Consciousness and Magic

[smcder]

Point being that the allopathic model of modern medicine has two avenues of 'cure' - surgery and drugs (and now radiation). In neither case does modern medicine have an understanding of really what is the human body beyond it's analogies with a machine (which the human body is not). Modern medicine does not view the human system as a gestalt of processes that encompass the physical and more than the physical.

Go to a surgeon and the 'cure' will be surgery. I was told that decades ago by a surgeon. Nothing has changed.

Doctors are prescribing drugs that destroy the human system as much as 'cure' the original ailment - as in 'make it disappear' in a plethora of other abnormalities instigated by the administered drug.

Many of our current 'cures' are on the order of blood-letting and leaching in previous centuries. The area where we most give over to a 'scientific authority' is when we are most vulnerable. It matter not that the doctor really does not have a clue what they are doing to the whole human system in front of them with their cutting and drugging and irradiating - we will do it, because we are in pain, discomfort, distress. We will take what we are given. We will take what the insurance will pay for.

Pain is what interests me most, I've had a lifelong fascination with pain, I read G Gordon Liddy's Will and immediately went out and pressed lit matches into my forearm (I wasn't brave enough to burn my hand over a candle flame) and my grandfather and my mother both have an unusual threshold and tolerance for pain ...

Last night I realized the pain was constant and severe - a new combination, I only noticed it after some time and I think that's because it was constant, it's hard to describe but I inhabited the pain the way I normally do my body, when I moved it moved, I realized it was a new way of perceiving my body - almost like being in a new body, or growth pains ... or shedding pains ... after a heavy workout or a boxing match there is a good pain (I tell people who ask me about boxing to place a rock the size of their fist in a tube sock and whirl it around thrice then hit themselves in the face with it - if they can stand that sensation, they can box, if they like it, they already are a boxer) and this seemed to be a free version of it ... at any rate, a good deal of pain is in the perception and attitude ... that said there may come a time when I want the good stuff and I will try not to let pride get in the way, actually pride probably won't stand a chance.

The other opportunity the pain affords is to do Tonglen - taking and receiving meditation, you think of all the people in your situation and breathe in the collective experience, in this case physical pain, and breathe out good will or light ... you can see this as religion or as good psychology or as both ... what it does for me is remind me that pain is a part of the human physical condition and helps me place the severity of my own pain in context (nothing to write home about).

 

[boomerang]

smcder, Sorry to hear the docs with sharp knives have you in their sights. Hope all the best for you.

I've been the surgical route for various conditions. I'm always both impressed and disappointed by what can be done. My latest body modification regime is collecting cardiac stents. How many? "Only my doctor knows for sure". LOL

BTW, and perhaps I have missed this amidst our vast sea of info here: What is you personal take on the so called mind-body connection and its ability to cure or induce disease ? I find it very had to get a handle on this subject.

-----

The thread is shifting under my feet and I just read your comments about pain. I will only note from experience a self-perceived difference between healing pain, and intractable chronic pain.

The former, I think, has a qualitatively different effect on the mind than the latter. Or perhaps the mind categorizes according to what it knows. But given my long personal experience with chronic pain, I never disparage those who, at some point, seek pharmaceutical relief.

This is a delicate topic and there are entire internet forums dedicated to it. I will just say there is a distinct difference between taking "the good stuff" (that in fact messes up your body in many ways and most chronic pain patients would gladly be rid of it) to beat back pain enough to relax a little and even clear the mind--and simply getting high. Pain relief is a different dynamic.

And I am OT as usual.

 

[smcder]

smcder, Sorry to hear the docs with sharp knives have you in their sights. Hope all the best for you.

I've been the surgical route for various conditions. I'm always both impressed and disappointed by what can be done. My latest body modification regime is collecting cardiac stents. How many? "Only my doctor knows for sure". LOL

BTW, and perhaps I have missed this amidst our vast sea of info here: What is you personal take on the so called mind-body connection and its ability to cure or induce disease ? I find it very had to get a handle on this subject.

-----

The thread is shifting under my feet and I just read your comments about pain. I will only note from experience a self-perceived difference between healing pain, and intractable chronic pain.

The former, I think, has a qualitatively different effect on the mind than the latter. Or perhaps the mind categorizes according to what it knows. But given my long personal experience with chronic pain, I never disparage those who, at some point, seek pharmaceutical relief.

This is a delicate topic and there are entire internet forums dedicated to it. I will just say there is a distinct difference between taking "the good stuff" (that in fact messes up your body in many ways and most chronic pain patients would gladly be rid of it) to beat back pain enough to relax a little and even clear the mind--and simply getting high. Pain relief is a different dynamic.

And I am OT as usual.

I agree with your comments about pain and medication. So far, I've been able to cope with the pain I have but there may come a time when I will use pharmaceutical relief.

One kind of pain from this illness is untreatable - my doctor has maintained throughout that there is nothing to be done for it. This pain has been chronic for years before my diagnosis, so it's actually helped to know that there is nothing medically to be done.

With acute pain that simply comes and goes - the trick for me is not to anticipate it, then when it comes - I turn my attention on the pain and examine it. That's hard the first few times but because I've formed a habit of paying attention to it - that pain now comes in as less urgent.

The chronic pain is mostly in the background - I don't identify with it or label it as "my" pain, it's a process in the body and I know what causes it - again, it's a case of acknowledging the message and then the urgency drops off.

When I'm having a hard time with meditation in general, for example following the breath is difficult or I'm distracted by thoughts more than usual - I sometimes use this chronic pain as a focal point instead of the breath. In doing so I've learned that the pain is not solid, it rises and falls - it's more intense in one place than another, etc. I also might practice breathing "through" the pain, which also proves to me that it's not solid.

 

[smcder]

smcder, Sorry to hear the docs with sharp knives have you in their sights. Hope all the best for you.

I've been the surgical route for various conditions. I'm always both impressed and disappointed by what can be done. My latest body modification regime is collecting cardiac stents. How many? "Only my doctor knows for sure". LOL

BTW, and perhaps I have missed this amidst our vast sea of info here: What is you personal take on the so called mind-body connection and its ability to cure or induce disease ? I find it very had to get a handle on this subject.

-----

The thread is shifting under my feet and I just read your comments about pain. I will only note from experience a self-perceived difference between healing pain, and intractable chronic pain.

The former, I think, has a qualitatively different effect on the mind than the latter. Or perhaps the mind categorizes according to what it knows. But given my long personal experience with chronic pain, I never disparage those who, at some point, seek pharmaceutical relief.

This is a delicate topic and there are entire internet forums dedicated to it. I will just say there is a distinct difference between taking "the good stuff" (that in fact messes up your body in many ways and most chronic pain patients would gladly be rid of it) to beat back pain enough to relax a little and even clear the mind--and simply getting high. Pain relief is a different dynamic.

And I am OT as usual.

What is you personal take on the so called mind-body connection and its ability to cure or induce disease ? I find it very had to get a handle on this subject.

Agreed.

I guess I said something about my take on it in my last post on pain. But as to actually healing a condition, that's complicated - although I know a couple of people with a talent for this.

Belief is very important and it can be hard to come by. Visualization, meditation on healing the body can help build belief (or motivation, if you prefer) ... there are risks, but you can become frustrated with any part of treatment. I would say it's probably wise to get expert guidance on any of these techniques and use the one you most believe in - hypnosis, guided imagery, relaxation, biofeedback.

The mind body connection is very real in athletics and has always been taken extremely seriously by athletes, long before it was called that. The literature in sports psychology has a lot of crossover to working with pain, recovery, motivation and other aspects of illness.

What's been your experience?

 

[boomerang]

The chronic pain is mostly in the background - I don't identify with it or label it as "my" pain, it's a process in the body and I know what causes it - again, it's a case of acknowledging the message and then the urgency drops off.

My personal analogy is one of developing 'filters'. When asked by my pain management doc for a pain number from 1 to 10, I mentally switch off my filters and attempt an honest answer.

At any rate, I wish you all the best in your battle with a strong feeling that you will win.

 

[boomerang]

What is you personal take on the so called mind-body connection and its ability to cure or induce disease ? I find it very had to get a handle on this subject.

Agreed.

What's been your experience?

I can't honestly say. I haven't devoted much effort in that particular direction. Perhaps I should. But I have encountered doctors who seem honestly on board with the notion of the mind having a very active role in any healing process.

I'm making a personal note to do some reading about the phenomenon of spontaneous remission. As far as I know, it remains a genuine medical mystery.

 

[smcder]

My personal analogy is one of developing 'filters'. When asked by my pain management doc for a pain number from 1 to 10, I mentally switch off my filters and attempt an honest answer.

At any rate, I wish you all the best in your battle with a strong feeling that you will win.

That's an interesting idea about filters sand turning them off to give an answer for your doc ... I think I tend to underreport pain for related reasons.

I'm curious to know how you develop the filters, some general idea or technique if it can be shared?

 

[smcder]

I can't honestly say. I haven't devoted much effort in that particular direction. Perhaps I should. But I have encountered doctors who seem honestly on board with the notion of the mind having a very active role in any healing process.

I'm making a personal note to do some reading about the phenomenon of spontaneous remission. As far as I know, it remains a genuine medical mystery.

Id like to hear about this - a friend of the family experienced this I believe, but I'll check the story.

 

[Tyger]

Listening to Jon Stewart this evening interviewing a doctor, Atul Gwande, author of a new book out, "Being Mortal". The doctor is a surgeon and admits that he gets paid far more money to do a surgery than to counsel against the surgery. This is my main take-away point from the interview - but the book sounds interesting. It's just one more voice in how medicine is changing (in the US).

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande

TEXT: "In Being Mortal, bestselling author Atul Gawande tackles the hardest challenge of his profession: how medicine can not only improve life but also the process of its ending

"Medicine has triumphed in modern times, transforming birth, injury, and infectious disease from harrowing to manageable. But in the inevitable condition of aging and death, the goals of medicine seem too frequently to run counter to the interest of the human spirit. Nursing homes, preoccupied with safety, pin patients into railed beds and wheelchairs. Hospitals isolate the dying, checking for vital signs long after the goals of cure have become moot. Doctors, committed to extending life, continue to carry out devastating procedures that in the end extend suffering.

"Gawande, a practicing surgeon, addresses his profession’s ultimate limitation, arguing that quality of life is the desired goal for patients and families. Gawande offers examples of freer, more socially fulfilling models for assisting the infirm and dependent elderly, and he explores the varieties of hospice care to demonstrate that a person's last weeks or months may be rich and dignified.

"Full of eye-opening research and riveting storytelling, Being Mortal asserts that medicine can comfort and enhance our experience even to the end, providing not only a good life but also a good end."

 

[Tyger]

Just a bit on remission: A few years back, about 4 years, I wound up getting a diagnosis of a thyroid problem. (I got caught in that treadmill because I had swollen glands from a viral infection and the doctor decided to have my thyroid checked 'just too be safe' - with test results that showed a thyroid in 100% shut-down). I went for ultrasound and then a biopsy and got the opinion that I needed to be monitored regularly at least, if no surgery right away - which I was declining. I was told I would have to take medication - and rumor had it that thyroid medication is not a happy experience for the body in general. Anyway, life was too busy and I easily failed to make the doctor appointments with the specialists - and I for sure wasn't keen to have another thyroid biopsy 'on a regular/routine basis' - so I just never called my well-meaning physician back.

I did have a talk with my body, though.

Anyway, fast forward a few years. Last year I find I have to go to the doctor to deal with some annoying pain and he winds up doing the whole blood work-up and sends me for another ultrasound. Result? No thyroid problem. My thyroid is pumping out the requisite thyroid stuff - whatever it is. Thyroid is a-ok. Kicker is the specialist that looked at the results of my ultrasound thinks that I should have the surgery anyway, 'just to be safe'. No thank you, says I.

So over the space of three years my thyroid kicked back in. Remission? No. This is what I think - the viral thing I had likely did mess with my physical system and impacted my thyroid for a while. But left alone, with the virus beaten back, the thyroid recovered and got back to it's business. Pure speculation on my part, I am well aware - but we are often very smart about our bodies. Thing is, the medical doctors were speculating, too. Part of the problem is the speed we want things done - at once, immediately. A doctor is not 'good' unless we walk out of his/her office with a 'cure', an instant diagnosis, with an instant pill that makes the pain/condition go away. What would anyone think of a doctor who said - we'll try this 'cure' but I need you to stay with the pain so that we can track what's going on. Not likely we'd stay with such a doctor. Yet.....

.......that is what I was required to do with my rash as the Homeopathic physician sought for the correct cure across several years. And once the cure was found I had to live with the pain and discomfort for many months until the cure finished it's cycle. (All-in-all, about a year).

It is amazing how wise the body is. Most of our modern maladies require us merely to lay in bed for a solid 24-48 hours. Total bed rest and we will be cured. But we don't do that. We drive ourselves to stand upright - soak ourselves with medications that weaken our physical systems to break down in other ways - but we never miss the meeting or the day at work - and suffer for weeks as a result. All our body needed was enforced rest - enforced sleep - for 24 to 48 hours. The body would have healed itself. The body needed time - not medication. But we're not willing to take the time to heal.

 

[smcder]

Just a bit on remission: A few years back, about 4 years, I wound up getting a diagnosis of a thyroid problem. (I got caught in that treadmill because I had swollen glands from a viral infection and the doctor decided to have my thyroid checked 'just too be safe' - with test results that showed a thyroid in 100% shut-down). I went for ultrasound and then a biopsy and got the opinion that I needed to be monitored regularly at least, if no surgery right away - which I was declining. I was told I would have to take medication - and rumor had it that thyroid medication is not a happy experience for the body in general. Anyway, life was too busy and I easily failed to make the doctor appointments with the specialists - and I for sure wasn't keen to have another thyroid biopsy 'on a regular/routine basis' - so I just never called my well-meaning physician back.

I did have a talk with my body, though.

Anyway, fast forward a few years. Last year I find I have to go to the doctor to deal with some annoying pain and he winds up doing the whole blood work-up and sends me for another ultrasound. Result? No thyroid problem. My thyroid is pumping out the requisite thyroid stuff - whatever it is. Thyroid is a-ok. Kicker is the specialist that looked at the results of my ultrasound thinks that I should have the surgery anyway, 'just to be safe'. No thank you, says I.

So over the space of three years my thyroid kicked back in. Remission? No. This is what I think - the viral thing I had likely did mess with my physical system and impacted my thyroid for a while. But left alone, with the virus beaten back, the thyroid recovered and got back to it's business. Pure speculation on my part, I am well aware - but we are often very smart about our bodies. Thing is, the medical doctors were speculating, too. Part of the problem is the speed we want things done - at once, immediately. A doctor is not 'good' unless we walk out of his/her office with a 'cure', an instant diagnosis, with an instant pill that makes the pain/condition go away. What would anyone think of a doctor who said - we'll try this 'cure' but I need you to stay with the pain so that we can track what's going on. Not likely we'd stay with such a doctor. Yet.....

.......that is what I was required to do with my rash as the Homeopathic physician sought for the correct cure across several years. And once the cure was found I had to live with the pain and discomfort for many months until the cure finished it's cycle. (All-in-all, about a year).

It is amazing how wise the body is. Most of our modern maladies require us merely to lay in bed for a solid 24-48 hours. Total bed rest and we will be cured. But we don't do that. We drive ourselves to stand upright - soak ourselves with medications that weaken our physical systems to break down in other ways - but we never miss the meeting or the day at work - and suffer for weeks as a result. All our body needed was enforced rest - enforced sleep - for 24 to 48 hours. The body would have healed itself. The body needed time - not medication. But we're not willing to take the time to heal.

A family member was diagnosed with a "thyroid storm" years back - interestingly, when she refused medication the doctor told her it would be tough but he would stand by her and supervise ... she went in at one point when she just couldn't stand it and the doctor told her basically, "oh no you don't, you're going to see this through without medications" - I'm not sure, but it may have been that at that point in the process, medications would have been hard to start or less effective, I'm not sure I just know the doctor didn't prescribe.

I think it took a year or so for the storm to subside and she never took meds and is in good health today.

 

[Tyger]

Have you seen this, Steve? Arkansas - anywhere in the South as it happens - seems a hard place to be. Is that so?

Why the South is the worst place to live in the U.S. — in 10 charts
LINK: Why the South is the worst place to live in the U.S. — in 10 charts - The Washington Post

TEXT: "Looking for a healthier lifestyle? You might want to move to Hawaii. More educated people? You should probably try Montana, Vermont, or Minnesota. Better job prospects? North Dakota. And if you want the best quality of living, pound for pound, the best place to live is New Hampshire. But if you're trying to avoid places where all of the above are (well) below average, you'll want to stay clear of the South."

 

[Tyger]

For you, Steve - new beginnings in far away places - healing and happiness 'outside the box'.

OFFICIAL - Somewhere Over the Rainbow 2011 - Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole

 

[smcder]

Have you seen this, Steve? Arkansas - anywhere in the South as it happens - seems a hard place to be. Is that so?

Why the South is the worst place to live in the U.S. — in 10 charts
LINK: Why the South is the worst place to live in the U.S. — in 10 charts - The Washington Post

TEXT: "Looking for a healthier lifestyle? You might want to move to Hawaii. More educated people? You should probably try Montana, Vermont, or Minnesota. Better job prospects? North Dakota. And if you want the best quality of living, pound for pound, the best place to live is New Hampshire. But if you're trying to avoid places where all of the above are (well) below average, you'll want to stay clear of the South."

We like to say "thank God for Mississippi"

It's a beautiful state with lots of parks and most of it is sparsely populated. Woods, mountains - lots of water and wildlife. Folks tend to be pretty capable and often ingenious in coping with any given lack.

And I'm ok with people not rushing to move in around here ...

I came across this in the library today:

You Are the Placebo: Making Your Mind Matter:Amazon:Books

 

[Tyger]

We like to say "thank God for Mississippi"

It's a beautiful state with lots of parks and most of it is sparsely populated. Woods, mountains - lots of water and wildlife. Folks tend to be pretty capable and often ingenious in coping with any given lack.

And I'm ok with people not rushing to move in around here ...

I came across this in the library today:

You Are the Placebo: Making Your Mind Matter:Amazon:Books

A few decades ago - perhaps in the (early) 1980's - the sister (of a colleague at the time) sold all her land, house and possessions, left her husband, to follow some psychic channeling the idea that Armageddon was imminent and Arkansas was the place to be. She went there with a group of people and bought land, lived simply. My colleague visited her and said it really was quite beautiful. After a few years the sister returned to California, reconciled with her husband and is once again living the usual California lifestyle. (Armageddon did not happen promptly enough - we are so impatient for results!)

Over the years I've known two other people who had significant time spent in Arkansas. They were not native to Arkansas, but were passing through from somewhere else to somewhere else and wound up staying for a few years. I always found it puzzling - what had drawn them to stay, to carve out years of their life, for a stint in Arkansas? One friend came away with her future husband back to California.

I trust what you say - something in the air, the beauty of the nature. That will do it.

Regarding the placebo-effect - yes, major evidence in itself of the power of the mind, of the power of belief. I like this from an Amazon review of the book you linked to: "The basic premise of Placebo is that we have an incredible (or rather astounding) ability to heal ourselves based on our mental state. I always get people who think it's unethical to use placebo to heal people, but they ignore the vast amounts of evidence showing how effective the belief that you are getting better actually *makes* you better! It seems unscientific but it's not, it just doesn't make pharmaceutical companies millions of dollars, so no one is exploring it.

"The take-home message is that your thoughts create patterns and end up dictating your life. "As long as you're thinking the same thoughts, they will lead to the same choices, which cause the same behavior, which create the same expression, which produce the same emotions, which in turn drive the same thoughts." In other words, think positive thoughts and they will come to fruition in a healthier, happier life."

This is all about manifestation - that capacity that we use every second of our lives and yet deny we are using. It is a powerful belief that we are victims, that we are creatures of a determining God or a determining material universe that we cannot control. Atheists and/or materialists don't get off on this one - they are as much structuring their worlds based on powerlessness as are those they rant against as dupes of religious authority.

I recall the 'healing' I performed on myself when I lived in Hawaii. I sat there and 'told' my body, myself - whatever it was - that it was not possible for me to entertain the illness at that time. I was very firm. However I did it - from one moment to the next - I felt the illness 'exit'. When I talked with my Christian Scientist friend about the experience, she recognized it as a classic healing a la what Christian Scientists do.

 

[smcder]

A few decades ago - perhaps in the (early) 1980's - the sister (of a colleague at the time) sold all her land, house and possessions, left her husband, to follow some psychic channeling the idea that Armageddon was imminent and Arkansas was the place to be. She went there with a group of people and bought land, lived simply. My colleague visited her and said it really was quite beautiful. After a few years the sister returned to California, reconciled with her husband and is once again living the usual California lifestyle. (Armageddon did not happen promptly enough - we are so impatient for results!)

Over the years I've known two other people who had significant time spent in Arkansas. They were not native to Arkansas, but were passing through from somewhere else to somewhere else and wound up staying for a few years. I always found it puzzling - what had drawn them to stay, to carve out years of their life, for a stint in Arkansas? One friend came away with her future husband back to California.

I trust what you say - something in the air, the beauty of the nature. That will do it.

Regarding the placebo-effect - yes, major evidence in itself of the power of the mind, of the power of belief. I like this from an Amazon review of the book you linked to: "The basic premise of Placebo is that we have an incredible (or rather astounding) ability to heal ourselves based on our mental state. I always get people who think it's unethical to use placebo to heal people, but they ignore the vast amounts of evidence showing how effective the belief that you are getting better actually *makes* you better! It seems unscientific but it's not, it just doesn't make pharmaceutical companies millions of dollars, so no one is exploring it.

"The take-home message is that your thoughts create patterns and end up dictating your life. "As long as you're thinking the same thoughts, they will lead to the same choices, which cause the same behavior, which create the same expression, which produce the same emotions, which in turn drive the same thoughts." In other words, think positive thoughts and they will come to fruition in a healthier, happier life."

This is all about manifestation - that capacity that we use every second of our lives and yet deny we are using. It is a powerful belief that we are victims, that we are creatures of a determining God or a determining material universe that we cannot control. Atheists and/or materialists don't get off on this one - they are as much structuring their worlds based on powerlessness as are those they rant against as dupes of religious authority.

I recall the 'healing' I performed on myself when I lived in Hawaii. I sat there and 'told' my body, myself - whatever it was - that it was not possible for me to entertain the illness at that time. I was very firm. However I did it - from one moment to the next - I felt the illness 'exit'. When I talked with my Christian Scientist friend about the experience, she recognized it as a classic healing a la what Christian Scientists do.

Interesting what your friend said about Armaggedon and Arkansas the place to be ... early 80s?

Titan II Missile Explosion - Encyclopedia of Arkansas

How a Dropped Wrench Socket Almost Incinerated Arkansas: Review - Businessweek

"For almost nine hours starting on Sept. 18, 1980, brave airmen sought to contain the damage precipitated by a dropped wrench socket that hit a Titan II missile -- which was tipped with a W-53 thermonuclear warhead -- in its silo. The socket pierced the missile’s skin, causing fuel and oxidizer leaks.
The ensuing explosion destroyed the silo, propelling missile parts and warhead into abbreviated flight. One airman died from internal wounds while 21 personnel were injured. The W-53 warhead ended up on a nearby roadside -- passed by motorists but fortunately never detonated. Close, but no mushroom cloud."

 

[Tyger]

Just a little piece of fluff -

Effect of Positive Thoughts Before Meals
LINK: Fractal Enlightenment | Effect of Positive Thoughts Before Meals

TEXT: " “If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought.” ~ Peace Pilgrim

"Our thoughts and intentions manifest into reality. They have the power to change our lives. Even the food prepared with love and positive thoughts would taste better. Ever wondered why home-made food always tastes better than restaurant food or canned food? Besides, the use of fresher and possibly more nutritious ingredients, there is another factor that makes home food better – mother’s love and caring intention.

"The act of saying few words of gratitude before eating your meals has a positive effect. Every culture talks about saying positive words before eating – Christians say grace before their meals, Hindus chant a prayer and sprinkle water around it, Muslims also start eating only after chanting the name of the Divine.

"An experiment carried out by scientists at the Institute of Noetic Sciences, examined the roles of intention and belief on mood while drinking tea. It explored whether drinking tea “treated” with good intentions would have an effect on mood more so than drinking ordinary tea.

"They concluded that tea treated with good intentions improved mood more than ordinary tea derived from the same source. The study stated, “This also suggests that the esthetic and intentional qualities associated with the traditional tea ceremony may have subtle influences that extend beyond the ritual itself.”

"We know the power of thoughts and intentions on water; water stamped with positive words was far more symmetrical and aesthetically pleasing than that stamped with dark, negative phrases.

"With the money-driven lifestyle, we forget what kind of effect thoughts can have on us and our surroundings. Be mindful; before you eat, or drink water, be thankful for it, put love and good intentions into it, as this will have a direct effect on your physical body. Following such a simple practice can lead to a better life and healthier living."

 

[Tyger]

The Lunar Eclipse is this evening/morning. Hope everyone finds a glorious place in nature to observe this event and consider the sacredness of the moment.

'Blood Moon' Eclipse To Be Visible Throughout U.S.
LINK: 'Blood Moon' Eclipse To Be Visible Throughout U.S. : The Two-Way : NPR



The Relation Between the Moon and the Human Mind
LINK: Fractal Enlightenment | The Relation Between the Moon and the Human Mind

TEXT: "Every thing around us has an effect on something within us – be it our exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet radiation (UVR), looking at the morning sky, taking a walk in the forest, or swimming in the sea – nature’s beauty prompts the flow of hormones and energy in our body. But not everything that’s present in nature is fundamentally good for human beings.

"The Moon, romanticised by poets and artists since ages, has a series of negative effects on the human mind, scientifically and spiritually. Several scientists and research institutions have conducted experiments over the years to study the effect of moon and full moon nights on the human mind and behaviour.

"Moon, Conscious and Sub-Conscious

"According to Quantum Physics, everything in the Universe – stars, planets, satellites or even the moon has an operating frequency. The frequency emanated by the moon affects the frequency of the mind that exerts control over our feelings, emotions and desires. The mind, which consists of conscious and sub-conscious mind, reacts to the standing and positioning of the moon in the sky. Neuroscience has recognized that the subconscious controls 95% of our lives.

"Sub-conscious mind is the collective storehouse of impressions, memories and thoughts accumulated over the years and lifetime and it has a higher operating frequency in comparison to that of the moon. One needs constructive thinking and observatory skills to get into the realms of the sub-conscious mind.

"The moon frequencies have the power to make the thought frequencies in our sub-conscious mind to surface to the conscious mind. Since our sub-conscious mind consists of unnecessary and necessary, positive and negative imprints, their combined rise to the conscious mind, can leave us feeling exasperated, crazy and mindless.

"Moon, Tides and Human body

"Moon is the reason for tides on earth, as due to its gravitational pull the volatile objects (water) on earth tend to get disturbed. Marine animals have a hard time surviving due to constant tides. Aristotle and Roman historian Pliny the Elder suggested that the brain was the “moistest” organ in the body. Scientist went further on this line of thought and suggested that since the human body is made up of 80% water, it could be possible that moon does influence human’s state of mind and behaviour. However, to each research that proves the same, there is a contradictory research denying the same.

"But, there is concrete evidence that the moon affects human sleep patterns. The evidence was published based on the experiment where 33 adult volunteers (of both sexes) of different age groups were made to sleep for several nights in a sleep lab.

"Researchers studied and observed the volunteers’ brain activity, eye movements and hormone levels. Gradually, it was found out that on the nights closer to moon days, volunteers took an average of five minutes longer to fall asleep, and slept overall 20 minutes lesser than their usual sleeping hours. Additionally, melatonin (hormone that helps in regulating sleep cycle) level had dropped compared to other nights hence proving the fact that people are prone to insomnia during full moon nights.

"Practitioners of Ashtanga yoga, a traditional vigorous yoga style that is almost thousand years old, are asked to avoid doing yoga on moon days: full moon and new moon. The reason for the same is that one exhibits too much energy on full moon days, which might lead to injury and fracture in the body. It is, thus, advised, to indulge in activities that calms the mind, for example — meditation.

"Countering the influence of the Moon

"In order to not let the moon vibrancies take over you, be vigilant about your own vibrations. Be watchful of your behaviour, impulses and thoughts on moon days. Since, new moon asks a part of your unconscious to rise up, you can use this as an opportunity to cleanse your mind off those thoughts which tend to bother and disturb you. New moon energy can be used in our favour if we choose to harness that energy to reflect and create a better self."

 

[Jeff Davis]

As an example of the Fool, the Holy Fool - see The Island (Ostrov) 2006

Ostrov (2006) - IMDb

The lead actor is a former Russian rock star who I understand now lives in isolation as a religious contemplative. He gives a compelling performance.

Also, I just finished Tarvosky's The Mirror ... stunning visually.

I just came across this film that's been compared to Tarvosky's work

Silent Souls - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thanks for the recommendations. I added these to the top of my netflix queue. The first one sounds quite intriguing.

 

[boomerang]

Id like to hear about this - a friend of the family experienced this I believe, but I'll check the story.

Sorry for the delay in getting back.

I don't have any dramatic anecdotes to offer. I did have one doctor, years ago, who stated unequivocally that the mind is connected to healing processes in ways we don't understand. As I had no medical problems of much consequence at the time, his statement did not sound like a pep talk. Are there well structured, large scale surveys of doctors on this topic? I would love to see a statistical breakdown of medical opinion re the mind's ability to affect the course of the disease process. The same for the phenomenon of spontaneous remission, and I know much has been written. The issue is in finding sources that are unbiased and credible.

What we do know is that spontaneous remission happens on a small but consistent scale, and apparently leaves many medical experts utterly baffled.