Studies and Progress Notes (March 2008)

* *  SPIRITUAL AWARENESS AND WHOLISTIC HEALING * * 

Neurological studies of out-of-body experiences and autoscopy  

The authors studied two phenomena that appear similar: "During an out-of-body experience (OBE), the experient seems to be awake and to see his body and the world from a location outside the physical body. A closely related experience is autoscopy (AS), which is characterized by the experience of seeing one’s body in extrapersonal space… The present study describes phenomenological, neuropsychological and neuroimaging correlates of OBE and AS in six neurological patients. We provide neurological evidence that both experiences share important central mechanisms. We show that OBE and AS are frequently associated with pathological sensations of position, movement and perceived completeness of one’s own body… We suggest that OBE and AS are related to a failure to integrate proprioceptive, tactile and visual information with respect to one’s own body (disintegration in personal space) and by a vestibular dysfunction leading to an additional disintegration between personal (vestibular) space and extrapersonal (visual) space. We argue that both disintegrations (personal; personal–extrapersonal) are necessary for the occurrence of OBE and AS, and that they are due to a paroxysmal cerebral dysfunction of the TPJ [temporo-parietal junction] in a state of partially and briefly impaired consciousness."

Blanke, Olaf et al., Out-of-body experience and autoscopy of neurological origin, Brain 2004, 127(2), 243-258.
http://brain.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/127/2/243

IJHC – WHR Observations

This is the most thorough neurological study of OBEs and AS phenomena that I have seen. It provides information on a part of the brain, the temporo-parietal junction, that appears to be associated with these phenomena during seizures or injury.

The authors' conclusions, that the OBE is therefore of similar origin to the AS phenomenon, and that both are related to brain dysfunction is seriously flawed.

Their first flaw is one of logic. If one studies a phenomenon only in people with brain dysfunction, one cannot generalize that the phenomenon occurs only in people with brain dysfunction or is due to brain dysfunction. This would be like studying hiccups only in children and saying that it is a problem of childhood, restricted to childhood.

Second, there is a wealth of literature on people who have OBEs with no evidence whatsoever of brain dysfunction. The Out-of-Body Experience is reported by 17 to 27 percent of people who have been surveyed.

Third, the OBEs described in this study are very simple, with simple, almost stereotyped experiences in the OBE state. OBEs described by countless others - not in this study - include much more complex explorations of psychic and spiritual realms.

Fourth, people can learn to develop OBEs through specific exercises. Although for most this is an invited experience that comes of its own accord (more often when people make up their minds they are ready for it) rather than a willed phenomenon, some are able to have OBEs by choice.

Fifth, there is considerable overlap between the OBE and traveling clairsentience, also called Remote Viewing. The US military did extensive research on this.

Despite its flaws, this study points to the abilities of people to perceive the world from a point in space that is outside their physical body. For many, this is a first step towards spiritual awareness of themselves as being part of the greater world.

For a review of OBE studies and much more on spiritual awarenesses, see:

Healing Research, V. 3
   Personal Spirituality: Science, Spirit and the Eternal Soul
   Bellmawr, NJ: Wholistic Healing Publications 2006
   www.wholistichealingresearch.com/hrv3.html
      Free shipping in US.

 
**  FUTURE RESEARCH IN WHOLISTIC HEALING * * 

The IJHC/WHR E-Zine 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.


Traveling clairsentience

The Monroe Institute, among others, has programs for learning to develop OBEs. So far, I have seen no formal research to confirm the benefits of these programs. This appears both do-able and worth doing.

* *  WHOLISTIC APPROACHES * *     

CREATING A UNIFIED CODE OF ETHICS FOR HEALERS  
The Council for Healing     

PURPOSES:  
•  Develop a consensus of ethics and standards that will help to bring greater unity to the healing profession;
•  Raise standards internally within healing modalities and individual healing practices; and
•  Enhance the professional standing of healing in the world at large.
http://councilforhealing.org/Ethics.html

THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS…

We invite feedback from healers and other CAM therapists who are concerned with the ethics of caregiving practice. We are particularly interested to have feedback from those who have worked on codes of ethics within a specific therapeutic modality.
Responses please to Daniel J. Benor, MD, ABHM, Past Coordinator, the Council for Healing - DB@WholisticHealingResearch.com or simply use the Contact Us link on the Council for Healing website.

BIOETHICS ON THE WEB

For an overview of bioethics resources on the web, see the site maintained by the National Institutes of Health: http://www.nih.gov/sigs/bioethics/

IJHC – WHR Observations

Many who work as caregivers in various forms of healing assume that if their intention is good then all will be well. While this might be true in the best of all possible worlds, the world in which we live is a bit more complex and requires a bit more awareness. The Council for Healing ethics document represents a distillation of the codes of conduct and ethics of the member organizations of the Council. It points out many issues to consider in providing health services in a caring but also a considerate way.

It is also possible to get into legal trouble through acts of intent or through ignorance of issues in the rules of law surrounding therapeutic interventions and therapist-client relationships. For this reason, as well, it is important to have some awareness of these issues.

 * *  COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES * *         

Youthful Aging By Norm Shealy    
ANDROPAUSE © C. Norman Shealy, MD, PhD     

Virtually everyone knows about menopause but few people know about Andropause, the equivalent endocrine “change” in men.  Beginning at age 40 to 50 men almost inevitably produce less testosterone than they did from age 18 to 40.  Obviously a wide variety of factors influence the production of testosterone, including weight, exercise, stress, alcohol, and a wide variety of drugs, etc.  Decreasing levels of testosterone lead to mood swings, depression, fatigue, loss of energy, difficulty concentrating, increased body fat, gynecomastia, hair loss, hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, loss of sex drive, erectile dysfunction, decreased muscle strength, and decreased physical agility.  Osteoporosis is also common. Since there is no obvious physical change, such as loss of menstruation, andropause is often overlooked.  Erectile dysfunction may be due not only to decreased testosterone levels but also to increased levels of estrogen or prolactin, both of which are also related to gynecomastia.  (Horm Res, 1985, 22:196-203).  A significant majority of men with erectile dysfunction have low levels of testosterone (J Urol, 2006, 176: 2589-2593).  Interestingly, tadalafil administration lowers estrogen levels in men with ED, but does not increase testosterone. ( J Sex Med, 2006, 3: 716-722).  There is also a strong correlation between hypothyroidism, even “subclinical” hypothyroidism, and low levels of testosterone.  Low or deficient levels of DHEA are also found.
 
Erectile dysfunction, ED, is remarkably common in men treated with antidepressants and at least some of these antidepressants increase prolactin levels! (J Clin Psychiatry, 2006, 67: 952-957).  Almost all anti-hypertensive drugs cause ED.

The “normal” range of total testosterone in men is 300 - 1200 ng/dl of serum.  This is a broad range and I suspect that healthy men have a level more like 600 to 1200 ng/dl at their peak, around age 18 to 25.   Many men will have significant symptoms at total testosterone levels below 450 ng/dl.  Actually it is the “free” unbound testosterone that is really crucial!  Free testosterone levels generally are approximately 1-5% of the total. 
 
Testosterone is responsible for muscle mass and strength, mental alertness, energy, bone mass and strength, erectile function and libido.  Many diseases of aging are at least partially related to low levels of testosterone, including Alzheimer’s disease.  There is considerable disagreement among physicians about the effect of testosterone on benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH) and prostate cancer.  However, some authors state that there is no harmful effect upon the prostate and no adverse effect upon blood lipids. (Treat Endocrinol, 2003, 2: 1-9).  In men with refractory depression, transdermal testosterone led to significant reduction in depression. (Am J Psychiatry, 2003, 160: 105-111)
 
Low dose transdermal testosterone has been shown to reduce anginal pain and threshold and improve activity in men with stable angina.  As with many hormonal studies, rats have been the most studied. In aged rats testosterone “completely reversed in weight of penile muscles and in size and dendritic length of their related motoneurones.” 
 
DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
The diagnosis is made primarily with serum testosterone and free testosterone levels.  It is wise to check also TSH for thyroid function, PSA, estrogen and prolactin.  Invariably DHEA will be low or deficient.  All this needs to be correlated and a treatment plan devised.  Minimize coffee and alcohol.  Increase physical exercise to one hour daily. DO NOT TRY ANY MOOD OR ANTI-DEPRESSANT DRUGS!
 
I recommend starting with: Tribulus Terrestris, 2000 to 4000 mg daily. 
If there is no effect within several weeks, add Tongkat ali, 1200 mg daily and start stimulation of  Magnesium Lotion , Youth Formula and VigEros, 2 to 3 daily.
 
If no effect within another 3 weeks, add ProArgi9Plus, 2 scoops at bedtime and one in the morning.
 
If no effect within another 3 weeks, use ADAM’S PROSTATE CARE, a unique herbal cream with progesterone and a number of prostate healthy herbs. 
 
Before going to testosterone, I would use the SheLi TENS on the Ring of Fire for at least a month.  And I would recommend trying 5% homeopathic testosterone first—you will find it on the internet.  If you still have not achieved good libido, and if your PSA is 2 or below, consider asking your physician for a prescription for 10% bio-identical testosterone cream or gel, 2 oz.  You will need to obtain it from a compounding pharmacy. Apply 1 ml daily.
 
Late News:
Overweight men and those with lower levels of testosterone often have increased levels of estradiol.  A recent study reports that men with the highest levels of estradiol have over double the risk of strokes and thromboembolic problems.  Both obesity and andropause are associated with higher levels of estradiol.  It pays to treat andropause with respect—and to get rid of that excess fat in your body!
Neurology 2007, 68: 563-568.
 
Copyright© 2007 Selfhealthsystems.com, All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission of Dr. Shealy

IJHC – WHR Observations

The Andropause is a neglected stage in men's lives. Although it is mercifully more gentle and subtle in men than the menopause in women, it deserves much further study.

Dr. Norman Shealy's wisdom is shared in monthly newsletters like the above, available at http://www.selfhealthsystems.com/archive.php
  It is great to have these recommendations for treatments that do not have the risks that many medications carry.

More CAM reviews at
www.naturalhealthvillage.com
www.mdlinx.com/FamilyMDLinx 
 www.ucalgary.ca/~camig/litsearch.html
AMSA website
www.amsa.org/humed/camresources/camnews.cfm

* * TECHNOLOGY * *  

ONLINE HELP WITH WATER FOR SIERRA LEONE SLUM     

IJHC - WHR Observations 

This is an excellent step towards bringing people around the planet together to work on problems of those in need, helped by those in more comfortable circumstances. The virtual feedback is an excellent innovation that can help people on both ends of the spectrum understand each others better.
 

GOOGLE FACILITIES   

Get Local Time: Type in: What time is it followed by any city to get the current time.

Track Flight Status: Enter the airline and flight number to find out the departure time and estimated arrival for any flight.

Convert Currency, Metrics, Bytes and More: Google has a built-in converter calculator. You can enter quarter cup in teaspoons, seconds in a year, 5 US dollars in Euros and countless others.

Search for Pages That are “Better Than,” “Similar to,” or “Reminds me of”: Enter “better than keyword” or “similar to keyword” to find Web pages you never knew existed.

Use Google as a Free Proxy: Enter cache:WEBSITE.com (inserting the website you want) to view a Web page that’s been blocked from the computer you’re using.

Source: google tips
http://lifehacker.com/339474/top-10-obscure-google-search-tricks

IJHC – WHR Observations

Google is becoming the most common portal to the internet world. I've had the consistent feeling that they are working hard to make google user-friendly.

* *  ENVIRONMENT (HEALING OUR PLANET) * *

Drastic decreases in bird populations

Many millions fewer birds are counted each year in the wilds of North America. Destruction of habitats and elimination of bird insect prey from pesticides are the focus of this on line video presentation.
http://rawstory.com/rawreplay/?p=372

IJHC – WHR Observations

In addition, it is strongly suspected that electromagnetic signals from cell phone towers and other sources may disorient birds in their migrations.

SOME THOUGHTS ON IMPENDING GLOBAL DISASTER

"It may be better for the Earth and humanity's future that economic collapse comes sooner rather than later, while more ecosystems and opportunities to return to nature's fold exist. Economic collapse will be deeply wrenching -- part Great Depression, part African famine. There will be starvation and civil strife, and a long period of suffering and turmoil. Many will be killed as balance returns to the Earth. Most people have forgotten how to grow food and that their identity is more than what they own. Yet there is some justice, in that those who have lived most lightly upon the land will have an easier time of it, even as those super-consumers living in massive cities finally learn where their food comes from and that ecology is the meaning of life. Economic collapse now means humanity and the Earth ultimately survive to prosper again. Human suffering -- already the norm for many, but hitting the currently materially affluent -- is inevitable given the degree to which the planet's carrying capacity has been exceeded. We are a couple decades at most away from societal strife of a much greater magnitude as the Earth's biosphere fails. Humanity can take the bitter medicine now, and recover while emerging better for it; or our total collapse can be a final, fatal death swoon."
- Dr. Glen Barry
 Economic Collapse and Global Ecology
www.earthmeanders.blogspot.com/2008/01/economic-collapse-and-global-ecology.html> 

IJHC – WHR Observations

This is an interesting spin on global heating and other impending ecological disasters. It would be a suitable though difficult form of justice. However, it would be meted out most severely on those who live in the middle layers of the economic exploitation chain. Unfairly, those who are at the top, whose policies have caused these problems, would have resources to mitigate the severity of the personal consequences of economic collapse, and to continue the dominator policies, motivated by greed and power, that got the world into these problems.

 * *  HUMAN ECOLOGY* * 

ONLINE HELP WITH WATER FOR SIERRA LEONE SLUM, WITH VIRTUAL FEEDBACK TO DONORS

An Internet campaign by Save the Children is setting out to raise money to cut phenomenally high rates of infant death and disease in Sierra Leone's Kroo Bay slum, and at the same time allow donors to watch how their money is being distributed. The aid agency has two people living in Kroo Bay compiling footage and stories for this website <http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/kroobay/>  which allows you to become a virtual neighbour to the residents there. Donors can text one of seven short words NUT, NET, WATER, BLANKET, JAB, THERM, SALTS to 81819 - and a preset sum of money ranging from $2 to $10 will be sent to pay for items such as mosquito nets, peanut butter, rehydration salts and vaccinations <http://members.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L17731545.htm > . The campaign coincides with a report by the agency called Saving Children's Lives <http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/en/docs/saving-childrens-lives.pdf>  which compares countries' child mortality rates to national income per person. Bangladesh comes out as a success story while oil-rich Angola comes bottom in failing to make a real difference to the number of child deaths. Contact the Save the Children Media Unit media@savethechildren.org.uk   in London on +44 (0)20 7012 6841 or 07831 650409.

IJHC – WHR Observations

This is an excellent step towards bringing people around the planet together to work on problems of those in need, helped by those in more comfortable circumstances. The virtual feedback is an excellent innovation that can help people on both ends of the spectrum understand each others better.
 

An experimental study that treats PTSD veterans with the drug MDMA

This study proposes to treat veterans who have PTSD with the drug 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methamphetamine (MDMA/ "ecstasy").

The problem of veterans suiciding in epidemic numbers is apparently getting the attention of a few politicians. "We need to be positioning ourselves now to provide the assistance that our veterans need," said House Committee on Veterans' Affairs chairman Bob Filner (D-CA) during a hearing, called "Stopping Suicides: Examining the Mental Health Challenges Facing the Department of Veterans Affairs," held in December 2007. "Not only for those brave men and women who are returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan, but also for our veterans from previous conflicts. We cannot afford to put this issue off."

The proposal has been initiated by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). This group is advocating for legalizing MDMA (which was a recreational drug in the '80s and '90s but is now a restricted substance) for treatment of PTSD and anxiety in cancer patients. and more.

MAPS is supporting Dr. Michael Mithoefer's double-blind study of  MDMA for PTSD, with FDA approval in 2001, to be completed June 2008. There is also a study at McLean Hospital of Harvard Medical School on MDMA for the psychological states of terminal cancer patients.

Source: Breaking the drug taboo: group of traumatized veterans get experimental ecstasy treatment, By Scott Thill, AlterNet. February 11, 2008.
http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/76576/

IJHC – WHR Observations

MDMA can help release negative feelings and create a positive 'glow.' With competent psychotherapy, this might prove helpful.

This is a sad option to choose, however, for varieties of reasons.

1. To depend upon a drug for what can be achieved with a person's own initiatives is potentially disempowering.

2. MDMA will be used strictly under therapists' supervision in the therapists' offices. MDMA does not help people to deal with flashbacks, panic attacks, temper outbursts, insomnia and other symptoms of PTSD that will occur between sessions.

3. PTSD is usually a complex, deep-seated problem that requires many sessions to clear. There is the danger of creating a drug dependency on MDMA, as well as encouraging people to turn to drugs to deal with their problems.

A much better choice for treatment of PTSD is WHEE: Whole Health - Easily and Effectively
AKA  Wholistic Hybrid derived from EMDR and EFT.
See article on WHEE for trauma and re-entry problems after being in a war zone
re-entryprotocolforde-stressing.html

WHEE is empowering because it teaches a person to do competent, deep, rapidly effective self-healing. It is effective within minutes even for symptoms of the most severe traumas. It is safe to use at home, as it does not produce heavy emotional releases (as is the case with EMDR).

WHEE enables a person to do self healing on other stresses as well as on physical and psychological pains, fears, phobias and other problems. There is no danger of creating a drug-dependency mentality.