Clanculus pharaonius 紅莓鐘螺

Clanculus pharaonius 紅莓鐘螺, originally uploaded by FORSHELL.

Fibonacci spiral

Fibonacci spiral, originally uploaded by _Robert C_.

Macro of a sea shell that displays the Fibonacci spiral or Golden spiral in nature.

Uploaded by _Robert C_ on 1 Mar 09,

Natural Mathematics

Natural Mathematics, originally uploaded by Max Kehrli.

I've always loved math and geometry and it's always amazed me how mathematically orientated nature is. Patterns and shapes in nature seem to follow very mathematical models like the Fibonacci sequence and the Golden Mean.

Uploaded by Max Kehrli on 18 Jan 08, 6.57AM PDT.

Wonders and meanings of shells

I have been dreaming about shells... gathering beautiful shells from dangerous beaches, during storms and hard to reach places. What is it about sea shells?
I've learned that sea shells symbolize the quality of life that purifies and sustains. They also symbolise the security and protection of the home.

Caracol or seashell
The carocol or seashell played an important part in the religious symbolism of the early inhabitants of Mexico, where it symbolized birth and life itself. Some baptismal fonts are carved in marble in imitation of a giant shell, symbolizing Christian rebirth. Its use as a trumpet since time immemorial also symbolizes power and authority.

A seashell is a symbol of many positive things in life. Seashells are thought to be gifts from the ocean. With its various shapes and forms, it is the symbol of uniqueness and beauty. One great symbolism of the seashell is created by Boticelli in one of his artistic creations. In his painting of "The Birth of Venus", the seashell is depicted as the vessel of beauty, rebirth, love, and godly attributes to the earth.

Seashells and baptism

The symbol of the seashell has been associated with baptism since the first centuries of the Christian church. We know this from paintings on the walls of the catacombs where early Christians worshiped which depict people being baptized with water poured from a seashell. That artistic theme has been carried down through the centuries, so that we now find seashells on church banners related to baptism, in stained glass windows, incorporated into the design of baptismal fonts and printed on baptism announcements. Sometimes the shell is pictured with three drops of water, an allusion to the Triune God in whose name we are baptized.

Like many ancient symbols, the origin is likely a practical matter: how to pour a generous amount of water in the rite of baptism? Since most fonts were not deep enough for total submersion, candidates for baptism would wade into the water, and a presider would pour water over their heads. You can scoop up a greater volume of water in a seashell or some other vessel than you can hold in your hand. A larger quantity of water speaks more fully of the gift of God's grace, poured out for us. Perhaps the use of the shell was preferred to other vessels because it is an item found in nature, from a creature that lives its life submerged in water — as those who are baptized live a new life, immersed in the Christian faith. Furthermore, the seashell reminds us that, in baptism, Christ calls us to discipleship, even as he called the first disciples by the seashore.

Shell: Original (1 of 3), originally uploaded by cobalt123.

Shells

To mathematicians the nautilus shell personifies the Golden ratio on the one, two, and three-dimensional planes. One-dimensionally, it is the linear spiral, which is based on the Golden ratio. Two-dimensionally, with area, the shell itself can be contained in a Golden proportioned rectangle; and three-dimensionally each chamber has approximately 1.618 times more volume than the chamber preceding it.

The Golden Ratio and Fibonacci's Spiral, originally uploaded by Andrew Prophet.

The golden ratio represents the golden spiral of Fibonacci. And we can see the spiral in all of God's creation including the nautilus and the spiral of the universe.

Seashells are also architectural wonders. Frank Lloyd Wright is said to have described seashells as greatness with simplicity. The mollusks that inhabit these seashells live in the depths of the sea, creating amazing and unique homes for themselves against incredible odds. The sea is a harsh and unforgiving environment, yet these lowly creatures build hard, protective homes for themselves that continue to inspire interest and amazement.

Nautilious shell

The Nautilus shell is one of the known shapes that represent the golden mean number. The golden mean number is also known as PHI - 1.6180339... The PHI is a number without an arithmetic solution, the digits simply continue for eternity without repeating themselves. The uniqueness of the golden mean is that it can be found in all living forms such as the human skeleton, the shell and the sunflowers seeds order. Plato called this value - "The key for the universe physics".

The Golden Mean number is widely used in art, architecture and religious symbols. Artists like Da Vinci and Kandinsky have used the golden mean in their paintings. The Guggenheim museum, planned by Frank Lloyd Wright, is shaped like the shell.


The curve of the seashell
Every beachcomber knows that sea shells are beautiful, yet few know they are so beautiful that once their shape inspired a style that spread across half of Europe. During the 18th century, painters, sculptors, even candlestick makers all followed the curve of the sea shell. The style was called rococo—itself an onomatopoeic image of the art —from the French word rocaille, meaning fancywork in rocks and shells.

Rococò, originally uploaded by anttushka.

Hotel de Soubise, interior, originally uploaded by dlge.

Living On A Prayer - Sungha Jung

Incredible performance! I identify myself with Living On a Prayer

Dreams and Dreaming State in the Brain

An important aspect in the explanation of dreaming is an understanding of the portions of the brain, which work together to create and terminate dreams and the dreaming state (i.e. REM sleep). A variety of nuclei and brain regions are involved in the initial production of the REM state, including the amygdala, hippocampus, right temporal lobe, and especially the brainstem nuclei located in the lateral and medial pons(1). REM sleep begins with signals from the base of the brain called the pons. The pons are associated with ritcular activity, and send signals to the region of the brain called the thalamus, which intern passes them along to the cerebral cortex for interpretation. While the pons are sending signal to the thalamus, they are also sending signals to the spinal chord, which shut off motor neurons making it impossible for the body to move during sleep and dreaming(3) . Similarly, cerebral blood flow increases in the right temporal and parietal regions during REM. These stages are followed by abnormal and enhanced activity in the right temporal and temporal-occippital area, which causes an increase in dreaming and REM sleep for an uncharacteristically long period of time. The brainstem is the most important actor in dream production, for it controls the steady and specific oscillations between REM and nonREM sleep, the same system that controls body and mind activation in waking periods(4). Overall, dreaming and REM sleep are associated with high levels of activity in the brainstem, occipital lobe, and other nuclei(1).

Cutest little girl!

Passover news: Archeological Find at "Gilgal"

by patgarcia |

Passover news: Archeological Find at "Gilgal"

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An exciting archaeological finding was revealed. The finding is believed to represent the first time that enclosed sites identified with the biblical sites termed in Hebrew " gilgal" were used. The Hebrew word 'gilgal" ( a camp or stone - structure), is mentioned in the bible thirty -nine times.

"The 'foot' structures that we found in the Jordan valley are the first sites that the People of Israel built upon entering Canaan and they testify to the biblical concept of ownership of the land with the foot," said archaeologist Prof. Adam Zertal of the University of Haifa, who headed the excavating team that exposed five compounds in the shape of an enormous "foot", that it were likely to have been used at that time to mark ownership of territory.

Source: muqata.blogspot.com

"The discovery of these 'foot' structures opens an entirely new system of linguistic and historical perceptions," Prof. Zertal emphasizes. He explains that the meaning of the biblical Hebrew word for "foot" -- "regel" -- is also a "festival" or "holiday". As such, the source of the Hebrew term "aliya la-regel", literally translated as "ascending to the foot" (and now known in English as a pilgrimage), is attributed to the "foot" sites in the Jordan valley. "Now, following these discoveries, the meanings of the terms become clear. Identifying the 'foot' enclosures as ancient Israeli ceremonial sites leads us to a series of new possibilities to explain the beginnings of Israel, of the People of Israel's festivals and holidays," he stated.
According to Prof. Zertal, the "foot" constructions were used for ceremonial assemblies during Iron Age I (and probably after). When the religious center was moved to Jerusalem and settled there, the command of "aliya la-regel" (pilgrimage) became associated with Jerusalem.

Source: sciencedaily.com

"The personalities of normal people who display enhanced temporal lobe activity... usually display enhanced creativity, suggestibility, memory capacity and intuitive processing. Most of them experience a rich fantasy or subjective world that fosters their adaptability"

Michael Persinger in Report on Communion by Ed Conroy

Temporal Lobe Transients and Religion

Contentment in Giving and Joy in Receiving during our church's food donation outreach

In the Beginning | No princípio, originally uploaded by Jonathan Enns.

Genesis tells us the Holy Spirit Hovers over the waters; Hummingbirds are few of the birds that hover mmmm.I have to pursue what knowledge and inspiration I can receive from that.Why did God create them like that?

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” (Genesis 1:1-2).

This introductory text is immediately followed by the beginning of God’s creative act. It describes briefly the existing state of affairs; “the earth was formless and empty” and the darkness “was over the surface of the deep” and then goes on to mention briefly, almost incidentally, the Spirit was hovering” over the deep.

I'm fascinated with nature, Spring is a season considered by many to be one of new beginnings, and the Spirit hovered over the waters before God's creative action.

In the Hebrew, the phrase tohu va bohu (which rhymes nicely) is used to say that the earth was “without form and void.” Tohu va bohu is a phrase/term associated with chaos. The Spanish “desordenada y vacía” might translate as “disordered and empty” which is a straighforward way to picture how things might have been. What might ask “empty of what?” I would suppose it means empty of life.

In Hebrew, the word merahefet is the verb that is translated in as “moved” (”the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters”). Merahefet could also be translated as “hovered over” or “brooded over”. I like the image of the Spirit of God pausing, brooding or hovering over a creation process that is in its earliest stages.

It evokes the image of a bird brooding over its young in order to hatch them.

Like birds hovering overhead The LORD Almighty will shield Jerusalem;
He will shield it and deliver it, He will pass over it and will rescue it. (Isa 31:5)

Creation of life, protection, birth and deliverance!