title: Naval Strike Missile

text: Like its Penguin predecessor, NSM is able to fly over and around landmasses, travel in sea skim mode, and then make random manoeuvres in the terminal phase, making it harder to stop by enemy countermeasures. While the Penguin is a yaw-to-turn missile, NSM is based on bank-to-turn flight (see Yaw (flight) and flight control). In 2016, it was confirmed by the Royal Norwegian Navy that NSM also can attack land targets.


title: Naval Strike Missile

text: The target selection technology provides NSM with a capacity for independent detection, recognition, and discrimination of targets at sea or on the coast. This is possible by the combination of an imaging infrared (IIR) seeker and an onboard target database. NSM is able to navigate by GPS, inertial and terrain reference systems.


title: Naval Strike Missile

text: After being launched into the air by a solid rocket booster which is jettisoned upon burning out, the missile is propelled to its target in high subsonic speed by a turbojet sustainer engine—leaving the 125 kg multi-purpose blast/fragmentation warhead to do its work, which in case of a ship target means impacting the ship at or near the water line.


title: Naval Strike Missile

text: An NSM coastal battery consists of three missile launch vehicles, one battery command vehicle, three combat command vehicles, one mobile communication center, one mobile radar vehicle with TRS-15C radar, one transport and loading vehicle, and one mobile workshop vehicle. Each MLV carries 4 missiles and can be connected to the CCV by optical fiber or radio up to away; up to 6 launchers with 24 missiles can be netted together at once. When installed on ships, NSMs can be deck-mounted in packs of one, two, three, four, or six launchers. Total installation weight, including electronics and cabling, is for 4 launchers, for 8 launchers, and for 12 launchers.


title: Dendrocnide moroides

text: Dendrocnide moroides, commonly known in Australia as the stinging tree, stinging bush, Queensland Stinger or gympie-gympie, is a plant in the nettle family Urticaceae found in rainforest areas of Malaysia and Australia. It is notorious for its extremely painful and long-lasting sting. The common name gympie-gympie comes from the language of the Indigenous Gubbi Gubbi people of south-eastern Queensland.


title: Dendrocnide moroides

text: "D. moroides" is a straggly perennial understory shrub, usually flowering and fruiting when less than tall, but it may reach up to in height. It is superficially similar to "Dendrocnide cordifolia", with the most obvious difference being the point of attachment of the petiole to the leaf blade—where "D. moroides" is peltate, i.e. the stalk attaches to the underside of the leaf and not at the edge, "D. cordifolia" is cordate. The stem, branches, petioles, leaves, and fruits are all covered in stinging hairs.


title: Dendrocnide moroides

text: It has large, heart-shaped, simple leaves about long and wide with toothed margins, a pointed tip and a cordate to obtuse base shape. There are six to eight pairs of lateral veins either side of the midrib. The petiole is quite long, about as long as the leaf blade itself, with stipules around long.


title: Dendrocnide moroides

text: The inflorescence is monoecious (rarely dioecious), and is borne in the leaf axils. It is up to long, often paired. It carries both male and female flowers which are quite small, the perianth measuring less than across. Flowering occurs throughout the year, but mostly in summer.


title: Dendrocnide moroides

text: Fruits of this species are an achene (a tiny seed-like fruit), produced in number in a globular structure which is pink to light-purple in colour and has an appearance similar to a mulberry. Each achene, measuring just long, is contained in a small fleshy sac which derives from the swollen pedicel. As with the rest of this plant, the infructescences are also covered in stinging hairs, but are edible if the hairs are removed.


title: Dendrocnide moroides

text: The type specimen for this species was collected in 1819 by Allan Cunningham near the Endeavour River, and was first described in 1857 by Hugh Algernon Weddell as "Laportea moroides" in his work "Monographie de la Famille des Urticées", published in the journal "Archives du Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle". The current binomial combination was published by Wee-Lek Chew in "The Gardens' Bulletin Singapore" in 1966.


title: Dendrocnide moroides

text: The genus name "Dendrocnide" has been constructed on the Ancient Greek "δένδρον" (déndron), meaning "tree", and "κνίδος" (knídos), meaning "stinging needle". The species epithet "moroides" is created from the genus name for mulberries "Morus", combined with the Latin suffix "-oides", meaning "resembling", referring to the mulberry-like infructescence. The binomial name may be translated as "mulberry-like stinging tree".


title: Dendrocnide moroides

text: The species occurs in and near rainforest, from Cape York Peninsula south to northern New South Wales in Australia and also occurs in the Moluccas and Indonesia. It is an early coloniser in rainforest gaps, such as alongside water courses and roads, around tree falls, and in man-made clearings. The seeds germinate in full sunlight after soil disturbance. Although common in Queensland, it is rare in the southernmost part of its range and is listed as an endangered species in New South Wales.


title: Dendrocnide moroides

text: "Dendrocnide moroides" serves as the host plant for larvae of the white nymph butterfly. A variety of insects feed on the leaves, among them the nocturnal beetle "Prasyptera mastersi" and the moth "Prorodes mimica", as well as the herbivorous Red-legged pademelon, which is unique among mammals in being apparently immune to the plant's neurotoxins. Fruits are eaten by various birds that distribute the seeds in their droppings.


title: Dendrocnide moroides

text: "D. moroides" is notorious for its extremely painful sting which may leave victims suffering for weeks or even months. Researchers at the University of Queensland recently discovered that the plant produces a neurotoxin similar to that of a spider or cone snail. It is reputed to be the most poisonous plant in Australia, if not the world. After contact with the plant the victim will feel an immediate severe burning and stinging at the site of contact, which then intensifies further over the next 20 to 30 minutes and will last from hours to several days before subsiding. During this time the victim may get little sleep because of the intensity of the pain. In severe cases it may cause urticaria, and the lymph glands under the arms may swell and become painful, and there have been rare cases of hospitalisation.


title: Dendrocnide moroides

text: Very fine, brittle hairs (called trichomes) loaded with toxins cover the entire plant; even the slightest touch will embed them in the skin. Electron micrograph images show that they are similar to a hypodermic needle in being very sharp-pointed and hollow. Additionally, it has been shown that there is a structurally weak point near the tip of the hair, which acts as a pre-set fracture line. When it enters the skin the hair fractures at this point, allowing the contents of the trichome to be injected into the victim's tissues.


title: Dendrocnide moroides

text: The trichomes stay in the skin for up to a year, and release the toxin cocktail into the body during triggering events such as touching the affected area, contact with water, or temperature changes. Ernie Rider, a conservation officer with the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, was slapped in the face and torso with the foliage in 1963, and said:


title: Dendrocnide moroides

text: For two or three days the pain was almost unbearable; I couldn't work or sleep... I remember it feeling like there were giant hands trying to squash my chest... then it was pretty bad pain for another fortnight or so. The stinging persisted for two years and recurred every time I had a cold shower...There's nothing to rival it; it's ten times worse than anything else.


title: Dendrocnide moroides

text: Physical contact with "Dendrocnide moroides" is not the only way that it can cause harm to a person—the trichomes are constantly being shed from the plant and may be suspended in the air within its vicinity. They can then be inhaled, which may lead to respiratory complications if a person spends time in close proximity to the plant. The Australian entomologist and ecologist Marina Hurley wrote her doctorate studying two "Dendrocnide" species of the Atherton Tablelands, west of Cairns, namely "Dendrocnide moroides" and "Dendrocnide cordifolia", and was exposed to the airborne hairs over a long period of time. She suffered sneezing fits, watery eyes and nose, and eventually developed an allergy that required medical attention. W.V. MacFarlane, who was a Professorial Fellow in Physiology at the John Curtin School of Medical Research at the Australian National University, observed the effects of inhaling the trichomes, and he reported:


title: Dendrocnide moroides

text: The plucking of hairs from the leaves invariably produces sneezing in the operator within 10 or 15 minutes. During early attempts to separate stinging hairs from dried leaves, dust and presumably some hairs were inhaled. Initially they produced sneezing, but within three hours there was diffuse nasopharyngeal pain, and after 26 hours a sensation of an acute sore throat like tonsillitis was experienced.


title: Dendrocnide moroides

text: The cause of the intense pain has been the subject of scientific research since European explorers first encountered the plant in the mid-19th century. While it is known that a cocktail of toxins is contained within the trichomes, its exact nature was not fully understood . It is known that the active constituents are very stable, since dead leaves found on the forest floor and even decades-old laboratory specimens can still inflict the sting.


title: Dendrocnide moroides

text: Early studies suggested that a variety of compounds, such as histamine, acetylcholine, 5-hydroxytryptamine and formic acid, could be responsible; however none of these has been proven to produce a similar intensity or duration of pain to those exhibited by the sting from the plant. Around 1970 a new compound was identified and given the name moroidin. It was for a time thought possibly to be the causative agent; however later research showed that it did not cause the same effects as a sting from the plant.


title: Dendrocnide moroides

text: In 2020 a previously unknown family of disulfide-rich peptides was identified by a group of researchers and given the name gympietides. These compounds were shown to produce significant pain responses in laboratory tests. Moreover, their complex structure resembling the inhibitor cystine knot made them highly stable, explaining how the sting lasts for such a long time.


title: Dendrocnide moroides

text: There has been anecdotal evidence of some plants having no sting but still possessing the hairs, suggesting a chemical change to the toxin.


title: Dendrocnide moroides

text: A commonly recommended first-aid treatment is to use depilatory wax or sticky tape to remove the hairs. The Kuku Yalanji people of Mossman Gorge used a method that was essentially similar, making a juice from the fruits or roots of the plant and applying it to the affected area, before scraping it off with a mussel shell once it had become sticky. Mechanical removal is not always successful however, as the hairs are so tiny that the skin will often close over them, making removal impossible.


title: Dendrocnide moroides

text: Various other treatments, mostly ineffectual, have been tried over time. They include bathing the affected area in hot water, applying papaya ointment, xylocaine or lignocaine cream, and even swabbing with dilute hydrochloric acid. All of these have, at best, temporary effect.


title: Dendrocnide moroides

text: Anecdotes of encounters with Gympie-gympie are numerous, and many can be dismissed as yarns, such as one which involves using the leaves as toilet paper (the user would have been stung when they first picked up the leaf, and unlikely to have proceeded to use it in the intended manner). Nevertheless, some have been documented, such as horses having to be rested after being stung, or even becoming violent and having to be shot. Only one report of a human fatality attributed to any "Dendrocnide" species (in this case "D. cordata") is confirmed, which occurred in New Guinea in 1922.


title: Alice Krige

text: Alice Maud Krige (; born 28 June 1954) is a South African actress and producer. Her first feature film role was in "Chariots of Fire" (1981) as the Gilbert and Sullivan singer Sybil Gordon. She played the dual role of Eva Galli/Alma Mobley in "Ghost Story" (1981) and the Borg Queen in "" (1996).


title: Alice Krige

text: Krige was born in Upington, Cape Province (now Northern Cape), South Africa, the daughter of Patricia, a professor of psychology, and Louis Krige, a physician. The Kriges later moved to Port Elizabeth, where Alice grew up in what she has described as a "very happy family", with two brothers, one of whom became a physician and the other a Professor of Surgery.


title: Alice Krige

text: Krige attended Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa with plans to become a clinical psychologist. She turned to acting after taking an acting class at Rhodes, then completed a Bachelor of Arts degree and a BA Hons degree in drama, with distinction. She went on to London to attend the Central School of Speech and Drama.


title: Alice Krige

text: Krige made her professional debut on British television in 1979, and appeared as Lucie Manette in the television movie "A Tale of Two Cities". She went on to play Sybil Gordon in "Chariots of Fire" and Eva Galli/Alma Mobley in "Ghost Story", both in 1981. She earned a Plays and Players Award, as well as a Laurence Olivier Award for Most Promising Newcomer, after appearing in a 1981 West End theatre production of George Bernard Shaw's "Arms and the Man".


title: Alice Krige

text: She then joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, playing Cordelia in "King Lear" and in Edward Bond's "Lear", Miranda in "The Tempest", Bianca in The "Taming of the Shrew", and Roxanne in "Cyrano de Bergerac". She also appeared in plays such as Thomas Otway's "Venice Preserv'd" at the Almeida Theatre in London and "Toyer" at the Arts Theatre in the West End.


title: Alice Krige

text: Krige played Bathsheba in "King David" (1985) and Mary Shelley in "Haunted Summer" (1988), and has appeared in such horror films as "Ghost Story", "Sleepwalkers", "Silent Hill" and "Gretel & Hansel".


title: Alice Krige

text: In "", Krige played the Borg Queen, who attempts to assimilate Earth into the Borg collective. She won Best Supporting Actress at the 1997 Saturn Awards for that role. She returned to this character in the Star Trek game "" and in the "" series finale "" in 2001. In 2021, she reprised her role as the Borg Queen in voice only for the animated series "". Her science fiction career has expanded into television, with prominent roles in miniseries adaptations of "Dinotopia" and "Frank Herbert's Children of Dune". She worked with the Brothers Quay in "The Institute Benjamenta, or This Dream That People Call Life" and with Guy Maddin in "Twilight of the Ice Nymphs".


title: Alice Krige

text: Krige starred in a number of made-for-television movies and miniseries. She appeared in the television movies "Baja Oklahoma" (1988) and "Ladykiller" (1992) and the miniseries "Ellis Island" (1984) and "Scarlet and Black" (1993). She played Natalie Wood's mother in "The Mystery of Natalie Wood" (2004), and starred as Joan Collins in "". She had recurring roles on "Deadwood", and guest starred on "Six Feet Under", "", "The 4400" and "Dirty Sexy Money".


title: Alice Krige

text: In 2008, she had a leading role as Sannie Laing, Sandra's mother, in "Skin", the biopic about Sandra Laing. The film explores the issues of the girl being classified as "Coloured" by the South African authorities during Apartheid, although her parents were white. In 2011, Krige appeared in the BBC's final season of "Spooks", playing Russian double agent Elena Gavrik. Krige also featured in the final season of the BBC drama "Waking the Dead", in 2011. In recent years, Krige appeared in films "Solomon Kane", "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" and "". She played the role of Amira in the first and second series of "Tyrant" for F/X, and has recently worked for the BBC on the series "The Syndicate" and "Partners in Crime". In 2016, she appeared on the Netflix mystery series "The OA".


title: Alice Krige

text: In 2012, Krige produced the award-winning feature "Jail Caesar", an exploration of the little known adolescence of Julius Caesar, filmed in three working prisons with several hundred serving prisoners and an assemble of actors including Derek Jacobi and John Kani. "Jail Caesar" was written and directed by Paul Schoolman.


title: Alice Krige

text: In 2015, Krige received the Special Jury Award at the International Film Festival for Peace, Inspiration and Equality in Jakarta, along with Andy Garcia and Jimmy Carter for her performance in the film "Shingetsu", in which she plays a war-traumatised surgeon of Doctors Without Borders, opposite Gunter Singer.


title: A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

text: Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami (; 1 September 1896 – 14 November 1977) was an Indian Gaudiya Vaishnava guru who founded ISKCON, commonly known as the "Hare Krishna movement". Members of ISKCON view Bhaktivedanta Swami as a representative and messenger of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.


title: A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

text: Born in Calcutta (now Kolkata) in a Suvarna Banik family, he was educated at the Scottish Church College. While working at a small pharmaceutical business, he met and became a follower of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. In 1959, after his retirement, he left his family to become a "sannyasi" and started writing commentaries on Vaishnava scriptures. As a travelling Vaishnava monk, he became an influential communicator of Gaudiya Vaishnavite theology across India and the Western world through his leadership of ISKCON, founded in 1966. He was well regarded by a number of American religious scholars but was criticised by anti-cult groups.


title: A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

text: He has been described by his followers as a charismatic leader, who was successful in acquiring followers in many Western countries and India. After his death in 1977, ISKCON, the society he founded based on a form of Hindu Krishna Bhakti using the "Bhagavata Purana" as a central scripture, continued to grow.


title: A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

text: Prabhupada was born Abhay Charan on 1 September 1896 in Calcutta. He was also called Nandulāl. His parents, Gour Mohan De and Rajani De, were devout Vaishnavas and resided in Calcutta.


title: A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

text: Abhay Charan studied at the Scottish Church College. He is said to have refused his degree in response to Gandhi's calls to challenge British rule. In 1919, at the age of 22, he was married to Radharani Devi, who was then 11 years old, in a marriage arranged by their parents. At 14, Radharani Devi gave birth to their first son.


title: A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

text: In 1922, he met his spiritual master, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, in Prayagraj. He was asked to spread the message of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the English language. In 1933 he became a formally initiated disciple of Bhaktisiddhānta. In 1944, he started the publication called "Back to Godhead", for which he was writer, designer, publisher, editor, copy editor and distributor.


title: A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

text: In 1947, the Gaudiya Vaishnava Society gave him the title "Bhaktivedanta", ('). He became known by the honorific '.


title: A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

text: From 1950 onwards, he lived at the medieval Radha-Damodar mandir in the holy town of Vrindavan, where he began his commentary and translation work of the Sanskrit work Bhagavata Purana. His guru, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, had always encouraged him to publish books referring to the need for the literary presentation of the Vaishnava culture.


title: A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

text: Prabhupada also lived at Gaudiya Matha at Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, where he wrote and edited the "" magazine. While there he donated the statue of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu which stands on the altar beside those of Radha Krishna (named "Śrī Śrī Rādhā Vinodavihārījī"). In September 1959, he was initiated as a "sannyasi" by his friend Bhakti Prajnana Keshava and was given the title of "Swami". He published the first book of "Bhagavata Purana".


title: A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

text: Prabhupada was the first Hindu preacher to take advantage of the removal of national quotas by the 1965 Immigration Act of the United States. In July 1966, he founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in New York City. He defended the name, arguing that "Krishna" included all other forms and concepts of God. In 1967, a centre was started in San Francisco. He travelled throughout America with his disciples, popularising the movement through street chanting ("sankirtana"), book distribution and public speeches. George Harrison of The Beatles produced a recording with some of the devotees in London and helped establish the Radha Krisna Temple in that city.


title: A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

text: Over the following years, his role as preacher and leader of the Krishna consciousness movement took him around the world several times setting up temples and communities in other countries. By the time of his death in Vrindavan in 1977, ISKCON had become an internationally known expression of Vaishnavism.


title: A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

text: Through his mission, he followed and preached the teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and introduced bhakti yoga to an international audience. Within Gaudiya Vaishnavism this was viewed as the fulfilment of a long time mission to introduce Caitanya Mahaprabhu's teachings to the world.


title: A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

text: Beginning his public preaching mission in India, he founded the League of Devotees in Jhansi in 1953. On his return to India in 1971, he oversaw the construction of temples in Mumbai, Mayapur and Vrindavan. He started a chain of ISKCON schools.


title: A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

text: Bhaktivedanta Swami died on 14 November 1977 at the age of 81, in Vrindavan, India. His body was buried in Krishna Balaram Mandir in Vrindavan.


title: A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

text: Other typical expressions present a different perspective, where he pointed out that "today I may be a Hindu, but tomorrow I may become a Christian or Muslim. In this way faiths can be changed, but dharma is a natural sequence, a natural occupation or a connection and it can not be changed, because it is permanent, according to him". While the ISKCON theology of personal god is close to Christian theology, both personal and monotheistic, being a preacher of bhakti and a missionary he sometimes would add that "already many Christians have tasted the nectar of divine love of the holy name and are dancing with "karatalas" (hand-cymbals) and "mridangas" (drums)".


title: A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

text: His approach to modern knowledge was similar to that of sectarian Orthodox Judaism, where the skills and technical knowledge of modernity are encouraged, but the values rejected. "Whatever our engagement is, by offering the result to Krishna we become Krishna conscious". Similar to many traditional religions, he considered sexuality and spirituality as conflicting opposites.


title: A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

text: A number of "samadhis" or shrines to Bhaktivedanta Swami were constructed by the members of ISKCON, with those in Mayapur and Vrindavan in India being notable. Prabhupada's Palace of Gold, built by the New Vrindavan community in 1979, was intended to be a residence for Bhaktivedanta Swami, but has now developed into a tourist attraction.


title: A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

text: In 1996 the Government of India issued a commemorative stamp and in 2021, a Rs 125 commemorative coin in his honour.


title: A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

text: Bhaktivedanta Swami's books are considered to be among his most significant contributions. During the final twelve years of his life, Bhaktivedanta Swami translated over sixty volumes of classic Hindu scriptures (e.g. "Bhagavad Gita, Chaitanya Charitamrita" and "Srimad Bhagavatam") into the English language. His "Bhagavad-gītā As It Is" was published by Macmillan Publishers in 1968 with an unabridged edition in 1972. It is now available in over sixty languages around the world with some of his other books available in over eighty different languages.


title: A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

text: In February 2014, ISKCON's news agency reported reaching a milestone of distributing over half a billion books authored by Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada since 1965.


title: Kurt Sutter

text: Kurt Leon Sutter (born May 5, 1960) is an American screenwriter, director, producer, and actor. He worked as a producer, writer, and director on "The Shield," and appeared on the show as hitman Margos Dezerian. Sutter is also the creator of "Sons of Anarchy" and its spinoff "Mayans M.C." on FX; he wrote, produced, and directed the series, as well as played incarcerated club member Otto Delaney. Sutter spent time with members of an outlaw motorcycle club in Northern California as research for "Sons of Anarchy". Sutter's wife, actress Katey Sagal, played main character Gemma Teller.


title: Kurt Sutter

text: Sutter was born in Rahway, New Jersey. His father worked at the General Motors plant in Linden, New Jersey and his mother was a secretary for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. He has two older sisters. He grew up in the township of Clark, New Jersey and graduated from Roselle Catholic High School in 1982.


title: Kurt Sutter

text: Sutter attended Livingston College for the journalism department of Rutgers University—which was located there—eventually graduating from Rutgers University with a BA in mass media with a minor in English in 1986. He moved to New York City and studied Meisner technique, did theater, and taught at the Gately/Poole Conservatory. Sutter then attended Northern Illinois University for three years, starting in 1997, to obtain his M.F.A. in performance and directing.


title: Kurt Sutter

text: Sutter was hired as a staff writer for the first season of FX crime drama "The Shield" in 2002. He made his television acting debut with the episode "Blowback", in which he appeared as Armenian mob hitman Margos Dezerian. He co-wrote the episodes "Dragonchasers" and "Two Days of Blood" with fellow staff writer Scott Rosenbaum, and was promoted to story editor for the second season in 2003. He wrote the episodes "Scar Tissue" and "Dead Soldiers" and in 2004, joined the production team in the junior role of co-producer for the third season. He continued to write episodes and scripted "Playing Tight" and "Mum" with series creator and executive producer Shawn Ryan, "Slipknot" solo, and "Fire in the Hole" with consulting producer Charles H. Eglee. He reprised his role as Dezerian in the season's final episodes "All In" and "On Tilt".


title: Kurt Sutter

text: He was promoted to supervising producer for the fourth season in 2005. He wrote the episode "Grave" solo, co-wrote the story for the episode "Judas Priest" with Eglee and co-wrote the teleplay with Rosenbaum. He co-wrote the story for the season finale "Ain't That a Shame" with Ryan; Ryan co-wrote the teleplay for the episode with co-executive producer Glen Mazzara. Sutter became a co-executive producer for the fifth season in 2006. He wrote the episode "Extraction", co-wrote the episode "Trophy" with Renee Palya and Tony Soltis, and co-wrote the season's penultimate episode "Fire in the Hole" with Eglee.


title: Kurt Sutter

text: He became an executive producer for the sixth season in 2007, directed a promotional mini-episode for the sixth season entitled "Wins and Losses," and wrote the sixth-season premiere "On the Jones". He co-wrote the episode "Exiled" with Rosenbaum, also now an executive producer.


title: Kurt Sutter

text: Sutter returned as an executive producer and writer for the seventh and final season in 2008. He wrote the premiere "Coefficient of Drag" and co-wrote the episode "Parricide" with Gary Lennon. At the close of the season he was the series' second most prolific writer (after Ryan), having written or co-written 18 episodes in total.


title: Kurt Sutter

text: Also in 2008, Sutter created and executive produced a new series for FX entitled "Sons of Anarchy". The show centers on the titular motorcycle club in a fictitious town called Charming in California. He was the series head writer and showrunner. Along with the pilot episode he wrote the episodes "Seeds", "Fun Town", "Capybara", "The Sleep of Babies", and the season finale "The Revelator". He would go on to write 61 of the show's 92 episodes. Sutter appears in the show as incarcerated club member Otto Delaney, and he cast his wife Katey Sagal in the starring role as the club's matriarch Gemma Teller Morrow. Sutter also hired several crew members whom he had worked with on "The Shield", including unit production manager and producer Kevin G. Cremin, post-production supervisor and producer Craig Yahata, and directors Guy Ferland, Stephen Kay, Gwyneth Horder-Payton, Paris Barclay, Terrence O'Hara, and Billy Gierhart. The first season also featured "The Shield" star Jay Karnes as a recurring special guest star playing ATF Agent Joshua Kohn. This is a trend that continued in later seasons with the majority of the main cast of "The Shield" appearing in later episodes in a variety of different roles.


title: Kurt Sutter

text: Sutter remained showrunner and executive producer for the series' second season in 2009. He wrote the season premiere "Albification", co-wrote the episode "Eureka" with Brett Conrad, co-wrote the episode "Gilead" with co-producer Chris Collins, co-wrote the episode "Potlatch" with Misha Green, co-wrote the teleplay for the episode "Service" with co-executive producer Jack LoGiudice from a story by Brady Dahl and Cory Udica, co-wrote the episode "The Culling" with consulting producer Dave Erickson, and wrote and directed the season finale "Na Trioblóidí". The second season featured "The Shield" star Kenny Johnson as a special guest star playing a club member named Kozik.


title: Kurt Sutter

text: Sutter returned as showrunner and executive producer for the third season in 2010. He wrote the season premiere "SO", co-wrote the episode "Oiled" with Erickson, now a co-executive producer, co-wrote the episode "Home" with Liz Sagal, series' star Katey Sagal's sister and his sister-in-law. He co-wrote the episode "Widening Gyre" with co-producer Regina Corrado and the episode "Lochan Mor" with Erickson and Liz Sagal. He wrote the story for the episode "Turas"; the teleplay was co-written by Collins (now a producer) and Dahl. He co-wrote the episode "Firinne" with Vaunn Wilmott and the episode "Bainne" with Corrado and Erickson. He wrote the story for the episode "June Wedding"; Collins wrote the teleplay. He reprised the role of Otto in the season finale, titled "NS", which he also directed and co-wrote with Erickson. Johnson returned as Kozik in the third season. He would go on to produce seven seasons of Sons. The show concluded airing in December 2014.


title: Kurt Sutter

text: In 2010, DreamWorks picked up Sutter's film script, "Southpaw", and Eminem was eyed for the lead role. The film was dropped by DreamWorks in 2011, and was later picked up by MGM and Columbia Pictures. Antoine Fuqua directed the film, and Jake Gyllenhaal replaced Eminem in the lead. Rachel McAdams, Rita Ora, 50 Cent, and Forest Whitaker also appeared in the film. "Southpaw" was released on July 24, 2015, by The Weinstein Company.


title: Kurt Sutter

text: In 2014, it was announced Sutter had begun developing "The Bastard Executioner", a new series for FX, The series was ordered to pilot on December 12, 2014. Katey Sagal, Lee Jones, and Stephen Moyer signed on to join the cast of the pilot. On May 22, 2015, the pilot was ordered to series with a 10-episode launch to premiere on September 15, 2015, on FX. The series was cancelled after one season. He went on to create the "Sons of Anarchy" spinoff "Mayans M.C." In October 2019, Sutter was fired from FX after multiple complaints were lodged against him about his "abrasive" and "unprofessional" behavior. Sutter appeared in the 2021 science fiction film "Chaos Walking", his first feature film acting role.


title: Kurt Sutter

text: Sutter is currently developing a 6-issue comic book miniseries with Boom! Studios entitled "Lucas Stand". The first issue was released on June 1, 2016. He also worked a comic book called "Sisters of Sorrow", the book was launched at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con.


title: Kurt Sutter

text: In May 2021, it was announced that Sutter would direct a horror film entitled "This Beast", for Netflix.


title: Kurt Sutter

text: In November 2021, it was announced that Sutter would create a western series entitled "The Abandons", for Netflix.


title: Kurt Sutter

text: Sutter has stated he's had multiple influences in his writing style, including William Shakespeare, specifically his play "Hamlet". He based the characters of "Sons of Anarchy" on "Hamlet". Other cultural influences include "Mad Magazine", Hanna-Barbera cartoons, and the television show "Hill Street Blues", among others.


title: Kurt Sutter

text: Sutter moved to Los Angeles, California in 2000. Sutter married actress Katey Sagal in a private ceremony on October 2, 2004, at their home in Los Feliz, California. Their first child, daughter Esme Louise, was born January 10, 2007. Esme was carried by a surrogate mother.


title: Joel Rifkin

text: Joel David Rifkin (born January 20, 1959) is an American serial killer, who was sentenced to 203 years in prison for the murders of nine women between 1989 and 1993, though it is believed he had up to 17 victims.


title: Joel Rifkin

text: Rifkin's birth parents were both young college students and his biological father was an Army veteran. On February 14, 1959, when he was three weeks old, Rifkin was adopted by an upper-middle class couple living on Long Island.


title: Joel Rifkin

text: Rifkin performed poorly in school due to learning disabilities, and was unpopular with classmates due to his poor social skills. He graduated from East Meadow High School in 1977, then attended classes at Nassau Community College, the State University of New York at Brockport, and the State University of New York at Farmingdale, but left before earning a degree. After leaving college, Rifkin became self-employed as a landscaper.


title: Joel Rifkin

text: On February 20, 1987, his father, Bernard, committed suicide, overdosing after having suffered from prostate cancer for several months.


title: Joel Rifkin

text: On August 22, 1987, Rifkin was arrested during a sex worker sting in Hempstead, New York, after offering an undercover female police officer money for sex.


title: Joel Rifkin

text: Rifkin committed his first murder on February 20, 1989, killing Heidi Balch in his home in East Meadow. He then dismembered her body, removing her teeth and fingertips, putting her head in a paint can which he left in the woods on a golf course in Hopewell, New Jersey, disposing of her legs further north, and dumping her remaining torso and arms into the East River around New York City. On March 5, 1989, Balch's severed head was discovered on the seventh hole of the golf course. On April 8, 1989, Balch's legs were found in Pequonnock Creek near Jefferson Township, New Jersey. Her remains were not identified until 2013.


title: Joel Rifkin

text: It is assumed that Rifkin killed 16 more women during the next four years. He was implicated in Balch's murder after his arrest in 1993. Investigators determined in 2013 that Balch and the woman he described as his first victim were the same person.


title: Joel Rifkin

text: Rifkin picked up Tiffany Bresciani, a sex worker who was working on Allen Street in Manhattan, on June 24, 1993. Tiffany was with her boyfriend, punk rock musician Dave Rubinstein. Rifkin told Rubinstein that she was going to be returning in 20 minutes. Rubinstein called the police with a description of the 1984 Mazda pickup truck that Rifkin drove, after Tiffany failed to return.


title: Joel Rifkin

text: On June 28, 1993, state troopers patrolling Long Island's Southern State Parkway noticed the pickup truck without a license plate. After pulling Rifkin over, they found Bresciani's body under a tarpaulin.


title: Joel Rifkin

text: He was found guilty of nine counts of second-degree murder in 1994, and sentenced to 203 years up to life in prison.


title: Joel Rifkin

text: Prison officials decided in 1996 that Rifkin was so notorious that his presence in the general prison population could be disruptive. He was confined to his cell at the Attica Correctional Facility for 23 hours per day. He spent more than four years in solitary confinement, then was transferred to the Clinton Correctional Facility in Clinton County, New York. Rifkin sued, arguing that his solitary imprisonment was unconstitutional. In 2000, a state appellate court determined that prison officials had not violated his constitutional rights by housing him in isolation. Corrections officials said that Rifkin was imprisoned with more than 200 other inmates at Clinton who were not allowed into the general prison population.


title: Shallot

text: The shallot is a botanical variety (a cultivar) of the onion. Until 2010, the (French red) shallot was classified as a separate species, "Allium ascalonicum". The taxon was synonymized with "Allium cepa" (the common onion) in 2010, as the difference was too small to justify a separate species.


title: Shallot

text: As part of the onion genus "Allium", its close relatives include garlic, scallions, leeks, chives, and the Chinese onion.


title: Shallot

text: The name "shallot" comes from Ashkelon, an ancient Canaanite city, where Classical-era Greeks believed shallots originated.


title: Shallot

text: The term "shallot" is usually applied to the French red shallot (Allium cepa" var. "aggregatum, or the "A. cepa" Aggregatum Group). It is also used for the Persian shallot or "musir" ("A. stipitatum") from the Zagros Mountains in Iran and Iraq, and the French gray shallot ("Allium oschaninii") which is also known as "griselle" or "true shallot"; it grows wild from Central to Southwest Asia. The name "shallot" is also used for a scallion in New South Wales, Australia and among English-speaking people in Quebec while the term "French shallot" refers to the plant referred to on this page. In most English-speaking nations, the name is pronounced with the emphasis on the last syllable, "sha-lot", while the emphasis is commonly made on the first syllable, "shall-ət", in the United States.


title: Shallot

text: The term "eschalot", derived from the French word "échalote", can also be used to refer to the shallot.


title: Shallot

text: Like garlic, shallots are formed in clusters of offsets with a head composed of multiple cloves. The skin colour of shallots can vary from golden brown to gray to rose red, and their off-white flesh is usually tinged with green or magenta.


title: Shallot

text: Shallots are extensively cultivated for culinary uses, propagated by offsets. In some regions ("long-season areas"), the offsets are usually planted in autumn (September or October in the Northern Hemisphere). In some other regions, the suggested planting time for the principal crop is early spring (typically in February or the beginning of March in the Northern Hemisphere).


title: Shallot

text: In planting, the tops of the bulbs should be kept a little above ground, and the soil surrounding the bulbs is often drawn away when the roots have taken hold. They come to maturity in summer, although fresh shallots can now be found year-round in supermarkets. Shallots should not be planted on ground recently manured. Shallots suffer damage from leek moth larvae, which mine into the leaves or bulbs of the plant.


title: Shallot

text: Shallots are used in cooking. They may be pickled. Finely-sliced deep-fried shallots are used as a condiment in Asian cuisine, often served with porridge . As a species of "Allium", shallots taste somewhat like a common onion, but have a milder flavor. Like onions, when sliced, raw shallots release substances that irritate the human eye, resulting in production of tears.


title: Shallot

text: Fresh shallots can be stored in a cool, dry area (0 to 4 °C, 32 to 40 °F, 60 to 70% RH) for six months or longer. Chopped, dried shallots are available.


title: Shallot

text: Shallots are the traditional choice for many dishes in Sri Lankan cuisine, including pol sambola, lunu miris and many meat, fish and vegetable dishes.


title: Shallot

text: In most Indian cuisines, the distinction between onions and shallots is weak; larger varieties of shallot are sometimes confused with small red onions and used interchangeably. Indeed, most parts of India use the regional name for onion interchangeably with shallot (Maharashtra, for instance, where both are called "kanda"). The southern regions of India distinguish shallots from onions in recipes more often, especially the much loved tiny varieties (about the width of a finger); these are widely used in curries and different types of "sambar", a lentil-based dish. Shallots pickled in red vinegar are common in many Indian restaurants, served along with sauces and papad on the condiments tray. Indians also use it as a home remedy for sore throats, mixed with jaggery or sugar. In Nepal, shallots are used as one of the ingredients for making "momo".


title: Shallot

text: In Kashmir shallots are widely used in preparation of Wazwan Kashmiri cuisine, as they add distinct flavor and prevent curry from becoming black, which is common with onions.


title: Shallot

text: In Iran shallots are used in various ways, the most common being grated shallot mixed into dense yogurt, a combination served in almost every restaurant when one orders grills or kebabs. Shallots are also used to make different types of "torshi" (ترشی), a sour Iranian side dish consisting of a variety of vegetables under vinegar, eaten with main dishes in small quantities. Shallot is also pickled—called "shour" (شور) in Persian—along with other vegetables to be served as "torshi".


title: Shallot

text: In Southeast Asian cuisines, such as those of Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Brunei, both shallots and garlic are often used as elementary spices. Raw shallots can also accompany cucumbers when pickled in mild vinegar solution. They are also often chopped finely, then fried until golden brown, resulting in tiny crispy shallot chips called "bawang goreng" (fried shallots) in Indonesian, which can be bought ready-made from groceries and supermarkets. Shallots enhance the flavor of many Southeast Asian dishes, such as fried rice variants. Crispy shallot chips are also used in southern Chinese cuisine. In Indonesia, shallots are sometimes made into pickles that are added to several traditional foods; the pickles' sourness is thought to increase the appetite. In the southern Philippines, shallot bulbs and leaves are used to make the popular spicy Maranao condiment called palapa, which is used in the dish Piaparan.


title: Shallot

text: The tubular green leaves of the plant can also be eaten and are very similar to the leaves of spring onions and chives.


title: Mantra

text: A mantra (Pali: "manta") or mantram (मन्त्रम्) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words in Sanskrit, Pali and other languages believed by practitioners to have religious, magical or spiritual powers. Some mantras have a syntactic structure and literal meaning, while others do not.


title: Mantra

text: The earliest mantras were composed in Vedic Sanskrit in India. At its simplest, the word ॐ (Aum, Om) serves as a mantra, it is believed to be the first sound which was originated on earth. Aum sound when produced creates a reverberation in the body which helps the body and mind to be calm. In more sophisticated forms, mantras are melodic phrases with spiritual interpretations such as a human longing for truth, reality, light, immortality, peace, love, knowledge, and action. Some mantras without literal meaning are musically uplifting and spiritually meaningful.


title: Mantra

text: The use, structure, function, importance, and types of mantras vary according to the school and philosophy of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. In Japanese Shingon tradition, the word "Shingon" means mantra.


title: Mantra

text: Mantras serve a central role in tantra. In this school, mantras are considered to be a sacred formula and a deeply personal ritual, effective only after initiation. In other schools of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism or Sikhism, initiation is not a requirement.


title: Mantra

text: Scholars consider the use of mantras to have begun before 1000 BC. By the middle Vedic period (1000 BC to 500 BC) – claims Frits Staal – mantras in Hinduism had developed into a blend of art and science.


title: Mantra

text: The Chinese translation is , the Japanese on'yomi reading of the Chinese being "shingon" (which is also used as the proper name for the Shingon sect). According to Alex Wayman and Ryujun Tajima, "Zhenyan" (or "Shingon") means "true speech", has the sense of "an exact mantra which reveals the truth of the dharmas", and is the path of mantras.


title: Mantra

text: According to Bernfried Schlerath, the concept of "sātyas mantras" is found in Indo-Iranian Yasna 31.6 and the Rigveda, where it is considered structured thought in conformity with the reality or poetic (religious) formulas associated with inherent fulfillment.


title: Mantra

text: Renou has defined mantra as a thought. Mantras are structured formulae of thoughts, claims Silburn. Farquhar concludes that mantras are a religious thought, prayer, sacred utterance, but also believed to be a spell or weapon of supernatural power. Zimmer defines mantra as a verbal instrument to produce something in one's mind. Bharati defines mantra, in the context of the Tantric school of Hinduism, to be a combination of mixed genuine and quasi-morphemes arranged in conventional patterns, based on codified esoteric traditions, passed on from a guru to a disciple through prescribed initiation.


title: Mantra

text: Jan Gonda, a widely cited scholar on Indian mantras, defines mantra as general name for the verses, formulas or sequence of words in prose which contain praise, are believed to have religious, magical or spiritual efficiency, which are meditated upon, recited, muttered or sung in a ritual, and which are collected in the methodically arranged ancient texts of Hinduism. There is no universally applicable uniform definition of mantra because mantras are used in different religions, and within each religion in different schools of philosophy. In some schools of Hinduism for example, suggests Gonda, a mantra is sakti (power) to the devotee in the form of formulated and expressed thought. Staal clarifies that mantras are not rituals, they are what is recited or chanted during a ritual.


title: Mantra

text: In Oxford Living Dictionary mantra is defined as a word or sound repeated to aid concentration in meditation. Cambridge Dictionary provides two different definitions. The first refers to Hinduism and Buddhism: a word or sound that is believed to have a special spiritual power. The second definition is more general: a word or phrase that is often repeated and expresses a particularly strong belief. For instance, a football team can choose individual words as their own "mantra."


title: Mantra

text: There is a long history of scholarly disagreement on the meaning of mantras and whether they are instruments of mind, as implied by the etymological origin of the word "mantra". One school suggests mantras are mostly meaningless sound constructs, while the other holds them to be mostly meaningful linguistic instruments of mind. Both schools agree that mantras have melody and a well designed mathematical precision in their construction and that their influence on the reciter and listener is similar to that is observed in people around the world listening to their beloved music that is devoid of words.


title: Mantra

text: Staal presents a non-linguistic view of mantras. He suggests that verse mantras are metered and harmonized to mathematical precision (for example, in the "viharanam" technique), which resonate, but a lot of them are a hodgepodge of meaningless constructs such as are found in folk music around the world. Staal cautions that there are many mantras that can be translated and do have spiritual meaning and philosophical themes central to Hinduism, but that does not mean all mantras have a literal meaning. He further notes that even when mantras do not have a literal meaning, they do set a tone and ambiance in the ritual as they are recited, and thus have a straightforward and uncontroversial ritualistic meaning. The sounds may lack literal meaning, but they can have an effect. He compares mantras to bird songs, that have the power to communicate, yet do not have a literal meaning. On that "saman" category of Hindu mantras, which Staal described as resembling the arias of Bach's oratorios and other European classics, he notes that these mantras have musical structure, but they almost always are completely different from anything in the syntax of natural languages. Mantras are literally meaningless, yet musically meaningful to Staal. The "saman" chant mantras were transmitted from one Hindu generation to next verbally for over 1000 years but never written, a feat, suggests Staal, that was made possible by the strict mathematical principles used in constructing the mantras. These "saman" chant mantras are also mostly meaningless, cannot be literally translated as Sanskrit or any Indian language, but nevertheless are beautiful in their resonant themes, variations, inversions, and distribution. They draw the devotee in. Staal is not the first person to view Hindu mantras in this manner. The ancient Hindu Vedic ritualist Kautsa was one of the earliest scholars to note that mantras are meaningless; their function is phonetic and syntactic, not semantic.


title: Mantra

text: Harvey Alper and others present mantras from the linguistic point view. They admit Staal's observation that many mantras do contain bits and pieces of meaningless jargon, but they question what language or text doesn't. The presence of an abracadabra bit does not necessarily imply the entire work is meaningless. Alper lists numerous mantras that have philosophical themes, moral principles, a call to virtuous life, and even mundane petitions. He suggests that from a set of millions of mantras, the devotee chooses some mantras voluntarily, thus expressing that speaker's intention, and the audience for that mantra is that speaker's chosen spiritual entity. Mantras deploy the language of spiritual expression, they are religious instruments, and that is what matters to the devotee. A mantra creates a feeling in the practicing person. It has an emotive numinous effect, it mesmerizes, it defies expression, and it creates sensations that are by definition private and at the heart of all religions and spiritual phenomena.


title: Mantra

text: According to Indologist Frits Staal, during the early Vedic period, Vedic poets became fascinated by the inspirational power of poems, metered verses, and music. They referred to them with the root "dhi-", which evolved into the "dhyana" (meditation) of Hinduism, and the language used to start and assist this process manifested as a mantra. By the middle vedic period (1000 BC to 500 BC), mantras were derived from all vedic compositions. They included "ṛc" (verses from Rigveda for example), "sāman" (musical chants from the Sāmaveda for example), "yajus" (a muttered formula from the yajurveda for example), and "nigada" (a loudly spoken yajus). During the Hindu Epics period and after, mantras multiplied in many ways and diversified to meet the needs and passions of various schools of Hinduism. In the "Linga Purana," Mantra is listed as one of the 1,008 names of Lord Shiva.


title: Mantra

text: Numerous ancient mantras are found in the Saṃhitā portion of the Vedas. The Saṃhitās are the most ancient layer of the Vedas, and contain numerous mantras, hymns, prayers, and litanies. The Rigveda Samhita contains about 10552 Mantras, classified into ten books called Mandalas. A Sukta is a group of Mantras. Mantras come in many forms, including "ṛc" (verses from the Rigveda for example) and "sāman" (musical chants from the Sāmaveda for example).


title: Mantra

text: According to Hindu tradition, the Vedas are sacred scriptures which were revealed (and not composed) by the seers (Rishis). According to the ancient commentator and linguist, Yaska, these ancient sacred revelations were then passed down through an oral tradition and are considered to be the foundation for the Hindu tradition.


title: Mantra

text: Mantras took a center stage in Tantric traditions, which made extensive ritual and meditative use of mantras, and posited that each mantra is a deity in sonic form.


title: Mantra

text: One function of mantras is to solemnize and ratify rituals. Each mantra, in Vedic rituals, is coupled with an act. According to "Apastamba Srauta Sutra", each ritual act is accompanied by one mantra, unless the "Sutra" explicitly marks that one act corresponds to several mantras. According to Gonda, and others, there is a connection and rationale between a Vedic mantra and each Vedic ritual act that accompanies it. In these cases, the function of mantras was to be an instrument of ritual efficacy for the priest, and a tool of instruction for a ritual act for others.


title: Mantra

text: Over time, as the Puranas and Epics were composed, the concepts of worship, virtues and spirituality evolved in Hinduism and new schools of Hinduism were founded, each continuing to develop and refine its own mantras. In Hinduism, suggests Alper, the function of mantras shifted from the quotidian to redemptive. In other words, in Vedic times, mantras were recited a practical, quotidian goal as intention, such as requesting a deity's help in the discovery of lost cattle, cure of illness, succeeding in competitive sport or journey away from home. The literal translation of Vedic mantras suggests that the function of mantra, in these cases, was to cope with the uncertainties and dilemmas of daily life. In a later period of Hinduism, mantras were recited with a transcendental redemptive goal as intention, such as escape from the cycle of life and rebirth, forgiveness for bad karma, and experiencing a spiritual connection with the god. The function of mantras, in these cases, was to cope with the human condition as a whole. According to Alper, redemptive spiritual mantras opened the door for mantras where every part need not have a literal meaning, but together their resonance and musical quality assisted the transcendental spiritual process. Overall, explains Alper, using Śivasūtra mantras as an example, Hindu mantras have philosophical themes and are metaphorical with social dimension and meaning; in other words, they are a spiritual language and instrument of thought.


title: Mantra

text: According to Staal, Hindu mantras may be spoken aloud, "anirukta" (not enunciated), "upamsu" (inaudible), or "manasa" (not spoken, but recited in the mind). In ritual use, mantras are often silent instruments of meditation.


title: Mantra

text: For almost every mantra, there are six limbs called "Shadanga". These six limbs are: Seer (Rishi), "Deity" (Devata), "Seed" (Beeja), "Energy" (Shakti), "Poetic Meter" (chanda), and "Kilaka" (Lock).


title: Mantra

text: The most basic mantra is "Om", which in Hinduism is known as the "pranava mantra," the source of all mantras. The Hindu philosophy behind this is the premise that before existence and beyond existence is only One reality, Brahman, and the first manifestation of Brahman expressed as Om. For this reason, Om is considered as a foundational idea and reminder, and thus is prefixed and suffixed to all Hindu prayers. While some mantras may invoke individual gods or principles, fundamental mantras, like the 'Shanti Mantra, the 'Gayatri Mantra' and others all ultimately focus on the One reality.


title: Mantra

text: In the Tantric school the universe is sound. The supreme (para) brings forth existence through the Word (Shabda). Creation consists of vibrations at various frequencies and amplitudes giving rise to the phenomena of the world.


title: Mantra

text: Buhnemann notes that deity mantras are an essential part of Tantric compendia. The tantric mantras vary in their structure and length. Mala mantras are those mantras which have an enormous number of syllables. In contrast, bija mantras are one-syllabled, typically ending in anusvara (a simple nasal sound). These are derived from the name of a deity; for example, Durga yields "dum" and Ganesha yields "gam". Bija mantras are prefixed and appended to other mantras, thereby creating complex mantras. In the tantric school, these mantras are believed to have supernatural powers, and they are transmitted by a preceptor to a disciple in an initiation ritual. Tantric mantras found a significant audience and adaptations in medieval India, Southeast Asia and numerous other Asian countries with Buddhism.


title: Mantra

text: Majumdar and other scholars suggest mantras are central to the Tantric school, with numerous functions. From initiating and emancipating a tantric devotee to worshiping manifested forms of the divine. From enabling heightened sexual energy in the male and the female to acquiring supernormal psychological and spiritual power. From preventing evil influences to exorcizing demons, and many others. These claimed functions and other aspects of the tantric mantra are a subject of controversy among scholars.


title: Mantra

text: Mantra "japa" is a practice of repetitively uttering the same mantra for an auspicious number of times, the most popular being 108, and sometimes just 5, 10, 28 or 1008. "Japa" is found in personal prayer or meditative efforts of some Hindus, as well during formal puja (group prayers). Japa is assisted by malas (bead necklaces) containing 108 beads and a head bead (sometimes referred to as the 'meru', or 'guru' bead); the devotee using his/her fingers to count each bead as he/she repeats the chosen mantra. Having reached 108 repetitions, if he/she wishes to continue another cycle of mantras, the devotee turns the mala around without crossing the head bead and repeats the cycle. Japa-yajna is claimed to be most effective if the mantra is repeated silently in mind (manasah).


title: Mantra

text: According to this school, any shloka from holy Hindu texts like the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Yoga Sutra, even the Mahabharata, Ramayana, Durga saptashati or Chandi is a mantra, thus can be part of the "japa", repeated to achieve a numinous effect. The "Dharmasāstra" claims Gāyatri mantra derived from Rig Veda verse 3.62.10, and the Purușasūkta mantra from Rig Veda verse 10.90 are most auspicious mantras for "japa" at sunrise and sunset; it is claimed to purify the mind and spirit.


title: Mantra

text: Apart from Shiva Sutras, which originated from Shiva's tandava dance, the Shiva Sutras of Vasugupta are a collection of seventy-seven aphorisms that form the foundation of the tradition of spiritual mysticism known as Kashmir Shaivism. They are attributed to the sage Vasugupta of the 9th century C.E. "Sambhavopaya" (1-1 to 1–22), "Saktopaya" (2-1 to 2–10) and "Anavopaya" (3-1 to 3–45) are the main sub-divisions, three means of achieving God consciousness, of which the main technique of "Saktopaya" is a mantra. But "mantra" in this context does not mean incantation or muttering of some sacred formula. The word "mantra" is used here in its etymological signification. That which saves one by pondering over the light of Supreme I-consciousness is a mantra. The divine Supreme I-consciousness is the dynamo of all the mantras. "Deha" or body has been compared to wood, "mantra" has been compared to "arani"—a piece of wood used for kindling fire by friction; "prana" has been compared to fire. "Sikha" or flame has been compared to "atma" (Self); "ambara" or sky has been compared to Shiva. When prana is kindled by means of mantra used as arani, fire in the form of "udana" arises in "susumna", and then just as flame arises out of kindled fire and gets dissolved in the sky, so also "atma" (Self) like a flame having burnt down the fuel of the body, gets absorbed in Shiva.


title: Mantra

text: One of the most ancient Buddhist mantras is the famous "Ye Dharma Hetu", also known as the dependent origination dhāraṇī. This phrase is said to encapsulate the meaning of the Buddha's Dharma. It was a popular Buddhist mantra and is found inscribed on numerous ancient Buddhist statues, chaityas, and images.


title: Mantra

text: The Sanskrit version of this mantra is:ye dharmā hetuprabhavā hetuṃ teṣāṃ tathāgato hyavadat, teṣāṃ ca yo nirodha evaṃvādī mahāśramaṇaḥThe phrase can be translated as follows:Of those phenomena which arise from causes: Those causes have been taught by the Tathāgata (Buddha), and their cessation too - thus proclaims the Great Ascetic.


title: Mantra

text: Mantra practice is often combined with breathing meditation, so that one recites a mantra simultaneously with in-breath and out-breath to help develop tranquility and concentration. Mantra meditation is especially popular among lay people. Like other basic concentration exercises, it can be used simply to the mind, or it can be the basis for an insight practice where the mantra becomes the focus of observation of how life unfolds, or an aid in surrendering and letting go." The "Buddho" mantra is widespread in the Thai Forest Tradition and was taught by Ajahn Chah and his students. Another popular mantra in Thai Buddhism is "Samma-Araham", referring to the Buddha who has 'perfectly' ("samma") attained 'perfection in the Buddhist sense' ("araham"), used in Dhammakaya meditation.


title: Mantra

text: In the Tantric Theravada tradition of Southeast Asia, mantras are central to their method of meditation. Popular mantras in this tradition include "Namo Buddhaya" ("Homage to the Buddha") and "Araham" ("Worthy One"). There are Thai Buddhist amulet katha: that is, mantras to be recited while holding an amulet.


title: Mantra

text: In Chinese Buddhism, various mantras, including the Great Compassion Mantra, the Uṣṇīṣa Vijaya Dhāraṇī from the Uṣṇīṣa Vijaya Dhāraṇī Sutra, the Mahāmāyūrī Vidyārājñī Dhāraṇī, the Heart Sutra and various forms of nianfo are commonly chanted by both monastics and laymen. A major mantra in the Chan Buddhist tradition is the Śūraṅgama Mantra from the Śūraṅgama Sutra, which extensively references Buddhist deities such as the bodhisattvas Manjushri, Mahākāla, Sitatapatra, Vajrapani and the Five Tathagatas, especially Bhaisajyaguru. It is often used for protection or purification, as it is often recited as part of the daily morning session in monasteries. In addition, various Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and deities also have mantras associated with them.


title: Mantra

text: In China and Vietnam, a set of mantras known as the Ten Small Mantras (Chinese: 十小咒; Pinyin: "Shíxiǎozhòu") were fixed by the monk Yulin (Chinese: 玉琳國師; Pinyin: "Yùlín Guóshī"), a teacher of the Shunzhi Emperor, for monks, nuns, and laity to chant during morning liturgical services. They are still chanted in modern Chinese Buddhism.


title: Mantra

text: Chinese Chan Buddhism also makes use of esoteric mantras, a practice which can be traced back to the Tang dynasty. One of these is the Śūraṅgama Mantra, which has been taught by various modern Chan monks, such as Venerable Hsuan Hua. Shaolin temple monks also made use of esoteric mantras and dharani.


title: Mantra

text: Kūkai (774–835), a noted Buddhist monk, advanced a general theory of language based on his analysis of two forms of Buddhist ritual language: "dharani" (dhāra.nī) and "mantra". Mantra is restricted to esoteric Buddhist practice whereas dharani is found in both esoteric and exoteric ritual. Dharanis for instance are found in the Heart Sutra. The term "shingon" is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese transcription of the Sanskrit word "mantra", 真言 ("zhēnyán"). Kūkai classified mantra as a special class of dharani and suggested that every syllable of a dharani was a manifestation of the true nature of reality – in Buddhist terms that all sound is a manifestation of shunyata or emptiness of self-nature. Thus rather than being devoid of meaning, Kūkai suggests that dharanis are in fact saturated with meaning – every syllable is symbolic on multiple levels.


title: Mantra

text: One of Kūkai's distinctive contributions was to take this symbolic association even further by saying that there is no essential difference between the syllables of mantras and sacred texts, and those of ordinary language. If one understood the workings of mantra, then any sounds could be a representative of ultimate reality. This emphasis on sounds was one of the drivers for Kūkai's championing of the phonetic writing system, the kana, which was adopted in Japan around the time of Kūkai. He is generally credited with the invention of the kana, but there is apparently some doubt about this story amongst scholars.


title: Mantra

text: This mantra-based theory of language had a powerful effect on Japanese thought and society which up until Kūkai's time had been dominated by imported Chinese culture of thought, particularly in the form of the Classical Chinese language which was used in the court and amongst the literati, and Confucianism which was the dominant political ideology. In particular, Kūkai was able to use this new theory of language to create links between indigenous Japanese culture and Buddhism. For instance, he made a link between the Buddha Mahavairocana and the Shinto sun Goddess Amaterasu. Since the emperors were thought to be descended form Amaterasu, Kūkai had found a powerful connection here that linked the emperors with the Buddha, and also in finding a way to integrate Shinto with Buddhism, something that had not happened with Confucianism. Buddhism then became essentially an indigenous religion in a way that Confucianism had not. And it was through language and mantra that this connection was made. Kūkai helped to elucidate what mantra is in a way that had not been done before: he addresses the fundamental questions of what a text is, how signs function, and above all, what language is. In this, he covers some of the same ground as modern day Structuralists and others scholars of language, although he comes to very different conclusions.


title: Mantra

text: In this system of thought, all sounds are said to originate from "a". For esoteric Buddhism "a" has a special function because it is associated with Shunyata or the idea that no thing exists in its own right, but is contingent upon causes and conditions. (See Dependent origination) In Sanskrit "a" is a prefix which changes the meaning of a word into its opposite, so "vidya" is understanding, and "avidya" is ignorance (the same arrangement is also found in many Greek words, like e.g. "atheism" vs. "theism" and "apathy" vs. "pathos"). The letter a is both visualised in the Siddham script and pronounced in rituals and meditation practices. In the Mahavairocana Sutra which is central to Shingon Buddhism it says: "Thanks to the original vows of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, a miraculous force resides in the mantras, so that by pronouncing them one acquires merit without limits". [in Conze, p. 183]


title: Mantra

text: A mantra is Kuji-kiri in Shingon as well as in Shugendo. The practice of writing mantras, and copying texts as a spiritual practice, became very refined in Japan, and some of these are written in the Japanese script and Siddham script of Sanskrit, recited in either language.


title: Mantra

text: There are thirteen mantras used in Shingon Buddhism, each dedicated to a major deity. The mantra for each deity name in Japanese, its equivalent name in Sanskrit, a transliteration of mantra, and the Japanese version in Shingon tradition are as follows:


title: Mantra

text: Mantras are also an important element of other Japanese Buddhist traditions. The Tendai school includes extensive repertoire of Esoteric Buddhist practices, which include the use of mantras.


title: Mantra

text: Nichiren Buddhist practice focuses on the chanting of one single mantra or phrase: "Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō" (南無妙法蓮華経, which means "Homage to the Lotus Sutra").


title: Mantra

text: Japanese Zen also makes use of mantras. One example is the Mantra of Light ("kōmyō shingon"), which is common in Japanese Soto Zen and was derived from the Shingon sect. The use of esoteric practices (such as mantra) within Zen is sometimes termed "mixed Zen" ("kenshū zen" 兼修禪). Keizan Jōkin (1264–1325) is seen as a key figure that introduced this practice into the Soto school. A common mantra used in Soto Zen is the Śūraṅgama mantra ("Ryōgon shu" 楞嚴呪; T. 944A).


title: Mantra

text: Mantrayana (Sanskrit), which may be translated as "way of the mantra", was the original self-identifying name of those that have come to be determined 'Nyingmapa'. The Nyingmapa which may be rendered as "those of the ancient way", a name constructed due to the genesis of the Sarma "fresh", "new" traditions. Mantrayana has developed into a synonym of Vajrayana.


title: Mantra

text: Noted translator of Buddhist texts Edward Conze (1904–1979) distinguishes three periods in the Buddhist use of mantra.


title: Mantra

text: Initially, according to Conze, like their fellow Indians, Buddhists used mantra as protective spells to ward off malign influences. Despite a Vinaya rule which forbids monks engaging in the Brahminical practice of chanting mantras for material gain, there is a number of protective mantras for a group of ascetic monks. However, even at this early stage, there is perhaps something more than animistic magic at work. Particularly in the case of the Ratana Sutta the efficacy of the verses seems to be related to the concept of "truth". Each verse of the sutta ends with "by the virtue of this truth may there be happiness".


title: Mantra

text: Conze notes that later mantras were used more to guard the spiritual life of the chanter, and sections on mantras began to be included in some Mahayana sutras such as the White Lotus Sutra, and the Lankavatara Sutra. The scope of protection also changed in this time. In the Sutra of Golden Light the Four Great Kings promise to exercise sovereignty over the different classes of demigods, to protect the whole of Jambudvipa (the Indian subcontinent), to protect monks who proclaim the sutra, and to protect kings who patronise the monks who proclaim the sutra. The apotheosis of this type of approach is the Nichiren school of Buddhism that was founded in the 13th century Japan, and which distilled many previously complex Buddhist practices down to the veneration of the Lotus Sutra through a recitation of the daimoku: "Nam myoho renge kyo" which translates as "Homage to the Lotus Sutra".


title: Mantra

text: The third period began, according to Conze, in about the 7th century, to take center stage and become a vehicle for salvation in their own right. Tantra started to gain momentum in the 6th and 7th century, with specifically Buddhist forms appearing as early as 300CE. "Mantrayana" was an early name for what is now more commonly known as "Vajrayana", which gives us a hint as to the place of mantra in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism. The aim of Vajrayana practice is to give the practitioner a direct experience of reality, of things as they really are. Mantras function as symbols of that reality, and different mantras are different aspects of that reality – for example wisdom or compassion. Mantras are often associated with a particular deity, one famous exception being the Prajnaparamita mantra associated with the Heart Sutra. One of the key Vajrayana strategies for bringing about a direct experience of reality is to engage the entire psycho-physical organism in the practices. In one Buddhist analysis, the person consists of 'body, speech and mind' (refer: Three Vajra). So a typical sadhana or meditation practice might include mudras, or symbolic hand gestures; the recitations of mantras; as well as the visualisation of celestial beings and visualising the letters of the mantra which is being recited. Clearly here mantra is associated with speech. The meditator may visualise the letters in front of themselves, or within their body. They may be pronounced out loud, or internally in mind only.


title: Mantra

text: Probably the most famous mantra of Buddhism is Om mani padme hum, the six syllable mantra of the Bodhisattva of compassion Avalokiteśvara (Tibetan: "Chenrezig", Chinese: "Guanyin"). This mantra is particularly associated with the four-armed Shadakshari form of Avalokiteśvara. The Dalai Lama is said to be an incarnation of Avalokiteshvara, and so the mantra is especially revered by his devotees.


title: Mantra

text: The book "Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism" by Lama Anagarika Govinda, gives a classic example of how such a mantra can contain many levels of symbolic meaning.


title: Mantra

text: The following list of mantras is from "", Volume 1, Number 2, 1973. (pp. 168–169) (augmented by other contributors). The mantras used in Tibetan Buddhist practice are in Sanskrit, to preserve the original mantras. Visualizations and other practices are usually done in the Tibetan language.


title: Mantra

text: According to Tibetan Buddhism, this mantra (Om tare tutare ture soha) can not only eliminate disease, troubles, disasters, and karma, but will also bring believers blessings, longer life, and even the wisdom to transcend one's circle of reincarnation.


title: Mantra

text: In Zoroastrianism, the use of mantras () goes back to Zarathustra himself, who describes his role as a prophet of Ahura Mazda explicitely as a knower of mantras (; ). In the Zoroastrian tradition, a mantra is usually a shorter inspired utterance that accompanies religious rituals. They differ from the longer, often eight-syllable praise songs (called Yasht in the Avesta) as well as the often eleven-syllable songs (called Gathas in the Avesta as well as in the Vedas). The four most important Zoroastrian mantras are the Ahuna Vairya, the Ashem Vohu, the Yenghe hatam, and the Airyaman ishya.


title: Mantra

text: Both Vedic and Avestan mantras have a number of functional similarities. One of these is the idea that truth, when properly expressed in the mantra, can compel a deity to grant the speaker's request(compare Sacca-kiriya). Another similarity is the Vedic and Avestic association of mantras with paths, so that a properly formulated mantra can open a path to the deity addressed. Because of the etymological and conceptual similarity, such religious utterances must therefore have already been known during the common Indo-Iranian period, when the people of the Avesta and of the Vedas formed a single people. They are, therefore, not derived from the Vedic tradition, but represent an independent development of ancient Iran, corresponding to that in ancient India. The study of their commonalities is therefore important for understanding the poetic and religious traditions of the early Indo-Iranians.


title: Mantra

text: The concept of mantras in Jainism mainly deals with seeking forgiveness, praising Arihants, or Pañca-Parameṣṭhi Yet some mantras are claimed to enhance intellect, prosperity, wealth or fame. There are many mantras in Jainism; most of them are in Sanskrit or Prakrit, but in the last few centuries, some have been composed in Hindi or Gujrati languages. Mantras, couplets, are either chanted or sung, either aloud or by merely moving lips or in silence by thought.


title: Mantra

text: Some examples of Jain mantras are Bhaktamara Stotra, Uvasagharam Stotra and [[Rishi Mandal Mantra. The greatest is the Namokar or [[Navkar Mantra]]. Acharya Sushil Kumar, a self-realized master of the secrets of the Mantra, wrote in 1987: "There is a deep, secret science to the combination of sounds. Specific syllables are seeds for the awakening of latent powers. Only a person who has been initiated into the vibrational realms, who has actually experienced this level of reality, can fully understand the Science of Letters...the Nomokar Mantra is a treasured gift to humanity of unestimable (sic) worth for the purification, upliftment and spiritual evolution of everyone.". His book, The Song of the Soul, is a practical manual to unlock the secrets of the mantra. "Chanting with Guruji" is a compilation of well-known Jain mantras, including the Rishi Mandal Mantra.


title: Mantra

text: The Navkar Mantra (literally, "Nine Line Mantra") is the central mantra of [[Jainism]]. "It is the essence of the gospel of the Tirthankars."


title: Mantra

text: The initial 5 lines consist of salutations to various purified souls, and the latter 4 lines are explanatory in nature, highlighting the benefits and greatness of this mantra.


title: Mantra

text: [[Forgiveness]] is one of the main virtues Jains cultivate. "Kṣamāpanā", or supreme forgiveness, forms part of one of the ten characteristics of "[[Dharma (Jainism)|dharma]]". <br>In the "[[pratikramana]]" prayer, Jains repeatedly seek forgiveness from various creatures—even from "ekindriyas" or single sensed beings like plants and microorganisms that they may have harmed while eating and doing routine activities. Forgiveness is asked by uttering the phrase, "Micchāmi dukkaḍaṃ." "Micchāmi dukkaḍaṃ" is a Prakrit phrase literally meaning "may all the evil that has been done be fruitless."


title: Mantra

text: In their daily prayers and [[samayika]], Jains recite the following "Iryavahi sutra" in Prakrit, seeking forgiveness from literally all creatures while involved in routine activities:


title: Mantra

text: May you, O Revered One, voluntarily permit me. I would like to confess my sinful acts committed while walking. I honour your permission. I desire to absolve myself of the sinful acts by confessing them. I seek forgiveness from all those living beings which I may have tortured while walking, coming and going, treading on a living organism, seeds, green grass, dew drops, ant hills, moss, live water, live earth, spider web and others. I seek forgiveness from all these living beings, be they one sensed, two sensed, three sensed, four sensed or five sensed, which I may have kicked, covered with dust, rubbed with earth, collided with other, turned upside down, tormented, frightened, shifted from one place to another or killed and deprived them of their lives. (By confessing) may I be absolved of all these sins.


title: Mantra

text: In the [[Sikh]] religion, a "mantar" or "mantra" is a [[Shabad (hymn)|Shabad]] (Word or [[hymn]]) from the [[Adi Granth]] to concentrate the mind on God. Through repetition of the mantra, and listening to one's own voice, thoughts are reduced and the mind rises above materialism to tune into the voice of God.


title: Mantra

text: Mantras in Sikhism are fundamentally different from the secret mantras used in other religions. Unlike in other religions, Sikh mantras are open for anyone to use. They are used openly and are not taught in secret sessions but are used in front of assemblies of Sikhs.


title: Mantra

text: The [[Mool Mantar]], the first composition of [[Guru Nanak]], is the second most widely known Sikh mantra.


title: Mantra

text: The most widely known mantra in the Sikh faith is "Wahe Guru." According to the Sikh poet Bhai Gurdas, the word "Wahe Guru" is the Gurmantra, or the mantra given by the Guru, and eliminates ego.


title: Mantra

text: According to the 10th Sikh Master, Guru Gobind Singh, the "Wahe Guru" mantra was given by God to the Order of the Khalsa, and reforms the apostate into the purified.


title: Mantra

text: The influence of [[Chinese Esoteric Buddhism]] during the [[Six Dynasties]] period and the [[Tang dynasty|Tang]] led to the widespread use of Buddhist esoteric practices in other Chinese religions such as [[Taoism]]. This included the use of mantras. Mantras are often still used in Chinese [[Taoism]], such as the words in "Dàfàn yǐnyǔ wúliàng yīn" (大梵隱語無量音), the recitation of a deity's name. Another example of a Taoist mantra is found in one of the most popular liturgies in Taoism (dating from the Tang dynasty), the "Pei-tou yen-sheng ching" ("The North Star Scripture of Longevity"), which contains a long mantra called the "North Star Mantra." The text claims that this mantra "can deliver you from disaster," "ward off evil and give you prosperity and longevity," "help you accumulate good deeds" and give you peace of mind.


title: Mantra

text: The Indian syllable "[[om]]" (唵) is also used in Taoist esotericism. After the arrival of Buddhism many Taoist sects started to use Sanskrit syllables in their mantras or talisman as a way to enhance one's spiritual power aside from the traditional [[Han Chinese|Han]] incantations. One example of this is the "heart mantra" of Pu Hua Tian Zun (普化天尊), a Taoist deity manifested from the first thunder and head of the “36 thunder gods” in orthodox religious Taoism. His mantra is "Ǎn hōng zhā lì sà mó luō - 唵吽吒唎薩嚩囉". Taoist believe this incantation to be the heart mantra of Pu Hua Tian Zun which will protect them from bad [[qi]] and calm down emotions. Taoist mantra recitation may also be practiced along with extensive visualization exercises.


title: Levitating (song)

text: "Levitating" is a song by English-Albanian singer Dua Lipa from her second studio album, "Future Nostalgia" (2020). The song was written by Lipa, Clarence Coffee Jr., Sarah Hudson, and Koz, who produced the song with Stuart Price, and stemmed from a Roland VP-330 synthesizer sample played by Koz. The song is an electro-disco and nu-disco song with several disco tropes. It incorporates elements of dance-pop, pop-funk, power pop and space rock, as well as 1970s, 1980s and 1990s pop and R&B styles. The lyrics describe the idea of "levitating" when falling in love, with several outer space references.


title: Levitating (song)

text: A remix of "Levitating" by American DJ the Blessed Madonna featuring Madonna and Missy Elliott was released for digital download and streaming on 13 August 2020 as the lead single from Lipa and the Blessed Madonna's remix album "Club Future Nostalgia" (2020). It was categorised as an EDM, electro-disco, electro house, future bass, and techno track, with a throwback disco and trance vibe, and an increased tempo from the original. A second remix featuring American rapper DaBaby was released for the same formats on 1 October 2020 in promotion of the bonus edition of "Future Nostalgia", as the album's fifth single. The remix impacted contemporary hit radio formats in the United States on 6 October 2020, serving as the album's third single in the country. The remix has the same production used in the original, with DaBaby adding a pop rap verse and intro.


title: Levitating (song)

text: "Levitating" reached number five on the UK Singles Chart and number two on the US "Billboard" Hot 100, becoming Lipa's seventh top-five single in the UK and second in the US. Despite not reaching number one in the United States, "Levitating" was named the number-one song of 2021, becoming the fourth single to accomplish this feat and the first single to do so since Lifehouse's "Hanging by a Moment" in 2001. It also ranks in the top 40 of its All-Time list. This song is also the longest-charting song by a female artist on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart, spending a total of 77 weeks on the chart and placing it 5th overall. It also reached number two on the "Billboard" Global 200 chart and became #1 on the 2021 year-end chart. The song was awarded a Platinum certification in the United Kingdom by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).


title: Levitating (song)

text: "Levitating" was promoted with the release of two music videos, one for each of its respective remixes. The Will Hooper-directed music video for the Blessed Madonna's remix was filmed in London and Atlanta and has a theme of "love conquers all". It sees many people under the influence of a mysterious planet and being obsessed with a maze-like symbol. The DaBaby remix received a music video that was directed by Warren Fu and created in partnership with social media platform TikTok. The video is centred around Lipa and DaBaby dancing in an art deco-styled elevator, with many TikTok users in the cast. Lipa promoted the single with live performances on "The Graham Norton Show", at the American Music Awards of 2020, and on "Saturday Night Live".


title: Levitating (song)

text: After figuring out the title of her second studio album, "Future Nostalgia", Dua Lipa began working backwards, figuring out the sound she desired. Shortly after, "Levitating" was written, which is the first track recorded that appears on the album's final track listing. The song was written by Lipa with her longtime collaborators Clarence Coffee Jr. of The Monsters & Strangerz, Sarah Hudson and Stephen Kozmeniuk, the latter of which also handled the production. Before going into the studio, Kozmeniuk spent a few weeks coming up with ideas to play in the studio, eventually thinking it would be cool to create a "slinky disco track." Lipa sent him some notes and stuff that she was inspired by, which became the idea of blending old with new. Kozmeniuk thought the best way to create this idea was to use old instruments, one of which was a Roland VP-330 synthesizer, which he had been looking for, for seven to eight years. After shipping the synthesizer from Tokyo to Toronto, he immediately plugged it in and began playing. The first thing he played, which he described as a "synthetic choir sound", later turned into the synth line from the song. He looped the sound and began building a song around it, including creating an analog string sound, also using the Roland VP-330.


title: Levitating (song)

text: "Levitating" was written and recorded in a one-day studio session at Sarm West Studios in Notting Hill, London between the four writers on 28 August 2018. They started the session by Hudson doing a Tarot card reading in order for the writers to open up about what was happening in their lives. Lipa recalled it "changing the energy in the room." Kozmeniuk then began playing some tracks he had created with Lipa in mind. "Levitating" was one of the first tracks he played, which the collaborators all agreed that it would be the one to write onto. Lipa took out the voice memos app on her phone and began leading the song by singing a melody, making it up on the way with Coffee later elevating it. They had the visuals of being in an "Austin Powers" movie, with Mike Myers doing a random dance to the song, which helped give them a mood while writing the lyrics. The session ended up with the collaborators ordering doughnuts and 'levitating' from the sugar rush. They immediately began writing after that, with a good feeling going into it. They decided to include the "sugarboo" lyric as an ode to their friendship as it was something they called one another as a joke. Lipa also decided to add a rap in order to get her British side across, because she often gets mistaken from where she is actually from.


title: Levitating (song)

text: Lipa began by recording the lead vocals, and later some backing vocals and vocals with all the collaborators. They would create different personas with different vocals every time they recorded them. Lipa recalled that she and her co-writers were dancing all through making the song, even if they were experiencing writer's block or working on the production. After finishing the song, Lipa enlisted the help of Stuart Price for some additional production. He brought more "bounce" to the song and helped with the bass groove. He also incorporated a high drone synth as a disco trope, and a string part in the pre-chorus. Koz later also enlisted the help of Bosko Electrospit Kante to play a talk box. "Levitating" helped dictate what the rest of "Future Nostalgia" would sound like and where Lipa thought everything made sense, where she had both the "future" and "nostalgia" elements. She called it the "starting point" of the album.


title: Levitating (song)

text: "Levitating" is an electro-disco, nu-disco and pop-funk song, with dance-pop, power pop and space rock elements. The song incorporates music styles from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s pop and R&B. Constructed in verse–chorus form, the song runs for 3 minutes and 23 seconds and is composed in time and the key of B minor, with a tempo of 103 beats per minute and a chord progression of Bm—Fm—Em. It is built around a wonky synth hook, with 1990s choruses and several campy disco tropes. The rest of the production consists of funky synth disco beats, a "squelchy" bass, "rubbery" basslines, syncopated handclaps, nu-disco rhythms, "wonky" and "bizarre" synths, an EDM groove, funky guitars, talk box vocals, a "hypnotic" synth line and disco strings. The bass, guitars, and talk box give off a disco-funk feeling. Following the first chorus, the instruments are stripped back. On his remix, DaBaby adds a new pop rap verse and intro, over the original's production, with him serving as an additional writer on the track.


title: Levitating (song)

text: Lipa's vocals range from F to B. The middle eight includes a Blondie-influenced rap, where Lipa exerts her British accent, before she performs an a cappella ahead of the final chorus. "Levitating" has many outer space references, using an exaggerated metaphor of love as a spaceship to transmit radiant euphoria and happiness. Lyrically, the song sees Lipa exposing her feelings for a significant other and singing about moments with them in which she is her best self. For "NME", Rhian Daly stated she sings about "a love 'written in the stars'", while "411Mania"s David Hayter, labelled it an "intergalactic ode to orgasms". The song received many comparisons to the works of Chic, Daft Punk, Debbie Harry, the Jackson 5 ("Blame It on the Boogie", 1978), Kylie Minogue, Moloko, Kate Nash, Outkast ("Rosa Parks", 1998), Katy Perry, the Spice Girls, Tinie Tempah ("Pass Out", 2010), the Weeknd ("Starboy", 2016), and "Super Mario 64" (1996) sound effects.


title: Levitating (song)

text: "Levitating" was released on 27 March 2020 as the fifth track on Lipa's second studio album, "Future Nostalgia". In August 2020, Lipa confirmed that the song would serve as the album's fifth official single. It was promoted to Italian and British contemporary hit radio formats on 13 August and 23 September 2020, as a promotional single. On 25 September 2020, DaBaby confirmed in an interview with Capital FM that he had a collaboration with Lipa coming out soon. Later that day, Lipa announced that a remix of "Levitating" featuring DaBaby would be released a week later. The remix's cover art was shot by Joseph Ford. It premiered on 1 October 2020, being released for digital download and streaming. The remix was later added to the three editions of "Future Nostalgia": the bonus edition which was released alongside the song, the digital edition released on 29 October 2020, and the 20 November 2020-released French CD edition.


title: Levitating (song)

text: The remix was serviced to contemporary hit radio formats in the United States on 6 October 2020, serving as the album's third single in the country. It was also serviced to contemporary hit radio formats in Italy and the United Kingdom on 2 October and 9 October 2020, respectively. The original was serviced to adult contemporary radio formats in the United Kingdom on 17 October 2020. The remix was also scheduled to be serviced to adult contemporary radio formats in the US on 19 October 2020, but was ultimately replaced with the original. Due to its music video partnership with TikTok, the app launched a worldwide advertising campaign with promotion on several digital and social media channels, as well as New York City's Times Square and prominent sites in cities across Europe. The app also launched the #Levitating challenge, where Lipa invited fans to use TikTok's slow-motion feature to show off their levitating skills. The song was promoted with an Instagram filter on the app. Lipa and Koz did an interview about the creation of the song on music podcast "Song Exploder"s 194th episode, released on 7 October 2020. It was also included in Morrisons' 2020 Christmas TV Ad. The song was used during the 46th People's Choice Awards on 15 November 2020. The song was included in a promotional video for the 2020–21 NBA season made by NBA on TNT. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris used it in a playlist supporting their inauguration.


title: Levitating (song)

text: A remix of the track by KUU was released on 20 November 2020. It is a four on the floor-styled song with a simple and hypnotic sound design that makes use of tropical synths, Balearic beats, a rolling bassline, and funky piano chords, all layered with Lipa's vocals.


title: Levitating (song)

text: A remix of the track by Amaal Mallik featuring guest vocals in Hindi by Prakriti Kakar and Sukriti Kakar was released on 26 March 2021.


title: Levitating (song)

text: Over the 2020–21 Premier League season, a video clip of Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola dancing, with part of the track overlaid on it, surfaced on Twitter. The clip was later posted by Manchester City's official Twitter account on 4 February 2021 and again on 7 February 2021 following Manchester City's 4–1 victory over Liverpool, which was their first victory at Anfield in 18 years


title: Levitating (song)

text: In September 2020, Callie Ahlgrim of "Business Insider" viewed "Levitating" as "Future Nostalgia"s "most enchanting track" and one of Lipa's "best ever" songs. She went on to praise it for getting better with every listen and her use of pet names, as well as calling the song "sugary," "upbeat," and "unabashed." Bailey Slater of "Wonderland" called it a "roller disco bop" and thought that it would go viral on TikTok. Gabbie Nirenburg of "No Ripcord" praised the track's blend of disco and futuristic while also calling the lyrics "clever." In his review for "God Is in the TV", Jonathan Wright commended the song for being a "classy piece of brilliantly-timed disco escapism." "The Line of Best Fit"s Chris Taylor viewed it as "peak disco-revivalism" and thought it was meant for a roller disco.


title: Levitating (song)

text: In "The Guardian", Laura Snapes stated that "Levitating" "blooms like a row of tropical flowers." For "Crack Magazine", Michael Cragg noted its French bloghouse hallmarks, previously explored on "Don't Start Now". "DIY"s Elly Watson labelled the song "dancefloor-ready," while Mike Nied of "Idolator" named it multiple titles, including a "starry-eyed love song," a "straight up sugar rush," an "intergalactic adventure," and "breezy and feel-good." For "Billboard", Bianca Gracie labelled it a "summery jam" and recommended playing it on a Miami road trip. Nick Smith of "musicOMH" stated that the song comes off as "a funky caffeine and sugar overdose." In "Slant Magazine", Sal Cinquemani labelled it a "feel-good earworm." For "Nylon", Shaad D'Souza criticized the song for its lack of longevity.


title: Levitating (song)

text: For "Vinyl Chapters", Jamie Parmenter praised Lipa's rap in the middle eight, writing one has the "pleasure of hearing the singer's English accent" and it "shows the confidence she has in her own talent." In "The Daily Telegraph", Neil McCormick also complimented Lipa's accent in that rap, and praised the "transatlantic-friendly" sound of "Levitating". Conrad Duncan of "Under the Radar" criticised the rap, calling it a "bafflingly unnecessary misfire," while also noting its aim for Kurtis Blow. "The Arts Desk"s Joe Muggs also criticised the rap, writing it "falls short." "Vulture"s Craig Jenkins praised Lipa's vocal delivery for merging elements of anxiety and sexual tension, while also naming the lyrics "flurries of pickup lines." For "The Young Folks", Ryan Feyre called the song a high point on "Future Nostalgia" and wrote that it is "filled with raw adrenaline."


title: Levitating (song)

text: Critics also praised DaBaby parts in his respective remix. Heran Mamo of "Billboard" noted DaBaby asserting attitude and stated he brings the song to "new heights." For "Idolator", Mike Wass stated the remix "works well enough" with the original's production, and viewed DaBaby's verse as "surprisingly sweet." "Paper"s Shaad D'Souza thought that the remix presented DaBaby a chance to "shake up his flow", while also labelling it "inspired." Revolt's Regina Cho also commented on DaBaby's flow, stating it matches the song's "groovy bounce." Of "HotNewHipHop", Alexander Cole praised DaBaby for fitting perfectly with the track's "undeniable groove," while also stating he is a "nice addition" to the song. In "Consequence of Sound", Ben Kaye challenged that it is not a remix due to its use of the original's production.


title: Levitating (song)

text: Following the release of "Future Nostalgia", "Levitating" found success as an album track throughout Europe, debuting at number 97 in Greece, 29 in Hungary, 41 in Lithuania, 83 in Portugal, 62 in Slovakia, and 71 in Spain. In the United Kingdom, the song was the most streamed album track on video services. It debuted at number 51 on the UK Official Audio Streaming Chart dated 3 April 2020. Following the release of the Blessed Madonna's remix, the original version debuted at number 39 on the UK Singles Chart dated 21 August 2020. It lasted five weeks on the chart, before re-entering at number 30 on the chart dated 9 October 2020, following the release of the DaBaby remix. The song peaked at number five on the chart, becoming Lipa's tenth UK Top 10 single. In November 2020, the song reached the summit of the UK Radio Airplay Chart. In January 2021, it was awarded a Platinum certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for track-equivalent sales of 600,000 units. It has also reached number four and 13 respectively on the Irish Singles Chart and Scottish Singles Chart respectively.