September 2011, Volume 11, No. 3
IS HUMANITY LEANING
TOWARDS SELF-DESTRUCTION?
Editorial MusingsContrasts That Define Each Other
Daniel J. Benor, MD
It is impossible to know a thing without awareness of how it differs from others things. This is true for all of our experiences. Some of the simplest and clearest contrasts are in our sensory perceptions. For instance, visual light has a spectrum of colors - from white, which is the combination of all colors - through the spectrum of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet and indigo. Each color has its distinctiveness in the spectrum of all colors, and we know each through its contrast with the others.
Such contrasts are legion in our lives:
Masculine and Feminine - These are not just physical gender designations. While there are separate sets of hard-wired neurophysiological characteristics for each gender, there are learned personal, family and cultural behaviors that are acquired through social interactions and learning. Members of each gender contrast with and highlight the characteristics of their opposite members.
Yin and Yang - The Oriental concepts of Yin and yang are polar opposites that must be balanced in order for life to proceed in harmony. The term yin denotes the shady side of the slope, and may be associated with qualities of femininity, openness, passivity, receptivity, introversion, diminution, repose, weakness, and coolness. Yang is the sunny side of the slope, and may be associated with the sun, masculinity, strength, brightness, assertiveness, movement, extroversion, growth and excitation...
Our understanding of reality in any given moment is based on limited awareness of the larger picture. In the fullness of time, we often come to appreciate that what we comprehended about a situation may have been partly or totally erroneous, based on the facts we had available for our consideration at the time. In hindsight, we might begin to appreciate that an apparent misfortune or even a tragedy turns out to have life-transforming benefits for us…
Living with Life ChallengesIs There A Doctor In The House? Yes!
Arthur Bernard, PhD
The first wealth is health.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
From personal experience, I can attest to the power of the dreaming mind to diagnose, comment on treatment, see illness as a teacher, and predict outcomes. When the physical body is hit with illness, the victim has an immediate appointment with the greatest specialist he/she will ever have - a masterful diagnostician and treatment specialist who is always on call and has access to the total physical, mental, emotional, psychological and spiritual database contained in a single body. The remedy for illness is known within and the marvelous healing dreams that took place in ancient Greek dream temples can be repeated in modern times. My seminars prove that atmospheres conducive to such phenomena can be replicated and patients can learn to trust that an inner healer is a reality.
Variations on the Theme of HealingChange Begins With a Conversation
Mike Nickerson
The impetus to reform or revolution springs in every age from the realization of the contrast between the external order of society and the moral standards recognized as valid by the conscience or reason of the individual.
R. H. Tawney, historian
How do we get our clever species to realize, after 10,000 years of growth, that we are grown-up now; that growing is no longer the most important thing we have to do? The need to reform the current economic structure, so as to maintain well-being without overwhelming the Earth, is obvious to anyone who connects the dots. The volume of natural resources we are using and the amount of waste we produce are at the root of increasing energy prices, the climate issue and emerging issues around fresh water and food. The solution offered by the external order of society, to continue growing, contrasts starkly with conscience and reason.
Wholistic ApproachesPronoia: Attitudinal Change, Love and Spirituality
Mel Borins, MD
Pronoia is the opposite of paranoia. It is the belief that the universe is plotting to make you happy and that there is nothing you can do about it. Having a positive attitude is an important aspect of healing and optimism is an important predictor of disease resilience. Many of us have had peak experiences or moments in our lives when we felt at one with ourselves and the world around. By examining how we achieved these moments of enhanced awareness we can work toward re-capturing this sense of oneness. Love, an essential part of pronoia, is a powerful emotion and is also a component of unconditional regard, empathy and compassion. Pronoia is an important element in our personal lives and in therapeutic relationships.
Subtle Energy Enhancements in Farm and Field
Patrick MacManaway
Subtle Energies in earth's landscape are in every way analogous to those in the human body. Pathways of chi similar to the meridians of chi in our own body are variously termed earth meridians, dragon lines, ley lines, grid lines, song lines and other appellations in other cultures. Research has shown that these lines were managed and balanced for significant agricultural advantage by early farming communities, through work with standing stones and other earthworks. Current experiments and experiences are showing that we can use this simple technology - effectively an acupuncture of the earth - to optimize growing conditions for animals and plants, with benefits in length of growing season, frost resistance, disease and drought resistance, rate of germination and development of root structure, and increased yield.
Goose Bumps: Phenomenon of Spirituality and Body-Mind Cleansing?
Floco Tausin
Many of us experience that prickly feeling with our body hair standing on end and our skin in goose bumps at various times. This is often associated with chills, shivers and certain emotional states. Less known, however, is that this prickle is informative and effective in the fields of health care and spirituality. This is suggested by both medical studies and the experience of spiritual masters from various cultures.
Poetry, Art and Humor are HealingA Doctor's Instruments
Allan D. Peterkin
People always think of
A stethoscope or scalpel
But it’s your old wooden chair
That you'll use the most
Sitting face to face with someone
Hands folded in your lap
You will read there
And ponder, write, make calls
Book ReviewsNorman Doidge. The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science
Emma Bragdon. Spiritism and Mental Health: Practices from Spiritist Centers and Spiritist Psychiatric Hospitals in Brazil
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and David Kessler. On Grief and Grieving: Finding The Meaning of Grief Through the Five Stages of Loss
Ken Robinson and Lou Aronica. The Element
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