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How Individualism Is Hurting Us

I have been thinking about how some Canadians behave in a manner that I consider abhorrent. This is because they are very individualistic in nature. Even some of the people who have decided to work or live in Canada and who were originally from holistic societies become individualistic in the long run. That’s an example of taking the path of least resistance, which is the theme of the cartoon movie Wall-E.

According to Rob Whitley’s article, “Is an Increase in Individualism Damaging Our Mental Health” individualism causes issues like divorce, loneliness, low self esteem, depression, PTSD and suicide. The author points out that social media is also the cause of alienation and relevant issues like depression and loneliness. He further asserts that individualism is causing people to define success and failure as personal attribute—these I think have a lot to do with society since emotional support is the key to improving performance. Once I posted an article about the Rich Poor Gap on Twitter while discussing how this is hurting our chances of survival. Pretty soon, a user replied back saying that there are so many positive stories out there and that I need to focus on these instead. I started laughing when I read her comment because I have observed many dedicated and skilled individuals who are stuck in the cycle of poverty. She made me sound like an idiot by hinting that there is something wrong with me because I am not focusing on the positive—know that this kind of sentiment works well only through cold methods of communication such as social media.

I believe that Individualism makes you assume things. More you focus on the positive stories only because doing so makes you feel stronger and confident, more you are going to assume things about those who are not performing well. To break through Individualism and its harmful effects, you need to listen to the bad stories and see why they are being created in the first place. Once a Canadian class fellow of mine who did not knew me and who had zero idea about my background sat next to me; and, within a couple of minutes, he decided to mock me by calling me a racist. He did not even knew that racism is not taught in Islam; he did not knew that I write poetry to fight racism; since he likes assuming, he would never bother to find out that I have also attempted to confront a foreign writer who had racist views online. I had no idea what he was saying; and, so I ended up leaving his group permanently. So his rushed comments are symbolic of how rushed the Canadian environment really is. Owing to individualism, everyone here is hurrying; and, they are not thinking properly.

Individualism can drastically harm your emotional health through isolation, neglect, intimidation (you are on your own), sexual abuse (you have to find your own partner), financial abuse (survival of the fittest), and verbal abuse (when someone says something mean because he/she is in a hurry). My experience within the individualistic Canadian society has taught me that all of this is possible; and, it is very clear for me to see how this is happening since I am originally from a holistic (Pakistani) culture. For example, I am finding that communicating with Canadians is difficult inside the workplaces because they abuse people a lot here. According to World Population Review, suicide rate in America is 15.3, in Canada is 12.5, and in Pakistani is 2.9. Really?

Mental health issues are on the rise…suicides are more frequent in developed, individualistic countries. The close bond between families, friends and one’s local community…almost disappeared. Source: Our Individualistic Society is Causing Serious Mental Health Issues.

Thus, it is very obvious that individualism is harming all of us. However, a lot of us won’t pay attention to the fact that individualism is the reason why we are all dying to have a peaceful world. According to Andrew Orton’s article, “Interfaith Dialogue: Seven Key Questions for Theory, Policy, and Practice” interfaith dialogue requires that one must interact with individuals of different communities instead of just living next to each other without communicating properly (this phenomenon is called “parallel lives”). Interfaith dialogue plays a critical part in promoting world peace by forming more cohesive societies. According to Andrew Sobel’s article, “Eight Ways to Improve Your Empathy” your empathy improves as you expose yourself to new environments and allow yourself to be challenged. Obviously, individualism is doing the exact opposite! Most definitely, you cannot achieve world peace or great health just by attending meetups or hanging out with someone who has individualistic values.

Copyright © by Arzoo Zaheer. All Rights Reserved.

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My Attachment To Sociology Taught Me How Crushes And Love Work

When I was studying at University of Toronto, I experienced strong psychological need to learn as much as possible. My need was so massive that I could not focus on one particular program. I started out with a Major in Biological Sciences. After one year of studies, I realized that I was simply not performing the way I had expected myself to perform. Thus, my marks were lower than I expected. Anyways, I went home and thought and thought about how to solve this issue. I started reviewing what I studied in my high school and realized why I was enjoying myself a lot in school; this was because I was studying multiple subjects in high school instead of focusing on one particular type of course. So for my second year, I chose wisely. I added more courses including English, Mathematics, Philosophy, Chemistry, and Linguistics. Pretty soon, my mood and marks both improved dramatically.

While I was going through this amazing change, I actually enrolled in a Sociology course as well. I was very excited about studying this course. But within a couple of days, I got super-bored. The thoughts that kept bugging me were that I was learning from a White professor and studying inside a university that had mostly White teachers and a racist environment—there were some good guys and gals though. I felt neglected and clearly realized that I could not learn because I could not trust the teaching environment. I kept asking myself that given all this, why am I studying Sociology, which is the study of how society develops and functions. I kept this thought at the back of my mind while I went to the classroom. But soon enough, the most obvious happened! I ended up leaving the class permanently and never came back.

Over years, my crush on Sociology intensified; so I kept some books related to Sociology and other relevant subjects like Communication and Criminology in my library. In addition, I met Sociologist Dr. Craig Considine and also purchased one of his books, “Muslims in America, Examining The Facts”. Before I proceed, I must comment that my meeting with Dr. Craig was a very blessed and destined event since it was preceded by an extremely beautiful and vivid precognitive lucid dream—occurred several months before we met—during which one’s guardian angels visit.

During my spare time, which is rare to have, I was able to learn a bit of this particular subject. I felt very absorbed in learning whenever I would open a book, which is how I realized that I was always in love with this subject and just happened to realize it late.

And, drum rolls….

And…

This is how I learned how crushes and love worked. I mean if your crush or loved one is not paying you appropriate attention, then what is the point of going through all this.

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Copyright © by Arzoo Zaheer. All Rights Reserved.

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I Wonder What My Babies Are Going To Be Like!

I wonder what my babies are going to be like! I think about this whenever I touch my tummy. I am not married yet; but, I strongly feel that I will have a husband and kids. I can sometimes almost hear them! I have always felt them around me! I am writing this note here for my kids to see. I learned this strategy from another mom who wrote a diary for her baby. When my babies will grow old enough, I will show them this note.

I wonder if my babies will travel through time like their mother. I would teach them how to do this. They will have my genes so this task should be easy for them!

I wonder if they will be lucid dreamers and telepathic like me. I hope and pray that these abilities are passed to all of them.

I wonder if they would do something interesting that historians would like to jot down.

I wonder if they will dance and sing like I do

I wonder what kind of friends they would make; and, I know they will run away from bad people because I will teach them how to do this properly.

I wonder what they will study

I wonder which country they would choose to live in

I wonder if they would become travellers like some of my elders

I wonder if they would get attracted to Human Rights and Arts like I did

I wonder which religion they will choose

I wonder, I wonder, I wonder

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Copyright © by Arzoo Zaheer. All Rights Reserved.

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Daydreaming About Someone You Love Creates Stunning Lucid Dreams

I daydream often because it ties into my creativity and helps me sleep well. Read “I Daydream Often”.  Yesterday, I daydreamt about a relative of mine who is very close to me. He is very loving, forgiving, and creative in nature. I have always felt so close to him that I actually created a character for my novel “Koh Kaaf” while thinking about him (blog post 1, blog post 2). This character, Alessio, is a very strong jinn who possesses the most precious magical objects in the Kingdom of Koh Kaaf. So yesterday, I recorded a small audio that will form a critical part of the plot. I daydreamt about this character and my relative; and, as I did so, I strongly felt my relative’s spirit particles dancing and mixing into this character—I have strong stereodepth and lucid dreaming vision that lets me visualize things like this.

Next day, I had a crazy precognitive dream, which had five meanings attached to it. I was in a car which this relative of mine was driving. I could not see myself but only feel myself. The car was on long curved highway. The highway rolled on both sides and there were two lanes in each road; there was an insignificant separation between these; and, there was some greenery on one side. My friend drove fast as the car cruised around this snaky road. I love going around in curves! The highway was designed in a way that permitted vehicles to go around the contours  pretty fast. First I thought we were just going around a curve but this shape continued for a while, which is how I realized that this was not a bend but a lengthy twisted highway. Just once, the car moved at such a high speed that we almost ended up on the opposite road; but, when that happened my vision blurred and I slowly saw us going back into the right lane. I was resting somewhere, perhaps I was in the front or back seat; I could not see myself but I could fully sense myself. My friend told me that we were about to park. We were in a place where there were some historic buildings that were made from stones—I did not see stones clearly but I have always associated historic places with “buildings made out of stones”. I did not receive a clear sense of the function of these buildings! As I gazed outside, I saw stunning buildings, some daylight, one guy on a bicycle, and lots of greenery. My friend asks me to help him park. So I put my hand on the gear, and put it in Reverse. Then he asked me to help move the car forward; so I put the gear in Drive mode. As he parked the car, I could see another car in the front and how exactly our car’s tires moved more tightly while we reversed for the last time. This felt like getting a driving lesson!

This dream had five meanings.

  • First, it shows a training ground where I learned driving; for example, the dream showed that if ones goes too fast on curved streets, then one’s car might go off the track.
  • Second meaning is much deeper. I actually went out with my family a couple of hours after I received this dream. The restaurant we visited was supposed to be a surprise so I was not told where we were going till the last minute. The roads were very curved exactly as I envisioned my dream.
  • Third meaning is very significant. The sibling I dreamt of being with was not with us on this trip. He was not with me and I was not with him! This is why I dreamt, “I could not see myself but only feel myself” with him. Sometimes things and people in a dream can get displaced in order to convey a vital meaning.
  • We went to Les Grillades, which is at Colonnade Road. Only 10 minutes away from here is the Billing Estate National Historic Site, which is an ancient heritage museum. My soul has superior function because it allows me to scan very large areas—I can see things that will take place in America while sleeping in Canada. Yes! it is most definitely true that your soul moves away from your body while you sleep. It is interesting to note that only your eyes move during dreaming, which is how I believe the soul conveys information to the brain.
  • Fifth meaning is very intriguing. During my lucid encounter, “I did not receive a clear sense of the function of these buildings”. This is because the area I visualized during my dream is a hybrid area. In this part of the Dreamscape, both the restaurant and Billing Estate National Historic Site are blended together, which is something that does not really exist. This happened because it should take only around 10 minutes to travel from one site to another.

Did you notice that daydreaming about my favorite person easily triggered a complicated lucid dream? According to article “Daydreaming might actually be a good thing — here’s why” those who daydream have faster brains, better working memory, and increased creativity and focus.

I bet you would like to engage in this act for sure now!

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Copyright © by Arzoo Zaheer. All Rights Reserved.

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Teach Girls To Protect Each Other At An Early Age

When I was a teenager, God put me through a scary trial. We lived in a small village in Pakistan. It was usual for us to get chased by a large mob of young men when we would go to study tuition. We tried solving this together by staying close to each other; identifying how the mob used to form and who were the participants; and, then finally complaining to one of our teachers in a group setting. My participation in this process was limited to listening to the teacher; never walking without my group; and, making sure that the ladies made sure to change their route. He advised us to always change our route.

We tried this a couple of times and the mob stopped. Perhaps, he talked to the boys and their parents too because apparently some of these young men were also students. Anyways, this situation proved very frustrating for us. I clearly remember that a young sweet lady later got very angry when another man chased us on his bicycle. She was my friend and from my group so I knew her character. What she did next did not make any sense to me. She took her slipper off and threw it at that man’s face. When I grew older, I researched what happened to her and realized that her character shifted due to the abuse we were being put through; and, thus she became a bit violent. Well! This little bit of violence is not a big deal given that we also used to get stared by mobs of young men who used to climb the walls of our academic institute. So stressful! So this is how I completed some of my studies in Pakistan.

Anyways, when I grew older and felt that I could handle some added responsibility, I started working on “Forgotten Femmes“. Over time, I realized that I was able to react more strongly to women’s needs because I learned to do this while I was just a teenager. This is why I feel that we should teach our girls how to protect each other when they are younger; it makes sense to me that they should be offered proper and mandatory training when they enter their teenage years. They will always end up using these skills later in life!

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Copyright © by Arzoo Zaheer. All Rights Reserved.

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Telepathic Signal From My Niece: Conquering The Waters

I have a 1 year old niece who has felt super-smart to me even when she was in her mother’s womb. I have felt her many times while she was unborn by touching her mother’s tummy. On several occasions, I have dreamt about her. Before she was born, I actually dreamt that my sibling was holding a new baby. The delivery went well; and, Myah was born.

Myah is very beautiful and super-attractive just like me. Just like me, its not her looks that are superior but there is something mysterious about this kid that takes over the other person whenever she interacts. Just like me, her best feature are her eyes, which become very alluring whenever she is looking at someone she loves. Not to forget, she has a distinct music surrounding her body and soul, which seems very hypnotic to me.

Some months ago, I had an interesting dream about baby Myah. Her mom was wandering near a large water body, which reminded me of a sea. Myah and her mom went inside this water body. Then there was this huge light that came from the bosom of the sea, which I strongly felt was coming from Myah herself. The light shone and lit everything to the extent that for several moments I could not see anything. Then, Myah and her mom came out of the water alive.

I was very puzzled about this dream. I think I found the answer just a couple of months ago when my sibling told me that Myah had learned some swimming and that she will continue to learn.

This is great news! I think Myah is special like me. She has been sending me signals even when she was not born and these signals continue even when she is living some hours away from me.

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Photo by Tomáš Malík on Pexels.com

Copyright © by Arzoo Zaheer. All Rights Reserved.

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Why I Find Children Really Adorable

Connecting with children is such a big treat! I have four siblings; and, I used to really take care of them when they really needed me. I used to iron their clothes; dress them; carry them around when they were too young; play games with them; feed them; and even help them finish their homework. I started taking care of my siblings at an early age; and, it was easy for me to do so for some reason. My mother said that I even taught my siblings how to feed themselves or how to properly potty train when I was just a kid. I still remember that I was really that responsible even when I was a teenager; I still recall that it was easy for me to do all this and then also complete my studies; and, I definitely recollect that I liked doing all this extra work although I had lots of help from my elders whenever I needed it.

Now that I am pretty much grown up, I sometimes get dreams of children and of my past. My favorite dreams are when I am taking care of the youngest sibling who is obviously more loved than the rest. Sometimes, I might be dreaming of another baby when I mistake him/her as my youngest sibling.

Today, I had an interesting dream. I think I saw my youngest sibling; he was just a toddler or perhaps a bit beyond that age. He was busy poking at things at my parent’s place. Another sibling was sitting on the computer and reading something. So when the child got near him, he had to ignore him so that he may continue his readings. The child felt this and minded this lack of attention. He then started roaming around in the house feeling a little distraught. This is when he found me. I picked him up and started moving from one room to another. We finally got to the TV Lounge that was well-lit and more decorated than the rest. There were a couple of sofas and a large TV. There was also a small couch on which someone had placed some sort of pillow; covered it with something made out of something that’s similar to straw; and, then placed two vases filled with water on this. The child accidentally touched this arrangement; and, everything fell apart. He stared crying because he felt worried about what he had done. I hugged and comforted him; and, then I picked everything up and rearranged it properly.

Guess what happened next?

When he was sitting in my lap, he looked at me and said, “You are so nice. I won’t ever forget that you helped me like this.”

I started laughing because I did not expect him to note all this to this extent. It is a fact that children can feel things at a different level. If you are doing small tasks for them, which you might be interpreting as rather easy, they still notice and appreciate this gesture.

Children are so innocent. When I grew older, I found lots of fake friends and some genuine friends—I have always made sure to remove all false friends from my circle. This is why I think back to how children deserve more attention since they have not yet learned how to lie, cheat, or deceive.

Copyright © by Arzoo Zaheer. All Rights Reserved.

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My Instincts Say “Nay”

By: Arzoo Zaheer a.k.a. Dot a.k.a. Fractal

Unknowingly, unwontedly, I stumbled upon a mighty foe
A bastard child of sheer ignorance and hatred, ye know
A monster that ruthlessly tears the frail fabric of the society
Fed lovingly by the mainstream media, prejudices, and false notoriety
An ideology lovingly propagated by popular culture of some
A chameleon that deceptively changes colors to become
A deceptive snake writing within naïve hearts and minds
A deceptive snake writhing within naïve hearts and minds

They boast that they are magically superior somehow
Race, culture, ethnicity, technology, and wealth, oh wow!
Their list of useless reasons just continues and is expanded upon
Implicitly and explicitly in attitude, lingo, education, and tone
A social construct it is, falsely believed to be a scientific one
A construct that brutally silences the meek and weak, my hun
Encouraging the feeble-minded to hostility and “sleep”
A different sort of a psychopath that regularly brutalizes the weak

You foolish Racist! Remember the “Roots”
“Roots” of the past, tomorrow and of forever
“Roots” that intertwine like those of the tree
Holding strongly to give life and strength to the “free”
Oh, why your inner disease infects the “Roots” of the trees?
Leading to unwanted infection and decay of their A B Cs
And eventually, among us, a noiseless sound echos
As the tree falls to the ground—a silent pathos

A blackened heart
A broken heart
Some blackened hearts
Some broken hearts
Countless blackened hearts
Countless broken hearts
Now, oh racist, do you see?
Do you see, or are you still blind?

Ridicules so casually thrown at a person by a person
“Why are you living here? Go back to your country, you bison”
Ridicules sung in foreign languages by old ladies on the sidewalks
Harassments so casually tolerated by the “colored”; thoughts that stalk
Legal decisions carefully and pointlessly drafted on termination papers
“Unfortunately, the contract has ended because of such and such”

Huh! Decisions are Silent Derisions

Racial profiling and media propaganda eventually turns into
A war machine maniacally designed for genocide, just to subdue

“Social colonialism” gradually colonizes the “Others”
As the “dominant ones” foolishly marginalize their own brothers
Creating societal power differences within this so-called “democracy”
Creating socioeconomic disparities, disabling “minorities”, such hypocrisy
Senselessly creating “poverty” despite beautifully rich “diversity”
Marginalizing “Others” to the extent of retardation, oh a perversity

The “perpetrators” have no skin, they have no skin
The “perpetrators” have no skin, they have no skin
“They” took my voice, so I spoke with pen, paper and ink
“They” took my voice, so I spoke with pen, paper and ink

Copyright © by Arzoo Zaheer. All Rights Reserved.

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My Psychic Experiences With My 1 Year Old Niece “Myah”

My niece is 1 year old now. I mostly receive sensations from her when I think about her. When she is away, I sometimes receive strong feelings that she misses being held by me. These are very light vibes/rays of energy that I can sense whenever I am thinking about her and even when she is not near me.

Before she was born, I dreamt that my younger brother and his wife had a baby. In my dream she was playing on a slide with my brother while my sister-in-law waited at the end of the slide for them. I also saw them leave together with the baby.

I have talked with some of my family members as well as online about how I saw her before she was born. See post published on Oct 29, 2018. Oh! I deleted one post because I got scared of how I predicted something about the baby. Later, I gave up on this irrational fear because I had already safely shared my thoughts with some of my family members. I repeated what scared me on the tweet (second one here) I made on Oct 10, 2018.

I said that she looked like a boy. Now, check out her face (first picture). She looks just like my younger brother (the kid in the center, second picture).

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My niece “Myah”.
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Starting from left to right: Me (Arzoo); one of my younger brothers (Myah’s father); my older brother

Don’t you love telepathy that takes place between relatives and loved ones? I have been receiving telepathic signals from “Myah” before she was born. Scientific research points to the fact that babies exhibit brainwaves that are similar to those seen during the REM sleep while they are still in the womb. Read article “Do Babies Dream?” I now wonder if those dreams about a certain guy I met at “The Parliament of World’s Religions” are actually predictions of the future? Dunno yet! Well, back to “Myah”. Check out how I spend quality time with my adorable angel. Read “My Niece ‘Myah’“.

Copyright © by Arzoo Zaheer. All Rights Reserved.

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How “One World Film Festival” Raises Awareness About Global Issues

Canadian youth and adults are challenged by a fast-paced system and a politically charged environment where many are aware about the need to promote awareness of relevant international and local issues. A film festival like One World Film Festival (OWFF) thus plays a pivotal role in shaping opinion by empowering citizens. People who are dwelling on Planet Earth in today’s world are pressured to absorb information fast, which is how the new generation is being shaped to work and think more quickly by retrieving data from various stimuli and resources.

One of the very first films that I watched—in grade 11, I think—to learn about issues surrounding mental and physical health was Tennessee William’s “The Glass Menagerie”. This fiction movie shares the story of Laura Wingfield, her brother Tom Wingfield, and their mother Amanda Wingfield. What struck me as stunning about this movie was the fact that Laura limped and was also mentally fragile; and, the use of a glass menagerie to symbolize Laura’s refuge in her imaginary world as well as her sensitive memory. I remember feeling very moved after watching this picture; and, I promised myself to keep learning through such expressive broadcasts. As I grew older, I became more familiar with the world around me; and, finally found a festival that helped me fulfill the promise I had made many years ago.

One World Film Festival (OWFF) is Ottawa’s longest-running documentary film festival that seeks to use media and performing arts to educate people about several global issues including women empowerment, identity, migration, indigenous rights, social justice, human rights, and environmental issues—specifically, it connects marginalized communities and Third World population with Canadians. Its a very historic event! Its interesting to see how One World Film Festival’s poster has changed over time. See Past Festivals – 1989 to 2016.

Nowadays, people have access to many learning platforms including social media, open learning services, and free libraries. So why would someone want to spend their money to watch films? My experiences with the world of movies have taught me that motion pictures teach faster because they offer multi-sensory and collective experiences where one may feel one’s emotions as well as those of the audience and movie characters; learning can be completed in an incognito and relaxed environment; and, it becomes possible to focus on multiple issues and literary techniques and not just one or two. Now imagine going to the One World Film Festival (OWFF) and being bombarded by many educational pictures!

Come join this memorable adventure! One World Film Festival (OWFF) is coming to Ottawa again this year. Don’t forget to support their 30th Anniversary by donating to their crowdfunding campaign. Hurry Up! Campaign ends on June 2nd—they have only 7 days left to raise funds.

Copyright © by Arzoo Zaheer. All Rights Reserved.