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Analysis & Report

02/27/2025

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Market and Bitcoin Decline – February 27, 2025

Summary of Events

U.S. stock markets tumbled on February 27, 2025, led by steep losses in technology shares. The Nasdaq Composite plunged 2.8% – its worst one-day drop in a month – while the S&P 500 fell 1.6% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 0.5%. This marked a sharp reversal from the brief respite markets saw a day earlier, as investor sentiment turned decisively risk-off. Bitcoin, which had been trading near record highs earlier in the year, also fell in tandem with equities. The leading cryptocurrency dropped to around $84,000 during the day, nearing its lowest levels since November. By late Thursday and into early Friday, Bitcoin briefly dipped below $80,000 – a multi-month low – as selling pressure intensified. Overall, February 27 witnessed a broad “risk-off” move across financial markets, with stock indices and crypto assets sinking together amid mounting economic and policy concerns.

To put the day’s moves in perspective, the table below highlights key market performance for February 27, 2025:

Market/Asset Feb 27, 2025 Performance

S&P 500 Index -1.59% (closed at 5,861.57)

Nasdaq Composite -2.78% (closed at 18,544.42)

Dow Jones Industrial Average -0.45% (closed at 43,239.50)

Bitcoin (BTC) -0.7% (approx. end of day, ~$83.8K); ~-12% week-to-date

Gold (COMEX) -1.5% (to ~$2,890/oz during session)

Crude Oil (WTI) +2.2% (to $70.15/barrel)

U.S. Dollar Index (DXY) +0.8% (safe-haven strength)

Table: Key market moves on Feb. 27, 2025. Equities and Bitcoin fell sharply, while oil rallied and the USD strengthened.

Macroeconomic Factors

Multiple macroeconomic headwinds fueled the market decline. Inflation and Federal Reserve policy remained central worries. Fresh data earlier in the month showed price pressures persisting, stoking concern that inflation was not yet on a comfortable downward path. Federal Reserve officials, in their recent minutes, highlighted “concern about stubborn inflation” and warned that President Trump’s new tariff proposals could impede progress toward the Fed’s 2% inflation target. Investors braced for the release of the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge – the PCE index – due on Friday, adding nervousness about potential surprises on the inflation front. Meanwhile, signs of economic slowdown have emerged: U.S. business activity in February nearly stalled, with a composite PMI at a 17-month low amid tariff fears and government spending cuts. Notably, consumers’ short-term inflation expectations jumped to a 15-month high even as growth indicators wavered, a stagflationary signal that unnerved investors and complicated the outlook for Fed policy.

Another overhang was the uncertainty emanating from Washington’s trade stance. In the first weeks of his new term, President Donald Trump moved aggressively on trade tariffs – imposing additional levies on China, and planning a 25% tariff on imports from Mexico and Canada effective March 4. On Feb 27, Trump further surprised markets by floating a 25% tariff on European autos and goods, while conflicting statements from the White House created confusion over whether the North American tariffs would be delayed to April. These threats of escalating trade wars have soured global sentiment, reinforcing fears of higher supply-chain costs and inflation. “Uncertainty is the new investor narrative,” one strategist noted, “It’s sparking the volatility that we’ve seen this week”. Indeed, the prospect of widespread tariffs – and potential foreign retaliation – has left investors on edge, unsure if this is a negotiating ploy or a lasting policy shift. In response, many opted to de-risk portfolios until there is clarity, anticipating that volatility and uncertainty will persist in the coming weeks.

Specific Market News and Corporate Drivers

Earnings reports and corporate news on February 27 played a major role in the stock sell-off. In particular, Nvidia – the poster child of the AI-driven stock rally – delivered quarterly results that, while strong, failed to wow the market. The semiconductor giant reported a $39.3 billion revenue for Q4 (slightly above expectations) and issued an upbeat forecast for Q1. However, investors honed in on signs of slowing growth: Nvidia’s projected 65% revenue increase for next quarter marks a sharp comedown from the triple-digit growth rates seen last year. The company’s gross margins are also expected to dip. Nvidia’s stock initially rose after the earnings release, but by Thursday it reversed to an 8% plunge as traders digested the guidance and management’s comments. The steep drop wiped out about $100 billion in market value and dragged down other tech leaders, reinforcing skepticism toward the once high-flying “Magnificent Seven” mega-cap stocks. Notably, peers like Microsoft and Amazon also closed in the red following Nvidia’s report. The market’s reaction underscores that even better-than-expected results can disappoint if they don’t clear the lofty bar set by investors. (See chart below: Nvidia’s revenue surprises have been shrinking, underscoring why its solid earnings failed to ignite euphoria.)

Chart: Nvidia has consistently beaten revenue estimates, but by smaller margins recently. Its Q4 2024 beat was just 7.2%, and Q1 2025 beat only 5.7%, far below the huge surprises seen earlier in 2024. This moderation in growth contributed to the stock’s sell-off.

Beyond Nvidia, a slew of mixed corporate news added to negative sentiment. Salesforce (CRM) shares slid about 4% after the cloud software leader reported disappointing earnings and issued a cautious outlook, signaling that even enterprise spending on tech may be softening. In the semiconductor supply chain, Super Micro Computer (SMCI) – a server-maker closely tied to Nvidia’s AI business – plummeted 16% after two officers filed to sell shares, triggering profit-taking after a strong run-up. Other chip-related names fell in sympathy with Nvidia as well, with Broadcom, Marvell, ON Semiconductor, and Micron all registering steep declines. There were also some corporate warnings and odd disappointments: for example, Teleflex Inc. announced plans to split into two companies, but its stock tanked 21.7% – leading the S&P 500’s decliners – as investors balked at the restructuring plan. Pharmaceutical firm Viatris plunged 15% after weak earnings and revelations of regulatory issues at a manufacturing facility. Even companies reporting good results were not spared in this nervous climate: Texas-based power producer Vistra fell 12% despite beating earnings estimates, as traders took profits on stocks seen as beneficiaries of the AI boom (Vistra supplies power to energy-hungry data centers). The fact that solid earnings and forecasts (from Nvidia, Vistra, etc.) met with stock price declines speaks to a market in a “sell the news” mindset – focusing on any hints of peaking growth or future risks.

On the geopolitical front, the continuation of trade tariff headlines directly impacted certain sectors. Late in the day, Trump’s tariff saber-rattling hit European markets – auto manufacturers in Europe sank on threats of U.S. car import duties – and this reverberated back to U.S. multinationals. The global trade uncertainty pressured industrial and exporter stocks, which gave up intraday gains. In fact, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which had traded slightly higher earlier, reversed to finish down 0.45% as tariff-sensitive components weakened into the close. The overarching theme was that no sector was immune: by day’s end, virtually every major S&P 500 sector was in decline (with defensive consumer staples an occasional exception). As one strategist observed, “we’re almost in a situation where there is so much news that it’s leaving traders paralyzed” – earnings beats, misses, and geopolitical shocks all coming at once, making it hard for the market to find its footing. In such an environment, many investors chose to reduce exposure and wait on the sidelines rather than try to pick winners on a bad tape.

Social Media & Retail Investor Reactions

On forums and social media, the day’s market turmoil sparked intense discussion and rapid rumor circulation. Reddit’s WallStreetBets (WSB) community – known for its speculative zeal – was buzzing about the tech wreck and the crypto slide. According to mention tracking data, the top trending tickers on WSB on Feb 27 included NVIDIA, AMD, Google, small-cap space firm Intuitive Machines (LUNR), and crypto-miner Marathon Digital (MARA). This mix shows retail traders were fixated both on mega-cap tech earnings and on highly speculative plays. Early in the day, many WSB users appeared optimistic on Nvidia (some posts highlighted its earnings beat and “amazing” AI demand), but sentiment turned sour after the stock’s slide. Comment threads filled with memes about “selling the news” and laments from traders who had bought call options expecting a post-earnings rally. Some joked that “NVDA’s earnings were great, too bad the stock market is allergic to good news.” There was also chatter about AMD (down ~5%) potentially being a buy-the-dip candidate, and debates on whether Nvidia’s plunge was an overreaction or a signal that the AI-chip boom had peaked.

Rumors and emotional reactions were plentiful. President Trump’s tariff moves became a meme topic as well – users on WSB and Twitter riffed that “Jerome Powell and Trump double-teamed the market,” with Trump’s tariff threats and the Fed’s inflation fight creating a one-two punch for stocks. Some Reddit commenters speculated (without evidence) that the tariff announcements were a “negotiating tactic” and that markets might rebound if any tariff delays were confirmed. Others urged caution, noting that similar dip-buying in prior trade war episodes proved painful. Overall, the tone on WSB oscillated between gallows humor and opportunism: a highly upvoted post referenced the old mantra “Buy when there’s blood on the streets,” suggesting that truly contrarian investors might start looking for bargains amid the wreckage.

In the cryptocurrency community, social platforms reacted swiftly to Bitcoin’s downturn. On Twitter and crypto forums, influencers pointed out that over $200 million of leveraged crypto positions were liquidated as Bitcoin cracked the $80K support. Screenshots of liquidation data from Coinglass circulated widely, reinforcing a narrative that forced selling contributed to the rapid drop. A breaking-news post by a crypto news outlet – shared on Reddit – highlighted “Bitcoin hits $81,000, $215M liquidated” in a matter of minutes, which fueled panic among some retail crypto traders. Reddit’s r/CryptoCurrency forum saw posts advising calm and reminding readers that Bitcoin is still up dramatically over the past year, but the “fear” sentiment was palpable. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index, a popular sentiment gauge, slid from “Greed” to neutral in one day, reflecting a quick mood shift to caution. Some traders on Twitter quipped that Bitcoin was “just following the S&P off the cliff”, undercutting the idea of crypto as a haven. Across social media, there was a clear sense that market sentiment had flipped to risk-off, and even the boldest retail traders were acknowledging the power of macro forces (like Fed policy and tariffs) over their favorite stocks and coins.

Bitcoin Analysis

Bitcoin’s performance on February 27 demonstrated a high correlation with the equity market’s risk aversion. After reaching as high as ~$87,000 in the morning, Bitcoin steadily lost ground through the day, trading around $84,400 by afternoon – near its lowest level in over three months. By late evening, BTC was hovering in the mid-$83K range, amounting to only a small single-day drop (~0.7%) but capping a roughly 12% slide over the first three trading days of that week. In the overnight session going into Friday, the decline intensified: Bitcoin fell below $80,000 for the first time since November 2024, bottoming around $79,100 before bouncing slightly. This plunge marked a more than 20% pullback from its peak above $100K in mid-January, erasing a chunk of the crypto market’s winter gains.

Several factors drove Bitcoin’s swoon. Broader risk-off sentiment clearly played a role – as stocks sold off on tariff and growth fears, Bitcoin behaved like a risk asset rather than a safe haven. “It’s clear Bitcoin is a risk asset, not the inflation hedge or digital gold it’s often touted to be,” commented one digital assets strategist, noting that BTC’s fall under $80K coincided with surging demand for true safe havens like the U.S. dollar. Indeed, far from diverging, Bitcoin moved in unison with high-growth tech stocks: both were victims of tightening financial conditions and tariff-induced uncertainty. Supporting this, crypto-focused equities such as MicroStrategy (one of the largest corporate Bitcoin holders) saw their shares plunge ~9% on the day, underlining the feedback loop between crypto values and equity market confidence.

Bitcoin also faced crypto-specific challenges. Market confidence was dented by news of a massive hack the previous week – about $1.5 billion in ether was stolen from the Bybit exchange, one of the largest crypto heists ever. This incident, along with a recent meltdown in several speculative “memecoins,” created a risk-off mood within the crypto sphere itself. Analysts noted that such events made the crypto market “more jittery… than at the beginning of the year,” exacerbating the sell-off when macro pressures mounted. Additionally, on-chain data showed a spike in exchange inflows (suggesting whales moving Bitcoin to exchanges to possibly sell) and a surge in stop-loss orders getting triggered once BTC fell below key technical levels around $82K–$80K. The cascade of liquidations – more than $200 million in longs were wiped out within 30 minutes of the breach below $80K – added momentum to the decline. Altcoins mirrored Bitcoin’s move or worse: major tokens like Ether dropped over 5%, hitting 13-month lows, and popular altcoins such as Dogecoin, Solana, and Cardano had fallen 15–20% over the week. This correlation across crypto assets indicated a broad deleveraging in the digital asset market rather than an isolated issue with Bitcoin alone.

Despite the grim short-term action, some analysts urged perspective. Bitcoin remained well above its levels from a year prior, and its hash rate (a measure of network security and activity) was near all-time highs – a sign that fundamental usage hadn’t faltered. However, with the crypto rally driven by optimism about a pro-crypto U.S. administration now evaporating, even bullish commentators conceded that further downside was possible if traditional markets continued to weaken. A report from Standard Chartered cautioned investors against “buying the dip” too soon, advising to wait for signs of stabilization. In summary, Bitcoin’s slide on Feb 27 and into Feb 28 highlighted its dual nature: although touted as “digital gold,” in this instance it traded more like a high-beta equity, vulnerable to both crypto-centric scares and the broader economic climate.

USD, Oil, and Gold Movements (Safe-Haven and Commodity Trends)

As investors fled risky assets, safe-haven flows altered the currency and commodity landscape on Feb 27. The U.S. dollar strengthened notably – the dollar index (DXY) jumped about 0.8%, reaching its highest in several weeks as global traders sought refuge in the world’s reserve currency. In the Asian session following Wall Street’s drop, the dollar “towered” near multi-week highs against major trading-partner currencies. Traditional risk-sensitive currencies like the Australian and New Zealand dollars were hammered to multi-week lows, underlining the dollar’s role as a safe haven amid the tariff scare. The Japanese yen – another haven – also firmed, on track for its best month since mid-2024. U.S. Treasury bonds caught bids initially (driving yields down early in the week), but by Thursday there was a bit of a twist: the 10-year Treasury yield edged up to 4.27% by the close. This slight rise in long-term yields came as traders repositioned ahead of Friday’s inflation data and perhaps took profit on the huge bond rally seen earlier in the week. Notably, the 2-year yield (which reflects Fed policy expectations) actually fell marginally to ~4.06%, suggesting markets believe the Fed may need to cut rates later in the year as growth risks increase. In fact, futures markets as of that day were pricing in two quarter-point Fed rate reductions in 2025, with the first by July – a shift that typically would support bonds. The net effect was a mixed bond market but a decidedly strong dollar, as currency traders reacted to the immediate tariff risk.

Gold, often seen as a safe haven, had an intriguing reaction: gold prices pulled back despite the market turmoil. Gold futures ended about 0.6% lower, around $2,856/oz, the metal’s lowest level in over two weeks. During the height of the equity sell-off intraday, gold was down even more (about -1.5%). This may seem counterintuitive – one might expect gold to rise on a day of panic. However, analysts pointed out that an “overall firmer dollar weighed on commodities including gold”. With USD strength, the dollar-priced gold became more expensive for foreign buyers, damping demand. It’s also possible some investors sold gold to raise cash or cover losses elsewhere, as often happens in acute sell-offs. Despite the dip, gold’s price level around $2,850 was not far from its recent multi-year highs (gold had rallied in prior weeks on inflation worries). The slight retreat could thus be seen as profit-taking or a pause, rather than a severe safe-haven outflow. In contrast, crude oil prices spiked higher on the day – moving opposite to most risk assets. U.S. WTI crude oil jumped about 2.2% to roughly $70.15 per barrel. This oil surge was propelled less by general market sentiment and more by a supply-side catalyst: President Trump unexpectedly canceled Chevron’s license to operate in Venezuela on Thursday, a move that threatens to curtail global oil supply from that region. The news sparked a rally in oil late in the session on fears of tighter supply, helping crude hold near its recent highs. Even as recession worries generally pressure commodities, geopolitical supply risks took the driver’s seat for oil, enabling it to buck the trend of the day.

In summary, traditional safe havens behaved as follows: the U.S. dollar reigned supreme, U.S. Treasuries had a nuanced reaction(short-term yields down, long yields flat-to-up), and gold saw a mild pullback due to the dollar’s strength. Meanwhile, oil – often tied to growth expectations – rose on its own narrative, illustrating that specific fundamentals can override broader risk trends. These cross-currents highlight that even on a day defined by risk aversion, asset-specific factors (like OPEC policy or, in this case, U.S. sanctions) can significantly influence commodity prices.

Correlations and Key Takeaways

The market turmoil of Feb 27, 2025 underscored the tight interconnectedness of global assets in a risk-off scenario. Equities and cryptocurrencies moved in near lockstep, a clear sign that when fear takes hold, diverse asset classes can fall together regardless of their longer-term narratives. The oft-repeated notion of Bitcoin as “digital gold” was starkly challenged – the day’s events showed Bitcoin behaving not as an inflation hedge, but as a high-beta risk asset, plunging alongside tech stocks when macro risks intensified. Conversely, traditional safe havens demonstrated their value: the U.S. dollar’s surge and the yen’s strength provided a counterweight as other assets fell, and U.S. government bonds remained a refuge (especially at the short end of the curve) amid expectations that central banks will have to respond to slowing growth. Gold’s muted performance suggests that in this particular episode, liquidity and currency dynamics trumped its haven appeal, at least in the very short term.

Another key takeaway is the impact of policy uncertainty on market correlations. The prominent catalysts – tariffs, inflation, and Fed policy – all emanate from government and central bank actions. The tariff threats acted as a common shock hitting corporate earnings sentiment, global trade outlook, and even crypto optimism (which had partly been fueled by hopes of a business-friendly administration). Because these policy moves cut across the economy, they induced a highly correlated sell-off: assets that normally might diverge (like stocks and Bitcoin, or corporate earnings-driven moves versus macro trades) all became one big “risk basket.” As one market strategist noted, “markets were shaken out of tariff complacency” and it “makes sense to lighten up on…riskier assets” until there is clarity. Indeed, many investors essentially hit the “panic button” together – evident in the broad-based nature of the decline.

From an intermarket perspective, a few relationships stood out:

• Equities vs. Crypto: Their positive correlation spiked. Both U.S. tech stocks and major crypto assets were darlings of the easy-money environment and both wilted when confronted with hawkish signals (inflation, less Fed support) and trade worries. This suggests that at least in the current cycle, crypto is trading more like a speculative growth asset than a defensive store of value.

• Equities vs. Commodities: Divergence emerged between oil and other risk assets. Oil’s rise amid stock declines indicates a supply shock influence (tariff-related or geopolitical) that can cause commodity prices to diverge from equities. On the other hand, industrial metals and economically sensitive commodities (not detailed in this report) likely fell with stocks, aligning with the risk-off trade.

• Currency and Bond flows: The quick move into the dollar and yen, and the nuanced shift in the yield curve (short rates down on policy easing bets, long rates up slightly on inflation worry), show a classic flight to quality. Notably, the dollar’s strength can create secondary effects – as seen with gold – and potentially export some deflationary pressure abroad (making U.S. goods relatively expensive, which in turn could pressure non-U.S. stock markets, as happened with European equities down about 0.5% that day).

In the broader financial landscape, February 27, 2025 will be remembered as a day when macro storm clouds overtook micro bright spots. Even companies reporting great earnings were punished, reminding investors that in jittery markets, good news may not lift stocks if bigger fears loom. It highlights the importance of diversification and risk management: when correlations go to one, traditional hedges (like gold) might not always perform, and having cash or currency hedges can be invaluable. The episode also reinforces the need to monitor policy developments – a single presidential statement about tariffs or a hint about the Fed’s next move can tilt the entire market psychology in minutes.

Finally, this decline offered a reality check on speculative excess. The sharp pullback of previously high-flying assets (AI stocks, crypto) is a healthy reminder of valuation discipline. As the dust settles, investors will parse whether this was a temporary correction or the start of a broader downturn. Key signals to watch in coming days include the PCE inflation report and any clarification on trade policy. For now, the takeaways are clear: macro matters – assets across the spectrum are dancing to the tune of inflation, interest rates, and tariffs. When uncertainty is high, correlations tighten, and “safe haven” becomes synonymous with cash and the U.S. dollar, while risk assets collectively reprice to a more cautious outlook. February 27 showcased this dynamic in dramatic fashion, delivering a lesson in how quickly market conditions can change and how interlinked the modern markets have become.

Sources: Reuters, Investopedia, Wall Street Journal, Reddit (WallStreetBets), MT Newswires, Blockchain.News. (All information as of Feb. 27–28, 2025)

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What is Flow?

Psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi describes Flow as a state of complete immersion in an activity.

In a flow state you will feel complete concentration on your task while simultaneously holding in mind your goals and the rewards you will receive for reaching them, your task will provide clear and immediate feedback, you will lose your sense of usual time, working with ease and almost effortlessly as you balance challenges carefully with your skills. Not enough challenge means you’ll be bored. Not enough skills to meet a challenge means you will face anxiety.

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https://www.reddit.com/r/selfimprovement/comments/r78p2c/im_a_psychologist_specialized_in_flow_states_the

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INTRODUCTION TO FLOW THEORY

It seems that those who take the trouble to gain mastery over what happens in consciousness live a happier life.

It is obviously important to understand how consciousness works:
It is the biological results of processes that exist because of the incredibly complex architecture of our nervous system which is built-up according to instructions contained in the protein molecules of our chromosomes. Consciousness is not entirely controlled by its biological programming; in many respects it is self-directed. Consciousness has developed the ability to override its genetic instructions and to set its own independent course of action.

The function of consciousness is to represent information about what is happening outside and inside the organism in such a way that can be evaluated and acted upon by the body. Sensations, perceptions, feelings, and ideas all establish priorities among all the diverse information that flows through our senses. Without consciousness we would have to react in a reflexive instinctive way.

With consciousness we can deliberately weigh what the senses tell us and respond accordingly. We can also invent information that did not exist before. We can daydream, make up lies, write poems, and even build scientific theories.

A person can make himself happy or miserable, regardless of what is actually happening, just by changing the contents of consciousness. Hopeless situations can be transformed into challenges to be overcome. You must persevere despite obstacles and setbacks.

To develop this trait, one must find ways to order consciousness so as to be in control of feelings and thoughts.

A specialist cannot afford the time or the mental energy to do anything other than fine-tuning his skill at manipulating inner experiences. Consciousness is phenomenological in that it deals directly with the events or phenomena as we experience and interpret them rather than focusing on the anatomical structures, neuro-chemical processes, or unconscious purposes that make these events possible.

CONSCIOUSNESS & IT'S LIMITATIONS

What does it mean to be conscious?

It simply means that certain specific conscious events (sensations, feelings, thoughts, intentions) are occurring, and that we are able to direct their course.
When we are dreaming, some of the same events are present, yet we are not conscious because we cannot control them. In dreams we are locked into a single scenario we cannot change at will. Events that constitute consciousness -the things we see, feel, think, and desire- are information that we can manipulate and use; we might think of consciousness as intentionally ordered information.

For us outside events do not exist unless we are aware of them. Consciousness corresponds to subjectively experienced reality. Everything we feel, smell, hear, or remember is potentially a candidate for entering consciousness, but the experiences that actually do become a part of consciousness are much fewer than those left out. While consciousness is a mirror that reflects what our senses tell us about what happens, it reflects those changes selectively, actively shaping events, imposing on them a reality of its own.

The reflection consciousness provides is what we call our life: The sum of all we have heard, seen, felt, hoped, and suffered from birth to death. Although we believe that there are things outside of consciousness, we have direct evidence only of those that find a place in it.

Intentions are the force that keeps information in consciousness ordered.

Intentions arise in consciousness whenever a person is a aware of desiring something or wanting to accomplish something. Intentions are also bits of information, shaped either by biological needs or by internalized social goals. Intentions act as magnetic fields moving attention toward some objects and away from others, keeping our mind focused on some stimuli in preference to others. Intention doesn't say why a person wants to do a certain thing but simply states that he does.

Intentions to make an ideological statement might override genetic instructions resulting in voluntary death or self-mutilation. The intentions we either inherit or acquire are organized in hierarchies of goals, which specify the order of precedence among them.

Individuals who depart from the norms -heroes, Saints, sages, artists, and poets, as well as mad men and criminals- look for different things in life than most others do. The existence of people like these shows that consciousness can be ordered in terms of different goals and intentions. Each of us has this freedom to control our subjective reality.

There are limits of consciousness.

Indefinite consciousness in short, is Godlike. In the space of a lifetime we could go through 3 million, or even through an infinite number of, lives. The nervous system has definite limits on how much information that it can process it any given time. There are just so many events that can appear in consciousness before they begin to crowd each other out. While we are thinking about a problem we cannot truly experience either happiness or sadness. We cannot because these activities exhausts most of our capacity for attention.

At this point in our scientific knowledge it seems we can manage at most seven bits of information -Different sounds, visual stimuli, or nuances of emotion and thought- at any one time. The shortest time it takes to discriminate between one set of bits and another is about 1/18 of a second. Using these figures, one concludes that it is possible to process at most 126 bits of information every second, or about 7560 every minute, or almost a half million every hour. Over a lifetime of 70 years, 16 hours of waking time each day, this amounts to about 185 billion bits of information. Out of this total everything in our life must come: every thought, memory, feeling, or action.

To understand what another person is saying we must process 40 bits of information every second. To understand with three people are saying simultaneously is theoretically possible, only by managing to keep out of consciousness every other thought or sensation. We could not, be aware of expressions, or about why they are saying what they are saying, or even what they're wearing.

The nervous system has become adaptive at chunking bits of information so that processing capacity is constantly expanded. Simple functions grow to be automated, leaving the mind free to deal with more data. We also learned how to compress and streamline information through symbolic means: language, math, abstract concepts, and stylized narratives. Parables try to encode the hard won experience of many individuals over unknown eons of time. Consciousness, the optimists argue, is infinitely expandable, and there is no need to take into account its limitations.

The ability to compress stimuli does not help as much as one might expect. The requirements of life still dictates that we spend about 8% of waking time eating and almost the same amount of time taking care of personal needs such as washing, dressing, shaving, going to the bathroom, and more. These two activities alone take up 15% of consciousness, and while engaging them we cannot do much else that requires serious attention or concentration. Even when there is nothing else pressing occupying their minds, most people fall far below the peak capacity for processing information. In their precious leisure time, most people in fact seem to use their minds as little as possible. Not surprisingly, people report some of the lowest levels of concentration, use of skills, clarity of thought, and feelings of potency when watching television. Reading, talking, and gazing out the window all involve processing very little new information, and require little concentration. An individual can experience only so much.

Therefore, the information we allow into consciousness becomes extremely important; it is, in fact, what determines the content and the quality of life.

ATTENTION AS PSYCHIC ENERGY

Information enters consciousness because we intend to focus attention on it or as a result of attentional habits based on biological or social instructions.

An image enters the focus of consciousness and we become aware of it. In the mind the visual information gets related to information about other memories to determine into which category the present instance fits. As soon as the event is matched to an already known classes of events, it is identified. Now it must be evaluated: is this something to worry about? And we must decide on an appropriate course of action. All these complex mental operations must be completed in a few seconds, sometimes in a second. It seems to be a lightening fast reaction, but it does take place in real-time. It does not happen automatically: there is a distinct process called attention.

Attention selects the relevant bits of information from the potential millions of bits available. It takes attention to retrieve the appropriate references for memory, to evaluate the event, and then to choose the right thing to do.

Attention cannot step beyond the limits described.

It cannot notice or hold in focus more information than can be processed simultaneously. Retrieving information from memory, comparing information, evaluating, deciding - all make demands on the mind's limited processing capacity.

Some people learn to use this resource efficiently, while others waste it.
The mark of a person who is in control of consciousness is the ability to focus attention at will, to be oblivious to distraction, to concentrate for as long is takes to achieve a goal, and not longer. The person who can do this usually enjoys the normal course of everyday life.

Each person allocates his or her limited attention either by focusing it intentionally like a beam of energy, or by diffusing in random movements. The shape and content of life depend on how attention has been used. Names we use to described personality traits, refer to the specific patterns people have used to structure their attention. Attention can be invested in many ways that can make life rich or miserable.

Because attention determines what will or will not appear in consciousness, and because it is also required to make any other mental events, such as remembering, thinking, feeling, and making decisions, happen there, it is useful to think of it as psychic energy. Attention is like energy in that without it no work can be done, and in doing work it is dissipated.

We create ourselves by how we invest this energy. It is an energy under our control, to do with as we please. Attention is our most important tool in the task of improving the quality of experience.

ENTER THE SELF & PSYCHIC DISORDER

Where is the I, the entity that decides what to do with the psychic energy generated by the nervous system?

Where does the master of the soul reside? As we consider these question for even a short while, we realize that the I, the self, is also one of the contents of consciousness. My own self exists solely in my own consciousness. In that of others who know me there will be versions of it, most of them probably unrecognizable likenesses of the original myself as I see me.

The self contains everything else that has passed through consciousness: all the memories, actions, desires, pleasures, and pains are included in it.
The self represents the hierarchy of goals that we have built up over the years. At any given time we are usually aware of only a small part of the self, as when we become conscious of how we look, or of what impressions we are making, or what we would like to do if we could. The self is in many ways the most important part of consciousness because it symbolically represents all of consciousness's other contents, as well as the pattern of their interrelations.

If attention, or psychic energy is directed by the self, and if the self is the sum of all the content of consciousness and the structure of its goals, and if the contents of consciousness and the goals are the results of different ways of investing attention, then we have a system that is going round and round, with no clear causes or effects. At one point we are saying that the self directs attention, at another, that attention determines the self.

Both statements are true: consciousness is not a strictly linear system, but one in which circular causality obtains. Attention shapes the self, and the self in turn shapes attention.

Most of us start with no idea of what to do with life, with a relatively uninformed self, and no identity of our own. We start with no clearly differentiated goals, wanting things only because of genetic programs or social environmental influences. We thought only vaguely of the good life imagined to be destined to arrive in the coming future.

Then an exploration, an adventure, an excursion of some kind shocks our senses, and leaves us in disbelief of our own eyes, ears, or feelings.
A mysterious, beautifully dangerous environment can be so intriguing and enchanting that it calls for closer examination and greater familiarity. An accidental event can impose itself on consciousness. It is not planned, and it is not the results of the self or its goals having directed attention toward it.

Once we become aware of what goes on in the magical environment, we like it, and the experience resonates with previously enjoyed experiences, with feelings about the nature of life and beauty, and with priorities about what is important established over the years.

We feel the experience is good, something worth seeking out again. We build the accidental event into a structure of goals. From then on, goals direct attention to focus more and more closely on the intriguing surroundings, thereby closing the circle of causality.

First attention helps to shape the self, when exposed to an accidental event, and through the intentional search for knowledge, the self then begins to shape attention. Almost every attentional structure is shaped in a similar way.

Experience depends on the way we invest psychic energy - the structure of attention.

This, in turn, is related to goals and intentions. These processes are connected to each other by the self, the dynamic mental representation we have of the entire system of our goals.
These are the pieces that must be maneuvered if we wish to improve things.

We need to consider what follows whenever attention brings a new bit of information into awareness. Then we will be ready to get a thorough sense of how experience can be controlled and changed for the better.

One of the main forces that affects consciousness adversely is psychic disorder - information that conflicts with existing intentions, or distracts us from carrying them out.

We give this condition many names: pain, fear, rage, anxiety, or jealousy. These varieties of disorder force attention to be diverted to undesirable objects, leaving us no longer free to use it according to our preferences. Psychic energy becomes unwieldy and ineffective.

When the internal order of the self is disrupted, the basic patter is always the same: some information that conflicts with an individual's goals appears in consciousness. Depending on how central that goal is to the self and on how severe the there to it is, some amount of attention will have to be mobilized to eliminate the danger, leaving less attention free to deal with other matters.

Whenever information disrupts consciousness by threatening its goals, we have a condition of inner disorder, or psychic entropy, a disorganization of the self that impairs its effectiveness. Prolonged experiences of this kind can weaken the self to the point that it is no longer able to invest attention and pursue its goals.

Every piece of information we process gets evaluated for its bearing on the self. Does it threaten or support our goals? Is it neutral? A new piece of information will either create disorder in consciousness, by getting us worked up to face the threat, or it will reinforce our goals and free up psychic energy.

ORDER IN CONSCIOUSNESS: FLOW

The opposite state from the condition of psychic entropy is optimal experience.


When the information that keeps coming into awareness is congruent with goals, psychic energy flows effortlessly. There is no need to worry, no reason to question one's adequacy. But whenever one does stop to think about oneself, the evidence is encouraging: you are doing all right. The feedback strengthens the self, and more attention is freed to deal with the outer and inner environment.

Performing the same task over and over, most people would grow tired of working. But when you approach the task as a challenge, with personal records to be broken, training yourself to better your times, working on a private routine for how to use your tools and make your moves, it is enough to know that you can do it because when you are working at top performance, the experience is so enthralling that it is almost painful to slow down. Never even let others know you are ahead, let your success pass unnoticed by others. You can reach the limits beyond which you can improve your performance no further, and then seek a more complex job, activity, or task, and confront it with the same enthusiasm.

While immersed in your job, every piece of information fits: even when temporarily frustrated, you know what causes the frustration, and believe that obstacle can be overcome.

Optimal experiences are situations in which attention can be freely invested to achieve goals, because there is no disorder to straighten out, no threat for the self to defend against.

The Flow Experience is the opposite of psychic entropy; negentropy. Those who attain it develop a stronger, more confident self, because more of their psychic energy has been successfully invested in goals they themselves have chosen to pursue.

When a person is able to organize consciousness so as to experience flow more often, the quality of life is inevitably going to improve, because even the usually boring routines become purposeful and enjoyable. In flow we are in control of our psychic energy, and everything we do adds order to consciousness.

It's exhilarating to come closer to self discipline. You look back in awe at the self, at what you've done, and it will blow your mind.

The battle is not really against the self, but against the entropy that brings disorder to consciousness. It is really a battle FOR the self; it is a struggle for establishing control over attention. The struggle does not necessarily have to be physical. Anyone who has experienced flow knows that the deep enjoyment it provides requires an equal degree of disciplined concentration.

COMPLEXITY & GROWTH

Following a flow experience, the organization of the self is more complex.

The self might be said to grow. Complexity is the result of two broad psychological processes: differentiation and integration. Differentiation implies movement toward uniqueness, separating oneself from others. Integration refers to its opposite: a union with other people, with ideas and entities beyond the self.
A complex self is one that succeeds in combining these opposite tendencies.

Overcoming a challenge leaves a person feeling more capable and skilled; they become more unique, less predictable, and possessed of rarer skills.

Complexity also involves a second dimension - the integrations of autonomous parts. Complex things are made of many components, each performing a different function. Complex things also demonstrate a high sensitivity because each component is in touch with the others. Without integration, a differentiated system would be a confusing mess.

Flow helps to integrate the self because in that state of deep concentration consciousness is unusually well ordered. Thoughts, intentions, feelings, and all the senses are focused on the same goal. Experience is in harmony.

A self only differentiated and not integrated may attain great accomplishments, but risks being mired in self centered egotism.

A person whose self is based exclusively on integration will be connected and secure, but risks a lack of autonomous individuality.

Only when a person invests equal amounts of psychic energy in these two processes and avoids both selfishness and conformity is the self likely to reflect complexity.

The self becomes complex as a result of experiencing flow.

Paradoxically, it is when we act freely, for the sake of the action itself rather than for ulterior motive, that we learn to become more than what we were. When we choose a goal and invest ourselves in it to the limits of our concentration, whatever we do will be enjoyable. Once we have tasted this joy, we will redouble our efforts to taste it again. Flow is important because it makes the present instant more enjoyable, and because it builds the self confidence that allows us to develop skills and make significant contributions to others.

There is no easy shortcut to flow. It is possible, if one understands how it works, to transform life to create more harmony in it and to liberate the psychic energy that otherwise would be wasted in boredom or worry.

ENJOYMENT & THE QUALITY OF LIFE

There are two main strategies we can adopt to improve the quality of life. We can try to make external conditions match our goals, or we can change how we experience external conditions to make them fit our goals better.

Neither of these strategies is effective when used alone. Changing external conditions might seem to work at first but if a person is not in control of his consciousness, the old fears or desires will soon return, reviving previous anxieties.

Controlling external conditions does not necessarily improve existence. Even though we recognize that material success may not bring happiness, we engage in an endless struggle to reach external goals, expecting that they will improve life. Wealth, status, and power have become symbols of happiness. We assume that if only we could acquire some of those same symbols, we would be much happier.

If we do actually succeed, we believe for a time that life as a whole has improved. They can be genuine blessings, but only if they help to make us feel better. Symbols can be deceptive; they have a tendency to distract from the reality they are supposed to represent.

The reality is that that quality of life does not depend directly on what others think of us or on what we own. The bottom line is how we feel about ourselves and what happens to us. To improve life, one must improve the quality of experience.

Given these observations, instead of worrying about how to make a million dollars or how to win friends and influence people, it seems more beneficial to find out how everyday life can be made more harmonious and more satisfying, and thus achieve by a direct route what cannot be reached through the pursuit of symbolic goals.

PLEASURE & ENJOYMENT

When considering the kind of experience that makes life better, most people first think that happiness consists in experiencing pleasure: good food, good sex, all the comforts that money can buy. We imagine the satisfaction of traveling to exotic places or being surrounded by interesting company and expensive gadgets. If we cannot afford those goals that slick commercials and colorful ads keep reminding us to pursue, then we are happy to settle for a quiet evening in front of the television set with a glass of booze close by.

Pleasure is a feeling of contentment that one achieves whenever information in the consciousness says that expectations set by biological programs or by social conditioning have been met. The taste of food when we are hungry is pleasant because it reduces a physiological imbalance. Resting in the evening while passively absorbing information from the media, with alcohol or drugs to dull the mind overexcited by the demands of work, is pleasantly relaxing.

Pleasure is an important component of the quality of life, but by itself does not bring happiness. Sleep, rest, food, and sex provide restorative homeostatic experiences that return consciousness to order after the needs of the body intrude and cause psychic entropy to occur. But they do not produce psychological growth. They do not add complexity to the self. Pleasure helps to maintain order, but by itself cannot create new order in consciousness.

Other experiences that overlap with pleasurable ones that deserve another name: enjoyment. Enjoyable events occur when a person has not only met some prior execrations or satisfied some need or desire but also gone beyond what he or she has been programmed to do and achieved something unexpected, and perhaps before unimagined.

Enjoyment is characterized by this forward movement: by a sense of novelty and accomplishment. None of these experiences may be particularly pleasurable at the time they are taking place, but afterward we think back on them and think, that was really fun and wish they would happen again. After an enjoyable event we know that we have changed, that our self has grown: in some respect we have become more complex as a result of it.

We can experience pleasure without any investment of psychic energy, whereas enjoyment happens only as a result of unusual investment of attention. A person can feel pleasure without any effort, if the appropriate neurons are stimulated, or as a result of the chemical stimulation of drugs. But it is impossible to ENJOY unless attention is fully concentrated on the activity.

It is for this reason that pleasure is so evanescent, and that the self does not grow as a consequence of pleasurable experiences.

Complexity requires investing psychic energy in goals that are new, that are relatively challenging.

The rapt concentration on a child's face as she learns each new skills is a good indication of what enjoyment is about. Each instance of enjoyable learning adds to the complexity of the developing self. This natural connection between growth and enjoyment tends to disappear with time. Perhaps because learning becomes an external imposition when schooling start, it becomes all to easy to settle down within the narrow boundaries of the self developed in adolescence. But if one gets to be too complacent, feeling that psychic energy invested in new directions is wasted unless there is a good change of reaping extrinsic rewards for it, one may end up no longer enjoying life, and pleasure become the only source of positive experience.

If you're starving, take the money, but if you're not, why make a deal that's no fun?

Without enjoyment, life can be endured, but only precariously depending on luck and the cooperation of the external environment. To gain personal control over the quality of experience, one needs to learn how build enjoyment into what happens day in and day out.

The Elements of Enjoyment
In sum, optimal experience, and the psychological conditions that make it possible, seem to be the same the world over. The phenomenology of enjoyment has eight major components.

1. The experience usually occurs when we confront tasks when there is a chance of completing them.

2. We must be able concentrate on the task at hand.

3. The concentration is usually possible because the task undertaken has clear goals and provides immediate feedback.

4. One acts with a deep but effortless involvement that removed from awareness the worries and frustrations of everyday life.

5. Enjoyable experiences allow people to exercise a sense of control over their actions.

6. Concern for the self disappears, yet paradoxically the send of self emerges stronger after the flow experience is over.

7. The sense of the duration of time is altered; hours pass in minutes, and minutes can stretch to seem like hours.

8. The combination of theses elements causes a sense of deep enjoyment that is so rewarding people feel that expending a great deal of energy is worthwhile simply to be able to feel it again by repeating the activity.


With this knowledge, it is possible to achieve control of consciousness and turn even the most humdrum moments of life into events that help the self grow.

 CHALLENGING ACTIVITIES THAT REQUIRE SKILL

Sometimes a person can experience extreme joy, a feeling of ecstasy for no apparent good reason: a bar of haunting music may trigger it, or a wonderful view, or even less, just a spontaneous sense of well being.

By far the overwhelming proportion of optimal experiences occur within sequences of activities that are goal directed and bounded by rules - activities that require the investment of psychic energy, and that could not be done without the appropriate skills.

An activity need not be active in the physical sense, and the skill necessary to engage in it need not be a physical skill. One of the most frequently mentioned enjoyable activities the world over is reading. Reading is an activity because it requires the concentration of attention and has a goal, and to do it one must know the rules of written language. The skills involved in reading include not only literacy but the ability to translate words into images, to empathize with fictional characters, and so on.

In this broadest sense, any capacity to manipulate symbolic information is a skill, such as the skill of the mathematician to shape quantitative relationships or the musician in shaping musical notes.

Another universally enjoyable activity is being with other people.
Any activity contains a bundle of opportunities for action, or challenges, that require appropriate skills to realize. For those who don't have the right skills, the activity is not challenging it is simply meaningless.

One simple way to find challenges is to enter a competitive situation. Competition is a quick way of developing complexity. Our antagonist is our helper. Challenges of competition can be stimulating and enjoyable, but when beating the opponent takes precedence in the mind over performing as well as possible, enjoyment tends to disappear.

Competition is enjoyable only when it is a means to perfect one's skills; when it becomes and end to itself, it ceases to be fun.

Challenges are not confined to physical activities and competition.
Activities that provide enjoyment are often those that have been designed for this very purpose. Games, sports, and artistic and literary forms were developed over time for the express purpose of enriching life with enjoyable experiences. It would be a mistake to assume that only art and leisure can provide optimal experiences. In a healthy culture, productive work and the necessary routines of everyday life are also satisfying. Even routine details can be transformed into personally meaningful games that provide optimal experience.

One can take control of a boring situation and and turn it into a mildly enjoyable one. Create your own private activity that provides just enough challenge to prevent absolute boredom while still remaining so automated that it leaves enough attention free that anything novel or interesting can stuck enter awareness.

Everybody develops routines to fill in the boring gaps of the day, or to bring experience back to baseline when anxiety threatens. Some engage in esoteric private rituals for the same purpose of imposing order on consciousness through the performance of patterned actions.

These are the micro flow activities that help us negotiate the doldrums of the day. How enjoyable an activity is depends ultimately on its complexity.

Small automatic games woven into everyday life do help to reduce boredom, but they add little the positive quality of experience. For that, one needs to face more demanding challenges, and use higher level skills.

In activities, enjoyment comes at a specific point: whenever the opportunities for action perceived by the individual are equal to his or her capabilities.

An activity is not enjoyable when these are mismatched. The less skilled player will feel anxious, and the better player will feel bored.
A challenge too simple for one's skills will be boring, while a challenge too complex will be frustrating.

Enjoyment appears at the boundary between boredom and anxiety, when the challenges are just balanced with the person's capacity to act.
With the fine balancing of challenge and skills, games and activities will yield the maximum amount of enjoyment.

THE MERGING OF ACTION & AWARENESS

When all a person's relevant skills are needed to cope with the challenges of a situation, attention is completely absorbed by the activity. There is no excess psychic energy left over to process any information but what the activity offers. All the attention is concentrated on the relevant stimuli.

One of the most universal and distinctive features of optimal experience is that people become so involved in what they are doing that the activity becomes spontaneous, almost automatic; they stop being aware of themselves as separate from the actions they are performing. Concentration is very complete. Your mind isn't wandering. You aren't thinking of anything else. You are totally involved in what you are doing. You energy is flowing very smoothly. You feel relaxed, comfortable, and energetic. You are so involved that you aren't thinking of yourself as separate from what you are doing. You lose touch with the rest of the world and become totally absorbed in what you're doing. The concentration is like breathing, you never think of it.

We call this optimal experience flow. The short and simple word describes well the sense of seemingly effortless movement. The mystique is that you reach the peak, glad it's over but really wishing it would go on forever. The only justification for doing what you do, is just what you do. You don't conquer anything except things in yourself.

The purpose of flow is to keep on flowing, not looking for a peak or utopia but staying in the flow. It is not a moving up but a continuous flowing. There is no possible reason for the action except the action itself that serves as a self communication.

Although the flow experience often appears to be effortless, it is far from being so. It often requires strenuous physical exertion, or highly disciplined mental activity. It does not happen without the application of skilled performance. Any lapse in concentration will erase it. While it lasts, consciousness works smoothly, action follows action seamlessly. In normal life, we keep interrupting what we do with doubts and questions. Why am I doing this? Should I perhaps be doing something else? Repeatedly we question the necessity of our actions, and evaluate critically the reasons for carrying them out. In flow there is no need to reflect, because the action carries us forward as if by magic.

CLEAR GOALS & FEEDBACK

It is possible to achieve complete involvement in a flow experience because goals are usually clear, and feedback immediate. You always know what you have to do, and each time you act you know whether you have done well or not.

Goals are obvious, and with each move you can calculate whether you have come closer to your objective. Keep a very simple goal in mind, and every second, hour by hour, you will receive information that you are or are not meeting that basic goal.

If you choose a trivial goal, success in it does not provide enjoyment.
Certain activities require a very long time to accomplish, yet the components of the goals and feedback are still extremely important to them.

The goals of an activity are not always so clear as a sport or game, and the feedback can be far more ambiguous than a simple, I'm not dead or dying. A composer may know that he wishes to write, but other than that the goals are pretty vague. And how does he know if the notes captured are the right or wrong ones? The same is true for most open ended, artistic, and creative activities. These are exceptions that prove the rule: unless a person learns to set goals and to recognize and gauge feedback in such activities, they too will fail to provide lasting enjoyment.

In some creative activities, where goals are not clearly set in advance, a person must develop a strong personal sense of what they intend to do. The artist might not have a visual image of what the finished painting should look like, but when the picture has progressed to a certain point, they should know whether this is what they wanted to create or not. They must have internalized criteria for good or bad so after each performance and addition they can say this does or does not work. Without such internal guidelines, it is impossible to experience flow.

Sometimes the goals and rules governing an activity are invented, or negotiated on the spot. The goal of such sessions emerges by trial and error, and is rarely made explicit; often it remains below the participants level of awareness. Yet it is clear that these activities develop their own rules and that those who take part have a clear idea of what constitutes a successful move, and of who is doing well.

What constitutes feedback varies considerably in different activities. Some people are indifferent to things that others cannot get enough of. Bits of information are used to monitor progress. The kind of feedback we work toward is in and of itself often unimportant. What makes the information valuable is the symbolic message it contains: that you have succeeded in your goal. Such knowledge creates order in consciousness, and strengthens the structure of the self.

Almost any kind of feedback can be enjoyable, provided it is logically related to a goal in which one has invested psychic energy. Each of us is temperamentally sensitive to a certain range of information that we learn to value more than most other people do, and it is likely that we will consider feedback involving that information to be more relevant than others might.

CONCENTRATION ON THE TASK AT HAND

One of the most frequently mentioned dimensions of the flow experience is that, while it lasts, one is able to forget all the unpleasant aspects of life. This feature of flow is an important by product of the fact that enjoyable activities require a complete focusing of attention on the task at hand - thus leaving no room in the mind for irrelevant information.

In normal everyday existence, we are the prey of thoughts and worries intruding unwanted in consciousness. Most jobs, and home life in general, lack the pressing demands of flow experience. Concentration is rarely so intense that preoccupations and anxieties can be automatically ruled out. Consequently the ordinary state of mind involves unexpected and frequent episodes of entropy interfering with the smooth run of psychic energy. This is one reason why flow improves the quality of experience: the clearly structured demands of the activity impose order, and exclude the interference of disorder in consciousness.

It is not only the temporal focus that counts. What is even more significant is that only a very select range of information can be allowed into awareness. Therefore all the troubling thoughts that ordinarily keep passing through the mind are temporarily kept in abeyance. You're not aware of other problematic life situations. You have more confidence in yourself than any other time. Your mind has to be absolutely clear. Problems have to be erased from consciousness as if they didn't exist.

The concentration of the flow experience together with clear goals and immediate feedback provides order to consciousness, inducing the enjoyable condition of psychic negentropy.

THE PARADOX OF CONTROL

Enjoyment often occurs in games, sports, and other leisure activities that are distinct from ordinary life, where any number of bad things can happen.
The flow experience is typically described as involving a sense of control or, more precisely, as lacking the sense of worry about losing control that is typical in many situations of normal life. These respondents are actually describing is the possibility, rather than the actuality, of control. At least in principle, in the world of flow, perfection is attainable.

This sense of control is also reported in enjoyable activities that involve serious risks, activities that to an outsider would seem to be much more potentially dangerous than the affairs of normal life. Enjoyment derives not from the danger itself, but from their ability to minimize it. So rather than a pathological thrill that comes from courting disaster, the positive emotion they enjoy is the perfectly healthy feeling of being able to control potentially dangerous forces.

The important thing to realize here is that activities that produce flow experiences are so constructed as to allow the practitioner to develop sufficient skills to reduce the margin of error to as close to zero as possible.

Recognize two sets of dangers: objective and subjective ones. The first kind are the unpredictable physical events that might confront a person. One can prepare oneself against these threats, but they can never be completely foreseen. Subjective dangers are those that arise from the lack of skill including the inability to estimate correctly the difficulty in relation to one's ability.

The whole point is to avoid objective dangers as much as possible, and to eliminate subjective dangers entirely by rigorous discipline and sound preparation.

What people enjoy is not the sense of being in control, but the sense of exercising control in difficult situations. It is not possible to experience a feeling of control unless one is willing to give up the safety of protective routines. Only when a doubtful outcome is at stake, and one is able to influence that outcome, can a person really know whether she is in control. One type of activity seems to constitute an exception. Games of chance are enjoyable, yet by definition they are based on random outcomes presumably not affected by personal skills.

The objective conditions, however, happen to be deceptive, for it is actually the case that gamblers who enjoy games of hazard are subjectively convinced that their skills do play a major role in the outcome. In fact, they tend to stress the issue of control even more than practitioners of activities where skills obviously allow greater control. Poker players are convinced it is their ability, and not chance, that makes them win; if they lose they are much more inclined to credit bad luck, but even in defeat they are willing to look for a personal lapse to explain the outcome. Roulette players develop elaborate systems to predict the turn of the wheel. In general, players of games of chance often believe that they have the gift of seeing into the future, at least within the restricted set of goals and rules that defines their game. And this most ancient feeling of control whose precursors include the rituals of divination so prevalent in every culture is one of the greatest attractions the experience of gambling offers. This sense of being in a world where entropy is suspended explains in part why flow-producing activities can become so addictive. The exhilaration gamblers feel in figuring out random chance is even more notorious.

Almost any enjoyable activity can become addictive, in the sense that instead of being a conscious choice, it becomes a necessity that interferes with other activities.

When a person becomes so dependent on the ability to control an enjoyable activity that he cannot pay attention to anything else, then he loses the ultimate control: the freedom to determine the content of consciousness. Thus enjoyable activities that produce flow have a potentially negative aspect: while they are capable of improving the quality of existence by creating order in the mind, they can become addictive, at which point the self becomes captive of a certain kind of order, and is then unwilling to cope with the ambiguities of life.

THE LOSS OF SELF CONSCIOUSNESS

When an activity is thoroughly engrossing, there is not enough attention left over to allow a person to consider either the past or the future, or any other temporarily irrelevant stimuli. One item that disappears from awareness deserves special mention, because in normal life we spend so much time thinking about it: our own self.

It's a Zen feeling, like meditation or concentration. One thing you're after is the one-pointedness of mind. You can get your ego mixed up in all sorts of ways and it isn't necessarily enlightening. But when things become automatic, it's like an egoless thing, in a way. Somehow the right thing is done without you ever thinking about it or doing anything at all. It just happens. And yet you're more concentrated.

The loss of the sense of a self separate from the world around it is sometimes accompanied by a feeling of union with the environment.

Hundreds of times every day we are reminded of the vulnerability of our self. And every time this happens psychic energy is lost trying to restore order to consciousness. But in flow there is no room for self-scrutiny. Because enjoyable activities have clear goals, stable rules, and challenges well matched to skills, there is little opportunity for the self to be threatened.

When people first learn about the flow experience they sometimes assume that lack of self-consciousness has something to do with a passive obliteration of the self, a going with the flow Southern California-style. But in fact the optimal experience involves a very active role for the self.

So loss of self-consciousness does not involve a loss of self, and certainly not a loss of consciousness, but rather, only a loss of consciousness of the self. What slips below the threshold of awareness is the concept of self, the information we use to represent to ourselves who we are. And being able to forget temporarily who we are seems to be very enjoyable. When not preoccupied with our selves, we actually have a chance to expand the concept of who we are. Loss of self-consciousness can lead to self-transcendence, to a feeling that the boundaries of our being have been pushed forward. This feeling is not just a fancy of the imagination, but is based on a concrete experience of close interaction with some Other, an interaction that produces a rare sense of unity with these usually foreign entities.

One could treat these testimonials as poetic metaphors and leave them at that. But it is important to realize that they refer to experiences that are just as real as being hungry, or as concrete as bumping into a wall. There is nothing mysterious or mystical about them. When a person invests all her psychic energy into an interaction, they in effect becomes part of a system of action greater than what the individual self had been before. This system takes its form from the rules of the activity; its energy comes from the person's attention. But it is a real system subjectively as real as being part of a family, a corporation, or a team, and the self that is part of it expands its boundaries and becomes more complex than what it had been.

This growth of the self occurs only if the interaction is an enjoyable one, that is, if it offers nontrivial opportunities for action and requires a constant perfection of skills. It is also possible to lose oneself in systems of action that demand nothing but faith and allegiance. Fundamentalist religions, mass movements, and extremist political parties also offer opportunities for self-transcendence that millions are eager to accept. They also provide a welcome extension of the boundaries of the self, a feeling that one is involved in something great and powerful. The true believer also becomes part of the system in concrete terms, because his psychic energy will be focused and shaped by the goals and rules of his belief. But the true believer is not really interacting with the belief system; he usually lets his psychic energy be absorbed by it. From this submission nothing new can come; consciousness may attain a welcome order, but it will be an order imposed rather than achieved. At best the self of the true believer resembles a crystal: strong and beautifully symmetrical, but very slow to grow.

There is one very important and at first apparently paradoxical relationship between losing the sense of self in a flow experience and having it emerge stronger afterward. It almost seems that occasionally giving up self-consciousness is necessary for building a strong self-concept. Why this should be so is fairly clear. In flow a person is challenged to do their best, and must constantly improve their skills.

THE TRANSFORMATION OF TIME

One of the most common descriptions of optimal experience is that time no longer seems to pass the way it ordinarily does. The objective, external duration we measure with reference to outside events like night and day, or the orderly progression of clocks, is rendered irrelevant by the rhythms dictated by the activity. Often hours seem to pass by in minutes; in general, most people report that time seems to pass much faster. But occasionally the reverse occurs: Two things happen; one is that it seems to pass really fast in one sense, and after it's passed, it seems to have passed really fast.

The safest generalization to make about this phenomenon is to say that during the flow experience the sense of time bears little relation to the passage of time as measured by the absolute convention of the clock.

Practitioners of other activities where time is of the essence, for instance, runners and racers, in order to pace themselves precisely in a competition, have to be very sensitive to the passage of seconds and minutes. In such cases the ability to keep track of time becomes one of the skills necessary to do well in the activity, and thus it contributes to, rather than detracts from, the enjoyment of the experience. But most flow activities do not depend on clock time; like baseball, they have their own pace, their own sequences of events marking transitions from one state to another without regard to equal intervals of duration. It is not clear whether this dimension of flow is just an epiphenomenon by-product of the intense concentration required for the activity at hand or whether it is something that contributes in its own right to the positive quality of the experience. Although it seems likely that losing track of the clock is not one of the major elements of enjoyment, freedom from the tyranny of time does add to the exhilaration we feel during a state of complete involvement.

THE AUTOTELIC EXPERIENCE

The key element of an optimal experience is that it is an end in itself. Even if initially undertaken for other reasons, the activity that consumes us becomes intrinsically rewarding.

Autotelic derives from two Greek words, auto meaning self, and telos meaning goal. It refers to a self-contained activity, one that is done not with the expectation of some future benefit, but simply because the doing itself is the reward.

What transpires in the two situations is ostensibly identical; what differs is that when the experience is autotelic, the person is paying attention to the activity for its own sake; when it is not, the attention is focused on its consequences. Most things we do are neither purely autotelic nor purely exotelic (as we shall call activities done for external reasons only), but are a combination of the two. Surgeons usually enter into their long period of training because of exotelic expectations: to help people, to make money, to achieve prestige. If they are lucky, after a while they begin to enjoy their work, and then surgery becomes to a large extent also autotelic. Some things we are initially forced to do against our will turn out in the course of time to be intrinsically rewarding.

Many children never reach the point of recognizing the possibilities of the activity into which they are forced, and end up disliking it forever. How many children have come to hate classical music because their parents forced them to practice an instrument? Often children and adults need external incentives to take the first steps in an activity that requires a difficult restructuring of attention.


Most enjoyable activities are not natural; they demand an effort that initially one is reluctant to make. But once the interaction starts to provide feedback to the person's skills, it usually begins to be intrinsically rewarding. An autotelic experience is very different from the feelings we typically have in the course of life. So much of what we ordinarily do has no value in itself, and we do it only because we have to do it, or because we expect some future benefit from it. Many people feel that the time they spend at work is essentially wasted, they are alienated from it, and the psychic energy invested in the job does nothing to strengthen their self. For quite a few people free time is also wasted. Leisure provides a relaxing respite from work, but it generally consists of passively absorbing information, without using any skills or exploring new opportunities for action. As a result life passes in a sequence of boring and anxious experiences over which a person has little control. The autotelic experience, or flow, lifts the course of life to a different level.

Alienation gives way to involvement, enjoyment replaces boredom, helplessness turns into a feeling of control, and psychic energy works to reinforce the sense of self, instead of being lost in the service of external goals. When experience is intrinsically rewarding life is justified in the present, instead of being held hostage to a hypothetical future gain. But, as we have already seen in the section dealing with the sense of control, one must be aware of the potentially addictive power of flow. We should reconcile ourselves to the fact that nothing in the world is entirely positive; every power can be misused. Love may lead to cruelty, science can create destruction, technology unchecked produces pollution.

Optimal experience is a form of energy, and energy can be used either to help or to destroy. Fire warms or burns; atomic energy can generate electricity or it can obliterate the world. Energy is power, but power is only a means. The goals to which it is applied can make life either richer or more painful. The Marquis de Sade perfected the infliction of pain into a form of pleasure, and in fact, cruelty is a universal source of enjoyment for people who have not developed more sophisticated skills. Even in societies that are called civilized, because they try to make life enjoyable without interfering with anyone's well-being, people are attracted to violence.

Much of what we label juvenile delinquency car theft, vandalism, rowdy behavior in general is motivated by the same need to have flow experiences not available in ordinary life. As long as a significant segment of society has few opportunities to encounter meaningful challenges, and few chances to develop the skills necessary to benefit from them, we must expect that violence and crime will attract those who cannot find their way to more complex autotelic experiences.

The flow experience, like everything else, is not good in an absolute sense. It is good only in that it has the potential to make life more rich, intense, and meaningful; it is good because it increases the strength and complexity of the self. But whether the consequence of any particular instance of flow is good in a larger sense needs to be discussed and evaluated in terms of more inclusive social criteria. The same is true, however, of all human activities, whether science, religion, or politics. A particular religious belief may benefit a person or a group, but repress many others.

It is an illusion to believe that any solution is beneficial for all people and all times; no human achievement can be taken as the final word. Jefferson's uncomfortable dictum - Eternal Vigilance is the Price of Liberty - applies outside the fields of politics as well; it means that we must constantly reevaluate what we do, lest habits and past wisdom blind us to new possibilities. It would be senseless, however, to ignore a source of energy because it can be misused.

To the danger, however, a remedy has been found: learning to distinguish the useful and the harmful forms of flow, and then making the most of the former while placing limits on the latter. The task is to learn how to enjoy everyday life without diminishing other people's chances to enjoy theirs.

-End of excerpts from Flow by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi

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What is hypnosis?

A trance-like state of mind, typically defined by an increased level of relaxation and suggestibility. Commonly used in attempts to break habits or inhibit pain.

Links to learn more:

(Hypnosis example videos available when you scroll to the end of this post)

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-hypnosis-2795921

https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/hypnosis/about/pac-20394405

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnosis

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_hypnosis

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6357291/

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/hypnosis

https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/mental-health-hypnotherapy

https://www.reveri.com/

https://www.hypnosisdownloads.com/all-downloads

https://www.hypnobox.com/

https://podcastnotes.org/huberman-lab/episode-60-dr-david-spiegel-using-hypnosis-to-enhance-mental-physical-health-performance-huberman-lab/

Psychology 101:

(Our Brains & A Few Simple Things You Ought To Know About Them)

Know Thyself - & Get Out of The Cave

If you’re reading this you have a brain. Unless you’re an AI, or an OCR bot… but anyways that’s beside the point for now. You have a brain, and we have that in common.

While there are many variations between every brain, the general structure is roughly the same for all brains; we all have some overlapping psychologies (the ways we think and the way that thinking expresses itself as a personality in the world through our behaviors) that link us together as human beings.

These common traits can add a layer of semi-predictability to the world when we learn to recognize the patterns of thinking and behavior that we are all subjected to throughout a lifetime of experiences.

We can’t all be experts in the field of psychology, but we can all take the responsibility to learn about our own basic psychology so that we can perform at our mental best and help others to do the same, especially in times of stress and trauma that can be disruptive beyond a single individual’s ability to manage without support.

Psychology Theories Worth Studying:

• The Big 5 Theory of Personality

• Erikson's Theory of Psychosocial Development

• Freud's Theory of Psychosexual Development

• Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development

• Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

• Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development

• Carl Jung’s Archetypes, the Collective Unconscious, & Synchronicity

• Pavlov’s Conditioning

• Csikszentmihalyi’s Flow Theory

• Seneca’s - On the Shortness of Life

Understanding basic psychology to then learn about your own personality can be helpful for navigating through life, especially if you believe in identifying your weaknesses so that you can use you strengths to overcome them.

Links to help identify your personality + find your strengths & weaknesses:

https://hexaco.org/hexaco-online

https://bigfiveaspects.com/

https://www.understandmyself.com/

https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/254033/strengthsfinder.aspx

Learn More About Psychology:

https://ocw.mit.edu/ans7870/9/9.00SC/MIT9_00SCF11_text.pdf

https://www.verywellmind.com/steps-of-the-scientific-method-2795782

https://www.verywellmind.com/developmental-psychology-4157180

https://www.verywellmind.com/behavioral-psychology-4157183

https://www.verywellmind.com/social-psychology-4157177

https://www.studysmarter.us/explanations/psychology/basic-psychology/

https://www.simplypsychology.org/pavlov.html

https://www.verywellmind.com/psychology-basics-4157186

https://www.lib.jjay.cuny.edu/research/psych.html

https://www.scribd.com/book/292867315/On-the-shortness-of-life

https://www.jordanbpeterson.com/podcast/

https://www.onlinepsychologydegree.info/lists/5-great-podcasts-about-psychology/

The Rape of The Mind (The Psychology of Thought Control)- Joost Meerloo

:: Mental Submission :: Pavlovian Conditioning :: Mass Brainwashing :: Weaponization of Fear :: Mass Delusion and Mental Contagion ::

https://www.amazon.com/Rape-Mind-Psychology-Menticide-Brainwashing/dp/1614277877

https://www.hustleescape.com/book-summary-the-rape-of-the-mind-by-joost-meerloo/

https://www.scribd.com/book/293579987/The-Rape-of-the-Mind-The-Psychology-of-Thought-Control-Menticide-and-Brainwashing

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Definition of influence:

1: the power or capacity of causing an effect in indirect or intangible ways : To SWAY

2a: the act or power of producing an effect without apparent exertion of force or direct exercise of command

b: corrupt interference with authority for personal gain

3: one that exerts influence

4: an emanation of spiritual or moral force

5a: an ethereal fluid held to flow from the stars and to affect the actions of humans

b: an emanation of occult power held to derive from stars

The Pillars of Influence from Robert Cialdini’s book: Influence:

Reciprocity - Give & let give.. (scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours..)

People feel obliged to give back to others the form of a behavior, gift, or service that they have received first. Important to note that people are most influenced not just by what was given, but how it was given.

Commitment / Consistency - Habits & promises are hard to break. (Saying yes now makes it harder to say no later.)

People like to be consistent with the things they have previously said or done. Consistency is activated by looking, and asking, for small initial commitments that can be made easily.

Scarcity - If there’s not enough, then I want as much as I can get..(even if it means taking from others)

People want more of those things they have access to less of. It’s not enough simply to tell people about the benefits they’ll gain if they choose your products and services. You’ll also need to point out what is unique about your proposition and what they stand to lose if they fail to consider your proposal.

Social Proof - Well if it’s working for them it must work for me too.. (never-mind that man behind the curtain..)

Especially when they are uncertain, people will look to the actions and behaviors of others to determine their own. Rather than relying on our own ability to persuade others, we can point to what many others are already doing, especially many similar others

Liking - When you know, like, & trust, (someone/something) then you buy it.. (even if there’s strong opposing evidence to the supposed benefits of what’s being said/sold.. familiarity can be weaponized)

People prefer to say yes to those that they like. Look for areas of similarity that you share with others and genuine compliments you can give before you get down to business.

Authority - Do as I say, not as I do… (even if what’s being done is incredibly manipulative or foolish..)

People follow the lead of credible, knowledgeable experts. It’s important to signal to others what makes you a credible, knowledgeable authority before making an attempt to influence.

Influence Book Summaries & Discussions:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CwHVieD1cZLW5VVq3L1HCfigjABAbCKw/view

https://www.reddit.com/r/sales/comments/hcc6rx/has_anyone_been_using_the_techniques_described_in/

https://www.influenceatwork.com/

https://fourminutebooks.com/influence-summary/

For more reading beyond the basic of Influence, I can’t recommend enough the following book for anyone interested in building up adequate awareness against propagandistic and misleading information and other potentially negative influences:

Joost Meerloo - The Rape of The Mind

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1. What is Txt 2 Img AI?

2. Txt2Img Generator List

3. Txt2Img Prompt Guide

4. AI Writing Assistants / Brainstorming Tools

5. What is Machine Learning?

6. What are Neural Networks?

7. What is Deep Learning?

8. Let’s Solve a Problem / Create a Solution

#1: Introduction - What is Text 2 Image AI?

Text to Image AI is a type of machine learning program that takes a simple user input of words/ideas, then outputs an image.

#2: Txt2Img Generator List

Midjourney - Independent research lab offering AI that creates images from textual descriptions. One of the most popular and simple to use, accessible via discord. Free trial available, $10/mo or $30/mo subscription options available.

Stable Diffusion - Stable Diffusion is a machine learning, text-to-image model. Open source, several options available for running SD (You’ll need a computer that has a NVIDIA GPU with at least 4GB VRAM & At least 10GB of space on Hard drive):

https://github.com/bentoml/stable-diffusion-bentoml

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32642255 

https://www.reddit.com/r/StableDiffusion/comments/wuyu2u/how_do_i_run_stable_diffusion_and_sharing_faqs/

https://www.reddit.com/r/StableDiffusion/comments/x9wy67/how_powerful_a_pc_is_needed_to_run_stable/

https://www.howtogeek.com/830179/how-to-run-stable-diffusion-on-your-pc-to-generate-ai-images/

https://huggingface.co/CompVis/stable-diffusion

https://huggingface.co/spaces/stabilityai/stable-diffusion

Dalle-2 - Waitlist available. Not fully released to the public yet. Machine learning model developed by OpenAI to generate digital images from natural language descriptions; uses a modified version of GPT-3 to generate images.

Craiyon - Craiyon, formerly DALL·E mini, is an AI model that can draw images from any text prompt; use it online free!

Want access to 20+ more Txt2Art AI Tools? Click here to view the GBU for more. 

Want help setting up SD or MJ? Click here to schedule a consult.

Click here to generate AI art FREE with no set up, no log-ins, no code.

#3: Txt2Img Prompt Guide

Click here to read the FREE Ultimate Midjourney Prompt Guide https://exploreai.substack.com/p/the-ultimate-midjourney-prompt-guide

The Official Midjourney User Guide: https://midjourney.gitbook.io/docs/web-app

#4: AI Writing Assistants / Brainstorming Tools

Whether you need help thinking of creative prompts or you’re writing an entire essay and want assistance from AI tools, here are a few good options to explore: 

InkForAll - “Writing Tools to Help You Write Better, Convert Faster & Rank Higher” (5000 words free! )

https://blog.inkforall.com/what-is-ai-writing

Rytr - “The best, all-in-one writing platform. Tired of dealing with gazillion apps in your writing workflow? Rytr provides powerful features to manage everything from one place.” (10K Characters free!)

Copy.AI - “Experience the full power of an AI content generator that delivers premium results in seconds.” (2000 words free!)

Want access to 20+ more AI Writing Tools? Click here to view the GBU. 

Click here to check out PROMPTER for Txt2Img prompt assistance.

Thank you for supporting 

JUMP: Section #1 Section #2 Section #3 Section #4

Section #5 Section #6 Section #7 Section #8

#5: What is Machine Learning?

*(Section #5, #6, & #7 are all quotes from excellent articles found on IBM’s website, links included below. I figured attempting to explain ML  to you made less sense than simply letting the experts speak. If you have any questions I can assist you with, I’d love to hear from you, you’ll find a link to contact me below.)*

From IBM : 

“Machine learning is a branch of artificial intelligence (AI) and computer science which focuses on the use of data and algorithms to imitate the way that humans learn, gradually improving its accuracy.

Machine learning is an important component of the growing field of data science. Through the use of statistical methods, algorithms are trained to make classifications or predictions, and to uncover key insights in data mining projects. These insights subsequently drive decision making within applications and businesses, ideally impacting key growth metrics. As big data continues to expand and grow, the market demand for data scientists will increase. They will be required to help identify the most relevant business questions and the data to answer them.

Machine learning algorithms are typically created using frameworks that accelerate solution development, such as TensorFlow and PyTorch.”

Read more: https://www.ibm.com/cloud/learn/machine-learning

“UC Berkeley (link resides outside IBM) breaks out the learning system of a machine learning algorithm into three main parts: 

Decision Process: In general, machine learning algorithms are used to make a prediction or classification. Based on some input data, which can be labeled or unlabeled, your algorithm will produce an estimate about a pattern in the data.

Error Function: An error function evaluates the prediction of the model. If there are known examples, an error function can make a comparison to assess the accuracy of the model.

Model Optimization Process: If the model can fit better to the data points in the training set, then weights are adjusted to reduce the discrepancy between the known example and the model estimate. The algorithm will repeat this “evaluate and optimize” process, updating weights autonomously until a threshold of accuracy has been met.  

Machine learning models fall into three primary categories: 

Supervised machine learning            

Supervised learning, also known as supervised machine learning, is defined by its use of labeled datasets to train algorithms to classify data or predict outcomes accurately. As input data is fed into the model, the model adjusts its weights until it has been fitted appropriately. This occurs as part of the cross validation process to ensure that the model avoids overfitting or underfitting. Supervised learning helps organizations solve a variety of real-world problems at scale, such as classifying spam in a separate folder from your inbox.

Unsupervised machine learning

Unsupervised learning, also known as unsupervised machine learning, uses machine learning algorithms to analyze and cluster unlabeled datasets. These algorithms discover hidden patterns or data groupings without the need for human intervention. This method’s ability to discover similarities and differences in information make it ideal for exploratory data analysis, cross-selling strategies, customer segmentation, and image and pattern recognition. It’s also used to reduce the number of features in a model through the process of dimensionality reduction.

Semi-supervised learning 

Semi-supervised learning offers a happy medium between supervised and unsupervised learning. During training, it uses a smaller labeled data set to guide classification and feature extraction from a larger, unlabeled data set. Semi-supervised learning can solve the problem of not having enough labeled data for a supervised learning algorithm. It also helps if it’s too costly to label enough data. 

Learn more: https://www.ibm.com/cloud/blog/supervised-vs-unsupervised-learning

Reinforcement machine learning

Reinforcement machine learning is a machine learning model that is similar to supervised learning, but the algorithm isn’t trained using sample data. This model learns as it goes by using trial and error. A sequence of successful outcomes will be reinforced to develop the best recommendation or policy for a given problem. 

Learn more: https://developer.ibm.com/articles/cc-models-machine-learning/#reinforcement-learning

Common machine learning algorithms:

Neural networks: Neural networks simulate the way the human brain works, with a huge number of linked processing nodes. Neural networks are good at recognizing patterns and play an important role in applications including natural language translation, image recognition, speech recognition, and image creation.

Linear regression: This algorithm is used to predict numerical values, based on a linear relationship between different values. 

Logistic regression: This supervised learning algorithm makes predictions for categorical response variables, such as“yes/no” answers to questions. 

Clustering: Using unsupervised learning, clustering algorithms can identify patterns in data so that it can be grouped. Computers can help data scientists by identifying differences between data items that humans have overlooked.

Decision trees: Decision trees can be used for both predicting numerical values (regression) and classifying data into categories. Decision trees use a branching sequence of linked decisions that can be represented with a tree diagram. One of the advantages of decision trees is that they are easy to validate and audit, unlike the black box of the neural network.

Random forests: In a random forest, the machine learning algorithm predicts a value or category by combining the results from a number of decision trees.”

#6: What are Neural Networks?

From IBM :

“Since deep learning and machine learning tend to be used interchangeably, it’s worth noting the nuances between the two. Machine learning, deep learning, and neural networks are all sub-fields of artificial intelligence. However, neural networks is actually a sub-field of machine learning, and deep learning is a sub-field of neural networks.

Neural networks, or artificial neural networks (ANNs), are comprised of node layers, containing an input layer, one or more hidden layers, and an output layer. Each node, or artificial neuron, connects to another and has an associated weight and threshold. If the output of any individual node is above the specified threshold value, that node is activated, sending data to the next layer of the network. Otherwise, no data is passed along to the next layer of the network by that node. The “deep” in deep learning is just referring to the number of layers in a neural network. A neural network that consists of more than three layers—which would be inclusive of the input and the output—can be considered a deep learning algorithm or a deep neural network. A neural network that only has three layers is just a basic neural network.”

#7: What is Deep Learning?

From IBM : 

“The way in which deep learning and machine learning differ is in how each algorithm learns. "Deep" machine learning can use labeled datasets, also known as supervised learning, to inform its algorithm, but it doesn’t necessarily require a labeled dataset. Deep learning can ingest unstructured data in its raw form (e.g., text or images), and it can automatically determine the set of features which distinguish different categories of data from one another. This eliminates some of the human intervention required and enables the use of larger data sets. You can think of deep learning as "scalable machine learning" as Lex Fridman notes in this MIT lecture (01:08:05) (link resides outside IBM).

Deep learning and neural networks are credited with accelerating progress in areas such as computer vision, natural language processing, and speech recognition.”

Learn more : https://www.ibm.com/cloud/blog/ai-vs-machine-learning-vs-deep-learning-vs-neural-networks

Interested in learning more about AI, ML, & More? Click here to access the Master-List with hundreds of curated AI Tools & Resources.

#8: Let’s Solve a Problem / Create a Solution

Interested in Txt 2 Art & AI in general? I’d love to hear from you if there’s a project you want to work on. 

Whether you want to get some AI Art done @ low cost or you want to pursue an education or career in Machine Learning, I’d love to hear from you! 

Using the resources available at ExploreAI.online, we can begin to extend ourselves by increasing the number of tasks we can do without thinking about them.

Let’s seek to know why things work whenever possible; let’s can explore our interests and seek to understand the things that improve lives.

Let’s learn to love to learn, and learn deeply, so that we are always capable of rebuilding by using First Principles Thinking if those things that improve our lives should fade from their current form.

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FIRST PRINCIPLES :: TXT2ART AI ::

2. Understanding First Principles Thinking / Reasoning

3. Analogy Vs First Principles

4. How to Utilize First Principles Thinking

5. Identifying & Overcoming Cognitive Biases

6. Let’s Solve a Problem / Create a Solution

#1: Introduction

“Think for yourself, question authority.” - Terrence McKenna

The Nonconformist’s Oath: 

I promise to be different.

I promise to be unique.

I promise not to repeat things other people say..

-Steve Martin

“It’s always been done this way,” may be counted among the most constraining ways to think and live; while it can provide comfort to many, it can also be unhelpful when you’re trying to solve a new problem, or even solve an old problem in a new way. To break this pattern and create new solutions with greater efficiency, use First Principles Thinking.

Plato’s Cave can be a comfortable place to stay, though it’s well worth venturing out of.

#2: Understanding First Principles Thinking / Reasoning

A first principle is a fundamental truth, belief, or understanding about reality that cannot be understood anymore deeply or by using other means. It is an observed/understood FACT that stands alone as a building block for more complex processes. 

First Principles Thinking / Reasoning is a method of problem solving that utilizes the fundamental building blocks (first principles) of any system to answer specific questions and solve problems in new innovative ways. 

The concept was born from ideas in Aristotle’s Metaphysics, and focuses on understanding a thing or problem by observing the most basic parts and how they interact with each other and variables of interest. Aristotle names the four first causes/principles as “final, formal, material, and efficient.”

Final: The purpose for a thing; why are you solving this problem?

Formal: The shape of the final solution, a design of what you want to create.

Material: The thing(s) that your solution is made of.

Efficient: The source of change/transformation from input to output 

For example, if you were attempting to solve the problem of constructing a statue, you might first ask yourself WHY you want to build the statue. (FINAL)

* You may OFTEN find you don’t have a good reason to do something; recognizing that you’ve come up with a “problem” that doesn’t actually need to be solved can save you a lot of time and energy. Simply abandon the line of inquiry and move on to a real problem. *

Next you might ask WHAT your statue (any outcome or goal you have) will look like once completed. Your purpose will guide your vision and help you see into the future to understand what your final goal might look like. (FORM)

After understanding why, and deciding on what the final form/solution might look like, it’s a good idea to consider HOW you’re going to reach your goal. What are the things you will need to create your solution? (MATERIAL)

Finally, with a purpose(final), a vision/design(formal), the appropriate things/stuff(material), the last ingredient to add is transformation/change; this is where you convert your ideas, intentions, and materials into something new that solves a specific problem. (EFFICIENT)

#3: Analogy VS First Principles

People typically think/reason by using analogies and metaphors. It’s why storytelling is so powerful and can be quite compelling. Using analogies simply means using one idea/concept to explain another. “Life is like a box of chocolates”…you get it. 

Analogy is a simple way to understand complex concepts by using something we are already familiar with. Observed similarities between things are used to infer some further similarity that hasn’t yet been confirmed. We can use prior experiences to theorize(often successfully) about things that are unknown. “Monkey see, monkey do..”

Unfortunately, if we only copy what we see, we can sometimes overlook(or fail to even consider) more efficient innovations that can be discovered when we use First Principles to reason through problems and find unique solutions.

#4: How to Utilize First Principles Thinking 

This method of reasoning comes down to just a few basic parts. The most important: 

Break down the problem into the smallest possible units. (Divide & Conquer)

You can use questions to dig deeper into your ideas and find the most important factors to consider in the quest to solve a specific problem. There are two main techniques available to assist you: Socratic Questioning  & The Cartesian Method of Doubt. 

The basic idea is to approach both the problem and potential solution with a healthy level of skepticism and critical thinking in the form of asking questions about your questions until you dive so deep into the matter that you cannot possibly conceive of any other ways to perceive the problem/solution.

In order to effectively use First Principles Thinking, one of the key steps is to identify any current assumptions you may have; if you don’t know something to be absolutely true, but you operate as though it is, you may be preventing yourself from seeing important variables. Always ask: “How do I know this to be true?”

It can also be helpful to attempt to explain the problem/solution in a way simple enough for even a young child to understand (The Feynman Technique). It has been said that if you cannot explain a thing simply, then you do not truly understand how it works. 

#5: Identifying & Overcoming Cognitive Biases

Cognitive Biases affect every human alive, and even potentially our AI programs that were of course, designed by humans. Cognitive Biases can simply be described as incorrect or inefficient patterns of thought. They can arise from our tendency to try and understand the world through analogy instead of first principles. Many biases exist as remnants of ancient survival instincts, and most of our biases are simply the result of how brains operate. 

It is completely normal to have cognitive biases, but it’s not at all helpful to ignore them or allow them to influence your thinking on every aspect of the world. Phenomena like confirmation bias, when left unchecked, can lead to magical thinking, unrealistic expectations, and a view of the world that doesn’t quite match reality. 

Sometimes we can get away with, or even benefit from being biased, other times we suffer for our ignorance. We have both conscious and unconscious biases. Both can create positive and negative results. Our biases result from an attempt by the brain to save energy and make decisions as fast as possible(mental timesavers called Heuristics); past experiences become strong references for what to do and how to think. 

While our biases are normal, and some biases are easier to identify and control than others, it is up to us to individually decide to cast our biases aside when appropriate for solving important problems. Our negative biases can stand in the way of breakthroughs if we are unaware of them.

A few examples: 

Confirmation Bias: When we already believe something, we are more attracted to information that confirms what we believe, and we avoid or are upset by contradictory information. If we make honest self-assessments we can recognize how common this thinking pattern is.

Hindsight Bias: “I KNEW it!” - If you’ve caught yourself saying this AFTER learning something is true, claiming that you just knew it before you actually had received the confirming information, you’ve been guilty (as we all are) of thinking that a past event was more predictable than it actually was. If we aren’t careful we can become overconfident in our ability to make future predictions. 

Self-Serving Bias: We have all been guilty at one time or another of claiming responsibility for a success that we had little to do with, and similarly we have all blamed at least some of our negative experiences on external variables such as other people or particular circumstances.  

Click the chart below to explore an amazing website with hundred of biases listed for you to study: 

#6: Let’s Solve a Problem / Create a Solution

Putting it all into action: Good talk.

Thing is, no matter how much you practice First Principles Thinking and being mindful of your biases, we all slip, forget, and fall into old or unhelpful patterns from time to time. The key is moving past, learning from, and continuing to improve as much as we all can. On that note, if you have a real problem you’re trying to solve, and you’re looking for guidance or assistance, I’d love to offer you a 1 on 1 consultation to see if we might benefit from working together; please click here and feel free to ask me anything.

Thank you for supporting 

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About ExploreAI.online :

Using the resources available at ExploreAI.online, we can begin to extend ourselves by increasing the number of tasks we can do without thinking about them.

Let’s seek to know why things work whenever possible; let’s can explore our interests and seek to understand the things that improve lives.

Let’s learn to love to learn, and learn deeply, so that we are always capable of rebuilding by using First Principles Thinking if those things that improve our lives should fade from their current form.

Contact:

Please feel free to ask me anything, just click the button below..

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ALL of the images you see in this post were generated using AI tools. (excluding the social media logos.)

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FIRST PRINCIPLES ::

Let’s start with: What is Intelligence?

Intelligence can include these skills: learning, planning, thinking, problem-solving, and the ability to perceive information and take action upon that information.

There are tools available for humans to use which, when used correctly, will allow us to perform tasks faster, more efficiently, with less errors, etc. This is typically regarded as intelligent behavior.

Computers are among the most versatile of tools available to the thinking mind; the code that runs through a computer’s hardware can vary so much that the number of potential applications for computers are nearly endless.

What is AI?

The term “AI” or “A.I.” could imply many different meanings, dependent on the context in which you encounter the technology. The “I” is almost always going to stand for “Intelligence,” while the “A” might mean “Artificial, Augmented, Assisted, Autonomous, Applied,” etc. AI is simply a computer system that performs tasks usually done by humans.

This allows humans to do more in less time; the goal of good technology.

Augmented / Assisted Intelligence: the most common type of AI, or Artificial Intelligence. Uses human skills to support machine-based tasks that solve complex problems. In this scenario, the machine is useless without a human, and the human can do everything the AI can, just not as fast or as accurately.

Autonomous Intelligence: the most advanced, and mostly unrealized form of AI; these machines work independently without much input from humans, and are ideally self-correcting. Think of Siri on your iPhone or Tesla Cars’ Self Driving system.

AI = INPUT→(HIDDEN)→OUTPUT:

Most AI Systems are made of three basic parts:

First a human gives the machine/system an INPUT, and then the machine/computer gives the human a desired OUTPUT; in between these two steps is the HIDDEN layer where all of the “magic” happens (algorithmic computing).

The HIDDEN layer of algorithms is good at using Prediction and Statistics in order to provide an OUTPUT that the end-user is expecting. Typically these machines are able to be trained to “learn” when they have done a good or bad job, and this helps them improve their future OUTPUTS.

Click here to learn more about the development history of AI..

What are Machine Learning Algorithms?

AI systems are powered by what is known as Machine Learning. ML is what allows a computer system to use input data to make ever-more-accurate predictions, bringing the system closer and closer to full autonomy.

Machine Learning is powered by Algorithms. An algorithm is simply a mathematical set of instructions in a specific sequence used to solve a problem or make a specific calculation.

When you start to chain algorithms together, you start to form what is known as a Neural Network; each computer with its algorithm acts as a “neuron” in the larger “brain” that consists of multiple computers and algorithms working together to form an AI system.

Forming a Neural Network can allow for Deep Learning, a direct attempt to mimic the way a human brain operates by cutting through noise and clutter to focus on the most important identifiers for any set of data.

AI systems can be supervised (operated with human assistance and input/correction), unsupervised (operating independently receiving inputs and producing outputs), or mixed (mostly unsupervised with some human supervision/intervention in the production of outputs or generation of inputs).

Click here to learn even more about common AI algorithms

Click here for more information on types of algorithms

How To Use AI:

AI technology is useful across a wide variety of industries. Putting AI to work can be as simple as downloading the right app or visiting a website. The most common uses of AI includes pattern recognition in data and making predictions / recommendations based on perceived patterns.

Click here for a consultation to determine some of the best AI tools / resources for you to reach your goals faster:

Here are some tools you can actually get your hands on, and a few more that aren’t available everywhere yet, but are meant to inspire you with possibilities:

Photography: Image Tools like GFPGAN(photo restoration/retouch), photo filters in smartphone apps, and AI Photo Editors in general are massively reducing the time and energy necessary to make nearly any image amazing.

Click here for a full list of AI Photography resources & more ..

Healthcare: From simple smartphone/smartwatch health monitoring to advanced diagnostics, the range of potential applications for AI in Healthcare is overwhelming. Viz.Ai is only one example of AI examining medical scans to alert medical professionals to the risk of strokes, aneurysms, kidney disease, and more in patients without having to wait for a human specialist to first review the scan data.

In some cases, scientists aren’t even sure HOW the AI is working; in one instance x-rays were used to identify race when no human could determine how or even do the same task by looking at the same x-rays. AI has also been used to develop new medicines, to identify the 3d structure of proteins(Alphafold), and you can even get yourself a digital nurse.

Click here to learn more about AI in Medicine

Click here for a full list of AI Healthcare resources & more ..

Art & Design: Perhaps one of the most popular uses of AI is TEXT2IMAGE; there are a variety of tools designed to receive a text-prompt input and create an image for the user. Dalle-2, Dalle-Mini/Craiyon, StableDiffusion, & Midjourney are among the most popular options available. There are also IMG2IMG Neural Transfers available, including the original DeepDream.

Click here for a full list of AI TXT2IMG resources & more ..

Click here to get Custom AI Images Generated w/prompt tips + more

Film & Video: AI can be used to edit and manipulate video/film in many ways; most of us are familiar with CGI graphics in big-budget movies, but now there are low-cost AI tools available that allow users to swap faces in video (the infamous DeepFake AI), upscale video quality, recognize objects, and even generate videos of people that don’t exist at all from text. There are even AI movie script writers.

Click here for a full list of AI Video resources & more ..

Audio: - The AI tech available for audio has grown from simple dictation(talk to text) to tone detection and even voice cloning; you can have an AI help you to make music and lyrics too.

Click here for a full list of AI Audio / Music resources & more ..

Gaming: It might be argued that AI was born from gaming; some of the biggest milestones for the technology have been when AI machines first beat human experts in games like Chess(DeepBlue), Go(AlphaGo), & Jeopardy(Watson). There are AI systems capable of generating game assets(3D Models, character scripts, etc), there’s even a game where the levels are generated as-you-play (Procedural Content Generation), and you can even have an AI test your game levels for you if you’re a developer. And of course, there’s the classic PaperclipAI game available for free to show you what an out-of-control optimization algorithm might look/act like.

Click here for a full list of AI Gaming / Development resources & more ..

Coding & Web Design: It seems obvious enough that something made of code, could make code, and now with AI, computers can indeed generate functional code for websites to reduce development time. You can also get AI assistance with web-design asset creation, and even have a computer translate your hand-drawn sketch into an actual website. There are many tools available to help ANYONE create code for websites/apps, even if you’ve never written a line of code in your life.

Click here for a full list of AI Coding / Web Design resources & more ..

Security & Biometrics: From CyberSecurity online, to everyday Facial Recognition on your phone, AI is playing a big role as a verifying agent for countless industries. AI makes it easier to detect patterns used to find the features most useful for identifying people and keeping systems secure. You can also use AI to track your posture, sleep, and so much more.

Click here for a full list of AI Security / Biometrics resources & more ..

3D Modeling & Photogrammetry: 3D Modeling software & web-apps are more accessible than ever, and creating 3D assets is easier than you might think; with nothing more than a couple hundred photos, you can use a variety of apps to transform pictures of a subject into a usable 3D model. AI makes existing Photogrammetry techniques happen nearly instantaneously so you can capture 3D models simply and quickly.

Click here for a full list of 3D Modeling / Photogrammetry resources & more ..

Chat Bots: Customer service will never be the same, and getting ahold a live agent was never easy; now it may be near-impossible to get anything other than an AI Chat Bot or automated answering system, for better or for worse. On the bright side, AI chat bots are easily integrated into most e-commerce websites so you can answer customer questions without being ever-present! There are even chat-bots made only to entertain you.

**Check this article for updates often, there are a lot more applications for AI, and the tools / resources available will only continue to grow in abundance.** Please subscribe to receive update notifications.**

About ExploreAI.online :

Using the resources available at ExploreAI.online, we can begin to extend ourselves by increasing the number of tasks we can do without thinking about them.

Let’s seek to know why things work whenever possible; let’s can explore our interests and seek to understand the things that improve lives.

Let’s learn to love to learn, and learn deeply, so that we are always capable of rebuilding by using First Principles Thinking if those things that improve our lives should fade from their current form.

Contact:

Please feel free to ask me anything, just click the button below..

Submit Questions

Looking for another way to support & get more?

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ALL of the images you see in this post were generated using AI tools. This article was written the “old fashioned way” (with fingers, a brain, and a keyboard), but AI writing assistants were used to brainstorm and elaborate upon ideas.

Want to create AI art NOW without learning discord, signing up on apps/sites, or doing any programming?

Click Here & try AI art generation for FREE!

..or Click Here to Get 15 AI Art Generations from your choice of prompts for only $5.

..or Click here to see samples of what an AI writing assistant could create for you,

& find out how you can integrate AI in your life.

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You can also download the same Data in PDF form for offline access:

Recommended Tools (The Good).pdf

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COMPLETE categorized, organized, and carefully curated list of

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Read more

Section 2: The Official Midjourney User Guide

Section 3: Prompt Crafting 101

Section 4: Prompt Power Words

Section 5: Advanced Prompt Crafting

Section 6: Generating Photorealistic People

Section 7: Prompt -> Profits

Section 8: Generators, Guides, & Useful Links

Section 9: Bonus - “Black Hat Prompt-Craft”

Section 1: Introduction

     I’m going to proceed as though you’re well aware of the Stable Diffusion influenced “AI Art Generator” known as Midjourney, and you’re here to learn how to get the most out of your text prompt generated images.

(To Get Started: Go to Midjourney.com, sign in using Discord, and then you can interact with MJ using Discord on your Computer or Mobile Device) 

Why you might want to use this guide: If you’re a free user of MJ, you have a very limited number of image generations available.

Even as a paid user, there is a limited amount of /FAST TIME available to use with your subscription. 

Using /RELAX MODE is a great way to save your /FAST TIME for Max Upscaling your favorite images.

/FAST TIME is necessary for Max Upscales, and makes using MJ faster; you can produce more images in less time.

This guide exists simply to help you make the most out of every piece of art you create with Midjourney. 

Let’s make every prompt count!

Section 2: The Official Midjourney User Guide

If you haven’t read it yet, it’s worth looking at: 

Click Here for the official MJ User Guide

(https://midjourney.gitbook.io/docs/web-app)

Otherwise, just keep reading to get the most important skills you’ll need 

to start making high quality AI Generative art ASAP.

Section 3: Prompt Crafting 101

*TIP: Long-tail descriptions tend to provide the best results; be as specific as you can with your prompt. 

*TIP: Include lots of adjectives. The more descriptive your prompt, the better the result tends to be.

*TIP: Name an Artist: Integrating an artist’s name into your prompt will use that artist’s style as an influence for your generated image.

Fast Vs. Relax Mode: When you subscribe to Midjourney,  you can choose to use your service in FAST or RELAX mode. Activate by typing /fast or /relax, then send your message to the Midjourney bot. 

As a subscriber, you will have a limited number of FAST hours available, and unlimited RELAX hours.

FAST MODE is necessary for Max Upscales, and makes using MJ faster; you can produce more images in less time.

Format for generating artwork from text using Midjourney:

(type the following into the appropriate Discord channel; A NEWBIE channel if you’re a free user, or DM the MJ Bot if you’re a subscriber)

/imagine prompt: “Remove the quotes and replace this text with whatever you want Midjourney to create for you”

Once you submit your prompt, you’ll receive a 4x4 grid of images. Below the images will be 9 buttons to choose from.

By clicking button “U1”, you are asking MJ to UPSCALE the quality of image #1. 

U2 upscales image #2, U3 upscales image #3, and U4 upscales image #4,. 

By clicking button “V1”, you are asking MJ to VARIATE image #1; MJ will generate 4 new images for you influenced by image #1. 

V2 creates variations of image #2, v3 creates variations of image #3, and V4 creates variations of image #4.

The final button option looks like a recycling symbol. 

This button will REROLL your original prompt, giving MJ another chance to interpret your request and generate new images.

If you Upscale an image, your result will include the following options: 

Section 4: Prompt “Power Words”

Some words might as well be magic; certain keywords can have a big effect on your final image.

Click here to view the official Midjourney Style List (must login to MJ)

Click here to view the Midjourney Community Showcase

Section 5: Advanced Prompt Crafting

Use the following parameters to have more control over your prompt inputs and generate more specific images.

*TIP: From the official MJ user guide:  All parameters should always be added at the end of your command. Failure to do so might make your jobs partially or completely unusable.

click here to view the Parameters in a spreadsheet

--test

(general purpose artistic mode)

--testp

(photo-realism mode)

--beta

(Uses a new an experimental algorithm. This model takes significantly longer to run and only produces 2 outputs (1 for non square resolutions). It also does not work with --hd, --stylize, and --q 5 )

--hd

(Uses a different, older algorithm that’s potentially better for larger images, but with less consistent composition. Best for abstract and landscape prompts. This also generates images at higher resolutions without the need to upscale)

--aspect or --ar

(Generates images with the desired aspect ratio. Try --ar 16:9 for example, to get a 16:9 aspect ratio (~448x256))

--w <number> and --h <number>

(Sets width and height of the image, respectively. --ar is better supported and should be used instead. The values used by --h and --w should be between 256 and 2034, while keeping in mind that the maximum upscale resolution is around 3 Megapixels. These values work better as multiples of 64 (or 128 for --hd))

--seed

(Sets the seed, which can sometimes help keep things more steady and reproducible when trying to generate a similar prompt again. It must be a positive integer (any whole number between 0 and 4294967295). If not used, a random seed will be chosen instead, behind the scenes. You can react to a job's message to know what seed value was used)

--sameseed

(Makes it so the seed affects all images of the resulting grid in the same way. If not used, each image in the grid will use a different "slice" of the seed, providing higher variety)

--no

(Negative prompting (--no plants would try to remove plants). Equivalent to using an advanced text weight of ::-0.5 )

--iw

(Sets image prompt weight relative to text weight. Default value is --iw 0.25 *Simply include an html link to an image when you type your prompt to MJ)

--stylize <number>, or --s <number>

(The stylize argument sets how strong of a 'stylization' your images have, the higher you set it, the more opinionated it will be. Default value is 2500)

--quality <number> , or --q <number>

(How much rendering quality time you want to spend. Default value is 1. Higher values cost more and lower values cost less, see below:)

--quality

(changes how much time is spent generating your image. The shortcut version is --q. Please only use one of the values below. Any other value will be rounded to a valid value instead. --quality 0.25 Rough results, 4x faster / cheaper. --quality 0.5 Less detailed results but 2x faster / cheaper. --quality 1 The default value, you do not need to specify it.--quality 2 More detailed results, but 2x slower and 2x the price (2 GPU minutes per /imagine). --quality 5 Kind of experimental, might be more creative or detailed... also might be worse! (5 GPU minutes per /imagine))

--chaos <number>

(How much more varied, random, and different the results will be. Must be between 0-100. Higher values will favor more interesting and unusual generations in exchange for less reliable compositions. **Try combining the "patterns" + "chaos 100" feature. It will create three patterns and one portrait with some patterns on the face.**)

--fast

(Faster images, less consistency, less expensive. You can also use --q 0.5 and --q 0.25 for a similar result, see below)

--stop

(Stop the generation at an earlier percentage. Must be between 10-100. This currently does not work with upscales * Sometimes you may want to create a “less developed” image. Midjourney can be instructed to stop the render early. The full cycle is 100; if you want to stop the render when it is 50% complete you would use the stop command --stop 50)

--video

(Saves a progress video, which is sent to you in the ✉️-triggered DM (you must react with the envelope to get the video link). This currently does not work with upscales)

--version <1 or 2> or --v <1 or 2>

(Uses old algorithms 1 (which was formerly the "vibe" option, sometimes better for macro or textures) or 2, the last improvement. We are at 3 now, which you do not need to specify. So specify --version 2 to use the previous older model, or --version 1 for the one before)

--uplight

(Uses the "light" upscaler when selecting the U buttons. Results are then closer to the original image, with less detail added during upscale. Ideal for faces and smooth surfaces)

--stylize

(changes how artistic you want your generation to be. It can be used also with the shortened version --s, and can be followed by any integer between 625 and 60000. Here are some example values: --stylize 625 If you basically want to turn it off and be less artistic. --stylize 1250 Good for when you want it to be 'less strict' but still 'pretty' (this is probably recommended for skilled users). --stylize 2500 The default value, so you don't have to specify this. --stylize 20000 If you want it to 'take over' and start drifting from your text, but not go crazy. --stylize 60000 Hands off the wheels, who knows what will happen.)

✉️ envelope:

(The envelope emoji reaction sends an image to your DMs with the seed # and job ID. If the result was a grid, it will send each individual image. You may have to hunt for this emoji by typing "envelope" in your emoji list )

⭐️ star: 

(Marks image as "favorite". This shows in a separate feed on the web gallery and sends the image to the #favorites channel)

❌ x: 

(Cancels or deletes a generation at any time. It is also removed from the web gallery. Please help us by removing content you accidentally generated that is in violation of our PG-13 content guidelines)

:: 

(You can suffix any part of the prompt with ::0.5 to give that part a weight of 0.5 (50%). If the weight is not specified, it defaults to 1 (100%) **Adding weights to prompts can be handy for telling the Midjourney bot which elements of the prompt are important to you or what you don’t want to see in an image. This allows you to fine tune your Midjourney prompts and achieve images which are more closely aligned to what you have in mind.)

--tile

(You can now add --tile after your prompts to generate seamless textures (this means the images repeat if you use them as tiles))

Want a way to make prompt crafting a little easier? 

Check out the amazing PROMPTER v2.7 spreadsheet by

Shane@thedreamingstate.com, click here to access.                                          

(+click here for Shane’s awesome NOTES), Thank You Shane.

Another great resource for inspiration and Prompt “Power Words” can be found here: 

Click here to search All Midjourney images using Lexica.

Finally, make sure you join the MJ Discord and get involved with the Prompt Craft Channel for live help and lots of examples!

Section 6: Generating Photorealistic People

If you start to work with MJ, or most AI art generators, you’ll quickly find that generating realistic people isn’t always easy: 

warps, mutations, and other off-putting features can make the uncanny valley too much to look at and actually enjoy. 

Using an image as a prompt can help, make sure to set the image weight to --iw 0.5 or greater.

Some of the “power words” from Section 4 can come in quite handy:

“Symmetrical normal hands,” “symmetrical normal eyes” -> these seem to help A LOT with making your image as realistic as possible. You can use this for ears, lips, etc.

“Cinematic lighting,” “Photorealistic,” “4K,” “Ultra HD,” “Highly Detailed” -> these keywords help provide some of the best image results when generating human faces.

No matter how hard you might try, sometimes you just won’t get a perfect face from MJ alone. 

It can be tremendously helpful to process your final MJ image using another piece of Open Source Software known as GFPGAN.

Click here to check out THISPERSONDOESNOTEXIST.com for some super helpful resources to make the most realistic faces. 

* There are a wide variety of upscaling tools available for photo restoration and facial feature restoration.

Click here to check out The GBU Guide to explore over 200+ AI Tools & Resources.

Section 7: Prompt -> Profits

(How to make money with your AI prompts & AI art. )

Many people are worried that artists/creatives will be displaced/replaced by AI generators.

While this is not necessarily happening IMMEDIATELY, it seems inevitable that the technology will continue to improve, and the output images will become better and better as well as easier for anyone to make. 

While AI won’t necessarily replace artists….artists who use AI will likely begin to replace / outpace artists who do not use AI.

One limitation you may face right now, is that many AI art generators do not provide high resolution images; without high resolution, many stock image sites will not allow you to upload your art. 

There are a variety of Upscaling Tools available to improve the resolution of your images, but that will not always guarantee your art will be accepted by a stock image marketplace. Click here to check out The GBU Guide to explore over 200+ AI Tools & Resources for Upscaling & More

Your imagination is the limit when it comes down to finding ways to sell your art.

One simple idea is to use your generated art to sell on-demand online products: t-shirts, canvas prints, phone cases, etc.

You can also sell your art online as stock images. Many marketplaces for digital art and stock images already exist. As an AI assisted artist, you can explore these sites to begin selling your creative assets:

(I have not yet tested each of these sites, I will update this article as I do)

https://www.alamy.com/become-a-contributor.aspx

https://creativemarket.com/sell

https://submit.shutterstock.com/

https://www.gettyimages.com/workwithus

https://contributor.stock.adobe.com/

https://www.redbubble.com/about/selling 

https://www.eyeem.com/sell-your-work

https://www.dreamstime.com/sell-stock-photos-images

https://motionarray.com/become-a-producer/

https://www.pond5.com/sell-stock-footage

You can sell your words in the form of Txt2Img prompts if you’re a talented prompt writer. Check out: https://promptbase.com/sell

Want help with selling digital assets online? 

Please click here to Support ExploreAi.Online by subscribing on Patreon

You can get a live consultation and learn how to integrate AI tools into your workflows to get more done in less time.

Section 8: Generators & Useful Links

Too lazy to write your own prompts? That’s ok too. Here’s a wonderful list of Txt2Img Prompt Generators you can play with:

https://promptomania.com/prompt-builder/

https://prompt.noonshot.com/midjourney

https://huggingface.co/spaces/Gustavosta/MagicPrompt-Stable-Diffusion

https://huggingface.co/spaces/doevent/prompt-generator

https://phraser.tech/

 https://blog.user.today/midjourney/ 

https://drawingprompt.com/

https://riku.ai/prompt-building-with-riku 

https://artsideoflife.com/random-art-prompt-generator/ 

https://www.kaggle.com/datasets/da9b9ba35ffbd86a5f97ccd068d3c74f5742cfe5f34f6aaf1f0f458d7694f55e 

Useful Articles & Links:

You can also find prompts by browsing images that have already been created: 

https://www.midjourney.com/app/feed/all/  (log in required)

https://estoodio.com/beginners-guide-to-writing-midjourney-prompts-with-examples/

Lexica Midjourney image search

Section 9: Banned Words & Black Hat Prompt-Craft

NO LONGER AVAILABLE

About ExploreAI.online

Using the resources available at ExploreAI.online, we can begin to extend ourselves by increasing the number of tasks we can do without thinking about them.

Let’s seek to know why things work whenever possible; let’s can explore our interests and seek to understand the things that improve lives.

Let’s learn to love to learn, and learn deeply, so that we are always capable of rebuilding by using First Principles Thinking if those things that improve our lives should fade from their current form.

Subscribe now

Contact:

Please feel free to ask me anything, just click the button below..

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