December 2005, Volume 5, No. 12

 

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We are part of a vast universe.      What is our place in this amazing cosmos?            What is your place in this world?                      The sands of time may be limited!

 

       We are part of a vast galaxy.

              What is our place in this amazing cosmos?

 

	One-Armed Spiral Galaxy NGC 4725
	Ours is but one of millions and millions of galaxies in the vast universe. Ours is but one of billions of planets circling a star.   Can we survive long enough to bridge the distances or consciousness between planets and stars and galaxies and nations and religious/ political/ social differences?
	Just as light and gravity extend forever, connecting galaxies, stars and planets across the universe, so our consciousness extends everywhere and everywhen.           - Daniel J. Benor, MD             How Can I Heal What Hurts	. Credit: R. Kennicutt (Univ. Arizona), SINGS TEAM, JPL-CALTECH, NASA
	While most spiral galaxies, including our own Milky Way, have two or more spiral arms, peculiar galaxy NGC 4725 has only one. In this false-color Spitzer Space Telescope infrared image, the galaxy's solo spira mirabilis is seen in red, highlighting the emission from dust clouds warmed by newborn stars. The blue color is light from NGC 4725's population of old stars. Also sporting a prominent ring and a central bar, this galaxy is over 100 thousand light-years across and lies 41 million light-years away in the well-groomed constellation Coma Berenices. Computer simulations of the formation of single spiral arms suggest that they can be either leading or trailing arms with respect to a galaxy's overall rotation.

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***  WholisticHealingResearch.com website  ***

Research in spiritual awareness and healing, extensive references on healing studies, complementary/alternative therapies, healing resources, links.
Also books, articles, lectures and workshops by site moderator, Daniel J Benor, MD. www.WholisticHealingResearch.com 

Search facility for entire WHR site  www.WholisticHealingResearch.com#search 
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**NEW ON WHR SITE **
 
Relaxation, a skill you can easily learn, will contribute to your health in many ways. When your body is more relaxed, your hormones will be in better balance than when you are up tight and activating your stress responses. With your body relaxed, your mind and emotions have an easier time relaxing. The reverse is also true: when your mind and emotions are at ease, your body will be more at ease.

For a varied sampling of relaxation references go to:
http://www.wholistichealingresearch.com/References/Relaxation.asp

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Wholistic healing, Complementary therapies, Integrative care, Spiritual Awareness and Healing, Research, Clients' experiences with therapy, Humor, poetry, imagery and the arts, Societal healing, Planetary healing, Networking
 Editor - Daniel J. Benor, M.D.
 
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This issue of IJHC features

Image credit: Ellen Fisher-Turk     DEALING WITH LIFE CHALLENGES		Editorial LIVING IN A PLACE OF LOVE     RATHER THAN ANGER, HURT     AND FEAR Daniel J Benor, MD  Dealing with life challenges IMAGES FROM THE DAWN AND DUSK OF LIFE Meredith Jordan Research MEASURING CHILDREN’S INTUITION IN     A SCHOOL SETTING Christian J. Hallman, PhD DISTANT MENTAL HEALING:     Influence of intercessory prayers     and qi-gong therapy Alexander P. Dubrov Poetry, Art and Humor Are Healing Aerica; and The Beauty of My Brain Tumor by Teri Goldman Ric Masten - One liners
Wholistic Approaches
THE 'PLACE OF JOY':   A collaborative method of induction|  in past life regression                Judith Landau, MD
BALANCE BRINGS BETTER INTUITION                Cay Randall-May, PhD
WALKING THE 'SACRED LANDSCAPE' WITH A HOSPITAL CHAPLAIN:                   At the Crossroads of Spirituality and Medicine                Dina Greenberg
Variations on the Theme of Healing
REIKI: TOUCH OF THE SPIRIT - Christina St. Clair
Creative arts for healing
PhotoTherapy - Ellen Fisher-Turk
WHOLISTIC NEWS REVIEWS TRADITIONAL, COMPLEMENTARY, ALTERNATIVE AND PSYCHO-SOCIAL MODALITIES OF TREATMENT Larry Lachman, PsyD
Books                           for your                                       Inspiration          Darwin had only a         small part of the answer	for understanding                               approaches in healing                                                                   RESEARCH IN DOWSING              Systematic studies                       by a physicist
for your inspiration            Lessons, lessons, lessons...                             Personal,                                     Relational,                                             Spiritual		Outstanding dedications                     to venerable trees                         from around the world

 

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From IJHC September 2005, Volume 5, No. 3

Editorial

LIVING IN A PLACE OF LOVE RATHER THAN ANGER, HURT AND FEAR
Daniel J Benor, MD

Research

MEASURING CHILDREN'S INTUITION IN A SCHOOL SETTING
Christian J. Hallman, PhD

DISTANT MENTAL HEALING:
Influence of intercessory prayers and qi-gong therapy
Alexander P. Dubrov

Dealing with Life Challenges

IMAGES FROM THE DAWN AND DUSK OF LIFE
Meredith Jordan

See also in this issue of IJHC:

PhotoTherapy, by Ellen Fisher-Turk

Aerika, and The Beauty of My Brain Tumor, by Teri Goldman
    (in Poetry section)

 Wholistic Approaches
 
THE 'PLACE OF JOY': A COLLABORATIVE METHOD OF INDUCTION
IN PAST LIFE REGRESSION
Judith Landau, MD

     
BALANCE BRINGS BETTER INTUITION
Cay Randall-May, PhD


WALKING THE 'SACRED LANDSCAPE' WITH A HOSPITAL CHAPLAIN:
At the Crossroads of Spirituality and Medicine
Dina Greenberg

RETURN TO INTEGRATION: ONENESS WITH ECOPSYCHOLOGY AS KEY TO SAVING THE PLANET EARTH
Lana Thomas

           Suggestions for healing our planet

Man has turned on himself in his attempts to conquer the environment. This literature review examines the emergence, relevance and validity of Ecopsychology -- the study of this self-destructive process and the search for its cure. Has man betrayed himself in his patriarchal pursuit of dominion? Can Ecopsychology embrace other fields of psychology, science, physics and religion to sort out how collective efforts could halt the destruction of our planet and ultimately ourselves? It seems that a revolution in ideas, positive action and especially thought is rising to help understand our behavior and to present possible solutions to our global environmental issues. The earth is our home, our mother and our lifeblood and as Ecopsychology shows, as much a part of us as we are of it.

Recently, environmental movements have created a greater awareness of the imperative of preserving our planet. In attempts to understand how our situation became so grave, some psychologists (Roszak, 1995) acknowledge the need for examination of the motivation for destroying our own home and the indifference towards this immanent destruction. It is in hopes of determining the reasons for such behavior that the field of Ecopsychology was established. It asks, "Can we understand the psychology hidden behind self-destructive patterns and create ecologically sound principles that can save our environment and thus mankind?"

...It is in within our nature to love, be loved and express community in all our daily interactions. However, accountability for our actions is [dismissed overridden] by self-serving endeavors and the pursuit of personal gain at the expense of others, adhering to Darwin's theory of survival of the fittest. The costs are high and frighteningly threatening as we destroy the sacredness of the earth. Winter and Kroger (2004) shed light on some of the underlying fears that create our self-destructive attitudes. They suggest that the fear of scarcity reveals that we have little trust in our future or in the fact that our needs will be met. As fear and competition replace the belief that cooperation and trust will bring us benefits, we become neurotic in one of four ways, and these neuroses will impact our environmental behavior. The four reactions are narcissism, depression, paranoia and compulsions. Narcissism denies the value of anything beyond the self. Depression creates helplessness and apathy toward global issues. Paranoia creates fear of others and negative propaganda about foreign political systems and others, thereby fueling this neurosis. Compulsions are fed by the greed that is advocated as need based -- having set our standards for needs in some parts of the world at levels that drain the resources of other parts of the world. Boldt (1999) writes of the art of abundant living and the Tao of abundance as an alternative to fear. We can learn of our incredibly creative qualities and exercise them versus living in fear of our imminent demise...

        (Read more in IJHC September 2005, Volume 5, No. 3)


Variations on the theme of healing

REIKI: TOUCH OF THE SPIRIT
Christina St. Clair

     Reiki healing from a Christian perspective

Reiki is a healing art that hails back to Hinduism, Buddhism, and Shintoism, and was originally developed by Mikao Usui in Japan. This article presents the importance of its use for all people, regardless of their belief system, as a means of healing and involvement with other people. The author talks about her own experiences with Reiki, relieving pain for others, and helping her become more hands-on and less aloof. She also explains the basic Reiki tenets, briefly describes the seven major Chakras (energy centers in the body), and how Reiki attunements begin the process of healing self and others through a mysterious source of interconnectedness, which might be likened to the Oneness in Christ that begins with the ritual of baptism.

        (Read more in IJHC September 2005, Volume 5, No. 3)

Creative arts for healing

PHOTOTHERAPY
Ellen F. Turk

     Profound transformations through self-acceptance

I call my work PhotoTherapy. PhotoTherapy combines black and white photography and journal writing as tools for changing women's negative self-image. I ask women to keep a journal when they decide to be photographed through six weeks afterward. Women start the photographing clothed and disrobe during the session. Everywhere we look , in magazines, on television, the images are retouched They look perfect How should we feel ?

This article is about how women take back the appraisal of WHAT IS BEAUTY. PhotoTherapy uses a woman's multiple images to shift her negative self-perceptions. By being seen and not judged, by being photographed nude and seeing what they're most afraid of seeing, women have had the opportunity to reconstruct how they see themselves.

I remember photographing Camilla six years ago. When she called to set up an appointment, she said, "I must be crazy to do this, but my body image is terrible. I can't keep getting up in the morning being disgusted with what I see."

The morning after we photographed, Camilla called to tell me that when we were photographing she looked in the mirror and saw that she was beautiful. She'd never noticed before.

I photograph all women. Some suffer from eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia. Others are overweight. Some have negative feelings about their bodies caused by rape, incest, sexual abuse, or surgery. The rest are, perhaps, like you and me ®¢ ordinary women who have been spared trauma, but not the reality of aging or having expectations of being more perfect.

During the past ten years, I have worked with over 100 women and have seen my use of photography transform their self-image and the way they perceive their bodies. It has also empowered their lives. I've seen them change their way of dressing, their friends, their partners, their jobs. The photography seems to jump start their lives.

        (Read more in IJHC September 2005, Volume 5, No. 3)


Wholistic News Reviews

Traditional, Complementary, Alternative, and Psycho-Social Modalities of Treatment
Larry Lachman, PsyD


Poetry and Humor are Healing

Aerika, and The Beauty of My Brain Tumor, by Teri Goldman

Aerika
In early 2003, Aerika was working at Harbor-UCLA and earning her Masters of Science in Nursing from USC when a seizure led to the detection of her brain tumor. A few weeks later, she discovered she was pregnant. With her loving husband by her side, Aerika finished her Master’s degree and gave birth to Ashleigh, a beautiful baby girl. Post-delivery, Aerika underwent surgery and was diagnosed in February 2004 with a grade IV glioblastoma. She received radiation and continues with chemotherapy. Aerika lives each day to the fullest and is grateful for all the loving people in her life. She is optimistic and hopeful that she will be with her family for each bright and beautiful tomorrow.

The Beauty of My Brain Tumor
(In the voice of Aerika Wiseman)
by Teri Goldman
Thanks to the initial generalized seizure I experienced
during a run one evening through the Pasadena hills,
this beautiful eight-month old baby ball of fire
is teetering on my lap, babbling up a storm.
My daughter Ashleigh is the beauty of my brain tumor.

     You see, the anti-seizure medication messed with my cycle,
     and I discovered I was pregnant one week after
                the tumor diagnosis.
     Soon, my husband and I brought a 7-pound, 19-inch angel
                into our world,
     a beacon of light through the dark matter in my brain.
     We never suspected that a Glioblastoma Multiforme
     was creeping around the left side of my motor strip,
                growing as my baby grew.

            “Did you just not feel challenged enough?”
            my mother asked. We laughed.
            Life has never been something I questioned.
            Keeping the baby; giving birth; enjoying time with family;
            creating opportunities for children, students, and friends:
            these are the things that have made my life happy and full...

        (Read more in IJHC September 2005, Volume 5, No. 3)


ONE-LINERS
Ric Masten

            NO SLAM DUNK
            in a candid moment mother once said
            "Show me a man
            who thinks he's in control
            and I'll show you a clever woman."
            and certainly
            she was the sovereign head
            of the kingdom I came from
            I didn't go to college.... I was sent!
            off to study optometry
            groomed
            to step into my step father’s shoes
            another "sight for sore eyes" she'd joke
            another professional man
            she assumed
            thank god
            I was learning disabled! ...

            NATIONAL CONFERENCE
            ON PROSTATE CANCER, 2005
            — THE SET UP — The setting was the
            Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington,
            DC. And as an actor in this cast of
            characters I played my part as best I
            could. This is not meant to be poetry
            but rather a poetic summery of two
            days a week ago.

               

 

            in Baltimore International
            I wait to fly home to my wife
            having just spent what arguably
            has been the two best days of my life
            dubbed the “Poet Laureate of Prostate Cancer”
            I’m probably the only poet ever invited
            to address a medical convention
            but for me advanced PC is the subject
            that gets all the ink these days
            this is not to say
            I didn’t have hidden agenda — I did
            in due time I will need a master navigator
            to guide me through the treacherous waters
            that lie up ahead

            not an easy task as the panel of speakers
            were the best of the best
            but to be totally honest
            the technical talk sailed over my head
            but preparing and reading nautical charts
            is what the navigator is paid to do

            so it wasn’t so much what they said
            rather the manner in which they said it
            all were informed and knowledgeable
            but one had a quiet thoughtful style
            a sweet gentle smile — someone who
            was in the same boat as the rest of us
            finding him was like coming home ...

See Ric Masten’s new Words and One-Liners 2, below, under Books.

        (Read more in IJHC September 2005, Volume 5, No. 3)

Book Reviews

 
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       We are part of a vast world.
 

              What is our place in this amazing cosmos?
 

	STAR-FORMING REGION RCW38 IN THE MILKY WAY
	When we walk to the edge of all the light we have and take a step into the darkness of the unknown, we must believe one of two things will happen - there will be something SOLID for us to stand on or we will be taught how to fly.                                     --Patrick Overton		Photo Credits: ESO PR Photo 46b/98
	This photo displays a spectacular three-color composite image of RCW38 , obtained through three near-infrared filters. This is a region in the Milky Way at a distance of about 5,000 light years, where stars which have recently formed in clouds of gas and dust are still heavily obscured and cannot be observed in the visible part of the spectrum. However, they are very well seen at infrared wavelengths. The diffuse radiation is a mixture of starlight scattered by the dust and gas in the area, plus atomic and molecular hydrogen line emission.

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***STUDIES and PROGRESS NOTES***

  
** SPIRITUAL AWARENESS AND HEALING **

Spiritual healing produces changes in calcium concentrations
Healing significantly increased calcium concentration outside human lymphoid Jurkat T cells cultured in the laboratory. This suggests a possible method for testing healing abilities.

Journal Abstract
*External* *bioenergy* (EBE, energy emitted from a human body) has been shown to increase intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i, an important factor in signal transduction) and regulate the cellular response to heat stress in cultured human lymphoid Jurkat T cells. In this study, we wanted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. A *bioenergy* specialist emitted *bioenergy* sequentially toward tubes of cultured Jurkat T cells for one 15-minute period in buffers containing different ion compositions or different concentrations of inhibitors. [Ca2+], was measured spectrofluorometrically using the fluorescent probe fura-2. The resting [Ca2+]i in Jurkat T cells was 70 +/- 3 nM (n = 130) in the normal buffer. Removal of *external* calcium decreased the resting [Ca2+]i to 52 +/- 2 nM (n = 23), indicating that Ca2+ entry from the *external* source is important for maintaining the basal level of [Ca2+]i. Treatment of Jurkat T cells with EBE for 15 min increased [Ca2+]i by 30 +/- 5% (P < 0.05, Student t-test).

The distance between the *bioenergy* specialist and Jurkat T cells and repetitive treatments of EBE did not attenuate [Ca2+]i responsiveness to EBE. Removal of *external* Ca2+ or Na+, but not Mg2+, inhibited the EBE-induced increase in [Ca2+]i. Dichlorobenzamil, an inhibitor of Na+/Ca2+ exchangers, also inhibited the EBE-induced increase in [Ca2+]i in a concentration-dependent manner with an IC50 of 0.11 +/- 0.02 nM. When *external* [K+] was increased from 4.5 mM to 25 mM, EBE decreased [Ca2+]i. The EBE-induced increase was also blocked by verapamil, an L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channel blocker. These results suggest that the EBE-induced [Ca2+]i increase may serve as an objective means for assessing and validating *bioenergy* effects and those specialists claiming *bioenergy* capability. The increase in [Ca2+]i is mediated by activation of Na+/Ca2+ exchangers and opening of L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels.

Source: Kiang JG; Ives JA; Jonas WB. External "bioenergy"-induced increases in intracellular free calcium concentrations are mediated by Na+/Ca2+ exchanger and L-type calcium channel. Mol Cell Biochem 2005 Mar; 271(1-2):51-9*   

IJHC-WHR Observations:
This is an important study. In addition to confirming a biological effect of spiritual healing (identified here as 'bioenergy healing'), this may provide a way to confirm that someone who claims to be a healer actually has healing abilities.
Much further research will be needed before this becomes possible. Various healing effects must be confirmed: 1. that spiritual healing regularly produces this effect -- not just with this healer but with other healers; 2. that healing does not occur without this effect.
I would predict that (2) will not prove true, based on the wide variability between healers in methods and results, as reviewed in Healing Research, V1, Popular Edition (see 'BOOKS' below).

 ** FUTURE RESEARCH IN SPIRITUAL AWARENESS AND HEALING **

The effects of healing on intracellular calcium is an interesting observation. Further research will be needed to clarify whether this is a repeatable effect; whether this is an effect observed with all healers or specific to the healer who was studied in this experiment; and whether there are healers who produce other measurable healing effects but do not produce this effect. In addition, it will be interesting to see whether this is specific to these particular cells or can be observed in other cells as well.

The IJHC/WHR Newsletter features monthly suggestions for future research in healing.
READERS ARE INVITED TO SUBMIT SUGGESTIONS FOR TOPICS TO STUDY
If your topic is chosen, you ill receive free access to the IJHC for a month, including the current issue and all back issues.

Suggestion for this month:

Confirming the effects of healing on calcium
    Considering the research described above:
    The effects of healing on intracellular calcium is an interesting observation. Further research will be needed to clarify whether this is a repeatable effect; whether this is an effect observed with all healers or specific to the healer who was studied in this experiment; and whether there are healers who produce other measurable healing effects but do not produce this effect. In addition, it will be interesting to see whether this is specific to these particular cells or can be observed in other cells as well.

 
** WHOLISTIC APPROACHES **   

Following a heart attack there is a 15 percent risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
   A vicious cycle may result, as the PTSD following heart attacks may add to the stresses that can compromise a person's future cardiac heath.
This report covers 25 studies, finding that PTSD was identified in zero to 38 percent of patients.
Source: Spindler H, Pedersen SS. Posttraumatic stress disorder in the wake of heart disease: prevalence, risk factors, and future research directions. Psychosomatic Medicine 2005, 67(5).
http://www.psychosomaticmedicine.org/cgi/content/abstract/67/5/715?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&author1=Spindler+H++&author2=Pedersen&searchid=1129330498419_1102&stored_search=&FIRSTINDEX=0&fdate=8/1/2005&journalcode=psychmed 
IJHC-WHR Observations:
    There are many wholistic treatments available for treating stress, including: relaxation, meditation, imagery, breathing, WHEE, yoga and more.


Gene found related to hair loss
"Researchers found it was possible to re-grow fur on bald mice by correcting a gene mutation, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reportedÉ
The so-called hairless gene works by repressing the production of a protein called wise, which can hinder the process of hair growth if it is left to accumulate.
Half of men suffer from baldness by the age of 50 although there are a variety of different causes of which this gene mutation is just one."
Sources:
Easy reading version: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4283302.stm
Technical version: Gerard M. J. et al. Hairless triggers reactivation of hair growth by promoting Wnt signaling,   Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 10.1073/pnas.0507609102
http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/0507609102v1?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=Catherine+Thompson&searchid=1128220725250_5024&stored_search=&FIRSTINDEX=0&journalcode=pnas
IJHC-WHR Observations:
It would be a blessing to many if this discovery in mice can be transferred to humans, though it is still too early to know if this promising research will bear such fruit.

 ** COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES **

Abstract
A Yogi master was psychophysiologically monitored while he pierced his neck and tongue with skewers to demonstrate control of pain and bleeding. Measurements included respiration rate (RR), heart rate (HR), diaphragmatic and thoracic breathing, electrodermal activity (EDA) and electroencephalography (EEG) from Cz and Fz. The Yogi reported no pain during piercing and no bleeding was observed. In general he had elevated HR and low unresponsive EDA throughout the session. His respiration rate averaged 7 brpm during the slow breathing meditation prior to and following the piercing but elevated to approximately 25 breaths per minute during piercing. His EEG showed predominate alpha of 10 Hz during meditation. Alpha, sensory motor rhythm (SMR), and beta elevated at Cz during piercing with no change in delta or theta. Alpha and beta elevated at Fz during piercing with no change in SMR, delta or theta. While he stayed in alpha during the piercing, there was a broader range of alpha activation ranging from 10 to 14 Hz. This demonstration suggests a finding of conscious self-regulation, as opposed to disassociation, for controlling attention and responsiveness to painful stimuli. It could be hypothesized that clients with chronic pain could be taught how to control pain using the mind/body in a similar manner.
Source: Peper, Erik/ Wilson, Vietta Sue/ Kawakami, Mitsumasa/ Sata, Misa. The physiological correlates of body piercing by a Yoga master: Control of pain and bleeding, Subtle Energies 2003, 14(3), 223.

IJHC-WHR Observations:
    Yoga facilitates spiritual awareness through relaxation, meditation and body exercises. There are yoga adepts who have mastered control over aspects of the body to an unusual degree. These have been instructive to western science and medicine, indicating the extent of control the mind can have over a wide range of body functions.
  An impressive body of research confirms these abilities and more. See Healing Research, V2, below under "Books."


More CAM reviews at
http://www.naturalhealthvillage.com

http://www.mdlinx.com/FamilyMDLinx

http://www.chiro.org/alt_med_abstracts/#David_M_Eisenberg

http://www.ucalgary.ca/~camig/litsearch.html

AMSA website
http://www.amsa.org/humed/camresources/camnews.cfm
 

** ENVIRONMENT (HEALING OUR PLANET) **

The Pollution in Newborns
A frightening collection of 287 industrial chemicals, wastes from burning coal, gasoline, and garbage and pesticides was found in umbilical cord blood of 10 babies in 2004. Contrary to previous beliefs that the placenta shields the fetus from toxic chemicals, this study revealed the presence of industrial chemicals, pollutants and pesticides that cross the placenta as readily as residues from cigarettes and alcohol.
Source: Environmental Working Group analysis of tests of 10 umbilical cord blood samples conducted by AXYS Analytical Services (Sydney, BC) and Flett Research Ltd. (Winnipeg, MB).
http://www.ewg.org/reports/bodyburden2/execsumm.php

* * TECHNOLOGY * *

Aid for people who are completely paralysed
People who can't even blink can learn to control the blood flow in their brain, which can then be used as a signal for communication. This has been particularly helpful to people with a disease called Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gherig's Disease; motor neuron disease).
    A device to do just this was developed by Hitachi. To signal yes, people activate the front part of the brain by focusing on mental arithmetic; for no they simply relax. It takes half a minute for each response.
    Tests showed people could signal yes or no with an accuracy of 80%.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4286936.stm

* *  HUMAN ECOLOGY* *  

Non-local consciousness in the news: Can 'weird science' save the Sox?
Eric Leskowitz
Prayers for sports success featured in Boston Globe!
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/09/26/can_weird_science_save_the_sox/

IJHC-WHR Observations:
If popular acceptance of non-local consciousness has reached the sports page, can medical awareness of these ways of influencing the world be far behind?

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*** EVENTS ***  
J = presentation by Daniel J Benor, MD

NEW -- RECENT EVENTS HIGHLIGHTS
 

*December

5-11 The Psychology of Health, Immunity & Disease Conference, Hilton Head Island, SC, 1-800-743-2226

9-12 XIII International Congress on Anti-Aging Medicine, Las Vegas, NV, 1-800-558-1267

10 Annual Meeting and Dinner of Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP), Philadelphia, matt@pnhp.org, 312-782-6007, http://www.pnhp.org/anmeetingform.pdf; pre-conference Leadership Training www.pnhp.org/ltiform.pdf

11-January 7 Science, Values, and Religion Seminar, The Association of Science, Society, and Religion, Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth, Pune, India. e-mail Kuruvilla Pandikattu at puneseminar@gmail.com,  http://www.assrindia.org/


*January 2006

7-14 The Scientists Retreat at Insight Meditation Society - to introduce neuroscientists, cognitive scientists, psychologists and others who study the mind, to intensive meditation in a retreat setting -- vipassana retreat led by Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg.  http://www.mindandlife.org/

11-14 Fourth Annual Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities, Honolulu, HI, 808-949-1456, humanities@hichumanities.org, http://www.hichumanities.org/

20-22 3rd Annual Natural Supplements: An Evidence-Based Update, La Jolla, CA, Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine , 1-858-587-4404

20-24 The Fifth International Conference on Shamanism, Santa Fe, message@bizspirit.com, http://www.bizspirit.com/, 505-474-0998. 19 CE credits +6.5 CE credits for pre-conference retreats.

20-24 The Fifth International Conference on Enlightenment, Santa Fe, message@bizspirit.com, http://www.bizspirit.com/, 505-474-0998. 19 CE credits +6.5 CE credits for pre-conference retreats.

20-24 The Fifth International Conference on Sacred Sexuality, Santa Fe, message@bizspirit.com, http://www.bizspirit.com/, 505-474-0998. 19 CE credits +6.5 CE credits for pre-conference retreats. 

26-29 Brain Management¨/ Subliminal Dynamics¨/ Mental Photography¨ seminar Ð Learn to read as fast as you can turn the pages, with up to 100% recall. This is a very advanced system of whole-brain learning and hemispheric balancing that super-excites the brain on all levels of consciousness simultaneously.  It is not hypnosis, it is not speed-reading; it is not about developing an eidetic memory. It is a whole body/mind training system that can be understood and practiced by anyone regardless of age, education or IQ.   Philadelphia Ð Thursday 5:00-9:30; Friday 5:30-9:30; Saturday & Sunday 1:00-5:30. Registration must be postmarked by January 5, 2006 for the early bird rate of $795.  After January 5, $895. Checks payable to Martina Steiger, ThD, Mailed Daniel Benor, PO Box 502, Medford, NJ 08055 martinasteiger@earthlink.net www.martinasteiger.com

26-29 The Amazing Meeting 2006: Science in Politics & the Politics of Science, Las Vegas, NV, 954-467-1112, http://www.tam4.com/

29-Feb. 4 MindBodySpirit Medicine: The Professional Training Program, Berkeley, CA, Chanelle Redman, credman@cmbm.org, http://www.cmbm.org/


*February 2006

10-13 Spiritual Activism Conference, Washington, DC, 510-528-6250, joe@tikkun.org, http://www.tikkun.org/community/spiritual_activism_conference/

16-20 Grand Challenges, Great Opportunities, St. Louis, Melissa Rosenthal, mrosenth@aaas.org, http://www.aaas.org/

*March 2006

14-18 Global Summit On HIV/AIDS,Traditional Medicine & Indigenous Knowledge, Accra International Conference Centre, St. Paul, MN http://www.africa-first.com/gsaidstmik2006/default.aspx

24-26 Goshen Conference on Religion and Science, Goshen, IN, Carl Helrich, 574-535-7302, carlsh@goshen.edu, http://www.goshen.edu/religionscience


*April 2006

3-30 Attention 4^th year MD and DO Students: Humanistic Elective in Activism, Alternative Medicine, and Reflective Transformation (HEART), California. Clerkship for 4th year allopathic and osteopathic medical students. First deadline for application:  June 15th, 2005 (rolling admission until then and thereafter). General elective credit in Internal Medicine through University of Florida College of Medicine. Peter Klinger MSIII, heartzpace@yahoo.com, http://www.amsa.org/humed/heart/index.cfm

7-9 The Spirit of Mountains, Bangor, ME, http://www.scimednet.org/

19-23 The National Association for Poetry Therapy (NAPT) 26th Annual Conference, From our Roots to the Present: Liberating Voices through Poetry Therapy, Boston, MA, http://poetrytherapy.org/conference.html

29-May 4 The International Congress on Dialogue of Science  and Religion: Science and Religion Defining Life and the Person, Tehran, Iran, Shiva Khalili, 0098-21-8501403-9, shivakhalili@yahoo.com


*May 2006

5-7 Faith in the Rockies: A weekend retreat, Canmore, Alberta, Canada, http://www.faithintherockies.com/

9 Evening Lecture with Elisabet Sahtouris, London, http://www.scimednet.org/


*June 2006

3 Radical Futures on Renewable Energy, London, http://www.scimednet.org/

J 7 The Council for Healing: A Model for Integrative Healing and Growth - American Holistic Nurses Association annual meeting, Pre-Conference 4 hour workshop with other members of the Council, St. Paul, MN www.ahna.org/events/2006.html

*August 2006

6 Northwest Conference on Forgiveness, Bremerton, WA, Sally Santana, sally@ifdnw.org, http://ifdnw.org/


List your events - see Classified ad details below
For a more complete listing of upcoming conferences, see:
http://www.alternative-therapies.com/at/staticpages/static.jsp?pagename=ATEVENTS

http://www.townsendletter.com/conferencecalendar.htm

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*** BOOKS ***

Jeffrey Keen. Consciousness, Intent, and the Structure of the Universe, Victoria: Trafford/Jeffrey Keen 2005. 310 pp US$23.99, C$29.99, EUR19.50, £13.50  3 pp. Refs
Orders: http://www.trafford.com/robots/04-2320.html

Jeffrey Keen has an Honors degree in Physics and Mathematics from Imperial College, London University and is currently Chairman and Managing Director of Swisher Hygiene UK Ltd. While he was initially a skeptic about psychic phenomena such as dowsing, Òhe now accepts that science is not infallible and that there is enormous scope in investigating non-mainstream science.Ó He has been studying dowsing and other aspects of consciousness for 20 years.

Keen's book is written for educated dowsers, researchers in psi, and scientists interested to know whether there are any systematic, lawful observations about dowsing. With Keen's book, the answer is a resounding ÔYes!' Keen has meticulously studied dowsed impressions of various objects such as crystals and ordinary rocks, plants and humans. He reports fascinating notes on the energy fields around single objects, paired objects, and groups of similar objects. Having explored dowsing for several decades, this reviewer was both delighted and dismayed at some of these notes.

He notes that crystals and other objects become charged with dowsable energy through being in the sun and being located over places with positive earth energies. Their energies are discharged or drained by being in a dark place, being located over places with negative earth energies, or being handled by humans.

The greater portion of the book is devoted to studies of regularly, repeatably dowsed observations of the intuitively perceived fields around various objects. With meticulous detail, Keen catalogues and classifies various dowsable fields and lines around objects, noting how they may vary under different circumstances, such as when pairs or circles of objects are present. Keen identifies seven distinct layers of energy fields around inanimate and animate objectsÉ

Deepak Chopra. The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire: Harnessing the Infinite Power of Coincidence, New York: Harmony Books 2003  302 ppPB $14.00.

Deepak Chopra reviews the evidence that confirms we are all linked together in a web of consciousness. Going well beyond this basic fact, he weaves a marvelous thesis suggesting that there are no coincidences. Every single event is pregnant with meaning. The challenge is to open ourselves to become aware of the invitations in what appear to be coincidences Ð to waken to our participation in the web of ongoing creation.

When we learn to live from the level of the soul, many things happen. We become aware of the exquisite patterns and synchronous rhythms that govern all life. We understand the lifetimes of memory and experience that have molded us into the people we are today. Fearfulness and anxiety fall away as we stand in wonder observing the world as it unfolds. We notice the web of coincidence that surrounds us, and we realize that there is meaning in even the smallest events. We discover that by applying attention and intention to these coincidences, we can create specific outcomes in our lives. We connect with everyone and everything in the universe, and recognize the spirit that unites us all. We unveil the wondrousness that is hidden deep inside us and revel in our newfound glory. We consciously shape our destinies into the limitlessly creative expressions they were meant to be, and by doing so we live out our most profound dreams, moving closer to enlightenment.

This is the miracle of synchrodestiny. (p. 28-29)

The more we are in the flow of the universe, the more often and the more profoundly our inner desires and wishes can manifest into outer realities. This is not to say that our every whim will be granted to usÉ

Lewis Mehl-Madrona. Coyote Wisdom: The Power of Story in Healing, Rochester, VT: Bear & Company 2005  230 pp $16.007 pp Notes.

Lewis Mehl-Madrona is certified in family practice, geriatrics and psychiatry, and includes Native American traditions in his practice. Healing through storytelling is the principal approach he shares in this book Ð of the various Native American ceremonial treatments that he uses.

Mehl-Madrona's storytelling is rich with the wisdom of his Cherokee grandmother. He seems to have stories available for every possible circumstance and occasion. These tales provide insights into a person's hidden fears and hurts that often underlie and contribute to or even cause the development of many physical and psychological problems. The stories also suggest a variety of solutions and inspire hope that change is possible.

Through these stories, he helps people discover the inner healing resources that can transform their lives, including their illnesses. He reports dramatic successes Ð often with people who have struggled for many years with their health issues Ð including anorexia, lupus (a chronic form of arthritis), victimization through emotional and physical abuse, panic disorder, and moreÉ

Ric Masten, Words & One-Liners, Take 2
Carmel, CA: Sun-Ink Presentation 2005.  207 pp  $30

I like this, the second book by Ric Masten, even better than the first. What makes it more appealing to me are the arrangements of poems into groups, such as Personals, I should have slept on it, and Words for survival. I find it tastier to have a medley of poems about family relationships, writing and medical issues Ð rather than isolated poems in a salad.

  Here is one of my favorites:

  (See more in IJHC January 2006)

THE LION TAMER

ENTERS THE THESAURUS
AND ESCAPES WITH HIS LIFE
 

        

I don't like to write!

words are nasty
uncooperative animals
stubborn unruly beasts
and I despise every minute
I put in with whip and chair
attempting to make them behave

sure, I take a bow

when I have them all lined up

in an impressive row

my vulnerable ego

having somehow escaped

critical analysis without

being clawed or bitten

but I don't like to write

I like having written

+++

WONDERFUL HOLIDAY GIFTS

Lotus

Mirtala. Cosmic Visions, Xlibris  2005  52 pp  $26.65 retail, $19.99 if ordered directly from publisher Orders@Xlibris.com This is a stunning collection of photos of Mirtala's art, superimposed on NASA photos of earth and of galaxies in outer space. This one is one of my favorites. See articles by Mirtala: ART: LOVE IN SEARCH OF FORM An Interview with Mirtala,  IJHC Volume 2, No. 3 HEALING THROUGH ART, IJHC Volume 3, No. 1 Matted 8.5 x 11 photo prints are also available for $35  (plus shipping) from Mirtala  mirtala@earthlink.net.

Terri Cohlene, Illustrations Dough Keith. Something Special, Bellevue, WA: Illumination Arts 2005.   $15.95  Suitable for ages 3-5. Whimsical description of many variations on the theme of a Ôsomething special' that is only revealed on the last pageÉ  A kiss.

            (See more in IJHC, January 2006 Volume 6, No. 1)

Thomas Pakenham. Meetings with Remarkable Trees, New York: Random House 1998. 192 pp  60 specimens  HB $24.95 7 1/2 x 9 in.

Thomas Pakenham. Remarkable Trees of the World, W. W. Norton 2002. 192pp $49.95 HB 10" x 11" pages
    These are portraits, not just pictures, each book documenting the impressive presence of sixty venerable trees from around the world.
         (See more in IJHC September, 2005, Volume 5, No. 3)

 

  NEW!
  HEALING RESEARCH      Volume II - Popular Edition
  How Can I Heal What Hurts?   Wholistic Healing and Bioenergies
  By Daniel J. Benor, MD

  Wholistic Healing Publications, Medford, NJ 2004 
  $34.95, free shipping and handling in US

Foreword by Norman Shealy, MD, PhD

Learn how your body and mind work together in health and illness, and how you can use new and ancient wholistic mind-body techniques to heal your physical and psychological problems.

o     Explore techniques you can use for self-healing of physical and psychological problems

o      Learn about biological energy medicine from Acupuncture to Yoga.

o      Discover the roles of the energy body.

o    Interactions of biological energies with environmental energies.

o     Research in unconventional energies and their relevance to healing

o      Written by a physician who is also an energy medicine practitioner and researcher.

o      642 pp, including references, endnotes, glossary, index   --  Paperback 6 x 9 inches

"Book of the Year" award
The Scientific and Medical Network, UK  

Healing Research, Volume II - Professional Edition

Consciousness, Bioenergy and Healing:
Self-Healing and Energy Medicine for the 21st Century
By Daniel J. Benor, M.D.

Foreword by C. Norman Shealy, MD, PhD

   PAPERBACK, CD-ROM, and eBOOK
     Order from author for 15% discount, no shipping charges in US

This book will dramatically broaden and deepen your understanding of health, illness and healing.

Consciousness: We have far greater potential for healing ourselves and each other than we generally appreciate. Dr. Benor, a wholistic psychiatrist, explains how mind-body and body-mind interactions can cause illness or promote health through wholistic interactions of body, emotions, mind, relationships (with other people and the environment) and spirit.  An enormous body of research, clinical examples and a variety of theories explain healing through complementary/ alternative medicine (CAM), including meditation, visualization, acupuncture, osteopathy and many more modalities, with clear and concise explanations of each of these healing modalities.

Bioenergy: Newtonian medicine has been slow to absorb the lessons of quantum physics: The body can be addressed not only as matter, but also as energy. Subtle biological energies are used by many CAM therapies -- some moving through the hands of the therapist, others through specialized interventions explained by Dr. Benor. Acupuncture addresses energies in acupuncture points, along meridians running from head to toes, and in chakras -- the body's energy regulating centers. Homeopathy and flower essences introduce energies and information through the water that is their vehicle for treatment. Does all this sound strange? Dr. Benor has gathered an amazing body of research in this book to confirm the healing potentials of these subtle bioenergy therapies -- explaining some of the roles of our energy body.
    Biological energies interact with environmental energies. Dr. Benor reviews a wealth of research on unconventional energies and considers their relevance to spiritual healing -- following on Volume I of Healing Research, which reviews 191 controlled studies of healing, demonstrating it is a highly effective treatment.

Healing: Dr. Benor explains how we can create health or illness through body-mind interactions, wholistic CAM and bioenergy medicine interventions. He reviews and discusses impressive research supporting claims that CAM and bioenergy therapies are potent and effective treatments.
More about this book and on-line orders at http://www.wholistichealingresearch.com/Store/Booknew.asp#v2
Reviews at http://www.wholistichealingresearch.com/Books/BookRevV2Pro.asp

Paperback $39.95   (15% author's discount and free shipping in US = $33.95)
        CD-ROM $24.95 (contains extra 75 pp. of CAM resources)
                   (10% author's discount and free shipping = $21.00)
             eBook $19.95


Benor, Daniel J, Healing Research: Volume I, (Popular edition)
Spiritual Healing: Scientific Validation of a Healing Revolution
Southfield, MI: Vision Publications, 2001.
   Healers describe their work, research in parapsychology as a context for understanding healing, brief summaries of randomized controlled studies, pilot studies.

Benor, Daniel J, Healing Research: Volume I, (Professional Supplement)
Spiritual Healing: Scientific Validation of a Healing Revolution, Southfield, MI: Vision Publications, 2001.
  Only the studies -- described in much greater detail, including statistical information.
Summary: Out of 191 controlled studies of healing, 124 show significant effects--on humans, animals, plants, bacteria, yeasts, cells in vitro, enzymes and DNA show significant effects.  Selecting out the more rigorous studies, 25 show effects at p< .01 and another 12 at p< .02 -.05.

Books - description, orders (directly from author or via a link to Amazon that gives the author a modest return)
http://www.wholistichealingresearch.com/Books/Series.htm

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*** WEBSITES ***

Delightful animated recommendations for healthy foods
http://www.storewars.org/flash/index.html

Amazingly beautiful microscope photos
http://education.denniskunkel.com/
 

*** HUMOR ***

The 10 worst jobs in science

    "Pain, tedium, danger, disgust and humiliation are all part of the average workday for the (often proud, more often smelly) members of Popular Science's third annual honor roll of the Worst Jobs in Science. This year's winners ... or perhaps losers ... include:
*          Orangutan-Pee Collector -- analyzing fertility through estrogen and progesterone levels, and weight gain or loss through ketone measurements

*          NASA Ballerina -- dancing to test a supersensitive robot

*          Do-Gooder -- volunteers sign up with the Earthwatch institute to go to some of the most inhospitable places on the planet

*          Semen Washer -- spining sperm samples in a centrifuge to separate the plasma from the motile cells

*          Volcanologist -- going into active volcanoes is one of the most dangerous jobs science has to offer

*          Nuclear-Weapons Scientist -- having all your work classified means endless hassles and little credit

*          Extremophile Excavator -- to harvest microbes that thrive in bizarre (and smelly) environments, you first have to go there

*          Kansas Biology Teacher -- dealing with the Intelligent Design battle on the front lines

*          Manure Inspector -- analyzing fertilizier is an important job, but the smell doesn't leave when you go home

*          Human Lab Rat -- risking your life and health for science, the pesticide industry, and a little bit of cash"
http://www.popsci.com/popsci/science/806ffb24a5f27010vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html

IJHC-WHR Observations
    Science often is not the glamorous occupation you might imagine!
    This helps to put research in spiritual awareness and healing in perspective. While not a bad job in the above terms, it often involves severe peer censure; working long hours because the research is unfunded and has to be done on one's own time and at one's own expense; and then facing the challenges of publication biases against these topics.
    This is where the International Journal of Healing and Caring also makes its contribution.

    Donations towards publication of the IJHC, this Newsletter, and for maintenance and updating of the Wholistic Healing Research site are appreciated!

Thereis a serious dearth of humor about healers! Please help us correct this deficit.

*** CLASSIFIED ***

Events  - Services -- Products

-  Life Energy Healing School. Two years each with four five-day intensives, opportunity to give service in Mongolia upon graduation. Life Energy Training» is a step-by-step educational program specializing in holistic heart-centered healing methods. Using Traditional Mongolian Medicine as a model, the program focuses on the student's personal growth and transformation. www.lifenergyheal.com     sas@lifenergyheal.com
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Disclaimer:
The IJHC/WHR Newsletter has in no way evaluated the advertisers or even organizers listed above, and assumes no responsibility for these presentations
 
 
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*** SUPPORT THE IJHC/WHR SITES ***

Your donation of $5 (more will be gratefully accepted!) will go towards expanding the resources available on the site, to update sections of the site as new studies and progress in healing are published, and towards secretarial support so that Dr. Benor can devote more time to developing and expanding the content of the site.

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You may also support this site by purchasing at Amazon.com through our link, in the left column, below, or bookmark this web address: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search/103-8181535-3258232?mode=books&keyword=&tag=wholisticheal-20&Go.x=6&Go.y=11