Would I support the development of a bionic person? And do I support using the "BrainControl" headset to transform the lives of patients with 'locked-in' syndrome?
The questions this week are very challenging because it puts me in the position of questioning the value of human life versus the ethical considerations of keeping everyone alive or functioning at any cost. I think that development of prostheses are wonderful and can give so many people a much better quality of life. Why develop a bionic person, though? I guess I just don't see the need. Instead we should be focusing on preserving and reversing the damage done to our gene pools by GMOs, chemicals and pollution in our environment.
I saw The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, and it was both beautiful and horrific. Locked-in Syndrome is not something I would wish on my worst enemy, so I can imagine if it were a close loved-one--I would do anything to allow for communication and ease of any pain. I think that with any technology, medicine, therapy, it's important to set expectations of what the potential outcomes are, one of which may be 'no change'. But just because something is experimental doesn't mean that it shouldn't be tried, especially when options are limited. I have a friend who's aunt had ALS and before she started to deteriorate completely, she threw a huge party, said goodbye to everyone, and the next day she passed away via a planned, assisted suicide. My friend said it was one of the saddest, strangest experiences of his life.
When I think of his aunt, I feel like she was a wise soul, understanding what was to come, accepting it, and letting go of her life before she was ensnared by her own body. Reminds me of the Native Americans just 'knowing their time' to die and walking off into the woods and dying peacefully alone. I've heard animals do that as well. Anyway, easier said than done, we are victims of our culture and connections to nature and spirit have been lost in technology-centered world.
I love this quote and it beautifully simplifies how I feel about this subject:
"In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you." --Buddha
Friday, August 8, 2014
Monday, August 4, 2014
energy medicine, the biofield and intention
Acupuncture serves to manipulate the energetic system of the body, something not completely defined or understood as of yet in Western medical models. The energetic system is more specifically defined as the conglomeration of meridians that run throughout the body and contain qi and blood. Along the meridians there are 'points of access' (areas of higher concentration of qi/blood) that have the ability, singly or in combination with other points, to help direct the qi and blood and thus affect the state of health of the patient. To say acupuncture is an effective energy medicine would be accurate but also an understatement. While the energetic system of the body is not entirely understood by Western minds, it is a direct line to aligning physical, emotional, and spiritual health.
Kirlian photography provides evidence of the bioenergetic field, or aura, around all living beings. Though the technology is currently unrefined, it is a wonderful tool to show that we extend energetically beyond the boundaries of our physical skins and that our energetic fields are affected by our emotional states, illnesses, and thoughts. It also makes me wonder about personal space...I've often felt that I don't like being in places with too many people too close together, and then there are people that I love to stand to close to, that give me a sense of comfort. With knowledge of our bioenergetic fields, this would make sense, as the closer range you are to a person or people, the more your fields are intermingling. For a sensitive or sick person this could be confusing! I think of the fields as either blending into braided harmony or repelling each other causing almost a physical pressure as the fields morph around each other trying to avoid one another.
Human intention is the essential ingredient in any healthcare formula. I've pasted my physics paper below on intention and its effects on health. Please note: This is a lengthy topic and in no way is this my full view on the subject! The takeaway from this whole subject is that we all have the ability to heal ourselves, it is the intention that is the facilitator.
Essay on Intention as Viewed Through the Practices of Meditation and Prayer
Intention. At one point in time it was a largely a reference to a man's plans for a woman with respect to marriage. Now, it's become a buzz word in the self-help world. We are constantly bombarded with phrases such as 'the power of intention' and 'manifestation through intention'. We are told that, through our intention, we can create our reality, relieve our suffering, and ultimately alter our life circumstances (or perception thereof). But what is intention and how do we create and alter our reality? This short essay will focus on how intention is viewed and expressed through the lenses of prayer and meditation.
Prayer involves actively focusing one's intention on someone or something and allowing God (or spiritual entity) to take over and divinely influence power to improve an outcome. The act of prayer serves to relieve one from suffering, offering acceptance of life situations that may be difficult to otherwise accept. Studies have shown that group prayer can help people recover faster from illness in hospitals. In a recent study it was shown that prayer lights up the frontal part of the brain, the area that also lights up when one is engaged in conversation. Essentially, prayer is an active process that allows one to converse with God.
The word meditation comes from the Latin word 'meditatio' which was the word used originally to describe a type of ancient Christian prayer. However, while there are now many types of meditation, the general act is practiced with the intention of letting go of thoughts and focusing attention on something specific, like breath or a mantra. Focusing on the breath or a mantra, for instance, allows one to let go of rampant thoughts that permeate the mind. This allows for a person to become more centered and relaxed. Insight or wisdom is said to come more easily to a person in this state. "All answers can be found within" is an ancient Buddhist idea that we are innately intelligent beings that are connected to the primordial wisdom of the cosmos. Meditation has been proven to drastically change the practitioner's health. Lowering blood pressure, improving sleep, curing depression and anxiety are among the list of dozens of health conditions that meditation can benefit.
Meditation is an active process, like prayer. However, studies have shown that depending on what type of meditation a person is practicing, different parts of the brain are activated. The frontal area, the area involved in conversation, is not activate during meditation which seems to show that the act of meditation is truly an internal process.
In conclusion, intention, whether expressed through prayer or meditation can heed great results. Both practices overlap in areas, however, they do have some distinct differences and benefits. We can benefit from practicing either or both, even if we aren't religious, as the intention behind the practices are what yield the results.
Kirlian photography provides evidence of the bioenergetic field, or aura, around all living beings. Though the technology is currently unrefined, it is a wonderful tool to show that we extend energetically beyond the boundaries of our physical skins and that our energetic fields are affected by our emotional states, illnesses, and thoughts. It also makes me wonder about personal space...I've often felt that I don't like being in places with too many people too close together, and then there are people that I love to stand to close to, that give me a sense of comfort. With knowledge of our bioenergetic fields, this would make sense, as the closer range you are to a person or people, the more your fields are intermingling. For a sensitive or sick person this could be confusing! I think of the fields as either blending into braided harmony or repelling each other causing almost a physical pressure as the fields morph around each other trying to avoid one another.
Human intention is the essential ingredient in any healthcare formula. I've pasted my physics paper below on intention and its effects on health. Please note: This is a lengthy topic and in no way is this my full view on the subject! The takeaway from this whole subject is that we all have the ability to heal ourselves, it is the intention that is the facilitator.
Essay on Intention as Viewed Through the Practices of Meditation and Prayer
Intention. At one point in time it was a largely a reference to a man's plans for a woman with respect to marriage. Now, it's become a buzz word in the self-help world. We are constantly bombarded with phrases such as 'the power of intention' and 'manifestation through intention'. We are told that, through our intention, we can create our reality, relieve our suffering, and ultimately alter our life circumstances (or perception thereof). But what is intention and how do we create and alter our reality? This short essay will focus on how intention is viewed and expressed through the lenses of prayer and meditation.
Prayer involves actively focusing one's intention on someone or something and allowing God (or spiritual entity) to take over and divinely influence power to improve an outcome. The act of prayer serves to relieve one from suffering, offering acceptance of life situations that may be difficult to otherwise accept. Studies have shown that group prayer can help people recover faster from illness in hospitals. In a recent study it was shown that prayer lights up the frontal part of the brain, the area that also lights up when one is engaged in conversation. Essentially, prayer is an active process that allows one to converse with God.
The word meditation comes from the Latin word 'meditatio' which was the word used originally to describe a type of ancient Christian prayer. However, while there are now many types of meditation, the general act is practiced with the intention of letting go of thoughts and focusing attention on something specific, like breath or a mantra. Focusing on the breath or a mantra, for instance, allows one to let go of rampant thoughts that permeate the mind. This allows for a person to become more centered and relaxed. Insight or wisdom is said to come more easily to a person in this state. "All answers can be found within" is an ancient Buddhist idea that we are innately intelligent beings that are connected to the primordial wisdom of the cosmos. Meditation has been proven to drastically change the practitioner's health. Lowering blood pressure, improving sleep, curing depression and anxiety are among the list of dozens of health conditions that meditation can benefit.
Meditation is an active process, like prayer. However, studies have shown that depending on what type of meditation a person is practicing, different parts of the brain are activated. The frontal area, the area involved in conversation, is not activate during meditation which seems to show that the act of meditation is truly an internal process.
In conclusion, intention, whether expressed through prayer or meditation can heed great results. Both practices overlap in areas, however, they do have some distinct differences and benefits. We can benefit from practicing either or both, even if we aren't religious, as the intention behind the practices are what yield the results.
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