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bigskydreaming · 4 years

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Ok, but how would you writte a court of owls and a dick grayson fanfic, focusing on the abduction too, after all the traumas that being destained to be a talon could carry with?, just imagine dick noticing his family could have known this, and then boom, someway the court makes his way to dick core, bat fam have to fighthim, but focusing in all those conflicts and not only the fights

LOL I have a few different Court of Owls’ ideas running through my head at any given time, but for various reasons, some of which I can’t even identify, they almost always tend to be AUs of some kind, where I also play around with different takes on the family dynamics or how the family comes together in the first place. I have no clue why that particular plot point, the Court, tends to pair itself with unorthodox Batfam takes in my head, tbh. It just does.

As an example, the one I’ve come back to the most often and most recently when fiddling around with various WIPs when the chaos of my life these days allows for it, lol.....its called “Where Last We Left Off” and it goes AU from general pre Flashpoint comic book continuity when Dick is still Robin, around fourteen or so. Long enough into his time living with Bruce that they’ve reached a point of considering each other father and son, even if neither is saying as such yet, and past the point where the Titans first formed and and even after Kory first came to Earth, so Dick has well established friendships with Garth, Roy, Wally, Donna, Lilith and Kory at least.

So in it, I set up an initial prelude and then there’s a time skip to five years later, where all the actual fic takes place. My premise is basically that Batman has been operating in Gotham for about seven years by the prelude, Batman and Robin about four or five, and its only in the last couple of years that Batman’s started coordinating more consistently and officially with other heroes as a member of the Justice League. And the point of departure happens when the Court uncovers Batman and Robin’s secret identities while trying to rid themselves of Batman’s interference in their operations even though he’s not aware of them just yet. When they realize that Robin is none other than their intended Gray Son, they decide to try and kill two birds with one stone.

Cue Dick’s abduction, but with a twist. Rather than make him a Talon and subject him to the Talonization process or whatever that’s called, and employ brainwashing or mind control techniques to control him, they make themselves known to Bruce as the ones who took Dick, give him a taste of what the Talons are capable of and make sure he gets a good look at the changes to their physiologies and mental states, and then they make their demands. They won’t subject Dick to any of that.....so long as Bruce agrees to hang up his cape and cowl, and cease all vigilantism and contact with other heroes. They give him forty eight hours to make his decision, and leave him with the body of one of their Talons to ‘study’...in essence, making both an example of how little they care for their tools and think nothing of disposing of one, and to give Bruce more information than he really wants at the moment of all the kinds of things that Talon was subjected to in the ‘making’ of him.

Unable to find a hint of where they took Dick before the deadline, even when Bruce calls in Clark, Barry and a few others for help searching, Bruce ultimately agrees to their demands and ceases all activity as Batman in exchange for the occasional proof of life demonstrating that the Court are holding up their end of the bargain. If they see even a hint of vigilantism or working with other heroes, they warn, they’ll have no further use for Dick except as just another of their Talons.

Heartsick and with no real idea how to spend his days at first, or inclination to put much thought into coming up with ideas for that, as well as refusing to even speak with Clark and the others, let alone Dick’s friends, at the risk of that being overseen or heard and deemed ‘working with other heroes,’ Bruce ultimately funnels most of his time and energy into charity works and projects mostly born of idle ideas he remembers Dick mentioning every now and then, when complaining about how stupid the way certain things worked or skewering various flaws in the typical upper class reasonings of people he was expected to converse with at various galas....and then venting to Bruce all the way home.

Eventually, Bruce meets Jason in a different way than in canon, but still takes him in. Not to replace Dick of course, or because he’s given up on him (if he ever did that, after all, there’d be no reason for him not to go back out as Batman). But rather just because he has to do something, and the thought of caring for Jason and trying to be for him what he was for Dick, or at least hoped he’d been, it sparks the first real motivation he’s had since the abduction. The one thing he can’t bring himself to regret is taking Dick in, even as he blames himself for thinking so selfishly, since if he hadn’t done that, this would never have happened to Dick (not knowing yet that the Court was always intent on getting their hooks into Dick whether he was in the equation or not). But the point is, he can’t honestly say he wishes he’d never taken Dick in, even as selfish as he feels for that, so he doesn’t let his misgivings keep him from following his instincts with Jason, telling himself it’ll be different since he’s not Batman anymore. (Bottom line being his choice with Jason is still about Jason, not just as a proxy for Dick or anything).

Not all that long after, different events than canon result in him taking Tim in as well (with Tim not aware of his past as Batman at this point in this AU, since I’m positing that Dick was abducted before Tim happened to see Robin doing the flip that let him connect the necessary dots there). And not long after that, Bruce takes in Duke as well, and then finally, about a year before the five year time skip to present day, he takes in Cassandra, due to Barbara’s influence.

Babs has one of the bigger divergences in this AU, as I’m switching things around a little specifically to set Dick’s abduction at just before Babs becomes Batgirl. So she’s not really one of his friends at this point in life, and she sets out to become Batgirl pretty much right after Bruce hangs up the cape. Unable to even confront Batgirl as himself, lest the Court see that as an attempted return to vigilantism, but paranoid that they might view Batgirl as his attempt to work via a proxy, Bruce does a most un-Brucely thing....he anonymously tips off the Commissioner about his daughter’s vigilantism, and Jim Gordon puts a stop to that by unapologetically even playing the guilt trip card to keep his daughter from risking her life night after night. So Batgirl retires almost as soon as she begins, but that doesn’t mean Babs is out of the game by a longshot.

A big part of the reason for that divergence is I’ve always felt that Babs was going to become Oracle one way or another, no matter what road she took there, and although I love her as Batgirl, I don’t view it as fundamentally essential to her overall character as other early personas of other superheroes are. And despite the Bat theme, Barbara has never been dependent on Bruce either for guidance or resources, let alone validation......so I wanted to play around with what happens if you cut the Batgirl portion of Barbara’s life out of the picture completely.

So basically, she just starts becoming Oracle even earlier. She promised her dad she wouldn’t risk her life on the streets in a cape and a mask. She made no such promises about putting her computer skills to use for the greater good, in whatever ways she deems most efficient. Which ultimately leads to her working as a superhero information broker for a growing number of vigilantes who have no idea their cyber eyes and ears isn’t even quite of legal drinking age just yet, and from there, forming the Birds of Prey as satellite agents for missions she directs them towards in a Charlie’s Angels kind of way, where she’s just the voice on the radio so to speak. One of those missions results in Dinah, Helena and a couple others crossing paths with Cassandra, who returns with them to the States. She’s still just a teenager though, younger than when she first crossed paths with the Batfam in canon, only about thirteen here. And the Birds don’t think any of them themselves have the kind of home and stability they all agree she deserves, so they ask the ever mysterious Oracle if she knows of anyone....not realizing just yet that said Oracle is barely a decade older than Cassandra herself at this point. But the Oracle knows all...so she has an idea.

Bruce, being the Walking Guilt Complex that he is, felt shitty about interfering in her attempts at vigilantism even as much as he believes he made the right choice there. So after he adopts Jason, he contrived an excuse to hire Barbara in specific to be Jason’s tutor and catch him up to speed before he went back to school, so he’d have reason to allow Babs to become a regular presence at the Manor, and an excuse for him to help her out any way she might need or want. Not that she ever took him up on this, which frustrates him to no end, cuz can’t a billionaire just assuage his guilt complex in peace already, damn. But regardless, between Jason, Tim and Duke, she’s become a regular fixture at Wayne Manor over the years, even though for the opposite reasons as Bruce initially ‘hired’ her. After all, all three boys are basically geniuses in their own respective fashions, so its not like they need tutoring in the conventional sense once they caught up to speed in whatever ways they needed.

Rather, Babs is their tutor specifically in the areas of ‘making sure they don’t get so bored with their schooling, they turn to blowing things up and/or world domination as a hobby’. Basically, an overachieving perfectionist know-it-all hired to help three overachieving perfectionist know-it-all kids reach their full academic potential unhindered by their conventional schooling, which at this point is basically just something that Bruce insists on so the boys get regular social interaction, while Babs concocts their actual curriculums that actually interest them and they do on their own time.

Anyway, so while seeking a placement for Cass that Babs thinks is deserving of her, she ultimately thinks of Bruce, and calls in that favor, albeit in a most unconventional sense. Babs doesn’t know Bruce was Batman at this point either, given how effectively he covered his tracks when he hung up the cape and how pointedly he’s kept away from all vigilantism since....but she knows each of his three boys have very different backgrounds and had trouble adjusting at first because of various issues...all of which Bruce spared no expense in addressing, more in terms of his own direct focus and parenting rather than fiscally. He’s a good dad, here, a great dad, since he’s basically poured all the energy and drive he once devoted to vigilantism to what he now feels he should have focused it on instead....being the father he wished he’d been to Dick and wasn’t going to make the mistake of not being now.

All of which makes Babs think that he might not only be willing to take in Cassandra, but that he might be the best one for her. And so after a lot of cloak and dagger obscurity that would be completely unnecessary if all the parties in question knew all the relevant information about each other, Cassandra ends up at Wayne Manor too.

All of this is essentially backstory for the in between time between the prelude and the actual fic, unveiled and doled out via information conveyed in the present day. But where the actual fic begins, Bruce is committed to being Superdad to Jason, Tim, Duke and Cass, none of whom know he was Batman or the true nature of what happened to their mysterious elder brother who according to the news and what little Bruce and Alfred are willing to say, was abducted years ago with no attempt made to seek a ransom and no idea who did it or why.

Meanwhile, the kids have their own secrets, as Cass has been sneaking out into the city at night and stopping petty crimes and running into some girl in a purple hoodie who calls herself Spoiler. Tim’s preoccupied with a longtime personal quest of his....figure out who the elusive Oracle, all-knowing master of the cyberways is, and in doing so perhaps win their approval and mentorship. And Duke’s metahuman abilities have recently begun manifesting, and Jason ends up helping him test them and figure out what all he can do (after Jason catches Duke in the act of practicing his ghost vision and Duke has to convince him he’s not crazy and nobody needs to tell Bruce).

And that in turn leads to Duke exploring the house with aid of his powers, trying to learn more about the mysterious missing eldest, and Jason distracting him every five seconds by whispering “what do you see now,” because Jason has also long been endlessly entranced by the mystery of Dick Grayson, and also, Jason has no chill.

With all of the above being the dynamic in existence in ‘present day’....when Dick escapes the Court and returns home.

So the story itself is all about Dick trying to deal with the aftermath of everything that happened to him while the Court’s hostage, and everything that didn’t happen to him and that he missed out on, coming in at the eleventh hour to a family that’s now almost fully formed all in his absence....with a seat at the table that’s been reserved for him the whole time, but with him uncertain as to where and how he fits in all of this.

All while being as cryptic about things as possible, because the one and only thing he and Bruce seem able to agree on, after their bittersweet reunion that doesn’t go how either of them ever imagined it....is to keep the other kids out of all this by any means necessary. Upon learning that Bruce hasn’t been Batman in years and the others know nothing about any of this, Dick’s firm on believing they should keep it that way as he doesn’t even know them yet, but he does know he isn’t willing to risk anything like what happened to him happening to any other child, related to him or not. And Bruce is perhaps too willing to accommodate Dick on this because he still feels this is all his fault, and telling the others everything would mean admitting to them what a terrible father he once was.

Which, he wasn’t, is the thing. One of the many things Dick’s struggling to reconcile now, because just like in the comics, Dick’s early years with Bruce were good more often than they were bad. He realizes upon seeing how easily the other kids interact with Bruce in a parent and child way that this is something he’s envious of, and in hindsight wanted even before he was kidnapped, but now he doesn’t know how to voice that or his fear that that Bruce would only be willing to offer that to him now out of guilt, that if he’d really wanted that kind of relationship with Dick, they would have had it before he disappeared.

Add to that the fact that Dick can’t make up his mind whether he’s grateful and touched that Bruce gave up being Batman just for the chance it might keep him safe from the fate of the Court’s Talons.....because sometimes, Dick resents it deeply...or not resents, per se, but more that he didn’t know the specifics of what was going on in the outside world beyond where the Court kept him, or that they’d made Bruce give up being Batman....so finding that out upon escaping is messing with his head more than he expected, and now he can’t help but feel aware of all the people over the years that could have been helped by Batman but weren’t, because of Dick. Basically, the Son of the Walking Guilt Complex, aka Walking Guilt Complex Jr., is blaming himself and his getting kidnapped, for being the reason Bruce isn’t a superhero anymore.

Meanwhile, it was not a good idea to keep all of this hush hush, if for no other reason than that its impossible to recover from a life-changing ordeal like this at home, when that home is filled with four other people you and two others are all committed to keeping the full details of what happened a secret from. Its not at all the homecoming Dick was picturing and had dreamed of, and he catches himself at times feeling resentful of the others for being there at all, before feeling guilty because the truth is he really is glad that Bruce took them all in and has been good for them, that he still found a way to help people and be true to himself even without being Batman.

There’s other stuff involved too, like the fact that Dick is still keeping things from even Bruce, like everything that happened to him in the Court, because a) he doesn’t want to talk about it, b) he’s afraid of the guilt spiral it’ll send Bruce into, to know that all this time he’d done everything he could to keep Dick safe by giving the Court no reason to break their word....when they never actually made any promise not to try and break Dick by methods not part of their usual Talon process, and c) he doesn’t want to talk about it.

And of course, all his old friends and teammates desperately want to see him and reconnect with him, which he fluctuates between wishing it was easier to explain who they were and have them around without risking their own identities with his new siblings.....and being grateful that keeping the Big Secret from said siblings meant they could only be around so much (like Clark and Diana, etc, who now simply would not be kept away period)....because like with Bruce, Dick is having trouble coming to terms with how much they’ve all changed while he was gone and how much he’s changed, and what this means for them all and how they even FIT now, if they even do at all.

All of which ultimately builds to Dick sneaking out at night to return to vigilantism himself, which makes Bruce throw an epic freakout when he finds out because he only just got Dick back and is not about to risk losing him again. And with Dick trying to convey that he NEEDS this, now perhaps even more than he ever did before, because its the only thing he knows, the only thing that feels familiar, feels right at this point, while everything else is confusing as hell. And even more than that, he needs it in order to feel like the last five years haven’t cost him everything, that they haven’t...’ruined’ him, because what’s the point of him even being home if he’s just as lost and confused as ever and he can’t even save people, do the one thing that’s always made all the shit he’s ever been through feel worthwhile, like it means something?

He needs it, he can’t give this up forever just because something terrible happened one time, that probably would have happened in some form even if he hadn’t been a hero, given what he found out from the Court about his family line. And he’s not wrong to feel that way, is the problem, much like its a problem that Bruce isn’t wrong to feel that if nothing else, its too soon for Dick to be doing this again, and he hasn’t remotely handled any of the many issues weighing on him and the trauma he’s still unwilling to address.

And it doesn’t help that all the while, Bruce has been wrestling with his own uncertainty as to whether to go back to being Batman now that Dick’s safe again and the combined might of the Justice League and Titans have followed his escape route back to the Court and come down on it with extreme zeal. Or whether he even wants to, anymore, if he can justify the risks it includes while now a father in truth not just to Dick but four other kids too (and yes, Damian exists in this AU, he’s just not here yet). He doesn’t want to leave any of his kids without a father, and even more than that, he doesn’t want any of the others following in his and Dick’s footsteps, which also plays a factor in freaking out at Dick’s quick return to a mask.

But he can’t deny that he does miss it too, and more importantly, he misses the way he and Dick used to understand each other without a word, in perfect sync as they swung over the city together. He can’t help but feel like it would be so much easier for him and Dick to understand each other, communicate with each other, if they were back on the same page even if just for one night for old time’s sake. And also he worries about Dick maybe growing to resent his siblings if he feels like they’re the only reason he won’t go back to being Batman, he won’t let there ever be a Batman and Robin again....which then startles him into worrying that on some level he’s afraid of growing to resent his other kids for being the reason not to do that. And around and around and around it goes.

And then the other kids figure it out in their own ways and everything really blows up.

And its hard and messy and painful and nothing short or easily fixed. And there are no good choices or easy choices or right choices. Just a lot of good people trying to make the most good come out of the most bad, and not a clue what that actually means or looks like, let alone how to go about it.

Ultimately, its Dick at age 19, coming of age in the most unconventional of ways, trying to figure out who he is and who he wants to be after everything that’s happened, and dragging his whole family along for the ride as they’re all forced to ask the same question and then compare notes and hope that even if they’re not all on the same page, they’re all at least somewhere to be found in the same book.

Its about how you can’t go home again....even when home is exactly where you left it, and everything looks exactly the same but everything is different and nothing and no one will ever be the same ever again.

But that doesn’t mean the trek isn’t worth making, because sometimes the only way to make it forward to who you want to be now....is to first go back to where you last were when last you trusted who you were and what you wanted. So you can make your peace with leaving that road untraveled before finding your new direction and setting forth on that road instead.

*Shrugs* So yeah, that’s my ideal Court of Owls related fic. “Where Last We Left Off.”

Not quite the kind of fic you were describing, lol, but I do seem to insist on being unconventional with my takes, lmao.

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wingedarrows · 5 years

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what is your interpretation/theories about canon gaster?

Okay so I checked and yeah my Undertale Heacanon™ Doc has 23 pages of Undertale Heacanons™, 5-6 pages of which relate to gaster directly through both himself and the relationships he has with others, and much more of that relating to gaster indirectly through general worldbuilding.

I’m gonna try to reign myself in here and only pick out the most important parts/what relates to canon lol. I’m not gonna call them theories, tho. I am absolutely 100% certain that none of this will turn out canon, but hey I love my interpretation of him anyway.

He is absolutely a dadster all the way, though not biologically. He adopted Sans and Papyrus after a human that had fallen down killed their actual parents. He also took in the perseverance soul at one point before they were discovered. There’s actually a running joke on his rp blog where he adopts any orphaned child he sees, it’s gotta have happened at least ten separate times by now, but that’s all in different threads and not background so I won’t go into that here lol.

He’s got a kindness soul for sure and he tends to put others’ needs before his own, often to a detrimental level. Part of this is due to his nature as a kindness soul, and part of it is due to what he had to endure during the war and how that’s psychologically affected him, and part of it is due to the fact that he was created to be an assistant in the first place, so in his mind he’s supposed to help people anyway.

Speaking of, yes, I subscribe to the headcanon that in addition to being born, monsters can also be created via a magic spell. Gaster was created in a Muscogee village and his creator worked with spells, improving them and creating new ones and such, which first sparked gaster’s interest in arcanology and magical engineering. The war and what happened to native americans were separate events, but they influenced each other.

The cracks in his head were something that happened when he’d gotten captured during the war. Torture, basically. The hand holes, well, we need a bit more background before we can discuss those. Also the Core. And the void.

Okay so this is definitely a universe alteration because I’d misremembered something that was said about the core and by then I was too deep into headcanons to change it. The line I misremembered was when alphys said that the core “converts geothermal energy into magical electricity.” I’d remembered it as converting geothermal energy into magical energy. And I took that concept and ran with it.

So, basically, in addition to light and heat and UV rays and such, the sun also is a source of and radiates magic. All stars do, actually, which is why monsters feel such a close connection to them. Monsters are constantly shedding their own magic, so they need this atmospheric magic to replenish it like animals need oxygen. The purpose of locking monsters underground specifically was because this would block them from said atmospheric magic and insure that all the survivors would die out. Unbeknownst to the humans, though, there were one or two openings in the ceiling of the cavern, such as where chara and frisk fell, that allowed some magic to get in. Not much, though, and while the monsters congregated around these areas, the population eventually outgrew them. So when they journeyed back through the rest of the underground and passed through hotland, gaster came up with the idea to convert the geothermal energy there into magical energy that would diffuse throughout the entire underground, so that monsters could live anywhere in the cavern.

See now the thing is, after creation of the core, while he did keep checking up on it and thinking of improvements and such, he also started other projects. One of which was trying to reach alternate universes to see if they had broken the barrier there or at least had any new ideas on how to break the barrier. He, uh, didn’t get very far in that project. His attempt to get to an alternate universe failed, and tore the fabric of his own world open in the process, thus creating a hole to the void beneath the core. He and his assistants were able to contain it, stop it from spreading, but not close it. And since it was beneath the core, it caused to core to lose some stability. Obviously, we can’t just have an unstable core because monsters kind of rely on that to, you know, live.

Remember how I said gaster tends to put others’ needs before his own to a detrimental level? Granted, there are very many lives at stake here, but still. He ran himself ragged between trying to stabilize the core and increasing efforts to find a way out of the underground in case he couldn’t stabilize it. This included experimenting on himself with determination, which only widened the cracks he’d gotten during the war, though he survived the injection at least. He intentionally cut the holes out of his hands to do experiments with their magic-determination composition, and rather than finding a solution to breaking the barrier, he found a solution to stabilize the core. He found he could still influence the things that those pieces of bone were in if they were dissolved in it, and through further experimentation, found that he could possibly stabilize the core with a magic-determination combination, along with a consciousness to control it.

The jump into the void was entirely intentional. With its location under the core, and his being infused throughout all of time and space, he was able to stabilize the core under his own power. He magically connected himself with sans before the jump, something that blinded his one eye as a side effect but allowed sans to borrow his magic and use the gaster blasters.

. . . That was a lot, and it’s only the general stuff lol. I have so many more specifics and a ton of ideas on the science and culture of things but that is way too much to talk about here.

So yeah! That’s my gaster!

#anonymous #self #answered #gaster #undertale #oh yeah did I mention gaster's aro ace #that's literally the only reason sans and papyrus are adopted instead of biological #also grillby was made by gaster's creator's sister so they're cousins #wow I didn't even mention soul bonds here #had to stick to only things relating to canon and lol even that turned out to be #a lot of stuff lol #long post #(hey maybe the alternate universe thing is actually somewhat accurate given what we see in deltarune)#wow I didn't mention the fact that gaster was basically the one who made flowey and not alphys either #that one's an actual theory more than all the rest of this stuff tho #cuz there's a bit of evidence in the game #but I digress #self harm #torture mention

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lupine-publishers-sjpbs · 4 years

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Lupine Publishers | Meditation as a Tool for Psychotherapy by Ven Sumedh Thero

Lupine Publishers | Scholarly Journal Of Psychology And Behavioral Sciences

Introduction

Buddhist meditation is the practice of meditation in Buddhism and Buddhist philosophy. It includes a variety of types of meditation. Core meditation techniques have been preserved in ancient Buddhist texts and have proliferated and diversified through teacher-student transmissions. Buddhists pursue meditation as part of the path toward Enlightenment and Nirvana.

[a] The closest words for meditation in the classical languages of Buddhism are bhāvanā

[b] and jhāna/dhyāna.

[c] Buddhist meditation techniques have become increasingly popular in the wider world, with many nonBuddhists taking them up for a variety of reasons. Buddhist meditation encompasses a variety of meditation techniques that aim to develop sati (mindfulness), samadhi(concentration), abhijñā (supramundanepowers), (supramundanepowers), samatha (tranquility), and vipassanā (insight). Specific Buddhist meditation techniques have also been used to remove unwholesome qualities thought to be impediments to spiritual liberation, such loving kindness to remove ill-will, hate, and anger, equanimity to remove mental clinging, and patikulamanasikara (meditations on the parts of the body) and maraṇa sati (meditation on death and corpses) to remove sensual lust for the body and cultivate impermanence (anicca). Given the large number and diversity of traditional Buddhist meditation practices, this article primarily identifies authoritative contextual frameworks-both contemporary and canonical-for the variety of practices. For those seeking school-specific meditation information, it may be more appropriate to simply view the articles listed in the “See also” section below. While there are some similar meditative practices - such as breath meditation and various recollections (anussati)-that are used across Buddhist schools, there is also significant diversity. In the Theravada tradition alone, there are over fifty methods for developing mindfulness and forty for developing concentration, while in Tibetan Buddhism, there are thousands of visualization meditations.

[d] Most classical and contemporary Buddhist meditation guides are school specific.

[e] Only a few teachers attempt to synthesize, crystallize and categorize practices from multiple Buddhist traditions.

Pre-Buddhist India

The two major traditions of meditative practice in pre-Buddhist India were the Jain ascetic practices and the various Vedic Brahmanical practices. There is still much debate in Buddhist studies regarding how much influence these two traditions had on the development of early Buddhist meditation. The early Buddhist texts mention that the Gautama trained under two teachers known as Āḷāra Kālāma and Uddaka Rāmaputta, both of them taught formless jhanas or mental absorptions, a key practice of proper Buddhist meditation [1]. Alexander Wynne considers these figures historical persons associated with the doctrines of the early Upanishads [2]. Other practices which the Buddha undertook have been associated with the Jain ascetic tradition by the Indologist Johannes Bron khorst including extreme fasting and a forceful «meditation without breathing» [3]. According to the early texts, the Buddha rejected the more extreme Jain ascetic practices in favor of the middle way. The early Buddhist tradition also taught other meditation postures, such as the standing posture and the lion posture performed laying down on one side. Modern Buddhist studies has attempted to reconstruct the meditation practices of pre-sectarian Early Buddhism, mainly through philological and text critical methods using the early canonical texts [4]. There is no single consensus on how early Buddhists practiced meditation. This is partly because as Indologist Johannes Bronkhorst notes, the sources present «a variety of methods that do not always agree with each other [4]. “One example of this disagreement on meditative methods found in the early sources is outlined by Bronkhorst: The Vitakkasanthāna Sutta of the Majjhima Nikāya and its parallels in Chinese translation recommend the practicing monk to ‘restrain his thought with his mind, to coerce and torment it’.

Exactly the same words are used elsewhere in the Pāli canon (in the Mahāsaccaka Sutta, Bodhirājakumāra Sutta and Saṅgārava Sutta) in order to describe the futile attempts of the Buddha before his enlightenment to reach liberation after the manner of the Jainas [4]. According to Bronkhorst, such practices which are based on a “suppression of activity” are not authentically Buddhist, but were later adopted from the Jains by the Buddhist community. Bronkhorst’s thesis is that the authentic Buddhist meditation is mainly based on the four dhyanas which lead to the destruction of the asavas as well as the practice of mindfulness (sati) [4] (Figure 1).

According to Alexander Wynne, the Buddha taught a kind of meditation exemplified by the four dhyanas which he adopted from the Brahmin teachers Āḷāra Kālāma and Uddaka Rāmaputta though he did not interpret them in the same Vedic cosmological way and rejected their Vedic goal (union with Brahman). The Buddha according to Wynne, radically transformed the practice of dhyana which he learned from these Brahmins which «consisted of the adaptation of the old yogic techniques to the practice of mindfulness and attainment of insight» [5]. For Wynne, this idea that liberation required not just meditation, but an act of insight was radically different than the Brahminic meditation, “where it was thought that the yogin must be without any mental activity at all, ‘like a log of wood’ [6].

Context

Most Buddhist traditions recognize that the path to Enlightenment entails three types of training: virtue (sīla); meditation (samadhi); and, wisdom (paññā). [f] Thus, meditative prowess alone is not sufficient; it is but one part of the path. In other words, in Buddhism, in tandem with mental cultivation, ethical development and wise understanding are also necessary for the attainment of the highest goal [7].

In terms of early traditions as found in the vast Pāli Canon and theĀgamas, meditation can be contextualized as part of the Noble Eightfold Path, explicitly in regard to:

a) Right Mindfulness (samma sati)-exemplified by the Buddha’s Four Foundations of Mindfulness (see Satipatthana Sutta).

b) Right Concentration (samma samadhi) - culminating in jhana (meditative absorption) through the meditative development of samatha [8].

And Implicitly in Regard to:

a) Right View (samma ditthi) : embodying wisdom traditionally attained through the meditative development of vipassana founded on samatha[g] .

Classic texts in the Pali literature enumerating meditative subjects include the Satipatthana Sutta (MN 10) and the Visuddhimagga’s Part II, “Concentration” (Samadhi).

Serenity and insight:

The Buddha is said to have identified two paramount mental qualities that arise from wholesome meditative practice:

a) “serenity” or “tranquillity” (Pali: samatha) which steadies, composes, unifies and concentrates the mind;

b) “insight” (Pali: vipassanā) which enables one to see, explore and discern “formations” (conditioned phenomena based on the five aggregates) [h].

Through the meditative development of serenity, one is able to suppress obscuring hindrances; and, with the suppression of the hindrances, it is through the meditative development of insight that one gains liberating wisdom [9]. Moreover, the Buddha is said to have extolled serenity and insight as conduits for attaining Nibbana (Pali; Skt.: Nirvana), the unconditioned state as in the «Kimsuka Tree Sutta» (SN 35.245), where the Buddha provides an elaborate metaphor in which serenity and insight are «the swift pair of messengers» who deliver the message of Nibbana via the Noble Eightfold Path [i]. In the “Four Ways to Arahantship Sutta” Ven. Ananda reports that people attain arahantship using serenity and insight in one of three ways:

a) they develop serenity and then insight (Pali: samathapubbangamam vipassanam)

b) they develop insight and then serenity (Pali: vipassanapubbangamam samatham){{While the Nikayas identify that the pursuit of vipassana can precede the pursuit of samatha, a fruitful vipassana-oriented practice must still be based upon the achievement of stabilizing “access concentration” (Pali: upacara samadhi).}}

c) they develop serenity and insight in tandem (Pali: samathavipassanam yuganaddham) as in, for instance, obtaining the first jhana, and then seeing in the associated aggregates the three marks of existence, before proceeding to the second jhana [10].

In the Pali canon, the Buddha never mentions independent samatha and vipassana meditation practices; instead, samatha and vipassana are two qualities of mind to be developed through meditation.[j] Nonetheless, some meditation practices (such as contemplation of a kasina object) favor the development of samatha, others are conducive to the development of vipassana (such as contemplation of the aggregates), while others (such as mindfulness of breathing) are classically used for developing both mental qualities [11].

Dhyāna/Jhāna Dhyāna in Buddhism

Many scholars of early Buddhism such as Vetter, Bronkhorst and Anālayo see the practice of absorption (Pāli: jhāna, Sanskrit: dhyāna) as central to the meditation of Early Buddhism [12-14]. It is a peaceful and happy mental state, in which one is secluded from sensual pleasures and conceptual thinking. According to Anālayo the jhanas are crucial meditative states which lead to the abandonment of hindrances such as lust and aversion however they are not sufficient for the attainment of liberating insight and some early texts also warn meditators against becoming attached to them and therefore forgetting the need for the further practice of insight [15]. There are said to be four form jhanas or meditative absorptions, each one more subtle and refined (Table 1).

They are Characterized by Several Factors called Jhānaṅga (Sanskrit: dhyānāṅga):

Various early sources mention the practice of insight after having achieved jhana. According to Anālayo, two interpretations of this material is possible, “either one undertakes such insight contemplation while still being in the attainment, or else one does so retrospectively, after having emerged from the absorption itself but while still being in a mental condition close to it in concentrative depth [16].” The position that insight can be practiced from within jhana according to the early texts is endorsed by Gunaratna, Crangle and Shankaman [17-19]. Anālayo meanwhile argues that the evidence from the early texts suggest that “contemplation of the impermanent nature of the mental constituents of an absorption takes place before or on emerging from the attainment” [20]. Apart from the four rūpajhānas, there are also meditative attainments which were later called by the tradition thearūpajhānas, though the early texts do not use the term dhyana for them, calling them āyatana (dimension, sphere, base). They are:

a) The Dimension of infinite space (Pali ākāsānañcāyatana, Skt. ākāśānantyāyatana),

b) The Dimension of infinite consciousness (Pali viññāṇañcāyatana, Skt. vijñānānantyāyatana),

c) The Dimension of infinite nothingness (Pali ākiñcaññāyatana, Skt. ākiṃcanyāyatana),

d) The Dimension of neither perception nor non-perception (Pali nevasaññānāsaññāyatana, Skt. naivasaṃjñānāsaṃjñāyatana).

e) Nirodha-samāpatti, also called saññā-vedayitanirodha, ‘extinction of feeling and perception’.

Illustration of mindfulness of death using corpses in a charnel ground, a subset of mindfulness of the body, the first satipatthana. From an early 20th century manuscript found in Chaiya District, Surat Thani Province, Thailand [21]. An important quality to be cultivated by a Buddhist meditator is mindfulness (sati). Mindfulness is a polyvalent term which refers to remembering, recollecting and “bearing in mind”. It also relates to remembering the teachings of the Buddha and knowing how these teachings relate to one’s experiences. The Buddhist texts mention different kinds of mindfulness practice. According to Bronkhorst, there were originally two kinds of mindfulness, “observations of the positions of the body” and the 4 satipaṭṭhānas which constituted formal meditation [22]. Bhikkhu Sujato and Bronkhorst both argue that the mindfulness of the positions of the body wasn’t originally part of the four satipatthana formula but was later added to it in some texts [23]. In the Pali Satipatthana Sutta and its parallels as well as numerous other early Buddhist texts, the Buddha identifies four foundations for mindfulness (satipaṭṭhānas): the body (including the four elements, the parts of the body, and death), feelings (vedana), mind (citta) and phenomena or principles (dhammas), such as the five hindrances and the seven factors of enlightenment. Different early texts give different enumerations of these four mindfulness practices. Meditation on these subjects is said to develop insight [24] Figure 2.

Brahmavihāra:

Another important meditation in the early sources are the four Brahmavihāra (divine abodes) which are said to lead to cetovimutti, a “liberation of the mind” [25] . The four Brahmavihāra are:

a. Loving-kindness (Pāli: mettā, Sanskrit: maitrī) is active good will towards all [26,27];

b. Compassion (Pāli and Sanskrit: karuṇā) results from metta, it is identifying the suffering of others as one’s own [26,27];

c. Empathetic joy (Pāli and Sanskrit: muditā): is the feeling of joy because others are happy, even if one did not contribute to it, it is a form of sympathetic joy [26];

d. Equanimity (Pāli: upekkhā, Sanskrit: upekṣā): is evenmindedness and serenity, treating everyone impartially [26,27].

Buddhaghosa with three copies of Visuddhimagga, Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara the oldest material of the Theravada tradition on meditation can be found in the Pali Nikayas and in texts such as the Patisambhidamagga which provide commentary to meditation suttas like the Anapanasati sutta. An early Theravada meditation manual is the Vimuttimagga (‘Path of Freedom’, 1st or 2nd century) [30]. The most influential presentation though, is that of the 5th Century Visuddhimagga (‘Path of Purification’) of Buddhaghoṣa, which describes forty meditation subjects. Almost all of these are described in the early texts [31]. Buddhaghoṣa also seems to have been influenced by the earlier Vimuttimagga in his presentation [32]. Buddhaghoṣa advises that, for the purpose of developing concentration and consciousness, a person should “apprehend from among the forty meditation subjects one that suits his own temperament” with the advice of a “good friend” (kalyāṇa-mittatā) who is knowledgeable in the different meditation subjects (Ch. III, § 28) [33]. Buddhaghoṣa subsequently elaborates on the forty meditation subjects as follows (Ch. III, §104; Chs. IV-XI) [34]: Ten kasinas: earth, water, fire, air, blue, yellow, red, white, light, and “limited-space”.

a) ten kinds of foulness: “the bloated, the livid, the festering, the cut-up, the gnawed, the scattered, the hacked and scattered, the bleeding, the worm-infested, and a skeleton”.

b) ten recollections: Buddhānussati, the Dhamma, the Sangha, virtue, generosity, the virtues of deities, death (see theUpajjhatthana Sutta), the body, the breath (see anapanasati), and peace (see Nibbana).

c) four divine abodes: mettā, karuṇā, mudita, and upekkha.

d) four immaterial states: boundless space, boundless perception, nothingness, and neither perception nor nonperception.

e) one perception (of “repulsiveness in nutriment”) f) one “defining” (that is, the four elements)

When one overlays Buddhaghosa’s 40 meditative subjects for the development of concentration with the Buddha’s foundations of mindfulness, three practices are found to be in common: breath meditation, foulness meditation (which is similar to the Sattipatthana Sutta’s cemetery contemplations, and to contemplation of bodily repulsiveness), and contemplation of the four elements. According to Pali commentaries, breath meditation can lead one to the equanimous fourth jhanic absorption. Contemplation of foulness can lead to the attainment of the first jhana, and contemplation of the four elements culminates in prejhana access concentration [35] (Figure 3).

The practice of meditation by Buddhist laypersons is a key feature of the modernvipassana movement. Particularly influential from the twentieth century onward has been the “New Burmese Method” or “Vipassanā School” approach to samathaand vipassanā developed by Mingun Sayadaw and U Nārada and popularized by Mahasi Sayadaw. Here samatha is considered an optional but not necessary component of the practice-vipassanā is possible without it. Another Burmese method, derived from Ledi Sayadaw via Ba Khin and S. N. Goenka, takes a similar approach. Other Burmese traditions popularized in the west, notably that of Pa Auk Sayadaw, uphold the emphasis on samatha explicit in the commentarial tradition of the Visuddhimagga. These Burmese traditions have been particularly influential on the Western Vipassana movement (also called «Insight meditation There are also other less well known Burmese meditation methods, such as the system developed by U Vimala, which focuses on knowledge of dependent origination and cittanupassana (mindfulness of the mind) [36] . Likewise, Sayadaw U Tejaniya’s method also focuses on mindfulness of the mind. Also influential is the Thai Forest Tradition deriving from Mun Bhuridatta and popularized by Ajahn Chah, which, in contrast, stresses the inseparability of the two practices, and the essential necessity of both practices. Other noted practitioners in this tradition include Ajahn Thateand Ajahn Maha Bua, among others[37]. There are other forms of Thai Buddhist meditation associated with particular teachers, including Buddhadasa Bhikkhu’s presentation of anapanasati, Ajahn Lee’s breath meditation method (which influenced his American student Thanissaro) and the “dynamic meditation” of Luangpor Teean Cittasubho [38]. There are other less mainstream forms of Theravada meditation practiced in Thailand which include the vijja dhammakaya meditationdeveloped by Lung Pu Sodh Candasaro and the meditation of former supreme patriarch Suk Kai Thuean. Newell notes that these two forms of modern Thai meditation share certain features in common with tantric practices such as the use of visualizations and centrality of maps of the body. A less common type of meditation is practiced in Cambodia and Laos by followers of Borān kammaṭṭhāna (‹ancient practices›) tradition. This form of meditation includes the use of mantras and visualizations.

Sarvāstivāda

The now defunct Sarvāstivāda tradition and its related subschools like the Sautrāntika and the Vaibhāṣika were the most influential Buddhists in North India and Central Asia. Their highly complex Abhidharma treatises such as the Mahavibhasa, the Sravakabhumi and the Abhidharmakosha contain new developments in meditative theory which are a major influence on meditation as practiced in East Asian Mahayana and Tibetan Buddhism. Individuals known as yogācāras (yoga practitioners) were influential in the development of Sarvāstivāda meditation praxis and some modern scholars such as Yin Shun believe they were also influential in the development of Mahayana meditation [39]. According to KL Dhammajoti, the Sarvāstivāda meditation practitioner begins with samatha meditations, divided into the fivefold mental stillings, each being recommended as useful for particular personality types:

contemplation on the impure (asubhabhavana), for the greedy type person.

A. Meditation on loving kindness (maitri), for the hateful type

B. contemplation on conditioned co-arising, for the deluded type

C. contemplation on the division of the dhatus, for the conceited type

D. mindfulness of breathing (anapanasmrti), for the distracted type [40].

Contemplation of the impure and mindfulness of breathing was particularly important in this system and they were known as the ‘gateways to immortality’ (amrta-dvāra) [41] The Sarvāstivāda system practiced breath meditation using the same sixteen aspect model used in the anapanasati sutta and also introduced a unique six aspect system which consists of:

a. counting the breaths up to ten

b. following the breath as it enters through the nose throughout the body

c. fixing the mind on the breath

d. observing the breath at various locations

e. modifying is related to the practice of the four applications of mindfulness and

f. purifying stage of the arising of insight [41].

This six fold breathing meditation method was influential in East Asia and expanded upon by the Chinese Tiantai meditation master Zhiyi [42] . After the practitioner has achieved tranquility, Sarvāstivāda Abhidharma then recommends one proceeds to practice the four applications of mindfulness (smrti-upasthāna) in two ways. First they contemplate each specific characteristic of the four applications of mindfulness and then they contemplate all four collectively [43]. In spite of this systematic division of samatha and vipasyana, the Sarvāstivāda Abhidharmikas held that the two practices are not mutually exclusive. The Mahavibhasa for example remarks that, regarding the six aspects of mindfulness of breathing, “there is no fixed rule here - all may come under samatha or all may come under vipasyana [44].” The Sarvāstivāda Abhidharmikas also held that attaining the dhyānas was necessary for the development of insight and wisdom [44].

Japanese wood statue of Asaṅga, a scholar who is believed to have contributed significantly to the development of the Yogacarabhumi, a Mahayana compendium of Buddhist praxis Mahāyāna Buddhism includes numerous schools of practice, which each draw upon various Buddhist sūtras, philosophical treatises, and commentaries. Accordingly, each school has its own meditation methods for the purpose of developing samādhi and prajñā, with the goal of ultimately attaining enlightenment. Nevertheless, each has its own emphasis, mode of expression, and philosophical outlook. In his classic book on meditation of the various Chinese Buddhist traditions, Charles Luk writes, “The Buddha Dharma is useless if it is not put into actual practice, because if we do not have personal experience of it, it will be alien to us and we will never awaken to it in spite of our book learning [45].” Nan Huaijin echoed similar sentiments about the importance of meditation by remarking, “Intellectual reasoning is just another spinning of the sixth consciousness, whereas the practice of meditation is the true entry into the Dharma [46].”

Initially, Mahayana Buddhists in India and East Asia practiced meditation in a similar way to that of the Sarvāstivāda school outlined above. One of the major Indian Mahayana treatises on meditation practice is the Yogacara bhumi (compiled circa late 4th century), a compendium of texts which includes within it the Sarvāstivāda Sravakabhūmi (c. 2nd -3rd entury) as well as the Mahayana Bodhisattvabhūmi (c. 3rd century) [47]. The works of the Chinese translator An Shigao (147-168 CE) are some of the earliest meditation texts used by Chinese Buddhism and their focus is mindfulness of breathing (annabanna), these texts are known as the Dhyāna sutras [48]. The Chinese translator and scholar Kumarajiva (344-413 CE) transmitted a meditation treatise titled The Sūtra Concerned with Samādhi in Sitting Meditation (T.614, K.991) which teaches the Sarvāstivāda system of fivefold mental stillings [49].

Meditation in the Pure Land School: Mindfulness of Amitābha Buddha

In Pure Land Buddhism, repeating the name of Amitābha is traditionally a form of mindfulness of theBuddha(Skt.buddhānusmṛti). This term was translated into Chinese as nianfo (Chinese), by which it is popularly known in English. The practice is described as calling the buddha to mind by repeating his name, to enable the practitioner to bring all his or her attention upon that buddha (samādhi) [50]. This may be done vocally or mentally, and with or without the use of Buddhist prayer beads. Those who practice this method often commit to a fixed set of repetitions per day, often from 50,000 to over 500,000. According to tradition, the second patriarch of the Pure Land school, Shandao, is said to have practiced this day and night without interruption, each time emitting light from his mouth. Therefore, he was bestowed with the title “Great Master of Light” by Emperor Gaozong of Tang [51]. In addition, in Chinese Buddhism there is a related practice called the “dual path of Chán and Pure Land cultivation», which is also called the «dual path of emptiness and existence [52].” As taught by Venerable Nan Huaijin, the name of Amitābha Buddha is recited slowly, and the mind is emptied out after each repetition. When idle thoughts arise, the phrase is repeated to clear them. With constant practice, the mind can remain peacefully in emptiness, culminating in the attainment of samādhi.

Pure Land Rebirth Dhāraṇī

Repeating the Pure Land Rebirth dhāraṇī is another method in Pure Land Buddhism. Similar to the mindfulness practice of repeating the name of Amitābha Buddha, this dhāraṇī is another method of meditation and recitation in Pure Land Buddhism. The repetition of this dhāraṇī is said to be very popular among traditional Chinese Buddhists [53]. It is traditionally preserved in Sanskrit, and it is said that when a devotee succeeds in realizing singleness of mind by repeating a mantra, its true and profound meaning will be clearly revealed.

a) namo amitābhāya tathāgatāya tadyathā

b) amṛtabhave amṛtasaṃbhave

c) amṛtavikrānte amṛtavikrāntagāmini

d) gagana kīrtīchare svāhā

Visualization Methods

Another practice found in Pure Land Buddhism is meditative contemplation and visualization of Amitābha, his attendant bodhisattvas, and the Pure Land. The basis of this is found in the Amitāyurdhyāna Sūtra («Amitābha Meditation Sūtra”), in which the Buddha describes to Queen Vaidehi the practices of thirteen progressive visualization methods, corresponding to the attainment of various levels of rebirth in the Pure Land [54]. Visualization practises for Amitābha are popular among esoteric Buddhist sects, such as Japanese Shingon Buddhism.

Meditation in the Chán/Zen school: Pointing to the Nature of the Mind

In the earliest traditions of Zen, it is said that there was no formal method of meditation. Instead, the teacher would use various didactic methods to point to the true nature of the mind, also known as Buddha-nature. This method is referred to as the “Mind Dharma”, and exemplified in the story of Śākyamuni Buddha holding up a flower silently, and Mahākāśyapa smiling as he understood. Figure 4 A traditional formula of this is, “Chán points directly to the human mind, to enable people to see their true nature and become buddhas [55].” In the early era of the Chán school, there was no fixed method or ple formula for teaching meditation, and all instructions were simply heuristic methods; therefore the Chán school was called the “Gateless Gate [56].”

Contemplating Meditation Cases

It is said traditionally that when the minds of people in society became more complicated and when they could not make progress so easily, the masters of the Chán school were forced to change their methods [57]. These involved particular words and phrases, shouts, roars of laughter, sighs, gestures, or blows from a staff. These were all meant to awaken the student to the essential truth of the mind, and were later called gōng’àn , or kōan in Japanese. These didactic phrases and methods were to be contemplated, and example of such a device is a phrase that turns around the practice of mindfulness: «Who is being mindful of the Buddha?» [58] The teachers all always instructed their students to give rise to a gentle feeling of doubt while practicing, so as to strip the mind of seeing, hearing, feeling, and knowing, and ensure its constant rest and undisturbed condition [59]. Charles Luk explains the essential function of contemplating such a meditation case with doubt: Since the student cannot stop all his thoughts at one stroke, he is taught to use this poison-against-poison device to realize singleness of thought, which is fundamentally wrong but will disappear when it falls into disuse, and gives way to singleness of mind, which is a precondition of the realization of the self-mind for the perception of self-nature and attainment of Bodhi [60] Figure 5.

Meditation in the Tiantai school; Tiantai śamathavipaśyanā

In China it has been traditionally held that the meditation methods used by the Tiantai school are the most systematic and comprehensive of all [61] . In addition to its doctrinal basis in Indian Buddhist texts, the Tiantai school also emphasizes use of its own meditation texts which emphasize the principles of śamatha and vipaśyanā. Of these texts, Zhiyi’s Concise Śamathavipaśyanā, MoheZhiguan (Sanskrit Mahāśamathavipaśyanā),

and Six Subtle Dharma Gates are the most widely read in China. Rujun Wu identifies the work Mahā-śamatha-vipaśyanā of Zhiyi as the seminal meditation text of the Tiantai school [62]. Regarding the functions of śamatha and vipaśyanā in meditation, Zhiyi writes in his work Concise Śamatha-vipaśyanā: The attainment of Nirvāṇa is realizable by many methods whose essentials do not go beyond the practice of śamatha and vipaśyanā. Śamatha is the first step to untie all bonds and vipaśyanā is essential to root out delusion Figure 6. Śamatha provides nourishment for the preservation of the knowing mind, and vipaśyanā is the skillful art of promoting spiritual understanding. Śamatha is the unsurpassed cause of samādhi, while vipaśyanā begets wisdom [63]. The Tiantai school also places a great emphasis on ānāpānasmṛti, or mindfulness of breathing, in accordance with the principles of śamatha and vipaśyanā. Zhiyi classifies breathing into four main categories: panting, unhurried breathing, deep and quiet breathing, and stillness or rest. Zhiyi holds that the first three kinds of breathing are incorrect, while the fourth is correct, and that the breathing should reach stillness and rest [64]. Zhiyi also outlines four kinds of samadhi in his Mohe Zhiguan, and ten modes of practicing vipaśyanā Figure 7.

Esoteric Practices in Japan

One of the adaptations by the Japanese Tendai school was the introduction of Mikkyō (esoteric practices) into Buddhism, which was later named Taimitsu by Ennin. Eventually, according to Tendai Taimitsu doctrine, the esoteric rituals came to be considered of equal importance with the exoteric teachings of the Lotus Sutra. Therefore, by chanting mantras, maintaining mudras, or performing certain meditations, one is able to see that the sense experiences are the teachings of Buddha, have faith that one is inherently an enlightened being, and one can attain enlightenment within this very body. The origins of Taimitsu are found in China, similar to the lineage that Kūkai encountered in his visit to Tang China and Saichō’s disciples were encouraged to study under Kūkai [65]. Meditation through the use of complex guided imagery based on Buddhist deities like Tara is a key practice in Vajrayana. Visual aids such as this thangka are often used.

Tantra Techniques (Vajrayana)

Vajrayana Buddhism includes all of the traditional forms of Mahayana meditation and also several unique forms. The central defining form of Vajrayana meditation is Deity Yoga (devatayoga) [66].This involves the recitation ofmantras, prayers and visualization of the yidam or deity along with the associated mandala of the deity›s Pure Land [67] . Advanced Deity Yoga involves imagining yourself as the deity. Other forms of meditation in Vajrayana include the Mahamudra and Dzogchen teachings, each taught by the Kagyu and Nyingma lineages of Tibetan Buddhism respectively. The goal of these is to familiarize oneself with the ultimate nature of mind which underlies all existence, the Dharmakāya. There are also other practices such as Dream Yoga, Tummo, the yoga of the intermediate state (at death) or Bardo, sexual yoga and Chöd. The shared preliminary practices of Tibetan Buddhism are called ngöndro, which involves visualization, mantra recitation, and many prostrations.

Therapeutic uses of Meditation: Mindfulness

For a long time people have practiced meditation, based on Buddhist meditation principles, in order to effect mundane and worldly benefit [68]. As such, mindfulness and other Buddhist meditation techniques are being advocated in the West by innovative psychologists and expert Buddhist meditation teachers such as Thích Nhất Hạnh, Pema Chödrön, Clive Sherlock, Mya Thwin SN Goenka, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein, Tara Brach, Alan Clements, and Sharon Salzberg, who have been widely attributed with playing a significant role in integrating the healing aspects of Buddhist meditation practices with the concept of psychological awareness, healing, and well-being. Although mindfulness meditation [69] has received the most research attention, loving kindness [70] (metta) and equanimity [71] (upekkha) meditation are beginning to be used in a wide array of research in the fields of psychology and neuroscience. The accounts of meditative states in the Buddhist texts are in some regards free of dogma, so much so that the Buddhist scheme has been adopted by Western psychologists attempting to describe the phenomenon of meditation in general.[k] However, it is exceedingly common to encounter the Buddha describing meditative states involving the attainment of such magical powers (Sanskrit ṛddhi, Pali iddhi) as the ability to multiply one’s body into many and into one again, appear and vanish at will, pass through solid objects as if space, rise and sink in the ground as if in water, walking on water as if land, fly through the skies, touching anything at any distance (even the moon or sun), and travel to other worlds (like the world of Brahma) with or without the body, among other things, [72-74] and for this reason the whole of the Buddhist tradition may not be adaptable to a secular context, unless these magical powers are seen as metaphorical representations of powerful internal states that conceptual descriptions could not do justice to Table 2.

Theravada Buddhist meditation practices

a) Anapanasati - focusing on the breath

b) Satipatthana - Mindfulness of body, sensations, mind and mental phenomena

c) The Four Immeasurables - including compassion karuna and loving-kindness Metta

d) Kammaṭṭhāna

e) Buddhānusmṛti - devotional meditation

f) Samatha - calm abiding

g) Vipassana - insight

h) Mahasati Meditation

i) Dhammakaya Meditation

Zen Buddhist meditation practices

a) Shikantaza - just sitting

b) Kinhin

c) Zazen

d) Koan

e) Hua Tou

f) Suizen (historically practiced by the Fuke sect)

Buddhist meditation centers

a) Insight Meditation Society - Insight meditation, Barre, Massachusetts, United States

b) Dharma Drum Retreat Center - Ch’an/Zen Buddhist meditation center in Pine Bush, New York, United States

c) Padmaloka Buddhist Retreat Centre Triratna center for men in Norfolk, UK

d) Chapin Mill Zen Buddhist meditation center in Rochester, New York, United States

e) Furnace Mountain Zen Buddhist meditation center in Kentucky, United States

f) San Francisco Zen Center

Vajrayana and Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Practices

a) Deity yoga

b) Ngondro - preliminary practices

c) Tonglen - giving and receiving

d) Phowa - transference of consciousness at the time of death

e) Chöd - cutting through fear by confronting it

f) Mahamudra - the Kagyu version of ‘entering the allpervading Dharmadatu’, the ‘nondual state’, or the ‘absorption state’

g) Dzogchen - the natural state, the Nyingma version of Mahamudra

h) The Four Immeasurables, Metta

i) Tantra techniques

Related Buddhist practices

a) Mindfulness - awareness in the present moment

b) Mindfulness (psychology) - Western applications of Buddhist ideas

c) Satipatthana

d) chanting and mantra

Proper floor-sitting postures and supports while meditating:

a) Floor sitting: cross-legged (full lotus, half lotus, Burmese) or seiza

b) Cushions: zafu, zabuton

Traditional Buddhist texts on meditation

a) Anapanasati Sutta

b) Satipatthana Sutta

c) Buddhaghosa’s Visuddhimagga - ‘The path of Purification’, used in Theravada Buddhism

d) Kamalashila’s Bhāvanākrama - ‘Stages of meditation’, used in Tibetan Buddhism

e) Zhiyi’s Great Concentration and Insight (Mohe Zhiguan) - used in the Chinese Tiantai school

f) Seventeen tantras - Major Tibetan Dzogchen texts

g) The Wangchuk Dorje’s “Ocean of Definitive Meaning”, major text on Mahamudra meditation.

h) Dakpo Tashi Namgyal’s “Mahamudra: The Moonlight - Quintessence of Mind and Meditation”

i) Fukan-zazengi - By Dogen, used in the Japanese Soto Zen school

Traditional preliminary practices to Buddhist meditation

a) prostrations (also see Ngondro)

b) refuge in the Triple Gem

c) Five Precepts

Analog in Vedas

a) Dhyana in Hinduism

b) Ksirodakasayi Vishnu

c) Paramatma

Analog in Taoism

a) Daoist meditation

b) Internal alchemy

Notes

For instance, Kamalashila (2003) states that Buddhist meditation “includes any method of meditation that has Enlightenment as its ultimate aim.» Likewise, Bodhi (1999) writes: «To arrive at the experiential realization of the truths it is necessary to take up the practice of meditation.... At the climax of such contemplation the mental eye ... shifts its focus to the unconditioned state, Nibbana....” A similar although in some ways slightly broader definition is provided by Fischer-Schreiber et al. (1991). “Meditation - general term for a multitude of religious practices, often quite different in method, but all having the same goal: to bring the consciousness of the practitioner to a state in which he can come to an experience of ‘awakening,’ ‘liberation,’ ‘enlightenment.’Kamalashila (2003) further allows that some Buddhist meditations are “of a more preparatory nature” . The Pali and Sanskrit word bhāvanā literally means «development» as in «mental development.» For the association of this term with «meditation,» see Epstein (1995) and, Fischer-Schreiber et al. (1991). As an example from a wellknown discourse of the Pāli Canon, in “The Greater Exhortation to Ranula” (Maha-Rahulovada Sutta, MN 62), Sariputta tells Rahula (in Pali, based on VRI, n.d.): ānāp ānassatiṃ, rāhula, bhāvanaṃ bhāvehi. Thanissaro (2006) translates this as: «Rahula, develop the meditation [bhāvana] of mindfulness of in-&-out breathing.” (Square-bracketed Pali word included based on Thanissaro, 2006, end note.) See, for example, Rhys Davids & Stede (1921-25), entry for “jhāna1 ”; Thanissaro (1997); as well as, Kapleau (1989) for the derivation of the word “zen” from Sanskrit «dhyāna.” PTS Secretary Dr. Rupert Gethin, in describing the activities of wandering ascetics contemporaneous with the Buddha, wrote: T]here is the cultivation of meditative and contemplative techniques aimed at producing what might, for the lack of a suitable technical term in English, be referred to as ‹altered states of consciousness›. In the technical vocabulary of Indian religious texts, such states come to be termed ‹meditations› (Sanskrit: dhyāna, Pali: jhāna) or ‘concentrations’ (samādhi); the attainment of such states of consciousness was generally regarded as bringing the practitioner to deeper knowledge and experience of the nature of the world.” (Gethin 1998) The analysis and interpretation the data based on qualitative variables as follows; The study clearly indicates that majority business management graduates get physical advantages of Vipassana Meditation process, in one way or other. Major benefits includes understanding of hidden potentials (20.3%), ability to withstand pain (15%), flexibility of physique, (12.8%), positive feeling (11.3), increased concentration (6%) etc. Students obtained different advantages by undergoing this awareness process. The study indicates that majority business management student get psychological benefits out of the Vipassana Meditation Process. Among the Psychological benefits 36.2% of students reported that they obtained peace and stability of mind, strong will power, become calm, quiet, and relaxed. They could be able to understand the strength and weaknesses, and become more composed, compassionate, determined, developed and developed the feeling equanimity. Their ability to concentrate day to day classes increased (24.1%) and gained better control over anger, agitation, frustration, reaction formation and hyper activeness (22.6%). Students obtained different psychological advantages by undergoing awareness process. A very few students reported (3%) no change in their behaviour. Goldstein (2003) writes that, in regard to the Satipatthana Sutta, “there are more than fifty different practices outlined in this Sutta. The meditations that derive from these foundations of mindfulness are called vipassana..., and in one form or another - and by whatever name - are found in all the major Buddhist traditions”. The forty concentrative meditation subjects refer to Visuddhimagga’s oft-referenced enumeration. Regarding Tibetan visualizations, Kamalashila (2003), writes: “The Tara meditation ... is one example out of thousands of subjects for visualization meditation, each one arising out of some meditator’s visionary experience of enlightened qualities, seen in the form of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas” Table 3.

Examples of contemporary school-specific “classics” include, from theTheravada tradition, Nyanaponika (1996) and, from the Zen tradition, Kapleau (1989). For instance, from the Pāli Canon, see MN 44 (Thanissaro, 1998a) and AN 3:88 (Thanissaro, 1998b). In Mahayana tradition, the Lotus Sutra lists the Six Perfections (pāramitā) which echoes the threefold training with the inclusion of virtue (śīla), concentration (samadhi) and wisdom (prajñā). For example, Bodhi (1999), in discussing a latter stage of developing Right View (that of “penetrating” the Four Noble Truths), states: To arrive at the experiential realization of the truths it is necessary to take up the practice of meditation - first to strengthen the capacity for sustained concentration, then to develop insight. These definitions of samatha and vipassana are based on the “Four Kinds of Persons Sutta” (AN 4.94). This article’s text is primarily based on Bodhi (2005), See also Thanissaro (1998d). Bodhi (2000) See also Thanissaro (1998c) (where this sutta is identified as SN 35.204). See also, for instance, a discourse (Pali: sutta) entitled, “Serenity and Insight” (SN 43.2), where the Buddha states: “And what, bhikkhus, is the path leading to the unconditioned? Serenity and insight....” (Bodhi, 2000). When [the Pali discourses] depict the Buddha telling his disciples to go meditate, they never quote him as saying ‘go do vipassana,’ but always ‘go do jhana.’ And they never equate the word vipassana with any mindfulness techniques. In the few instances where they do mention vipassana, they almost always pair it with samatha - not as two alternative methods, but as two qualities of mind that a person may ‘gain’ or ‘be endowed with,’ and that should be developed together. Similarly, referencing MN 151, vv. 13-19, and AN IV, 125-27, Ajahn Brahm (who, like Bhikkhu Thanissaro, is of the Thai Forest Tradition) writes: Some traditions speak of two types of meditation, insight meditation (vipassana) and calm meditation (samatha). In fact, the two are indivisible facets of the same process. Calm is the peaceful happiness born of meditation; insight is the clear understanding born of the same meditation. Calm leads to insight and insight leads to calm. (Brahm 2006) Michael Carrithers, (The Buddha 1983) Found in Founders of Faith, Oxford University Press, 1986. The author is referring to Pali literature. See however B. Alan Wallace, the bridge of quiescence: experiencing Tibetan Buddhist meditation. Carus Publishing Company, 1998, where the author demonstrates similar approaches to analyzing meditation within the Indo-Tibetan and Theravada traditions Table 4.

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compsrealestate2-blog · 5 years

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18 Commercial Real Estate Trends To Dominate In 2019

Commercial real estate data

Goodbye 2018, hi 2019! As the new year approaches, Bishop talked with many industry execs, economists and researchers to discover the major trends expected to dominate the commercial real estate industry in the upcoming year. From the increase of opportunity zones to a downturn in industrial absorption, these are 18 trends experts predict for 2019.

commercial real estate trends

1. Opportunity Zones Craze To Persist

As investors await finalized advice from the Department of the Treasury and the IRS concerning the Opportunity Zone program, the search is on for resources and investment opportunities in those designated areas that present the most powerful upside potential. Investors are lining up to pour billions to Opportunity Zone Funds, using a report by Real Capital Analytics saying there is more than $6 trillion in unrealized capital gains eligible to be set up into potential zones.

Though the program was created via the departure of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act last year to induce economic growth in underserved communities in exchange for a hefty tax break, study reveals many of the census tracts classified as chance zones have already brought a considerable amount of investment prior to the launch of the new federal plan. Critics of the program stress it'll accelerate investment in areas already experiencing a surge in development activity, leading to a convergence of investment to burgeoning neighborhoods already in high demand, and a lack of investment in differently blighted communities.

2. Industrial Boom To Keep Thanks To High Demand From E-Commerce Players, Though A Few Headwinds May Surface

Industrial property demand soared to new heights this past season, also CBRE Head of Industrial Research David Egan expects more of the exact same in 2019.

"I believe the market has outperformed this year, at least from user action. There has been an overall expectation for a number of years that this can not continue, and it ends up that hasn't been true. We've got a huge quantity of demand in the marketplace for logistics properties of all kinds; obviously the most Class-A big-bulk warehouses are exactly what capture the majority of the attention, but the need is very broad-based and extending all the way down to secondary and tertiary markets," he said. "My anticipation in 2019 is that we ought to see less or more of the same dynamic."

Web absorption caused by e-commerce growth is expected to moderate between 75M SF and 94M SFexactly the same as this season, according to CBRE's 2019 Outlook report, and a lack of new supply has driven vacancy amounts down to 4.3 percent, a historic low.

"Based on the demand that we're seeing from the e-commerce industry -- as well as from conventional brick-and-mortar retailers that are entering or expanding into the online space -- we could fully expect that e-commerce will continue to drive the marketplace annually," Bridge Development Partners President Anthony Pricco explained. "This is particularly true for infill sites proximate to the significant population centers. While the increasing costs of construction and land could be seen as emerging economy headwinds, the upside of industrial growth is still exceptionally strong, as rents have been appreciating at a much quicker rate."

Egan told Bisnow that he wouldn't be surprised if net absorption tapered off in 2019 because of new distribution not keeping pace with strong demand levels.

"You can only absorb what is available," he explained. "While we hope to see supply-demand relatively in check, those growth metrics will still be positive."

3. Federal Reserve To Slowly Boost Interest Rates Due To The Power Of The Economy

With solid jobs expansion continuing to increase at a healthy clip and the unemployment rate steady at 3.7%, a 50-year reduced, Fed officials hint that they will likely continue their path of activity in 2019 to gradually boost short-term interest levels to temper inflation and maintain a stable market.

"Inflation exists over the Fed's target of 2% to 2.5%, with more job openings than jobless and more homebuyers than brand new home inventory. The Fed sees inflation forward first and foremost and will continue on a hike-pause-hike-pause pattern in 2019 provided that GDP remains above 2 percent and unemployment below 5%," CCIM Institute Chief Economist K.C. Conway said.

The Fed boosted prices three times this year to a range of 2% to 2.25 percent, and several expect central bankers to bump prices again in December. Big Wall Street banks polled by Reuters expect central bankers to increase rates another 3 times in 2019.

"Though the latest Fed advice has seemed less authoritative on its future path, the market and most analysts anticipate another hike this month and 2 to four next year, as both inflation and wage growth surpass their targets," Colliers International U.S. Chief Economist Andrew Nelson stated. "This may translate into declines in consumer and business borrowing and curb spending and investing."

4. Online Retailers Will Continue To Open Brick-And-Mortar Stores, Additional Validating That Physical Retail Is Far From Dead

With the retail sector stabilizing in 2018, CBRE Head Of Global Retail Research Melina Cordero expects retailers to start reinvesting in their physical footprints to accomplish the ideal omnichannel buying experience for consumers. Additionally, digitally native (or even e-commerce only) retailers will increasingly shift to open physical stores to cultivate their business and keep more customers, Cordero said.

"In relation to retail and real estate, I believe the retailers have finally sort of heard things to do. There is a good deal of investment, changes and closures that needed to happen to adapt to omnichannel. More than 2018 a good deal of these investments eventually started to pay off.

"What we think is going to occur over 2019 is a true return to the shop. Retailers are finally beginning to understand the value of their real estate -- they can not just close a shop and rely on internet, they really need the shop for profit margins, consumer care, customer acquisition, for lots of reasons. I think we are going to see a great deal of reinvesting from the store and a lot of reinvesting in strategies to attempt to get people into the shop," Cordero said.

5. Industry To Continue Reading The Tea Leaves To Predict The Next Downturn

Everybody is watching out for signs of the next recession, as the market nears its 10th year of expansion -- its longest period of expansion ever.

"In the history of U.S. business cycles, downturns have generally occurred within a couple of years after the economy has reached full employment," JPMorgan Chase Commercial Banking Head Economist Jim Glassman said. "A careful evaluation of this historical regularity indicates, however, that this routine has been the consequence of two imbalances -- a building inflation problem that needs the Fed to adopt a more restrictive policy position, or unprecedented financial imbalances.

"In that regard, there are not any obvious imbalances that have the potential to trigger a downturn, so the current expansion is likely to settle into a protracted period of balanced, noninflationary growth"

Although U.S. economic growth and job gains were strong in 2018, some economists and analysts forecast the market will likely slow in 2019 because of continuing short-term interest rate lumps by the Federal Reserve and waning financial stimulus from federal tax reductions.

"Inevitable disruption is most likely the right risk strategy mode to be in for 2019. Real estate is not immune from business cycles, economic recessions or tumultuous black swan events -- like a trade war, currency meltdown or cyberterrorism," Conway said.

6. Investor Demand For U.S. Assets To Keep Transaction Volume Strong

"Though property markets peaked for this cycle in 2015, sales and leasing trade activity remain robust and pricing firm," Nelson informed Bisnow. "Transaction quantity through Q3 2018 [has been ] 11% above its level for the comparable period this past year and is approaching the total closed in 2015 -- the peak sales year for this cycle.

"While all four core sectors have contributed in this year's profits, office and apartment -- perennial investor favorites -- have posted the highest sales totals and the most powerful price appreciation thus far. However, equally [will] probably slow sharply in the next two decades, together with price appreciation and lease growth, as the market slows or even turns negative"

7. Industrywide PropTech Adoption To Accelerate

Commercial real estate professionals -- from operators and owners to brokers and architects -- may no longer deny the impact technology is having on the industry. More real estate firms are embracing the most recent innovations to streamline perform tasks and make a more paperless, transparent approach to sourcing deals, managing resources, assessing data and closing trades.

Mihir Shah, co-CEO of JLL Spark -- JLL's PropTech division that has a $100M global fund dedicated to investing in real estate tech firms -- told Bishop that PropTech companies have become increasingly precious as their products have helped property companies further their initiatives.

"As part of the effort, we are seeing businesses that typically went through extended RFPs showing interest in new products to see which ones are workable. This helps them prove [return on investment] quicker and helps the winners grow faster," Shah said. "This willingness to try new things will help PropTech adoption in 2019 and outside."

8. Investment In Value-Add Assets To Help Assuage U.S. Workforce Housing Availability, Affordability Concerns

Requirement for accessible and affordable workforce housing options will remain a topic of interest from the multifamily sector, as expensive land and development costs make it increasingly difficult to construct affordable housing from the bottom up. This is particularly a pain stage in urban metros, JPMorgan Chase Head of Commercial Real Estate Al Brooks advised Bisnow.

"The ongoing job growth we have been experiencing in the U.S. is having a huge impact on workforce housing affordability in important cities. This influx of talent is still fueled by the need to be in close proximity to work, the ease of mass transit options, in addition to the allure of being at the center of this action in major metropolitan areas," Brooks said.

CBRE Americas Head of Multifamily Research Jeanette Rice said investment in value-add multifamily resources can help alleviate these concerns.

"Workforce housing will also stay appealing in 2019 due to demand outpacing available supply, thereby keeping vacancy rates reduced and leasing growth above the overall multifamily market.

"Investor interest will also stay very high in 2019. Interest is coming from all sorts of capital, including foreign and institutional capital as well as traditional sources like smaller private buyers. The desire for labor housing is very strong for the better property fundamentals and greater yields. Value-add investment will likely still predominate in 2019 and stay largely successful. Acquisitions of stabilized merchandise will also be appealing for some investors, particularly those with longer-term hold horizons," Rice said.

9. Millennials To Continue Flocking To Hipsturbias And 18-Hour Suburban Cities

Research and data has dispelled the long-held myth which millennials are city-flocking suburbia haters. With aging millennials now hitting their early 30s, many are turning to the suburbs with their households. Over 2.6 million Americans relocated from the city to the suburbs in the previous two years, according to the U.S. Census Bureau as reported by ULI. This has renewed investor interest and confidence in pick non-gateway markets, ULI reports in its own 2019 Trends survey. "Hipsturbias" or"Urban-burbs" have been used to classify these suburban markets with greater walkability and access to public transit which resemble urban metros.

A U.S. bank senior researcher advised ULI the following:

"The first phase is millennials moving to the suburbs for larger, more affordable homes and access to colleges, so decent single-family home and multifamily housing will be necessary. Retail follows rooftops, so retail development to meet the new occupants' needs will follow. Last, you might start to see more emphasis on job facilities as individuals decide they want to operate closer to where they reside." 10. Investors To Favor Industrial, Multifamily And Retail Assets From The New Year

It comes as no surprise that industrial property assets are an anticipated favorite for investors in 2019, along with multifamily assets, based on ULI's 2019 Emerging Trends report. Deep-pocketed investors such as Blackstone Group continue to gobble up entire portfolios of industrial resources at a rapid pace this year, for example its purchase of industrial REIT Gramercy Property Trust for $7.6B, also a portfolio of last-mile logistics resources from Harvard University for nearly $1B and also a portfolio of 41 warehouses from FRP Holdings Inc. for $359M.

More interesting is the fact that retail is expected to attract attention from shareholders in 2019, especially those assets ripe for redevelopment and updates.

"Many shopping centre properties are simply not going to return as successful retail resources. However, while few have been reduced in cost to a mere land worth, many are well below replacement cost and have good locations for alternative applications," ULI reports. "If a website is adequately big, mixed-use is a great option for close-in suburbs appearing to exploit maturing millennials' desire to input their next life-cycle phase. There is a chance to turn the tables around the e-commerce fashion that fostered the obsolescence by redevelopment into supply facilities."

11. Investors To Keep Flocking To Secondary, Tertiary Markets For Yield

Commercial property investors on the hunt for solid risk-adjusted returns continue to skip entry markets to gamble on assets in burgeoning secondary markets, as well as the trend is likely to last in 2019.

"Due to the high rates and limited opportunities in main U.S. metros, investors are continuing to concentrate more on secondary markets, that are appreciating double-digit increase in investment activity and also much stronger price increases than at the primary (mostly coastal) metro markets," Colliers' Nelson said. "But, those trends are likely to reverse if/when we see the economic downturn, and investors find the safety of bigger, more liquid markets."

This behavior is typical at a late-stage cycle such as this, CBRE Chairman of Americas Research Spencer Levy stated.

"The downside of the coin is it is standard of late-cycle investment action that you find a change from primary to secondary in search of yields. What's new is we've not seen a compression of yields that would be average in late-market activity," he said. "What occurs is cap levels in primaries and secondaries converge; we have not seen that in office and retail, but we have seen that at multifamily. The issue is, is that this trend durable during a recession which will occur within another couple of years?"

12. Construction Industry To Keep on Grappling With High Costs, Labor Shortage

Increasing construction costs were the No. 1 property and development concern for respondents that participated in ULI's Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2019 surveys. On a scale of one to five, five of the best importance, construction costs ranked 4.59, together with land costs and housing prices and availability following near at 4.14 and 4, ULI reports.

"Growing construction costs may be the most understood narrative of 2018 that has to become a substance narrative in 2019," CCIM's Conway stated. Conway identified a number of factors exacerbating cost and labour challenges in the building industry, such as a decline in immigrant construction laborers following the financial crisis, loony superstorms as a consequence of climate change which has resulted in massive rebuilding efforts across the nation, and tariffs and the transaction war.

"Key materials such as steel,... toilet fittings from China, timber from Canada, etc., are affected. Pay attention to the quarterly earnings reports from building materials companies regarding the kind of input cost increases being experienced. Caterpillar, for instance, reported solid sales in Q3 2018, however, a sizable rise in material inputs like steel. The outcome is rising pressure on margins.

"This is the key takeaway regarding construction labour and material costs increases -- margins will be squeezed, cost overruns incurred, and worth under pressure unless rents and [internet operating income] can be raised to cover the rising costs of new building," Conway said.

13. U.S. Office Real Estate Markets To Stay Stable, Though Demand May Slow

CBRE stated in its 2019 U.S. Outlook report which office net absorption is predicted to reach 37M SF in 2019, representing the business's 10th consecutive year of positive absorption. Should the nation continue to experience strong office-using job growth in the new year, it could cause strong absorption rates and renewed interest from shareholders.

"One part of office property expansion is the requirement for more office space near amusement venues and other comforts. These office buildings are relying on smaller, more flexible workspaces. Working spaces also are becoming more common as professionals choose other working procedures," Gerken informed Bisnow.

That said, Colliers' Nelson anticipates office demand will taper off in reaction to a downturn in job development and strong supply levels.

"Demand for office space will medium in response to slower job development, just as a significant quantity of projects already under construction starts to enter the current market," Nelson stated. "So vacancy will trend up and rent growth will ease as market conditions become more aggressive for landlords."

14. Retail Bankruptcies To Slow, Retailer Earnings To Stabilize

"The real estate business has undergone significant change in recent years, and the transformation is deep and will continue throughout 2019. The convergence of brick-and-mortar and internet retail will continue to create major seismic changes in the industry," TD Bank Head of Commercial Real Estate Gregg Gerken told Bishop.

Though a tide of merchants filed for bankruptcy and shuttered stores this season -- including Sears, Mattress Firm, Nine West and Claire's -- the situation surrounding most shop closures next year ought to be vastly different, CBRE's Cordero explained.

"I feel that the general industry opinion is that 2017 was likely the summit [for retail closures]. I think there will continue to become closers in 2019 -- it is hard to say whether we will have more or less -- but I would say a lot of the closures that we will find in 2019 will be about that which we call portfolio rationalization or optimization than they're about retailers that are failing.

"Retailers in many cases do need to close shops to reorient their portfolios -- therefore I really do anticipate closures at 2019, but I don't actually [connect ] a lot of those closures as dying or neglecting retail, it's more of morphing and adjusting retail," Cordero said.

15. Multistory Warehouse Development From The U.S. To Accelerate

Requirements have ripened for multistory warehouse development from the U.S., and this trend will continue into 2019. Facilities are detained or have already delivered in Seattle, San Francisco, New York, Miami and Chicago. Even though multistory warehouses are nothing new in Europe and Asia, the U.S. is in the beginning phases of developing these kinds of facilities today that building costs are not as cheap and there is less available land than in earlier times CBRE's Levy explained. Unprecedented demand for logistics and warehouse space now has changed this dynamic.

"The rents which are being achieved in such multistory industrial [centers ] may be two or three times what you're seeing in conventional industrial. We believe this particular tendency is only at the beginning in the United States," Levy explained.

Although the lumps in lease are substantial, CBRE Head of Industrial Research David Egan said these multistory facilities can also present operational challenges for consumers.

"The users are going to have to alter how that they function in such buildings to make it work efficiently," he explained. "The operational problems are not small -- to change how they move inventory in and outside of those buildings is not a small little tweak."

16. Grocery Chains To Proceed Additional Online Expand Their Online Offerings With The Help Of Tech

Up to now, delivering fresh markets to consumers' doors has turned into a rather nascent concept -- and it's no simple job. Grocers already combat low profit margins because of increasingly declining food costs and new low-cost competitions like Aldi entering the marketplace. These challenges, coupled with expensive online delivery costs, has maintained online grocery delivery in its infancy. However, CBRE's Cordero sees that tendency changing in 2019.

"Grocery is probably, one of all the retail classes, one of the lowest for online penetration. We believe because of a mixture of technological progress, investment on the part of retailers and customer demand, that we're likely to see a pretty significant shift next year at grocery going online and retailers offering more to consumers in that domain," she explained.

17. Economic Development Teams Round The Country Continue To Feel The Effects Of HQ2 Competition

"An open competition like the Amazon HQ2 search is an opportunity for communities to redefine their own legacy image and showcase what's different in their economy today versus 10, 20 or 30 years back. The 238 communities which competed for the Amazon HQ2 are winning economic growth as a result," CCIM's Conway stated.

"Amazon is using the data to site select new fulfillment centers in places like Tucson, Arizona, and Birmingham, Alabama. Other significant transport and e-commerce businesses, like Norfolk Southern Railroad, have used the data to create a relocation decision (in Norfolk Southern's instance, to Atlanta, that was one of the 20 finalist cities for Amazon HQ2). In other words, the Amazon HQ2 research was to economic growth what the census is to demographics"

18. U.S. Hotel Occupancy To Split Records In 2019

The hotel sector is expected to undergo a record-breaking year of occupancy degrees in 2019, according to a prediction from CBRE Hotels America Research. Occupancy levels are expected to surge to 66.2% following year, the 10th successive year of growth. This growth will be driven with a 2.1% growth in demand to offset the incoming supply.

That strong demand may not be felt equally across markets, Quadrum Hospitality Group President Foiz Ahmed stated.

"Though the hospitality sector continues to grow, the economies where Quadrum is active will remain relatively horizontal given their higher-than-national average occupancy prices. While average daily rates are increasing nationwide, the industry will likely face some challenges as a result of rapid adoption of apps that provide discounted rates."

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megamikethomson · 4 years

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if you’re a cheryl fan, then you’ll love this perfume, created to capture many facets of her character. The perfume consists of delicate freesia, peach blossom, with a base of vanilla, white need to and sandalwood. Historically, christmas eve changed into the time while panicking men could be seen racing round department shops snatching up gifts. However the upward thrust of internet shopping has changed our habits. Amazon even offers identical-day transport services in some areas – sometimes within the hour. But for the excessive road it’s been awful news, with bricks and mortar investors suffering a pointy fall in customers in recent weeks. Yesterday, the amusement store recreation issued a profit warning and style chain bonmarché has already finished the same. Spending on visa cards is concept to have hit a height of £1. 3billion between 1pm and 2pm the day gone by whilst three. 2 million transactions came about. Why such a lot of families fall out once they get collectively

why households combat at christmas has been explained through a scientist – and she has even give you a call for the phenomenon… hypercopresence. Professor melanie sales space- butterfield stated conflicts flare while family contributors are pressured to live at close quarters having spent all yr aside. Over christmas they have to percentage the equal house, the equal toilet and put up with young youngsters stampeding across the place. Family members become cranky as their autonomy is taken away through a tight schedule of walks, meals and video games. Professor booth- butterfield, a communications expert at virginia university, stated rows happened when human beings attempted to ‘strike out’ to reclaim their independence – and that hypercopresence happened when you get what she called a ‘big dose of own family straight away’. Professor booth-butterfield stated it became like a long-distance courting but in place of a lover coming domestic, you spend christmas with own family. She stated: ‘when you are in a relationship you anticipate to be together a number of the time. You don’t tend to expect to be together 24/7. Hypercopresence takes place when matters are very controlled and scheduled.’

professor sales space-butterfield put it right down to the ‘abcs’ – alcohol, lavatories and kids. The extra people and the smaller the residence, the extra the stress. Supply to charity rather than to buddies? They might not thank you

within the persistent struggle to consider unique present ideas, it’s become commonplace to present a donation to charity in place of a gift at christmas. However doing so may want to harm a friendship, lecturers warn. Whilst it could seem a great manner to avoid buying some thing in order to most effective come to be inside the bin, a observe has discovered that the pass could backfire. Researchers found the recipients of ‘worth’ gifts had been as much as 27 per cent much less satisfied than expected. Many charities provide ‘socially accountable’ alternatives to standard presents including presenting a goat or bird to a villager in a growing us of a, or planting bushes in a conservation challenge. Researchers on the college of southern california asked 151 humans to either make a £25 donation to charity on behalf of a friend, or ship a connoisseur espresso bog down of the identical value. However the givers overestimated how appreciative buddies would be – and underrated how angry they could be. Recipients had been a whole lot less glad with the socially accountable presents than expected. And at the same time as givers expected their thoughtfulness to be rated at approximately seventy four consistent with cent, the true discern changed into forty eight in line with cent. Best mainly near pals are probable to understand a accountable gift, the authors stated. Dr lisa cavanaugh, writing in the magazine of organisational behaviour and human choice procedures, said: ‘socially accountable presents honestly have the capacity to mirror a virtuous identity for the giver. This very excellent, but, might not be valued by using recipients as tons as givers suppose.

‘a recipient might also perceive a present as saying extra approximately the giver than approximately the giver’s dedication to the relationship.’ two-hour queues to choose up m&s groceries

angry marks & spencer shoppers confronted waits of up to two hours the day past after they arrived to collect pre-ordered turkeys. Many used social media to post photographs of lengthy queues each outside and inside stores. M&s seems to had been quick of manpower after it reduce returned on hiring seasonal body of workers this 12 months to keep money. Scott rose, who went to cheshunt in hertfordshire to pick up his meals, wrote on twitter: ‘2 hours to pick out up a turkey, received’t be back next yr m&s.’

james cameron from newport in south wales complained: ‘your series scheme is a funny story. Why offer a service you can not deliver?’ in beckenham, south-east london, queues almost reached the car park even as team of workers in handforth dean, cheshire, handed out mince pies to sad consumers. Other supermarkets have been mobbed yesterday. Waitrose stated tills were almost 4 times busier than an average wednesday. Sainsbury’s and tesco took on hundreds of greater team of workers to cope. Bluewater purchasing centre in kent stated it become trading ‘as standard’ after drivers faced waits of up to 6 hours to depart its car park on monday. Left, traces of pissed off consumers in cheshunt, hertfordshire. Pictured right is a similar scenario in handforth dean, cheshire

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spicynbachili1 · 5 years

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The key to building on the Spurs win

Coming off one other uncommon, feel-good win, what should the Phoenix Suns do to really construct on this momentum transferring ahead?

The Phoenix Suns have been right here twice earlier than this season. Not simply within the win column, however in a broader sense, coming off the sort of eye-opening, feel-good efficiency that nice groups construct on.

The Suns, nonetheless, should not an important staff. They’re not even an excellent one. Their first two wins of the 2018-19 season had been adopted up with seven straight losses by a median deficit of 19.zero factors, after which 4 consecutive defeats by a median margin of 15.5 factors.

It’s solely pure to surprise what sort of effort Phoenix will put forth following its third win of the season in opposition to the San Antonio Spurs Wednesday night time, particularly with the following opponent being an Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder staff that’s already soundly crushed the Suns twice this season.

In opposition to the Spurs, the Suns noticed promising indicators from just about everybody. Deandre Ayton was aggressive offensively and energetic defensively, ending with 17 factors, 10 rebounds and one soul-crushing dunk over Davis Bertans:

Devin Booker struggled together with his shot (5-for-14), dedicated method too many turnovers (seven) and nonetheless doesn’t seem like his healthiest self, however with the Spurs’ defensive recreation plan centered on stopping him, he was in a position to dole out a career-high 12 assists.

Isaiah Canaan poured in 19 factors on 5-of-5 taking pictures from deep. T.J. Warren as soon as once more regarded like Phoenix’s most potent scorer, dropping 27 factors on 10-of-17 taking pictures. Josh Jackson performed aggressive however composed, and although he was up-and-down defensively, he was letting the sport come to him for the primary time all season.

Jamal Crawford put up 10 factors in an important third quarter stretch that helped the Suns maintain San Antonio at bay when their 17-point halftime lead was minimize to a one-possession recreation.

The listing of positives goes on and on, very similar to it did within the Suns’ first win once they made 19 Three-pointers as a staff, Booker dropped 19 fourth quarter factors, and Ayton, Jackson, Warren and Trevor Ariza all performed terrific, or of their second win when Booker’s game-winner lifted them over a high quality Memphis Grizzlies staff.

Sadly, after each of these promising performances, the Suns responded with absolute duds of their subsequent contests. Video games entered rubbish time within the second quarter. Veterans regarded disinterested. Physique language was horrible and the ugly ultimate scores weren’t even indicative of how uncompetitive the Suns regarded.

After the Grizzlies win, head coach Igor Kokoskov and the remainder of the Suns iterated how necessary it was to lastly break via and get an excellent win in opposition to an excellent staff — the kind of win a rebuild can, nicely, construct upon.

That didn’t occur the final time. From there it was all downhill, with Kokoskov’s “can’t coach effort” mantra elevating eyebrows — very similar to the late collapse in opposition to the Boston Celtics did, very similar to the discrepancy over whether or not the plan was to deliberately foul down the stretch of that recreation did, and very similar to all these double-digit losses have.

So how do the Suns, who already discover themselves within the precarious place of needing to win video games so kids like Booker, Jackson and Ayton don’t develop up completely jaded with this franchise, truly construct on their greatest win of the season?

The reply is likely to be so simple as beginning a rookie.

Igor goes to have fairly the pickle when Ariza comes again if this degree of play continues.

— Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) November 15, 2018

Certain, Booker embracing his internal James Harden would assist cowl up a few of the staff’s deficiencies at level guard. Yeah, Canaan by no means lacking from Three-point vary could be neat. Jackson enjoying inside himself, Warren capitalizing on all of the defensive consideration Booker attracts and Ayton enjoying just like the manchild he’s would all be useful too.

However none of these issues is assured to hold ahead to the following recreation. On the finish of the day, it would simply come all the way down to beginning the staff’s greatest wings, and proper now, Mikal Bridges appears like he belongs in that group.

The Booker/Ayton/Bridges trio performed 16 minutes collectively. The ultimate outcomes?

• 141.2 OffRtg • 85.7 DefRtg • +55.5 NetRtg

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) November 15, 2018

The 2-time NCAA champion didn’t mild up the field rating Wednesday night time, ending with an unassuming eight factors, two rebounds and one block in his first profession begin.

Nevertheless, the distinction in defensive focus was miles aside from what it’s been, particularly in the beginning of the sport when the Suns jumped out to 34-19 benefit within the first quarter. It was the sort of begin Phoenix hasn’t loved in any respect this 12 months, and although not all of that may be attributed to the rook, the distinction in effort was placing.

“I believe he brings stability,” Kokoskov stated. “He’s a sound man. That’s what we want. He’s going to make errors, we all know that. He’s a younger man. He follows the sport plan fairly stable. He performed for an excellent coach and superb staff, so in terms of the sport plan execution, we belief Mikal rather a lot.”

Plus/minus numbers for a person recreation could be deceptive, however on this case, it was completely becoming that Bridges’ +23 was second to solely T.J. Warren, the sport’s main scorer.

Trevor Ariza missed the Spurs recreation resulting from private causes (which Kokoskov assured everybody earlier than the sport was resulting from a household matter, and that there was no deeper story). Ryan Anderson performed seven minutes. Tyson Chandler, who was purchased out final week, rounds out the highest three veteran influences who had been presupposed to information these younger Suns, but right here they had been, beating the Spurs by 20 with none of them.

It’s not that Ariza, Anderson or Chandler had nothing to supply this staff, or that the locker room information being handed down was nugatory. However for a staff whose effort was being publicly questioned 10 video games into the 12 months, it’s time for Kokoskov to play the blokes who truly give a rattling, and for no matter purpose, that hasn’t included the skilled vets who needs to be setting that instance.

Meaning Richaun Holmes consuming Chandler’s minutes at backup heart. Meaning Josh Jackson getting some leeway on the nights the place his ardour for the sport could be correctly channeled. Meaning Ayton and Booker not giving up on performs defensively.

However most of all, it most likely means beginning Mikal Bridges on the Three transferring ahead, particularly if Ariza continues to play like he’s already bought a February buyout date circled on his calendar. If Ariza misses the staff’s subsequent recreation, Bridges could have one other likelihood to show he belongs within the beginning 5.

To not be a told-you-so man, however Mikal Bridges appears like a ready-to-go man.

Not massive #s however nice protection all night time. Breaks down not typically.

— Kevin Zimmerman (@KZimmermanAZ) November 15, 2018

This isn’t meant to hammer Ariza both; Bridges is simply actually good already. He can shoot the Three-ball, he’s sensible, he is aware of when to assault the rim and he’s a dedicated on-ball defender. He wants work and consistency like several rookie, however the way in which he performs, the way in which he’s locked in defensively and the way in which he visibly cares when he makes a mistake, he may turn into the precise kind of chief by instance this younger group wants.

Wednesday was just one high quality win, and we’ve seen this Three-11 staff slip again into horrendous habits after this similar kind of reassuring efficiency earlier than. To be completely trustworthy although, the Suns don’t want to set their sights on a playoff spot or another unrealistic objective.

Subsequent: The 50 biggest NBA gamers of all time (up to date for 2017-18)

What they do want is to play the blokes who give a rattling and can scrap and compete — particularly if these guys are the younger ones that signify intrinsic items of the core transferring ahead.

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familycourtcorruption · 4 years

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Opposites Attract But Do They Stay Together?

I’ve spent a lot of time wondering why opposites attract and whether or not my experiences are unique. Even in grade school, I remember being attracted to Daniel, a quiet blonde who sat near me in my 5th grade science class (I’m an extroverted brunette) and pondering why I was irresistibly drawn to him.

Truthfully, most of my partners have had differences that run deeper than physical appearance. At times, the magnetism ends up feeling more like a tension. For instance, both my first and second husbands love gardening, while I’m happiest at a social gathering. Needless to say, these differences have presented challenges in both of my marriages.

In the Huffington Post article ‘Opposites Attract’ Or Birds Of A Feather,’ Karl A. Pillemer, Ph.D. posits that while opposites often have an intense attraction, these matches don’t always last. Since Pillemer’s landmark study is comprised of over 500 people married over 40 years, his findings are worthy of note.

He writes, “The research findings are quite clear: marriages that are homogenous in terms of economic background, religion, and closeness in age are the most stable and tend to be happier. Sharing core values has also been found to promote marital stability and happiness.”

In my opinion, the take away from Pillemer’s research is that you don’t necessarily have to avoid dating someone who appears to be your opposite. But you need to recognize that if you marry someone with drastically different values, you will face complex issues that could put you more at risk for divorce.

Author Sandy Weiner explains that chemistry is essential for a relationship to last because, without it, you have a nice friendship. However, Weiner concludes that it’s important to have both chemistry and compatibility. She writes, “This is about common values and life goals, whether you feel comfortable with each other, have fun together, share common experiences, and pretty much “get” each other. Compatibility is essential for a relationship to last.”

What I’ve come to realize is that while popular opinion tells us that opposites attract, few authors describe how polar opposites play themselves out in terms of personalities and emotional needs. One exception is Ross Rosenberg, a codependency expert.

He writes, “It’s not uncommon for people with codependent traits to be attracted to narcissists. Codependents – who are giving and consumed with the needs and desires of others – do not know how to emotionally disconnect from romantic relationships with individuals who are narcissistic—individuals who are self-centered, controlling, and harmful to them.” Rosenberg notes, “The inherently dysfunctional “codependency dance” requires two opposite but distinctly balanced partners: the pleaser/fixer (codependent) and the taker/controller (narcissist).”

Rosenberg describes opposites as “human magnets” who are irresistibly pulled toward each other, not so much by their conscious decisions or intentions, but rather by their opposite “magnetic field.” He writes, “Such partners with complementary magnetic roles are irresistibly drawn together and locked into a relationship that is nearly impossible to resist or break free of.”

He posits that couples who are opposites are immune to breakups due to the amorous nature of their relationship magnetism – unless one partner moves in a healthier direction, and the other one doesn’t follow.

For instance, Sarah came to my office stating that her live-in boyfriend Tony had been complaining about her being too busy with classes and social activities. When I asked her view of things, she said “I guess I’ve just really changed over the past year. It’s not that I don’t love Tony, but I want to pursue other interests that require that I be out at night, like graduate school, and he doesn’t seem happy for me. I’m not ready to get married and be a mom yet and Tony wants to settle down.”

When Sarah called to ask if I would meet with her and Tony together, I agreed to one session, in order to hear Tony’s view of their situation and to assess whether or not their relationship was in jeopardy. It seemed clear from the moment they sat down that Sarah’s and Tony’s values and goals were very much at odds with one another. Tony’s desire to start a family wasn’t in sync with Sarah’s desire to pursue an advanced degree and to be a social butterfly.

Unsurprisingly, when couples have vastly different core values and life goals this can make for a lot of friction in a relationship. When I pointed this out to Sarah and Tony they agreed that Sarah’s adventuresome, extroverted nature and need for freedom conflicted with Tony’s introverted and conservative nature – plus his eagerness to get married. While Tony was ready for a permanent, long-term commitment, Sarah simply wasn’t there yet. In my opinion, tying the knot and having children under these circumstances could only increase the likelihood of this couple facing divorce.

But what about couples that share core values and life goals but simply have polar opposite personalities and interests? My advice is to weather the storms and use your differences to add spark to the relationship. In other words, if you’re outgoing and a spender, marry someone who understands that even if they are quiet and more conservative with money. Dr Pillemer notes that some differences can spice up a relationship. In other words, differences don’t necessarily have to tear you apart as long as you accept them, share core values, and maintain mutual respect.

The key is taking responsibility for your own behavior and honest communication with your partner. Renowned relationship expert Dr. John Gottman reminds us that friendship is the glue that can hold a marriage together: “Couples who “know each other intimately [and] are well versed in each other’s likes, dislikes, personality quirks, hopes, and dreams” are couples who make it.”

Here are tips that can help you deal with differences between you and your partner:

Don’t give up the things you love to do such as hobbies or interests. This will only breed resentment.

Support one another’s passions. Accept that you won’t always share the same interests. Respect your partner’s need for space if they want to go on a vacation without you, etc.

Don’t put aside resentments that can destroy a relationship. Learn to resolve conflicts skillfully. Experiencing conflict is inevitable and couples who strive to avoid it are at the risk of developing stagnant relationships, according to author Kate McNulty.

Improve communication with couples counseling if both partners are motivated.

Avoid the “blame game.” The next time you feel upset at your partner, check out what’s going on inside yourself and pause and reflect before you place the blame on them.

In closing, be sure to pay close attention the next time you are in a challenging situation with your partner and examine the part you play. Keep in mind Dr. John Gottman’s guiding principle of adding more positive interactions – a five-to-one ratio. In other words, for every negative interaction with your partner, add five positive ones. Don’t take love for granted and adopt a mindset that differences can spark passion and interest. Ultimately, you are responsible for your own happiness.

Read More –>

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torixus · 4 years

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Buhari Jet Off to Malabo for the 5th International Gas Summit

Buhari Leaves Abuja for Malabo, as the President Promises to Safeguard Interest of Investors Before the end of today, the Nigerian President will leave Nigeria to join other dignitaries in the 5th Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) Summit in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea The development is in place after President Buhari said that investments could not thrive in an atmosphere of social and political instability, noting that his administration would do all within its powers to safeguard the interest of investors. Torixus Media Learnt that, Buhari is not the only President to attend the forum, the event will honour the present of all the Major Gas Generating countries of the Globe, which includes, Algeria, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Bolivia, Iran, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, Kazakhstan and Norway, whose countries account for 70 per cent and 80 per cent of global gas reserves and production respectively.

The Creative Mind of establishing the GECF was first mooted in 2001 when the First Ministerial Meeting held in Tehran, Iran, while the first GECF otherwise called Gas Summit, took place in Doha, Qatar in 2011 with Nigeria represented at the highest level. Torixus Remembered that in November 2015, the Nigerian President attended the Third Gas Summit in Tehran. “This Fifth Gas Summit in Malabo is the first time the biennial meeting will be hosted in Africa,” said a statement by the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu. The statement recalled that on November 19, Buhari received Gabriel Mbega Obiang Lima, the Special Envoy of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who brought a special invitation to the Nigerian leader to attend the 5th Gas Summit as well as thanking Nigeria for her support towards the hosting.

During that visit, Buhari said: “Nigeria is more of a gas producing rather than oil producing country. That fact had long been established. If we had followed our plans laid out in the 1970s for the gas sector, we should have had 12 trains by early 1980s, instead of being on just six trains,” of exporting Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). The statement added that Nigeria, being home to the largest proven natural gas reserves in Africa – over 202 trillion cubic feet (TCF) – and the ninth largest in the world, the Malabo Summit would provide a veritable platform for Buhari to reaffirm Nigeria’s commitment to the broad objectives of the GECF. These objectives include seeking to “support the sovereign rights of member countries over their natural gas resources and their ability to independently plan and manage the sustainable, efficient and environmentally-conscious development, use and conservation of natural gas resources for the benefit of their people.” The Nigerian delegation would also use the opportunity to discuss current trends in the global gas market, potential policies for the energy sector and opportunities for collaboration.

At the end of the 5th Gas Summit, the Malabo Declaration is expected to be adopted. Buhari would be accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva; Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite; and the Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kolo Kyari. After the Summit, President Buhari would head for Daura, Katsina State on a five-day official visit. Meanwhile, the President has assured to safeguard the interest of investors in Nigeria. The President spoke at State House in Abuja on Thursday, while playing host to the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Total Group Worldwide, Patrick Pouyanne. According to him, “The relationship between us and Total has been long and mutually beneficial. We want it to remain so. We have to be honourable, honest, and work together, so that we can improve. “At our end, we promise social and political stability, so that you can recover your investments. It’s our duty as government, and we will do it, so that we can maintain mutual confidence in each other.” In his remarks, Pouyanne disclosed that apart from oil and gas, which is its core activity, Total was also willing to develop the solar power potentials of Nigeria. “Our portfolio is large. We have many more projects to come. The prospects for Nigeria in oil and gas remain huge. More developing activities are possible, and we need to keep the momentum, and commit more investments to Nigeria,” he said. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); via Blogger https://ift.tt/2Dt5e1u

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slrlounge1 · 5 years

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Fujifilm Announces New Mirrorless Digital Camera | FUJIFILM X-T30

Fujifilm has just announced the latest model to join the X Series, known for superior image quality delivered with the company’s proprietary color reproduction technology. The X-T30 and XF 16mm F2.8 Lens, one of the smallest and lightest lenses in the Fujifilm X-series lineup.

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The successor to the popular X-T20 which inherits a number of features from the X-T3. The X-T30 Camera Body retails for $899 & the Lens for $399. Effectively this is a smaller, cheaper version of the X-T3 that delivers a higher image quality in stills and video. Black and Silver versions will be available at launch, (in late march), with the new Charcoal Silver following in June.

[Check the prices here – B&H]

While it’s not a full-frame camera, the APS-C sensors from Fuji have been incredibly popular and Fuji have been aggressively adding more and more video features to each new successor in their camera lineup.

We haven’t been able to get hands on with this camera yet, but this video from David Flores at B&H shows us some of the cameras awesome new features as well as the pros & cons he’s found with his time testing. The only thing that really stood out to me as a “down side” was the lack of weather sealing, but really for its price and size, it’s not that big of a deal at all, especially considering the improvements to the weight of the camera, and enhanced touchscreen LCD and rear controls.

If you’re an avid “cell-phone photographer” you’ll be very familiar with and impressed by the touch screen responsiveness.

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X-T30’s main features

Compact camera body that weighs just 383g and is equipped with the X Trans CMOS 4 sensor and high-speed X Processor 4 image processing engine to deliver ultimate image quality and versatile photographic expressions

The X-T30’s compact camera body that weighs just 383g features the X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor (APS-C, no low pass filter) and high-speed X-Processor 4 image processing engine. Together, they deliver the class-leading 26.1MP resolution for digital cameras with an APS-C-size sensor, and achieve excellent noise-reduction performance. Furthermore, the sensitivity of ISO160, previously*4 available only as extended ISO, is now part of the normal ISO range. This is particularly useful when shooting in bright daylight outdoors or trying to achieve beautiful bokeh with a fast large-aperture lens.

The “Film Simulation mode”, which provides versatile color expressions with Fujifilm’s proprietary technology, now has the new “ETERNA mode”. This camera also offers “monochrome adjustments” for Film Simulation’s “ACROS” and “Monochrome” modes to achieve warm black and cool black.

The “Color Chrome Effect” produces deeper colors and gradation to broaden diversity in your photographic expressions. *When compared to the X-Trans CMOS III sensor

Highly accurate AF performance across the entire frame and fast / silent continuous shooting capability of up to 30fps to capture a decisive moment in a wide range of situations

The X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor has 2.16 million phase detection pixels, about 4 times that of previous models*4, to expand the highly-accurate phase detection AF area to the entire frame (approximately 100%). When using the electronic shutter, the camera can deliver fast and silent continuous shooting of up to 30fps in a cropped frame equivalent to 16.6MP (1.25x crop). This means even a fast-moving subject, positioned away from the center of the frame, can be autofocused at an amazing speed and accuracy, ensuring that you will not miss a decisive shutter moment.

The X-Processor 4’s high processing speed and improved AF algorithm has boosted the camera’s capability to accurately detect human faces and eyes. The “Face Select function” has been also introduced to provide priority auto-focus on the face of a selected subject when multiple faces have been detected within a frame. The low-light limit for phase detection AF has been extended from +0.5EV on previous models*5 to -3EV, making on-screen phase detection AF available in very poor lighting such as at night or under a light source of limited luminosity, such as candlelight.

Evolved functionality of the “Advanced SR Auto mode” can be activated instantaneously with the use of the “Auto Mode Selector lever”, positioned on the camera body’s top panel. The camera automatically chooses the optimum shooting settings for a given scene out of 58 presets so that you can achieve the best image quality without having to worry about settings yourself. *When compared to the X-T20

Newly-redesigned grip shape and the inclusion of the “Focus Lever” for outstanding operability

The X-T30 inherits popular exterior design features of the X-T20, while adopting a new grip design that makes the camera body sit comfortably in your hand. It also has the “Focus Lever”, replacing the “Selector Button”, to afford extra grip space at the rear. These design enhancements have created added hand-holding stability despite the camera’s compact and lightweight body, even when it is mounted with a large lens such as a telephoto zoom.

The rear LCD monitor uses a touchscreen panel display 1.3mm thinner than that on the X-T20. Its improved touchscreen response enables faster and more intuitive camera operations.

The X-T30 is available in the popular Black version the Silver version for a premium look with greater sheen, and the Charcoal Silver version*6, all representing a sense of high quality and robustness. *Will be in store later than the Black and Silver version

Extensive video functions that meet the needs of full-scale video production

The X-T30’s new video features include the capability to record with high-resolution audio and track human eyes even during video recording. Smooth 4K/30P video can be recorded at 8bit 4:2:0 on an SD card, and also output to external storage media via the HDMI port at 10bit 4:2:2 to include more color information. The camera is also capable of F-log recording, which captures footage in wider gamut for later editing of color tones and luminosity. These extensive video functions cater to the needs of full-scale video production.

Video data, greater than what is required for 6K video, is scaled down to 4K to achieve advanced sharpness with minimal moiré. The camera supports recording in the DCI format (17:9 aspect ratio), used in digital cinemas, for dynamic video footage in high resolution.

The X-T30 can apply “Film Simulation mode”, popular for stills, while recording video, so that you can enjoy a diverse range of unique effects, including the “ETERNA” for rich color grading.

[REWIND: Initial Impressions On The Fujifilm X-T3 | Third Time’s The Charm?]

X-T30 Specification Breakdown

26.1MP BSI APS-C X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor

23.5mm×15.6mm (APS-C) X-Trans CMOS 4 with primary color filter.

X-Processor 4 quad-core CPU

Up to 30 fps shooting with the electronic shutter

Up to 11 fps with the mechanical shutter

425-Point Phase-Detection Autofocus

3.0″ Tilting LCD Touchscreen with 1.04m-dot resolution

Extended ISO 80-51200, 30 fps Shooting

DCI and UHD 4K30 Video; F-Log Gamma

Bluetooth and Wi-Fi; Sports Finder Mode

Body only weighs 383g

What’s different about the X-T30?

1/4000 second mechanical shutter compared to 1/8000 with the X-T3. The electronic shutter on both goes to 1/32000.

4K30p Full HD 120 fps instead of 4K60p on the X-T3.

The movie format in the X-T30 is MOV (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, Audio: Linear PCM / Stereo sound 24bit / 48KHz sampling). In the X-T3 it is H.265.

The 4K30p recording time is 10 minutes. On the X-T3, the 4K60p time is 30 min.

The electronic viewfinder on the X-T30 is slightly smaller in size, resolution, and magnification than the X-T3’s—0.39″ vs. 0.5″ and 2.36m-dot vs. 3.69m-dot, and 0.62x vs. 0.75x.

The X-T30 has a pop-up flash. The X-T3 does not.

The X-T30 has a single SD card slot. The X-T3 has a dual slot system.

The operating range for the X-T30 is 32-104ºF. The X-T3 operates from 14-104ºF.

The X-T30 is 6 oz lighter; 13 oz compared to the 1lb 3oz of the X-T3.

For more information on these and other Fujifilm products Learn more on B&H here or visit Fujifilm here

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eobot-cryptocurrency-news · 5 years

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December 27, 2018 at 11:58PM Value Evaluation (+) Litecoin: a giant drop anticipated regardless of the announcement of a partnership with UFC

In early December, I wrote an article on why traders ought to take note of MobileGo (MGO). The rising recognition of the gaming business and a powerful partnership settlement with Xsolla have resulted in a rise within the symbolic worth of MGO. As well as, the MobileGo crew has created an app, known as GShare, that would doubtlessly dramatically enhance the adoption of MGO tokens.

What’s GShare?

GShare basically permits customers to hire the ability of their computer systems to earn digital cash. These cash can then be redeemed for a number of recreation choices, together with match registration charges. With this platform, a consumer can management the quantity of IT assets used all through the method.

Though GShare remains to be within the public beta stage, you’ll be able to nonetheless earn digital cash by purchasing for Xsolla merchandise. However, based on Igor (the product proprietor of the GShare utility), the objectives are rather more world than Xsolla. Luckily, I managed to get an interview with Igor and requested him in regards to the objectives, advantages and future enhancements of the mission.

Interview

What’s the mission and imaginative and prescient of the mission?

Igor: Settlement, mission and imaginative and prescient are basically to permit anybody, with the dialogue group consisting of gamers, to simply get hold of free content material. For instance, to easily share their time and computing energy, customers can get free video games, recreation gadgets and eSports match tickets.

What’s the benefit of this utility in comparison with different acquire instruments of the sport business?

Igor: The primary benefit is simplicity. Because of the partnership with Xsolla, one other essential profit is the flexibility to make use of digital foreign money to purchase video games and make purchases within the recreation. Sooner or later, I count on customers to have the ability to win articles straight within the utility. Though there are different applications accessible available on the market permitting customers to earn digital currencies, customers often must spend time, typically as much as a yr, to earn sufficient digital foreign money to purchase a primary product reminiscent of a keyboard.

The overall thought of GN Gold (GShare foreign money) is that we are going to ultimately have a whole ecosystem that may help it. Sooner or later, we count on that there’s a deep integration between recreation publishers and that we will use GShare on to get completely different components – this is step one to supply free gadgets outdoors video games. We hope to separate ourselves from our opponents by forming a extra direct integration with the video games themselves.

What’s the present state of growth? So far as I do know, he's nonetheless in beta take a look at mode.

Igor: Sure, it may be mentioned that it’s a public beta take a look at. However it’s accessible. Anybody who registers in GShare can obtain and use it. The take a look at mode is on the market for the primary 500-1000 customers of the platform. This can assist our crew establish and repair bugs. Our inside model is at present zero.9.17.

If I bear in mind accurately, there was a current replace. Is it appropriate?

Igor: Sure, that occurred just a few days in the past. Subsequent week, we plan to improve the model by including extra languages, together with English, Russian, Chinese language, and Korean. After that, it’s deliberate so as to add Spanish and Japanese within the close to future.

Are there some other upgrades you're anticipating, perhaps within the subsequent few months?

Igor: I feel the primary noticeable change will probably be some sort of reinforcement characteristic. After performing sure actions or duties, customers will see a rise of their GShare Gold payout charge. A rise in incomes capability for 2 hours is an instance of a rise. We count on to start out engaged on this characteristic on Monday despite the fact that I don’t assume will probably be completed earlier than February on the earliest.

How is GShare at present interconnected with different merchandise? Are there any modifications coming on this regard?

Igor: Nowadays, there is no such thing as a direct connection, whether it is consumer can use GShare Gold on a aggressive platform. GShare Gold from a consumer is used as a participation payment. If a participant wins a match, he can have the chance to obtain his prize in both MGO or GShare Gold.

So far as I do know, each merchandise (the profitable utility and the aggressive platform) use the identical consumer title and the identical password. Is it true?

Igor: Sure, they do it. All merchandise within the ecosystem will probably be simply accessible through a single consumer profile. So we’ll focus totally on recreation integration and permit recreation publishers to combine with us. On this manner, customers can straight use GShare Gold in video games or use the foreign money to get gadgets straight.

Agree, are there any technical necessities earlier than somebody can use the GShare utility?

Igor: I’d not say that there are particular necessities. Since video games already require quite a lot of computing energy, it's protected to say that almost all gamers will have already got the mandatory to run the appliance.

I simply wish to make clear one factor. If I perceive accurately, the digital sports activities platform is now primarily used for informal video games?

Igor: Sure. The eSports platform now targets informal gamers, whereas GShare targets a smaller participant viewers.

What are the constraints and the way are you aware if they need to use GShare?

Igor: For now, it's a really tough query to reply, since we've simply launched the beta. Throughout this take a look at interval, we hope to seek out out extra about whether or not a mean gaming machine with a mean GPU will probably be sufficient to generate advantages for customers. Although I can say that even laptops with only a processor are capable of acquire one thing now. Additionally it is essential to keep in mind that the reinforcement characteristic, by which growth will start quickly, will play a central position on this step.

What are GShare's future objectives?

Igor: For me, the objectives are like most different know-how firms: stability and scalability of the appliance. We definitely hope that the expertise will probably be as nice as potential for the customers. Avoiding unhealthy experiences, reminiscent of utility blocking, is of paramount significance.

A part of the crew will always work on enhancing algorithms, stability and scalability, bug fixes, and minor bug fixes within the background. Within the brief time period, the precedence is definitely to complete profitable object options, take a look at them and get as many recreation publishers as potential. The reinforcement characteristic can be crucial.

Does GShare have the potential to alter the sport business in the long term?

Igor: The long-term objective of society is to do good issues. We hope all of those merchandise and GShare will be capable to help the group and create sturdy social values. Customers can select to work together as a part of a thematic platform. An instance of this might be how a participant's view modifications. It's not nearly taking part in however permitting folks to make use of their laptop for a lot of duties with out having to make any effort to get out.

…. and what’s the scope of the mission?

Igor: For me personally, the objective is to supply probably the most revenue potential to customers. It could be nice if folks might run the appliance in a single day whereas incomes just a few . It could actually be one thing.

What are you doing to lift consciousness of the GShare utility?

Igor: Our crew is at present engaged on it. In January, we plan to start out commercializing the app within the Chinese language and Korean markets. As well as, we negotiate with companions. Phrase of mouth among the many gamers may even play an essential position. This can after all depend upon the standard and success of the beta.

This will probably be my final query. What position do you play on this mission?

Igor: Nicely, after I got here into the corporate, they wished me to guide the core. Earlier than becoming a member of this place, I used to be product supervisor for the principle crew as a part of my earlier duties. The earlier place has introduced me quite a lot of expertise however, for me, it had change into a bit tiring and uninteresting. It was actually issues that the atypical consumer didn’t see, and I used to be coping with the entire again finish.

This mission is completely different. It appears like, "Oh, we're not going to try this" – now you do it! Proper now, I'm looking for methods to supply end-users with as a lot profit as potential. I spend quite a lot of time guaranteeing consumer expertise.

Chris: Igor, thanks very a lot for taking the time to provide me an interview.

Igor: You're welcome. Don’t hesitate to contact me anytime when you have some other questions.

Though GShare remains to be in its preliminary growth section, the potential for a superb and significant relationship between gamers and publishers is current. As consciousness will increase, it’s probably that the adoption of MobileGo (MGO) tokens may even enhance.

Disclosure: Chris is an extended MGO token.

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audiowavegeek · 6 years

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Best Bone Conduction headphones to Buy!

http://audiowavegeek.com/best-bone-conduction-headphones-of-2017/

Hi, in this post we will understand what is bone conduction and the best bone conduction headphones available on the market currently, so let’s dig in.

Innovation mostly brings the comfort to human beings and same is true in case of this hearing aid or the technological advancement in the human hearing equipment by using the “Bone conduction” phenomenon which exists with humans but never explored for commercializing the audio equipment industry.

In this post today, we will try to explain the basic phenomenon of “How bone conduction works” and “Best bone conduction headphones of 2018” for athletes, music lovers, and hearing-impaired people.

What is bone conduction

Humans can hear sound in two ways (a) through our eardrums – air transmitted and (b) through our bones – bone transmitted. Bone conduction works by stimulating our jaws and cheekbones and directly pass on the vibrations to the inner ear (bypassing the eardrums).

Historical connection of Bone conduction technology

Ludwig van Beethoven, the renowned 18th-century composer who was almost deaf/hearing impaired and uses his composer’s wand to sense the music produced. He uses to clinch the wand under his teeth with another end touching the piano, that ways he was able to listen to the tonality produced through his jawbone. This proved that sound could reach our auditory system by not only our eardrums but bone as well.

Difference in hearing

Hearing via Bone conduction has come as a boon to the hearing impaired and also it has application in other fields like scuba diving, military communication and outdoor sports like running and cycling.

You will appreciate the fact that bone conduction in the fields other than hearing aids, helps prevent loss of life, as they allow the ambient noise gets into the ears making outdoor running, cycling etc safer. Military operations can be carried out with more caution and safety as now they are more aware of their surroundings and have bone conduction to get the signal wirelessly alongside. Scuba diving was greatly benefited with this technology as there is no other medium to transmit the communication underwater.

Our top picks

AfterShokz Trekz Air

AfterShokz Bluez 2S

Vidonn F1 Titanium

Casio was an early adopter of this technology and created a product, Logosease around it, check out this old but creative video below:

They essentially work as a transceiver using the bone conduction. Seems like a simple technology, but its essentially a life saver.

With the increase in the road accidents, in our opinion these are must have for an outdoor person as the noise canceling/isolating earphones ideally shouldn’t be used outdoors during running or cycling in the traffic-prone areas, better be safe than sorry.

Bone conduction technology application

There are many applications for this marvelous technology not limiting to the hearing music on the go, but to these arenas as well:

Military

The bone conduction head unit, which was inbuilt into the helmet of the soldier has helped him to avoid carrying the big and bulky radio sets

Now the soldiers can be on the battlefield, aware of the ambient noises and direction via head unit as well simultaneously

Bae systems have developed this amazing technology further by reducing the size of the transponder to the size of five pence coin

Sports

BAE system has not only researched and enhanced the bone conduction for the military purposes but also for the sport of sailing, for the Land Rover BAR, they have provided this technology so that sailing crew and the support staff can communicate effectively

In the world of outdoor sports like road running and outdoor cycling, bone conduction technology has come as a boon for the safety of the athletes and the casual sportspersons by keeping them aware of the ambient noises and traffic around them

Hearing Aid

Another fabulous bone conduction headphone application is for the hearing impaired or partially deaf people, now they can hear to a great extent by the use of this innovation, which otherwise would have caused a lot many to refrain from the joy of listening.

How to buy bone conduction headphones:

You should be aware of these points before buying a suitable bone conduction headphone for yourself-

Brand

Bone conduction headphones being relatively new to the markets, we have only seen in the recent years a few new brands coming into the market. Aftershokz being the market leader in this segment has been the favorite since long and we can easily suggest Aftershokz bone conduction headphones without a second thought.

Brands in this segment are totally different than that of the normal headphones segment. For best after sales support, warranty and repair/return, this becomes a major factor.

Battery

As with all the wireless electronic gadgets these days, we spent considerable time to charge our devices through a work week. The last thing we want is to carry a dead device around our neck during that run for which we came out of the comfort of the home with a lot of motivation.

Frankly, we hate charging all our devices often, moreover the bone conduction headphones come with an average battery life of 6 hours of continuous usage for music plus calls and 15+ days on standby. This is kind of a standard currently and you should aim to get the one which posses at least this much of backup.

Sound quality

Best sounding bone conduction headphones are hard to find because unlike normal headphones (a zillion) available in the market, ranging from a $5 to $5000, bass-heavy to flat to studio monitors, bone conduction still has a very long way to go. But by not any means these are not good, we can say without a doubt that they sound amazing and feels like magic.

In our recent try out of the Aftershokz headphones, we were astounded by the sound quality. Of course, these are not for studio monitor purposes or for audiophiles, but they serve the purpose best, for which they are made. And we cannot think of anything but bone conduction headphones for our outdoor activity sessions. You can expect good high, low and mid frequencies as you may with the normal headphones.

Durability

As they are meant for the outdoor use and during exercising, they have a solid build quality and mostly sweatproof. The headphones from almost all the brands are “around the neck” type style and are significantly light-weight. They are very durable unless you abuse them badly.

Usage

As suggested above, they have many applications, like in military, athletics, cycling, hearing impaired, underwater and more applications are just as limited as our creativity to think of the new arenas to put this wonderful technology to use.

Controls

Be mindful to choose the model as per your need of inbuilt microphone and music control functions, although all of these headphones come with a noise-canceling microphone, volume, and music controls and call pickup and drop buttons. These are ergonomically designed products, which means they are well tested to provide you with a comfortable experience wearing them, and the controls are always placed in the proper position for us to easily manage all the functions.

Connectivity

Bluetooth connectivity is the core medium of connecting the headphones with the mobile/Bluetooth enabled player, you can be assured of the proper connectivity and no frequent reconnections unless you have received a faulty piece.

Generally, the connecting time is fast and the headphones are very responsive to the mobile phone connections.

The Top 10 Best Bone Conduction Headphones

1. AfterShokz Trekz Air

Aftershokz has been the pioneer in the bone conduction headphones manufacturing and the Trekz Air are no different. With its sleek design and flex neckband, it’s the best one on our list too.

The new, organic, wraparound design is 20% lighter than its counterpart to deliver a flexible fit for unnoticeable all-day comfort and stability.

Bone conduction technology, an open ear design and a suite of convenient features deliver premium music play and crystal-clear calling without compromise. Designed with athletes in mind, Trekz Air is sweat proof, secure, and will allow you to hear your surroundings – no matter where life takes you.

They are extremely lightweight, you will forget that you are wearing them. Moreover, your ears are always at ease, as they are not stuffed with the silicon buds all the time.

Bone conduction technology and OpenFit design deliver music through your cheekbones, ensuring ears remain completely open to ambient sounds for maximum situational awareness during long-term wear.

Bluetooth v4.2 connectivity and convenient multipoint pairing compatible with your iOS and Android Bluetooth-ready smartphones or tablets and Mac and PC computers and laptops.

PremiumPitch Plus guarantees a premium audio experience, including wide dynamic range and rich bass.

Enjoy six hours of continuous music + calls on a single charge, or 20 days of standby time. Charges in 2 hours.

2. Aftershokz AS600SG Trekz Titanium Open Ear Wireless Bone Conduction Headphones

Afterhokz is the pioneer in the bone conduction headphone market and the AS600SG or simply the Trekz are no exception when it comes to the sound quality.

Check out this quick video:

Bone conduction technology creates mini vibrations, sending sound through the cheekbones, directly to the inner ears – for awareness and comfort

Wireless Bluetooth connectivity

PremiumPitch+ delivers dynamic sound and truly powerful bass

6 hours of music and calls with complete inline controls

Titanium frame provides durability and flexibility

3. Aftershokz Bluez 2S Wireless Bone Conduction Bluetooth Headphones

Number 2 on the list is again from the stable of Aftershokz, these come with more tight and snug fit and are more durable

Bone conduction technology uses vibrations to transmit sound waves directly to the cochlea

OpenFitTM assures unmatched ambient sound awareness and extended comfort

Dual microphones deliver clear communication even in noisy environments

NEW FEATURES: PremiumPitch+TM patented dual suspension transducers guarantee premium stereo sound and adds more bass and a more dynamic sound range

NEW FEATURES: IP55 certified sweat resistance repels sweat and heavy rain

4. Marsboy Bone Conduction wireless waterproof sports Headphones

These are for the fanboys J, they sound crisp and the bass is great. Rock and roll fans are in for a treat.

Check out this quick video:

Bone Conduction Headphones: Innovative Bone Conduction Technology, Transmit sound waves directly to the cochlea by vibrations. Listen to the music without blocking your ears!

Bone Conduction Hearing Aid: Assures unmatched ambient sound awareness and extended comfort. Avoid damage to your ears during exercises and be aware of the surrounding situation.

Bluetooth Bone Conduction Waterproof: Adjustable headband for tight and comfortable wearing. No worries of the headset falling.Universally Compatible – Suitable most Bluetooth-enabled devices. Such as iPhone7 plus,7,6s plus 5S 5 4S and Android smartphones, Samsung Galaxy Phones and so on.

ISSC Bluetooth Chip ensures the sound quality of music and phone calls. Standby Time up to 10 days. Support continuous play up to 6 hours.

Enjoyment: Put on the earplugs enclosed in the package to receive better sound quality. For outdoor exercise, you may want to be aware of the surroundings, and thus it’s natural that the music enjoyment will be affected.

5. JUHALL Bluetooth V4.2 Earphones Wireless Sports Headset Built-in Mic Sweatproof for iPhone, Android, Other Bluetooth Enabled Devices

Super HD Sound: With this new smart open ear bone conduction headphones you can enjoy the heavy bass and crystal-clear treble while listening to your favorite music.

Bluetooth: Upgraded wireless Bluetooth V4.2 with a wide connection up to 30 ft, more fast, secure and stable connectivity. It can connect 2 devices simultaneously and compatible with almost all Bluetooth-enabled devices.

For the sporty you: This sports headset is sweatproof, dust-proof and ears-free. Perfect for outdoor activity lovers to ensure their health and safety.

Open-ear wearing: Open-ear bone conduction headphones are made to ensure that the user does not plug or cover their ears. To avoiding the wearing discomfort that in-ear or over-ear headsets will bring.

6. Aftershokz AS450 Sportz M3 Mobile Bone Conduction Headphones with Microphone

Yes, gain Aftershokz, what can we do these are still in the run. AS450 is a compact set relatively smaller diameter and are wired with microphone inbuilt in the cable

Bone conduction technology uses vibrations to transmit sound waves directly to the cochlea

OpenFit assures unmatched ambient sound awareness and extended comfort

PremiumPitch patented dual suspension transducers guarantee the finest bone conduction audio

Microphone to make and take calls

Be safe, be open – Sportz 3 provide an ear-opening experience

7. Vidonn F1 Titanium Wireless Bluetooth Sports Headset

Lightweight: Titanium wraparound headband is lightweight (38g) and flexible, great for durability and portability

Connectivity: Wireless connectivity with great sound quality and clarity up to 10 meters away from phone, iPad and other devices

Battery Backup: Up to 6 hours of continuous music, 2 hours of the phone call, 240 hours of standby time with a single charge

Warranty: In the event of any functional issues with the product, we offer product replacement. 12-month warranty, feel free to contact our customer service for any issues

8. Abco Tech Sports Bluetooth Headphone – IPX6 Grade Waterproof – Microphone Hands-free Stereo Headset

These are the cheapest of the lot but that doesn’t mean that they are inferior to the market leaders, the sound if not great like aftershokz, is ok and the quality is decent but not superior. You get what you pay for. Good the first timers who want to taste the bone conduction in a good way.

EVOLVED DESIGN – Our Bluetooth bone conduction headset offers improved sound quality and ensures that the music is audible prominently through bone conduction technology and you do not hear just the feeble sound through ears. The switches on the headset are also designed to be more responsive and the sound quality is more crystal clear!

HIGH PERFORMANCE – The speaker offers high-quality sound experience and produces pleasant beats which will get you dancing on the floor. The speaker also comes with a powerful rechargeable battery that offers a playback time of up to 6 hours and also gets charged pretty quickly! Bluetooth 4.0 also offers easy connection and a range of up to 10 meters.

STYLISH AND SUPERIOR DESIGN – The premium black finish and its sporty fit also help you have a great fashion statement and comfortable adventure trips as it firmly stays in place. Whether you want to run with it, go out for a casual walk or sit and listen to music while traveling or in the café – this is sure to look great on anyone and everyone!

SMART WATERPROOF DESIGN – No worries if you are keen to listen to music in the rains or near the pool because the speakers are designed to be waterproof. Moreover, since they are not required to be inserted into your years, it’s easy to hear the sounds of passing by vehicles or the voice of someone calling you in the house or office.

9. Longee Sweatproof HD Stereo Memory Metal Wireless Headset for Sports, Driving, Open Back Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Earphones

CSR Bluetooth V4.1 Chip: Give clearer conversation, lower latency in connecting, stronger and more stable signal, longer working time. Easy and fast pairing with smartphones, tablets and other Bluetooth enabled devices.

Multipoint Connection: 1 Bluetooth headset connects 2 devices simultaneously, never miss any calls from your devices. Built-in 150mAh battery makes 10 days standby time, up to 4 hours of continuous call/music playing.

Adjustable Memory Metal Made: Bone conduction headphones use high-quality memory metal to make it more comfortable and suitable, no sliding around, even if you have a massive head, not clinching anymore.

Sweat-proof Design: People desire health and do gym in spare time. The design can prevent sweat from entering the headset, which can make you free to enjoy music whether you are doing sports or at leisure.

10. Oannao, Sweatproof, Sport, Bone conduction Wireless Bluetooth Earphones with Mic

Compact and Safe: Wireless bone conduction headphone is small and portable, and it doesn’t need to be stuffed into ears to hear music and telephone. Avoid ear sweating and growing bacteria. No pain in the ears. It’s very safe to release your ears and hear the sounds around you in this way.

Technologically ahead: Long wearing ordinary headphones easily cause inflammation, if the voice is too large, the eardrum vibration amplitude increases, the hearing will decline. The principle of bone conduction technology is to transmit the sound through the vibration of human mandible. The sound is very clear. Bone conduction headphones can help the people with hearing loss and deaf rehear the sound and have a therapeutic effect

User Scenarios: If in the complex traffic environment, the driver or the rider can listen to music (telephone) and hear the sound in the around environment, very safe. The bone conduction headphones can connect two devices at the same time. It wears firmly and anti-sweat, shockproof. It is very suitable for fitness, hiking, rock climbing, basketball and so on. Of course, it is also the best gift for the elderly.

Product specification: 260mAH built-in battery makes the standby time of 10 days, 5 hours of continuous talk/music, a full charge time of 1.8 hours, Bluetooth duty range up to 10m / 33 feet. Bluetooth 4.0. Bone conduction headset for head circumference of 48cm-60cm (18.99inch-23.62inch). Please confirm size before purchase.

Customer Service: One-month return guarantee or replacement as desired.

Don’t forget to secure your amazing bone conduction headphones with this cool case. Check out below to find the same on Amazon:

CaseSack Bone Conduction Headphones Case for Aftershokz and other bone conduction headphones

Mesh pocket for cable and other accessories, detachable featured durable wrist strap

Compatible with almost all the bone conduction headphones mentioned above

This case is a must-have to keep your prized possession safe and secure at all times

Conclusion

We have tried a few of Bone conduction headphones ourselves and found this technology to be truly magical and definitely recommend to anyone for outdoor usage, general purpose use or otherwise.

We have tried to list down the “best bone conduction headphones of 2018” in the market currently and if you choose a pair out of the list, you will not go wrong, it’s a great technology for the listeners with added safety.

You can also gift one to the hearing-impaired friend or family member and see the smile on their face that only music could bring.

Happy listening and stay safe!!!!