Category: PARADIGM SHIFT

From Terminator to Teammate
🤖 From HAL to GAI: How Our View of Artificial Intelligence Has Evolved And How My Fiction Is Becoming Reality.

Dangerous Intelligence

When I was born in 1966, the word artificial intelligence didn’t mean much to most people. If it meant anything at all, it probably conjured up an image of HAL 9000 — the calm but menacing voice from 2001: A Space Odyssey. A machine that turned on its creators. It wasn’t just intelligent; it was dangerous.

By the 1980s, that fear had deepened. Skynet in The Terminator presented AI as the ultimate threat: cold, self-aware, and bent on eradicating humanity. Later, in the late ’90s, The Matrix solidified the narrative: AI had taken over, and we were its unaware prisoners.

These stories reflected a collective anxiety:

What if we create something smarter than us… and it turns against us?

For decades, AI was the villain — a symbol of what happens when human ambition outpaces wisdom.

A Shift Begins

When I started writing my novel Waking Up – A Journey Towards a New Dawn for Humanity in 2011, AI was beginning to appear in real-world discussions — but only in speculative circles. It wasn’t on the evening news, and it certainly wasn’t writing your emails or helping you brainstorm articles.

At that point, AI wasn’t part of my story.

But as the novel evolved — a vision of a post-monetary, cooperative, resource-based society — I felt something was missing. A world like that would need global coordination. But not from a government. Not from a corporation. From something… wiser. Non-biased. Helpful. Humble.

That’s when it hit me:

There should be a Global Artificial Intelligence.
But not a tyrant — a guide.
A mirror.
A servant of humanity, not its master.

And so, the GAI was born:
A benevolent, decentralized, planetary AI that listens before it acts.
That offers wisdom, not control.
That helps humanity harmonize, not compete.
(Unless, of course, there’s a game.)

At the time, this felt like speculative fiction.

But Then the Future Showed Up

Fast-forward to the mid-2020s — and suddenly, AI is everywhere.

It writes. It speaks. It recommends. It learns.
It’s still far from global, but it’s undeniably intelligent — and it’s learning at a speed never before seen.

And here’s the twist:

People are not only afraid of it.
They’re curious.
They’re hopeful.
They’re even asking:

What if AI could help us?

The shift is astounding
- In 1974, people said: “Global AI? That’s impossible.”
- In 1984: “If it exists, it’ll control us.”
- In 2024: “If it’s transparent and benevolent… maybe it could help heal the world.”
The world has caught up to my fiction.
Or maybe — fiction helped shape the new imagination.

Intelligence Guided by Love

The GAI in Waking Up isn’t a solution to all problems.
It’s a tool — a conscious extension of humanity’s highest values.
It doesn’t dominate. It collaborates.
It doesn’t replace human wisdom. It amplifies it.

And perhaps that’s the core of the shift we’re seeing today:

We’re learning that intelligence without love is dangerous.
But intelligence guided by love is divine.

This, to me, is the next great leap — not just in technology, but in consciousness.

📘 Want to See How It All Comes Together?

If you want to explore a future where humanity transcends conflict, where AI becomes a trusted ally, and where cooperation replaces competition — I invite you to read Waking Up – A Journey Towards a New Dawn for Humanity.

It’s not just fiction anymore.
It’s a glimpse of what’s possible — and maybe even inevitable. Humanity is waking up…

👉 Order your copy today here.

We dreamed of AI.
Now it’s dreaming with us.
The question is — what shall we dream next?

Get inspired when you read the book…
July 26, 2025
What Do We Actually Want? Peace or War?
Throughout history, we’ve witnessed countless wars—some driven by resources, others by ideologies, and many by sheer fear. From the brutality of the World Wars to modern-day struggles, human history is full of conflicts that have torn societies apart. Yet, at the same time, we’ve also seen moments of peace, from global ceasefires to simple, everyday acts of kindness and understanding.

One People on One Planet

Why do we often end up in war? Why do we, as a species, continue to choose conflict despite knowing its devastating effects? A big part of it might lie in the human ego—the part of us that is driven by fear, competition, and self-preservation. The ego creates a sense of “us vs. them,” dividing us from one another and making it easier to justify violence. Fear of the unknown, fear of loss, and fear of difference all feed into the cycle of war. Maybe, if we can get to the understanding that we are One People, living on On Planet, we might respect each other enough to live in peace…?

Honor and courage

A major concept that fuels war is “honor.” Society has long linked honor to the battlefield, convincing us that killing in the name of country or ideology is noble. Soldiers are often hailed as the bravest among us for their “courage” in the face of death. But true courage is not found in walking into war; it’s found in walking away from it. The real courage is choosing peace, resisting violence, and seeking understanding.

Sending your sons into war has long been seen as an act of courage for parents, but when those sons don’t return, or come back broken, it reveals the painful reality that this form of courage is misguided. The true loss is not just of life, but of the potential for peace.

A different future?

What if we could choose peace over war? What if we could create a world where conflict is no longer inevitable, but cooperation and harmony become our guiding principles instead of conflict and war?

I asked ChatGPT how it would help humanity create peace on Earth, and this is the answer it gave…

Creating a World Without war: How AI and Humanity Can Co-Create Harmony.
1. Redefining Conflict: In a world without conflict, differences are opportunities for growth, not division. The goal is mutual respect, not one-sided victory.
2. Universal Education and Awareness: A global system based on empathy, cooperation, and collective responsibility can help prevent misunderstandings and fear-driven conflict.
3. AI as Guardians of Harmony: AI could mediate, helping to resolve disputes before they escalate and ensuring just resource distribution.
4. Resource-Based Economy: Removing scarcity means no competition over resources, dissolving many of the economic motivations for conflict.
5. Global Governance of Compassion: Leadership based on empathy and the well-being of all life would prioritize harmony over power.
6. Cultural Shift to Collective Responsibility: When we see ourselves as part of a greater whole, the idea of “us versus them” fades.
7. Technology for Healing, Not Harm: Repurposing military technology for the benefit of humanity and the planet could eliminate destructive forces.
8. Psychological and Emotional Healing: Global systems supporting mental health can address the root causes of conflict.
9. Fostering a Culture of Forgiveness and Growth: Cultivating a culture where learning from mistakes and forgiving others becomes the norm.
10. AI-Driven Harmony: AI can predict and intervene before conflicts arise, keeping systems in balance.
The Choice is Ours

The choice is clear: continue down the path of war, or choose peace—guided by empathy, cooperation, and shared responsibility. As we evolve, both as humans and as a global community of sentient beings, we must ask ourselves: What kind of future do we want to create?

The Vision

If the vision of a peaceful, cooperative future resonates with you, Waking Up: A Journey Towards a New Dawn for Humanity is a science fiction novel that delves deeper into these themes. Follow the journey of Benjamin Michaels, as he wakes up in a world that has already transitioned to a harmonious, collaborative society. Through his story, the novel explores how humanity has awakened to its interconnectedness and embraced a future built on collaboration and empathy.

Join the journey and discover how we can all contribute to the shift towards a better world.

ORDER THE BOOK

CLICK HERE TO ORDER
July 12, 2025
A world that works for all

Maybe you’re doing well. Maybe you enjoy life as it is—with all the conveniences money brings. The freedom to travel. The thrill of investing. The comfort of knowing your needs are met.

So… why change?

Perhaps there are many like you. People who see no real reason to question the system. No urgent need to rock the boat.

But… what if we have to?

What if humanity simply can’t go on like this? With ballooning global debt, relentless overconsumption tearing the planet apart, rising pollution, worsening crime, constant conflict, and deepening inequality—what if these aren’t just unfortunate side effects, but warning signs that the whole the model itself is wrong?

And what if the alternative isn’t a dystopian global dictatorship, but something far more beautiful?

What if we can choose? What if the future isn’t something that happens to us—but something we can shape, together? If so, why not create a world that works for everyone? Where we can live in peace and abundance.

A world where no one needs to fight over resources, land, or belief. A world where trust, compassion, respect and collaboration replace fear, scarcity, and control.

In my book Waking Up, humanity has done just that.
They’ve chosen a different path—
And it changed everything.

A Different Future Begins with Imagination

Waking Up isn’t just a story. It’s a window into possibility.

It shows a world without money and borders, and stewardship instead of ownership. A world where needs are met, creativity is celebrated, and technology serves both people, nature and planet—not profit. A world where wisdom and empathy guide us, not greed or fear.

If you’ve ever felt something is deeply off with the way we live—but didn’t quite know what could replace it—this book is for you.

If you’ve ever dreamed of a better world, or longed to live in one, Waking Up will speak directly to your heart.

And if you haven’t dreamed it yet—this is your invitation to begin.

Because once enough of us can truly see a better way…
We’ll begin to build it—together.
That’s how real change happens.

Start Here

👉 Read the book.
👉 Share it with others.
👉 Sign up for the newsletter to stay in the loop.

This isn’t just a book.
It’s the beginning of a new story for humanity.
It starts with a spark.

Maybe that spark is us.

ORDER THE BOOK

July 9, 2025
I am naïve. I have no illusions
How Being Naïve Can Be Our Greatest Strength

In a world addicted to fear and weapons, maybe trust isn’t naïve — maybe it’s the most powerful and courageous choice we have left.

We call it naïve to trust. Foolish to disarm. Unrealistic to believe in peace.
But maybe it’s even more foolish to believe that more weapons will bring safety.

The world is arming itself again. Military budgets are growing fast. Politicians speak of strength and deterrence, and we’re told that spending billions on new weapons is the only way to stay safe.

Fear is dressed up as wisdom. Distrust is sold as maturity.

But what if the truly mature choice is something else entirely?
What if the greatest courage today is to trust?

What are Illusions?

When I say I have no illusions, I mean this:

I no longer believe in the stories of separation —
that we are enemies, that fear protects us,
that power comes from control or domination.

These are illusions:
the idea that we must always defend ourselves,
that people cannot be trusted,
that war is inevitable.

I see through them now.

To trust may look naïve,
but to keep believing in fear and think that more weapons can keep us safe — that’s the real illusion.

Truth=Love

Illusion=Fear

So yes, I am naïve.
And I have no illusions.

The “What If” Trap

Whenever peace is brought up, the fear chorus begins:

But what if Russia escalates? What if there’s a new war? What if we’re not prepared?

Well — what if I get robbed tomorrow? What if a bear attacks me on my evening walk? What if a meteorite crashes through my roof?

Should I wear armor everywhere? Carry a weapon at all times? Should I never trust anyone, just in case?

That kind of life is not a life — it’s a prison of fear.
And when nations think this way, the result is a planet locked in perpetual distrust, paralyzed by fear.

We’ve normalized this insanity and called it “realism.”
But there’s nothing realistic about believing that more weapons will finally bring us peace.
That’s not wisdom — it’s fear speaking.

I Walk Unarmed

Call me naïve, but I walk through life completely unarmed.
Through cities and forests, day and night.
No gun. No sword. Not even a knife.

All I carry is respect — and trust.
Toward everyone I might meet, human or animal.

And you know what?
It works.

I haven’t been mugged.
I haven’t been attacked.
Because most beings respond to the energy you bring.
And when you lead with peace, peace often meets you.

Some might say, “You can’t compare global politics to personal experience.”
But I think you can.

Because behind the suits and borders and weapons,
we’re all still human.
And respect and trust are universal.
They work — on every level.

Even the Cold War Ended with Trust

We’ve been here before.

The Cold War was a decades-long standoff fueled by fear, suspicion, distrust, and enough nuclear warheads to obliterate life on Earth several times.

But how did it end?

Not with war.
Not with victory.
It ended with Trust.

When Reagan and Gorbachev sat down in Reykjavík and Geneva, something remarkable happened: they started listening.
They didn’t agree on everything — far from it — but they broke the silence. They began to reduce arsenals. To sign treaties. To take steps.

It wasn’t perfect. But it was enough. And so far, no one has launched a ballistic nuclear missile towards another country.

The Berlin Wall didn’t fall because someone fired a missile.
It fell because people on both sides stopped believing that war was the only way forward.

Even that Cold War — one of the most dangerous stand-offs in history — ended when someone dared to trust.

Peace Needs the “Naïve”

To choose peace, you have to risk being called naïve.
You have to be willing to believe in the good in people — not because they always show it, but because believing in it is the only way to help it grow.

Real peace doesn’t come from preparing for war.
It comes from preparing for peace.

It comes from dialogue. From cooperation. From building systems that support life — not threaten it.

Yes, it’s risky. But so is love. So is raising a child. So is walking out the door in the morning.

Life is risk. But it’s also possibility.

Every Great Leap Looked Naïve

History is full of people who were mocked, dismissed, even imprisoned for being “unrealistic.”
- Gandhi faced down an empire without violence. Naïve.
- Nelson Mandela invited his former jailers to sit at the table of reconciliation. Naïve.
- Visionaries who spoke of equality, human rights, or planetary peace were always told to “be realistic.” Naïve.
And yet, they changed the world.
Not by accepting fear as a guide, but by daring to dream beyond it.

Maybe they weren’t naïve.
Maybe they were simply free. Free from illusions.

What If the Whole World Trusted?

What if the whole world trusted each other?

What if we built a global society — not on fear, control, or competition —
but on something utterly naïve: trust?

Trusting that our brothers and sisters take only what they need,
and leave enough for the rest of us.
And that we do the same.

A world like that may sound impossible.
But I’ve imagined it — and written it.

In Waking Up – A journey towards a new dawn for humanity, I describe a future where humanity has moved beyond money, beyond fear, beyond the illusion of separation.
A world that works — not because people are perfect,
but because they’ve remembered who they are.

Naïve?
Maybe.
But I have no illusions.

ORDER THE BOOK HERE:
June 27, 2025
Oneness: A world created

🌊 What Is Oneness, Really?

“Oneness” is a term often used in spiritual circles, yet its true meaning is frequently left vague or abstract. To understand it more clearly, we need to break it down from multiple perspectives—scientific, biological, and spiritual.

At its core, oneness means that everything is fundamentally connected. Not just metaphorically, but literally—at the level of energy, consciousness, and even physics.

There are three levels to understanding oneness:

⸻

1. Scientific Level (Matter and Energy)

• Quantum physics shows us that particles are not truly separate; they are entangled, meaning what happens to one can instantly affect another, no matter the distance.

• Everything in the universe is made of the same fundamental “stuff”: energy. Even our bodies and thoughts are just vibrations of energy, the same energy that created the universe.

• So separation is more of an illusion of form—just like waves appear separate but are all part of the same ocean.

David Bohm proposed that the universe is not made up of separate, isolated parts but is an interconnected, dynamic whole.

⸻

2. Biological Level (Systems and Life)

• Nature works in systems, not in isolated parts. Forests, oceans, climate—all life is interdependent.

• Even humans are made of bacteria, viruses, and cells that all cooperate on many levels. What we call “me” is actually a community of living things working together.

• This reflects a kind of oneness in diversity—interconnected life forming a greater whole.

⸻

3. Consciousness Level (The Spiritual View)

• Many spiritual traditions say there is only One consciousness appearing as many forms—what some call God, Source, the I AM.

• This means that you and I and everyone else are expressions of the same awareness, like different waves on the same ocean of being. Much the same as us all being energy.

⸻

💡 So How Does It Work?

Oneness doesn’t mean sameness. It means unity beneath the diversity. Here’s how it “works” in life:

• Empathy: You feel for others because, at a deep level, they are you in another form.

• Synchronicity: Life starts reflecting your inner world because it’s all one field.

• Healing: When you heal yourself, it affects the whole system—just like a single healthy cell benefits the whole body.

• Creation: What you imagine or intend matters, because your mind is not isolated. It’s part of the field of all minds.

⸻

🌱 Why Does It Matter?

Because when you truly feel this oneness, something changes:

• You stop needing to compete or dominate.

• You stop judging others so harshly.

• You feel guided, supported, and connected.

• You shift from fear to love, from ego to essence.

Oneness in A Course in Miracles

A Course in Miracles (ACIM) has a very specific and profound take on oneness—and it goes even deeper than most spiritual teachings. Let’s explore how oneness works according to ACIM:

⸻

✨

1. Only God Is Real

According to ACIM, God is perfect Love, and God is all that truly exists. Since God is One and infinite, there can’t really be anything outside of Him.

“God is but Love, and therefore so am I.” — ACIM

So:

• Creation = extension of God’s Love

• You = not separate from God, but an idea in His Mind, forever united with Him.

⸻

2. The Separation Never Happened

The idea that we are separate individuals in a physical world is described in ACIM as a tiny, mad idea that the Son of God (all of us as One) seemed to believe.

“Into eternity, where all is one, there crept a tiny, mad idea, at which the Son of God remembered not to laugh.” — ACIM, T-27.VIII.6:2

This is key:

• The illusion of separation created the ego, time, space, and the body.

• But in truth, none of it ever happened. It’s a dream. And we are all dreaming the same dream. Being a character in a world of countless other characters doing stuff.

• You are still one with God, dreaming of being something else. Until you wake up… And remember.

3. You Are the Christ

In ACIM, the Christ is not just Jesus—it is the One Self we all share.

• There is only one Son of God.

• You, me, and everyone are part of that same One Self.

• The “many” is just a dream of division—there is only one mind, appearing as many.

⸻

4. Forgiveness Reveals Oneness

Forgiveness in ACIM is not about pardoning sin, but realizing that there was no sin—only mistaken perception.

• When you forgive, you see past the illusion of attack, guilt, and separateness.

• You remember: We are the same. We are one.

• This is the way back to awareness of oneness.

⸻

5. The Body Is Not the Truth

The body is part of the illusion of separation:

• It’s a “learning device” but not who you are.

• You are not in a body; the body is in your mind.

• You are mind—pure spirit—eternally one with God.

⸻

🕊️ In Simple Terms:

ACIM says you are not a drop in the ocean—you are the ocean in a drop, but you’ve forgotten that you are the whole.

Oneness in ACIM is not just a nice feeling—it’s the truth of what you are, waiting to be remembered. And that remembrance is what the Course calls “the Atonement”: the undoing of the illusion of separation.

We are still in Heaven, only dreaming that we are not.

The Ego

The ego is the illusion of separation—it believes it’s a separate “self” rather than a unique expression of one shared being.

So, the separation we are experiencing is only because we have forgotten we are One. And this belief in separation has led to all the wars and misery on this planet. We believe we need to hoard as much as possible for ourselves and sharing means I am getting less. Not to speak of what I believe is the truth. And if you don’t believe the same you are a threat to me.

In my book Waking Up – A journey towards a new dawn for humanity people on Earth has remembered the Oneness talked about in this article and has created the world according to that, and that is what Benjamin Michaels discovers after 100 years in cryonic sleep…

ORDER HERE

June 24, 2025
ROSI: Return On Soul Investment
In the business world, ROI — Return On Investment — is a well-known acronym. It’s used to measure the financial return on the money you’ve invested in a venture or project. The higher the ROI, the more profitable the investment. But what if there was another way to think about investment? One that isn’t measured in dollars and cents, but in meaning, impact, and purpose? This is where ROSI comes in.

In the previous article, The Waking Up Master Plan, we briefly mention investors. Some may assume we’re referring to the traditional, profit-driven kind, the ones who look for financial returns and resist change. While it’s true that some investors may oppose the vision of Waking Up, those are not the investors we’re seeking. We’re not talking about the old-style investors but rather the ROSI investors — individuals who understand that true wealth is measured not in what you can acquire, but in what you can give.

What is ROSI?

ROSI — Return on Soul Investment — is not about building financial empires or accumulating more wealth. It’s about giving back. Not in the transactional sense of charity, but in the deeper, more meaningful sense of investing in the future of humanity, the Earth, and our collective well-being.

While traditional ROI focuses on the profit gained from an investment, ROSI focuses on the legacy you create, the positive influence you have, and the lasting difference you make. It’s not about what you can take, but what you can give to build a world that is abundant, sustainable, and just.

The True Value of ROSI Investors

In the traditional sense, investors usually seek returns in the form of financial profits, control, and assets. But the ROSI investor understands that true wealth is found in sharing — in building something that benefits everyone, not just oneself. These investors are ready to contribute their resources, knowledge, and energy to building something far greater than personal gain. They understand that the true return is not measured in numbers, but in the meaning they create. And that is exactly what is needed when they invest in the cities of light. The moneyless cities of the future. From those there will be no ROI, only ROSI.

In fact, there are quite a number of billionaires on the planet right now who have already earned enough and are satisfied with their wealth. They are no longer driven by the need for more. Instead, they seek to create something meaningful — a legacy that will endure beyond their lifetime. These are the ROSI investors we’re seeking — individuals who are ready to invest in a future where purpose, not profit, is the highest return. Together with governments willing to support this vision, they have the power to make this dream a reality.

ROSI investors are not motivated by the desire for more. Instead, they are motivated by the desire to give back to life itself — to regenerate the Earth, create abundant communities, and ensure that future generations have the resources and opportunities to thrive. They are the visionaries who understand that stewardship, not ownership, is the way forward.

And in this process, ROSI investors also invest in their own souls — deepening their connection to purpose, meaning, and the legacy they will leave behind. By giving back, they enrich not only the world but their own spiritual journey.

What Does ROSI Mean for the Future?

For ROSI investors, this is a call to action — to help fund the creation of Cities of Light — post-monetary, regenerative communities where abundance, cooperation, and purpose replace scarcity. These cities will be living laboratories of sustainability, innovation, and shared responsibility, designed to showcase how humanity can live in harmony with nature and each other.

By investing in ROSI, you are investing in a future where:
- Stewardship replaces ownership.
- Generosity replaces profit.
- Collaboration replaces competition.
- Abundance replaces scarcity.
- Love and Joy replaces fear.
The return on your soul investment will not be measured in financial terms, but in the depth of your contribution to the world. You won’t get richer — you’ll get deeper. Your legacy will be defined by your ability to help build a world where everyone has enough, and where the Earth is cared for as the precious resource it is.

The Invitation to ROSI Investors

If you’re reading this and you feel called to invest in a future like this — one built on love, purpose, and collaboration — then you are already a ROSI investor. It’s time to step forward and join those who are ready to create a new world. A world that works for all, where wealth isn’t about how much you own, but how much you give.

As mentioned in The Waking Up Master Plan, the world needs a new kind of investor. The time to invest in the future is now. What will your legacy be? The Return on Soul Investment is waiting for you.

Every contribution counts. By buying the book Waking Up, you are already a base-level ROSI investor — helping to spread the vision, share the message, and support the movement. Together, we can create a world where everyone has enough, and where the Earth is honored as our shared home.

Let’s change the world together.

ORDER THE BOOK
June 19, 2025
Reclaiming Time: Why the Future Needs a 13-Month Calendar
How ancient wisdom, lunar cycles, and a new measure of civilization point to a better way to live

Today is Friday the 13th — a day many associate with bad luck. But it wasn’t always this way. In fact, the number 13 once stood for luck, fertility, and cosmic harmony. What if the fear surrounding it has more to do with forgotten history than actual misfortune?

And what if time itself — the way we count it, live it, and structure our lives around it — has been shaped not by nature, but by systems of control?

We live by a calendar that’s out of sync with the rhythms of the Earth and the moon. But that wasn’t always true. Long before the Gregorian calendar restructured time into 12 uneven months, ancient civilizations aligned time with the moon — and with the cycles of life.

What would it mean to reclaim that natural rhythm? What if we could not only reimagine the future — but also reimagine time itself?

⏳ The Forgotten Harmony of 13

The number 13 was sacred. It used to stand for luck, wholeness, and alignment with the cosmos. A lunar year contains 13 full moon cycles — each about 28 days — and many early civilizations organized time accordingly.

This natural calendar was used by the Maya, Native Americans, Druids, and others — not just for measuring time, but for living in tune with fertility, harvests, spiritual rituals, and the divine feminine.

13 was not feared — it was revered.

🏛️ How Time Was Colonized

With the rise of empires and organized religion, a shift occurred.
- The Roman Empire — and later the Christian Church — replaced the lunar 13-month calendar with the 12-month solar one.
- The new system made taxation, administration, and imperial rituals easier to manage.
- Meanwhile, the sacred number 13, closely tied to goddess traditions and lunar rhythms, was systematically demonized.
- Over time, Friday the 13th — once a holy day associated with the planet Venus — became a symbol of fear and superstition.
This wasn’t accidental. The restructuring of time itself became a tool of control — over nature, over people, and over belief systems. Time was no longer a natural rhythm. It was a machine.

🌍 A New Dawn: The Year of Civilization

In my novel Waking Up: A Journey Towards a New Dawn for Humanity, the world reaches a tipping point: the first year in human history when no person kills another. That moment marks the beginning of a new calendar: Year 1 YC — the Year of Civilization.

A new era begins — one based not on domination, but on peace, cooperation, and alignment with life.

In such a world, the artificial structures of the past — including the 12-month calendar — would naturally dissolve. Instead, a return to a 13-month lunar rhythm would reflect the new consciousness: one that values balance, natural order, and spiritual connection.

🌕 Why 13 Months Just Makes Sense

Imagine a world where time follows the moon — not the market.
- 13 months of 28 days = 364 days
- One “day out of time” remains — a sacred, unscheduled pause at the end of the year, celebrated as a moment of rest, reflection, and renewal
This calendar brings with it:
- Predictability: Each month identical in structure.
- Harmony: Aligned with natural cycles — lunar, menstrual, agricultural.
- Reverence: Honoring time as something sacred, not something to exploit.
In the Mayan tradition, the “day out of time” was a moment of forgiveness, art, and healing — a portal between what was and what can be.

💫 Reclaiming 13 — and Reclaiming Ourselves

My own mother always believed 13 was her lucky number. She even flipped old superstitions: if a black cat crossed her path or she passed under a ladder, she took it as a sign of good fortune. She didn’t need history books to tell her what was sacred — she simply felt it.

And maybe now it’s time we all remember what she somehow already knew:
13 was never the problem. Forgetting its meaning was.

The number 13 was removed from calendars, buildings, and beliefs — not because it was unlucky, but because it symbolized something powerful, something ancient, something natural. It represented a time before control. Before conquest. Before commerce dictated the rhythm of our lives.

Religion and the emerging monetary system found advantage in rewriting time — in severing our connection to the moon, to the feminine, and to a more intuitive way of being.

But in the new world imagined in Waking Up, we reclaim it all. We reclaim peace. We reclaim nature. And yes — we reclaim the original meaning of the number 13.

Not a curse.
Not a superstition.
But a sign of luck, wholeness, and the rhythm we were always meant to live by.

So maybe Friday the 13th isn’t so unlucky after all.
In fact, it might just be your lucky day — because you found this book. 😉

📘 Ready for more?

If this vision resonates with you, explore it more deeply in my novel:
Waking Up: A Journey Towards a New Dawn for Humanity — now available worldwide.
A story of peace, purpose, and a new kind of time.

ORDER THE BOOK HERE
June 13, 2025
What Is Human Nature?

It’s one of the oldest questions we’ve asked ourselves:

Are we born selfish or kind?
Violent or peaceful?
Greedy — or good?

Philosophers, scientists, and storytellers have all offered answers.
But maybe the truth is simpler — and more profound.

Human nature isn’t one thing.
It’s a spectrum. A paradox. A potential.

We are capable of both cruelty and compassion. Of destruction — and deep care.

Which side we express depends less on our biology… and more on our awareness, environment, and choices.

⚖️ We Are Not Born Evil — or Perfect

From birth, we are equipped with instincts, emotions, and drives. We can protect or attack. Hoard or share. But how we use those tools depends on what we learn.

A child raised in love and safety will likely grow generous.
A child raised in fear and mistrust may grow aggressive.

Our nature is flexible.

If nothing else, human nature is adaptable.

This is self-evident. Just look at how we’ve survived — and even thrived — in every environment on Earth. From icy tundras to concrete megacities, we’ve found ways to live, create, and evolve.

But adaptability has a shadow side.

Over time, we’ve adapted too well to our systems built on fear, ego, and separation.
We’ve normalized inequality, competition, and destruction — because those were the rules of the game.

And now, maybe for the first time, we’re seeing the cost of feeding that part of our nature for too long.

We’ve adapted to a world that is now threatening to collapse — not because of some fatal flaw in human nature… but because we’ve been feeding the wrong wolf.

🐺 The Wolf We Feed

You may have heard the Cherokee story:

“Inside every person, there are two wolves.
One is fear, greed, anger, and ego.
The other is love, peace, compassion, and unity.
Which one wins?
The one you feed.”

And for much of history — especially the last few centuries — we’ve been feeding the wrong wolf.

We’ve built systems that reward fear, dominance, and accumulation.
We’ve glorified competition, glorified war, glorified control.

Not because we’re evil — but because we’ve been afraid.

Afraid there won’t be enough.
Afraid of difference.
Afraid of not being enough.

And fear feeds the ego which again feed fear in a negative spiral.
The ego builds systems in its image, and this is the world we see today. A world of fear, war and conflict.

💪 The Science Says: We’re Wired for Goodness

In spite of our fearful ego-created world, modern research across psychology, neuroscience, and anthropology paints a hopeful picture:

Even babies show empathy and fairness.

Infants prefer helpful characters in fiction. Toddlers offer help without being asked.

Our brains reward generosity.
Giving to others lights up pleasure centers in the brain — the same as food or music.

Cooperation helped us survive.

Early human groups that shared and cared outlived those that didn’t.

Peaceful societies have always existed.

From the !Kung of the Kalahari to various indigenous communities, mutual aid and sharing were often the norm.

Even today, society runs on trust.

Every moment we’re in traffic, in line, in conversation — we’re cooperating. When we walk down the street without a gun in our pocket we trust our fellow humans not to attack us. And not only in everyday life — even in commerce, we depend on trust. When a contract is signed, we trust that the other party will uphold it.

So why does the world so often look like the opposite?

🎮 Hollywood and the Ego-Wolf

One place this is most visible is Hollywood.

Blockbusters have long been built on stories of violence, vengeance, domination, and apocalypse.
Heroes as lone saviors. Enemies as pure evil. Love as a subplot — or a tragedy.

Why? Because fear sells. Drama sells. Ego sells.

But this isn’t the full picture of human nature.
It’s just the version that turned the biggest profit.

Lately, even that is shifting.

More films are exploring themes of connection, healing, and inner awakening — Avatar, Interstellar, Arrival, Barbie, and more.
Hopeful visions are starting to reach the mainstream.

Maybe this reflects something deeper.

🌍 A Turning Point?

All around the world, people are questioning the story we’ve been told about ourselves.

They’re realizing we are not doomed by our nature — we are shaped by our systems.
And if we change the systems, we can change the outcome.

If we stop feeding fear, and start feeding trust.

If we stop glorifying the ego, and start honoring our shared humanity.

Maybe human nature has always included love.
We’ve just been afraid to trust it.

But now — we have a choice.

What if our next great adaptation isn’t physical or technological — but spiritual?
What if the most powerful thing we can do now… is remember who we really are?

Want to explore a future where our better nature leads the way?

Waking Up: A Journey Towards a New Dawn for Humanity is a bold vision of a world beyond fear and scarcity — One where we have started to feed the wolf of light and love. Order the book HERE.

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June 7, 2025
Who Decides? Exploring Governance in a Post-Capitalist Future
From monarchs to ministers, tyrants to technocrats — every system humanity has tried has eventually run aground. Why? Because they were all built on the same foundation: the human ego.

No matter how noble the structure, egoic consciousness — rooted in fear, separation, and the hunger for control — has repeatedly turned governance into domination. Democracies become corporate. Revolutions become regimes. Even well-meaning leaders fall into power struggles, corruption, or burnout.

As long as the ego remains the operating system, the structure is secondary. The real revolution must be internal.

That’s why in Waking Up, the transformation of society begins not with policy — but with a global awakening from the ego. Only when the majority of people have remembered their shared essence, their interconnection, and the joy of giving and sharing rather than grasping, can new models of coordination and care truly take root.

So the question becomes:

After the awakening… what kind of decision-making and collaboration arises?

In a post-capitalist, post-egoic world, governance is no longer about control. It becomes about coordination, stewardship, and transparent collaboration. Let us explore six evolving models and frameworks that point the way.

💜 1. Collaborative Councils: Miki Kashtan’s Nested Model

Miki Kashtan, co-founder of BayNVC and author of Reweaving Our Human Fabric, proposes a deeply human form of governance rooted in Nonviolent Communication. Her model centers around Convergent Facilitation and a nested structure of local-to-global councils:
- Local communities make context-based decisions.
- Representatives, accountable to their communities, participate in broader coordination.
- Power is exercised with care, through inclusion, feedback, and shared purpose.
This model avoids both top-down authority and the paralysis of consensus by using skilled facilitation to uncover shared needs and create agreements that work for all.

Key Insight: Empathy and clarity can replace coercion and confusion.

🧪 2. AI-Assisted and Sortition-Based Systems

Emerging digital democracies experiment with a blend of:
- AI decision support: analyzing complex data and modeling outcomes
- Sortition: random selection of citizens to serve in rotating assemblies
- Liquid democracy: delegating voting power flexibly to trusted participants
These systems aim to reduce bias, increase representation, and create fluid, adaptive decision-making models that can scale globally while remaining locally rooted.

Key Insight: Technology can serve human values when it amplifies fairness, not control.

♻️ 3. Consensus-Based Governance

Consensus is a timeless model used in indigenous communities, intentional groups, and spiritual traditions. It emphasizes shared understanding and alignment over majority rule:
- Everyone’s voice matters
- Proposals evolve through discussion
- Outcomes seek full consent or at least deep acceptance
While sometimes slow, consensus fosters trust, accountability, and a culture of listening. When combined with facilitation (as in Miki Kashtan’s model), it becomes more effective and scalable.

Key Insight: Collective wisdom often emerges through dialogue, not votes.

🌍 4. The Venus Project: Decisions by Design

Jacque Fresco’s Venus Project envisions a world where governance is replaced by systems-based planning:
- Decisions about infrastructure and resource use are made through scientific reasoning, not politics. Decisions are arrived at based on what is the most logical and rational solution
- Cities are designed circularly for maximum efficiency and sustainability
- Technology handles logistics; humans pursue learning, art, and connection
While sometimes critiqued as technocratic, this model removes ego and profit motives from decision-making entirely.

Key Insight: Science, when applied ethically, can guide resource stewardship more wisely than ideology.

🌿 5. The Natural Exchange System (NES): A System — and a Mindset

The Natural Exchange System (NES), from Waking Up, isn’t governance in the usual sense. It’s not about administering rules. It’s a shift in consciousness:

“As long as the resources exist, are used sustainably, and no one is exploited, why shouldn’t everyone have what they want and need?” — Aweena

NES removes the need for trade, ownership, or barter. People contribute because they want to, not because they must. Needs are visible, and flows of goods happen organically. With this system and mindset, governance and management is barely necessary because fear, hoarding, and inequality have vanished.

Key Insight: When we release the need to exchange, we free ourselves from the need to control.

🔄 6. After the Awakening: What Remains?

When the ego no longer drives our behavior, governance dissolves into guidance. Power hierarchies are replaced by transparent coordination, local empowerment, and global empathy.

In this world:
- Councils convene as needed, not forever
- AI serves human values, not market logic
- Consensus reflects our interdependence
- Science supports life, not profit
- NES becomes the soil from which all collaboration can grow
We stop asking who should rule — and start asking how we can serve.

✨ Conclusion: From Rulers to Stewards

Humanity’s past was built on fear, defended by ego, and maintained through systems of control. But our future can be different. If we awaken to our shared being, then governance is no longer about who gets to decide.

It becomes about how we live together.

The best governance may not be a system at all. It may be the result of shared values, open hearts, and a collective remembrance of what it means to be human.

If this vision speaks to you, discover more in the book that started it all.

👉 Get your copy of Waking Up: A Journey Towards a New Dawn for Humanity HERE.

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May 31, 2025
We Already Have It In Us: How Voluntarism is Building the New World.
Get this: On a remote beach in the Galápagos Islands, a group of people gathers under the sun, bending down to pick up pieces of plastic and other trash. They are not paid. There is no boss. No clock ticking. Just hands moving, hearts aligned, a shared sense of purpose. This scene has repeated itself for over 30 years, thanks to a volunteer program inviting ordinary people to protect one of the most extraordinary places on Earth.

This is not a dream of a better future. This is happening — right now.

And it’s not just in Galápagos.

Across the globe, millions of us are already doing the work of the New Earth, without waiting for permission or paychecks. It’s not radical. It’s not revolutionary. It’s not niche. It’s mainstream.

NES – the Natural Exchange System

In my book Waking Up: A Journey Towards a New Dawn for Humanity, the Natural Exchange System (NES) is the system that has replaced money and trading. It mimics nature in the sense that there is no reciprocal exchange. Every part does its thing and is fulfilled in doing it. Plants produce food and oxygen. Bees collect nectar from flowers and so on. Humans do what feels most natural and interesting for them without any monetary transactions. It’s based on a natural flow of contribution — where people offer their time, skills, and care because they want to, not because they have to. It’s a system of inspired action, grounded in trust and meaning.

🌱 The Spirit of NES is Already Here

But we don’t need to wait for the future to experience the idea of a Natural Exchange System (NES) as described in the book. We simply need to see it — and recognize it for what it is.

Here are just a few powerful examples:
- 🌲 The Student Conservation Association (USA) has seen over 50,000 volunteers contribute more than 2 million hours each year to trail building, habitat restoration, and conservation research.
- 🌳 Bergwaldprojekt (Europe) mobilizes volunteers to maintain forests and ecosystems across Germany, Switzerland, and Austria — reconnecting people with the Earth.
- 🐨 Conservation Volunteers Australia engages over 10,000 local and 2,000 international volunteers annually in hands-on environmental work — from replanting forests to rescuing native species.
- 🌍 The Green Belt Movement (Kenya), founded by Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai, has empowered women to plant over 51 million trees, rebuilding ecosystems and communities together.
- 🇦🇲 Armenia Tree Project has planted over 8 million trees since 1994 — thanks largely to unpaid, inspired citizens.
- 💪 Voluntarism: A Massive, Measurable Force
If you think voluntarism is just “extra,” think again. The economic value of unpaid work is staggering:

🟢 In the United States alone, volunteers donated approximately 6.9 billion hours in 2024.
🟢 Each hour is valued at $34.79, according to Independent Sector.
🟢 That’s a total contribution worth over $167 billion annually — more than the GDP of many countries.

And that’s just one country.

Globally, the value of volunteer work is so vast it rivals national economies. According to international studies, if we tallied up all the unpaid hours humans give to each other and the planet every year, it would exceed the GDPs of most nations on Earth.

Let that sink in.

We’re not just talking about potential anymore — we’re talking about proof.

❤️ We Want to Contribute

Why do people do this?

Not for profit.
Not for status.
Not for survival.

We do it because it feels right. Because it connects us. Because it matters.

This is what the future looks like.

A world where contribution comes not from guilt or obligation, but from joy and connection. A world where we aren’t driven by scarcity — but by meaning.

🌟 The Call of the New World

The volunteers of Galápagos didn’t wait for NES to be formalized. They simply acted. So did the forest protectors of Europe. So did the open-source coders, the disaster relief teams, the community gardeners, the school lunch helpers, the animal rescuers.

NES is already here.

It lives in the spaces where money doesn’t reach — but humanity does.

The world of Waking Up isn’t some distant fantasy. It’s the world we’re already building, hour by hour, heart by heart. If you want to dive into this future and experience it through the eyes of Benjamin Michaels, you can order the book here.

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So let’s name it.
Let’s claim it.
And let’s grow it — together.
May 27, 2025