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In 1972, shortly after earning his Ph.D. in molecular genetics from the Pasteur Institute in France, Matthieu Ricard left his life in academia for the Himalayas, to study Tibetan Buddhism. His studies would eventually lead him to become the French interpreter and a confidant to the Dalai Lama, and to author books on meditation and compassion. Ricard also has the interesting distinction of having been declared "happiest person in the world" by popular media, due to the results of his participation in a study on the effects of long-term meditation.
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There isn’t much that you can’t find out via Google, but can you really find the secret of "happiness?

Stress and dissatisfaction are common issues in the workplace; in fact, across the world the insidious march of depression’s "black dog" is claiming more and more victims. Statistically, depression in the global population does seem to be more wide-spread than it was a century ago, although the reason for this could be because the world’s population has increased and also because the condition is more likely to be recognised by medical professionals today. Our ancestors undoubtedly suffered from depressive episodes, though were often diagnosed as lunatics and committed to asylums.
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We are counting down the week to Halloween here at Unknown Country! Whatever your personal beliefs about this archaic and arcane tradition, this is a good time to examine the shadow-sides of our personality and the importance of recognising the purpose of the dark side in each and every one of us.

The term “shadow” was first used by the psychologist Carl G. Jung to describe the denied or repressed aspects of the self. We are conditioned to believe that we should exist only in Light, but without the darkness light would not be thrown into focus. Life is an endless struggle to bring light and dark into balance, to learn from this battle and in the process grow and expand our consciousness.
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TheThanksgiving holiday is a time to reflect upon all of the good things in our lives, and to give thanks for them. Some would argue, however, that our world would be a much better place if ‘thanksgiving’ became a daily practice rather than a once yearly pursuit, and it appears that science has now found proof to substantiate this viewpoint.

Recent studies indicate that experiencing genuine gratitude can have an extremely positive effect on every aspect of our lives, from our health and well being to our relationships and careers. Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D., at the University of California at Davis has been researching the effects of gratitude for some time and has conducted numerous studies on the subject.
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