical expertise. VRT is described step by step with multiple case examples, and an extended case-vignette chapter presents a session-by-session treatment protocol of a complex case with transcript excerpts. Key findings and quotations from research are also presented. After completing the guide, therapists and other mental health professionals will understand the unique clinical benefits of VR, be prepared to use VR in therapy comfortably and effectively either in the office or remotely, and will have expertise in a new, needed, and empirically validated treatment for a common clinical problem.

Timothy Sprigge has been a major player on the philosophical scene contributing to discussions as diverse as consciousness, the ontology of time, personal identity, animal rights, punishment, censorship and wider issues in metaphysics, ethics and the history of philosophy. He is, however, less well known for his own highly original system of metaphysics and ethics'a synthesis of Absolute Idealism, panpsychism and utilitarianism. The contributions gathered in this volume, written by philosophers of international reputation or by acknowledged scholars in their specialized fields of inquiry, engage themes in his metaphysics and ethics and provide a critical assessment of his ideas and arguments. In a concluding essay, Sprigge answers the most significant objections raised by his critics: the final result is an engaging dialogue on the perennial and most fundamental questions of philosophy.

In the fast paced world we live in, forming and sustaining relationships is difficult. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, there has been a 35% spike in divorce cases all over the world due to the lock down. Having a blissful romance is not an easy task these days. Love has become text messages and phone calls. Love has become Instagram posts, Snapchat and staring at a screen. Love has become more about hook ups and swiping right and left on dating apps instead of having an emotional depth and commitment in relationships. Love these days has become crawling back to a person who has hurt, manipulated and lied to you. People are so empty and lonely that they mistake mere attention for love and eventually get their heart broken. Love and heartbreak have become interchangeable words. Many people are scared to fall in love. Why? What are the issues? How to prevent and successfully deal with major conflicts in your relationship? These are some of the questions which this book will answer and will be a one stop solution to most of your relationship and personal conflicts and dilemmas. There are numerous books and movies about love but the reality today is completely different. Love is twisted, complicated and unpredictable but is also ecstatic, heavenly and satisfying. It all depends on how one handles it. Most people commit grave errors in handling love, resulting in failed relationships, heartbreaks, depression and worse. Why does this happen? This is because people are either "unaware" or they are habituated to falling in love with:"fantasies" and their notions of love and relationships are far away from reality.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the Second International Conference on Virtual Reality, ICVR 2007, held in Beijing, China. It covers 3D rendering and visualization, interacting and navigating in virtual and augmented environments, industrial applications of virtual reality, as well as health, cultural, educational and entertainment applications.

We would all like the world to become a better place. Laws and programs are helpful and are designed with good intentions, but there’s only so much they can do. It really comes down to each person doing his part to live life as problem-free as possible for him. Since no one is an island unto himself, anyone’s lack of personal responsibility or good ethics affects others – whether just those close to him or the general population. We all hope to live a happy life. However, hoping is not the most effective way to ensure you reach that very important goal. Instead of relying on the remote possibility of consistent GOOD LUCK, learn how to consider, prepare for, and optimally handle nearly every situation you might encounter in life to ensure that you reap rewards for the efforts you have to expend to live either way. Discover how you can become a more knowledgeable, resilient and worthwhile contributor to society by improving your own life! Feel earned pride and deserved respect at any socioeconomic level. Learn how to create the optimal circumstances in areas of your life such as: RELATIONSHIPS, FINANCES, SELF-CARE, SEX, DRUGS, LAWS, RAISING CHILDREN, and more. Lead by example and make your life as problem-free as it can be. Then encourage others to do the same. One-by-one *AND* with detailed information on how to do it, WE CAN make the world a better place. Best wishes and thank you for doing your part. Even more gratitude if you encourage others to do the same. We can do this.

In this book, the authors explore the positive potential of big data, showing the ways in which the analysis of big data ("reality mining") can be used to improve human systems as varied as political polling and disease tracking, while considering user privacy. They describe reality mining at five different levels: the individual, the neighborhood and organization, the city, the nation, and the world. For each level, they offer a nontechnical explanation of data collection methods and describe applications and systems that have been or could be built. These include a mobile app that helps smokers quit smoking; a workplace "knowledge system"; the use of GPS, Wi-Fi, and mobile phone data to manage and predict traffic flows; and the analysis of social media to track the spread of disease. The authors argue that big data, used respectfully and responsibly, can help people live better, healthier, and happier lives. --