Hibernation

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Recently a friend (or so I call him that) asked if I had gone back into hibernation.

Hibernation is a state of inactivity and metabolic depression in animals, characterized by lower body temperature, slower breathing, and/or lower metabolic rate. Hibernating animals conserve energy, especially during winter when food supplies are limited, tapping energy reserves, body fat, at a slow rate. Although traditionally reserved for "deep" hibernators such as rodents, the term has been redefined based on specialized metabolic reductions and many experts believe that the processes of daily torpor and hibernation form a continuum. Hibernation during summer months is known as aestivation. Some reptile species are said to brumate, or undergo brumation, but the connection to this phenomenon with hibernation is not clear.

Although often associated with cold temperatures, the root purpose of hibernation is to conserve food during a period when sufficient food is scarce. It is the animal's slowed metabolic rate, which leads to a reduction in body temperature and not the other way around. Hibernation may last several days, weeks, or months depending on the species, ambient temperature, time of year, individual animal's body condition, and fur on the animal's body.

I found that an interesting question on a more interesting concept. I may have gone into hibernation several years ago as a survival reaction only to cope with the inevitable.

Today, I think of the time I spend more as meditation.

Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit

Meditation is generally an inwardly oriented, personal practice, which individuals do by themselves. Prayer beads or other ritual objects are commonly used during meditation. Meditation may involve invoking or cultivating a feeling or internal state, such as compassion, or attending to a specific focal point. The term can refer to the state itself, as well as to practices or techniques employed to cultivate the state.

There are dozens of specific styles of meditation practice; the word meditation may carry different meanings in different contexts. Meditation has been practiced since antiquity as a component of numerous religious traditions and beliefs.

Since the 1960s, meditation has been the focus of increasing scientific research of uneven rigor and quality. In over 1,000 published research studies, various methods of meditation have been linked to changes in metabolism, blood pressure, brain activation, and other bodily processes. Meditation has been used in clinical settings as a method of stress and pain reduction.

But I’m not seeking the truth or wisdom or any religious awakening. I think I found all I’m going to find for that stuff. And certainly it is not all about self. Perhaps it is a reaction to depression?

Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behavior, feelings and physical well being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless. They may lose interest in activities that once were pleasurable; experience loss of appetite or overeating, have problems concentrating, remembering details, or making decisions; and may contemplate or attempt suicide. Insomnia, excessive sleeping, fatigue, loss of energy, or aches, pains or digestive problems that are resistant to treatment may be present.

Depressed mood is not necessarily a psychiatric disorder. It is a normal reaction to certain life events, a symptom of some medical conditions, and a side effect of some medical treatments. Depressed mood is also a primary or associated feature of certain psychiatric syndromes such as clinical depression.

Psychiatric syndromes! I certainly have those. Then again it may be a reaction to a change in life and looking to the unknown future?

Anticipation is the concept of an agent making decisions based on predictions, expectations, or beliefs about the future. It is widely considered that anticipation is a vital component of complex natural cognitive systems. As a branch of AI, anticipatory system is a specialization still echoing the debates from the 1980s about the necessity for AI for an internal model.

And as I look into the future what do I see? They, whoever they are, say to plan ahead for retirement, but you never do because you are to busy working and living. So once you get there, what do you find?

An expectation, which is a belief that is centered on the future, may or may not be realistic. A less advantageous result gives rise to the emotion of disappointment. If something happens that is not at all expected it is a surprise. An expectation about the behavior or performance of another person, expressed to that person, might have the nature of a strong request, or an order.

Now I do get along with others and play nice in groups but for the most part I find massive boredom in today’s society. Electronic stimulation replaces personal emotions, but perhaps, like in comments on social media, we are looking for approval.

Flattery (also called adulation or blandishment) is the act of giving excessive compliments, generally for the purpose of ingratiating oneself with the subject.

Historically, flattery has been used as a standard form of discourse when addressing a king or queen. .

Flattery is also used in pick-up lines used to attempt to initiate romantic courtship.

Most associations with flattery, however, are negative. Negative descriptions of flattery range at least as far back in history as The Bible. In the Divine Comedy, Dante depicts flatterers wading in human excrement, stating that their words were the equivalent of excrement, in the 8th Circle of Hell.

An insincere flatterer is a stock character in many literary works. Examples include Wormtongue from J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Goneril and Regan from King Lear, and Iago from Othello.

Historians and philosophers have paid attention to flattery as a problem in ethics and politics. Plutarch wrote an essay on "How to Tell a Flatterer from a Friend." Julius Caesar was notorious for his flattery. In his Praise of Folly, Erasmus commended flattery because it "raises downcast spirits, comforts the sad, rouses the apathetic, stirs up the stolid, cheers the sick, restrains the headstrong, brings lovers together and keeps them united."

"To flatter" is also used to refer to artwork or clothing that makes the subject or wearer appear more attractive.

Now, like everyone else who walks this ground, realize we must interact with others in a civil manner. We require adulation and scorn rejection because our little bodies hold this mind stuffed with all these emotions that can make up physically ill or adorn us with ecstasy.

So perhaps, living alone is just a wall from the entire outside world? A rejection of all the proper attitudes or polite statements disguised as feelings.

 Insulation refers broadly to any object in a building used as insulation for any purpose. While the majority of insulation in buildings is for thermal purposes, the term also applies to acoustic insulation, fire insulation, and impact insulation (e.g. for vibrations caused by industrial applications). Often an insulation material will be chosen for its ability to perform several of these functions at once.

More so it is the self-realization of what wakes you up in the morning and puts you to sleep at night. The rest of the time is heaven or hell, as each of us creates it.

Isolation provides no excuses for outside interpretation or conflicting emotions to change the daily routine selected by ones self.

Disambiguation is a broad concept or type of thing that is capable of being described in an article, and a substantial portion of the links asserted to be ambiguous are instances or examples of that concept or type, located as an article describing the broad concept, and not a disambiguation page. Where the primary topic of a term is a general topic that can be divided into subtopics, such as chronologically or geographically, the unqualified should contain an article about the general topic rather than a disambiguation page. A disambiguation should not be created just because it is difficult to write an article on a topic that is broad, vague, abstract, or highly conceptual.

So the question was asked, “Are you happy?”  And the reply came, “I’m content.”

Happiness is a mental or emotional state of well-being characterized by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. A variety of biological, psychological, religious, and philosophical approaches have striven to define happiness and identify its sources.

Various research groups endeavor to apply the scientific method to answer questions about what "happiness" is, and how we might attain it.

Philosophers and religious thinkers often define happiness in terms of living a good life, or flourishing, rather than simply as an emotion. 

So why doesn't that contractor call me back about fixing my fricking bathroom floor. Now that would make me happy!